THE ORIGINAL PLUM TORTE: THE NEW YORK TIMES RECIPE THAT WON’T GO AWAY

Marian Burros’s famous plum torte became the most requested recipe in The New York Times. One look at the superb late-summer plums at Halsey Farm stand told us it was time to make it again.

There are certain fruits that make you stop at a farm stand even when you had no intention of stopping. The plums at Halsey Farm stand were like that: dusky, deeply colored and so perfectly ripe that they seemed to come with their own instructions. Make the plum torte.

Not just any plum torte, but Marian Burros’s Original Plum Torte—the wonderfully simple cake that became the most requested recipe in the history of The New York Times. It may also be the only recipe whose attempted retirement prompted something close to a reader revolt. That makes it irresistible to a food writer. The plums make it irresistible to everyone else.

The Little Recipe That Took Over the Food Section

Burros first published the recipe in The New York Times in September 1983, tucked into the Food section alongside a short story about the arrival of Italian prune plums. There was no grand proclamation and no reason to suspect that a few common ingredients—flour, butter, sugar, eggs and fruit—were about to make newspaper history. But readers wanted the recipe again. And again.

The Times reprinted it every September from 1983 through 1989. That final year, the editors announced that enough was enough and printed the recipe inside a broken-line border, in larger type, so readers could clip it out and keep it. The strategy was sensible. The readers were having none of it.

Letters of protest poured in. For many people, the annual appearance of the torte had become a marker of the season: summer was slipping away, fall was approaching and it was time to turn on the oven. The paper had tried to retire a recipe and discovered it had tampered with a tradition.

Decades later, the torte remains one of the most popular recipes the Times has ever published. When Amanda Hesser asked readers which recipes should appear in The Essential New York Times Cookbook, 247 people nominated it. Hesser called it “a nearly perfect recipe.” That may be the most succinct explanation of its longevity.

Why This Plum Torte Still Works

Despite the name, this is really a tender, buttery cake rather than an elaborate European torte. The batter takes only minutes to make. Plum halves are arranged over the top and, as the cake bakes and rises around them, they soften into glossy, sweet-tart pockets. Their juices seep into the crumb while a scattering of sugar and cinnamon creates a delicate crust.

It is homey but handsome, easy but never ordinary. It is also remarkably forgiving. Burros preferred the small, blue-black Italian prune plums that arrive toward the end of summer, but the recipe has been made successfully with peaches, nectarines, apricots, apples and berries. Still, when plums as beautiful as those at Halsey Farm stand are waiting, adaptation feels beside the point. This is their moment.

A Note About the Sugar

The 1983 recipe called for one cup of sugar. In 1989, Burros reduced it to three-quarters of a cup. Either amount works. We favor three-quarters of a cup when the plums are fully ripe; it keeps their tart edge alive and prevents the cake from becoming overly sweet. If your fruit is especially sharp, use the full cup—or split the difference.  Andrew took sugar to another level. Instead of adding it to the batter, he coated the greased baking pan with sugar which gives the torte a lovely crunch on the crust.  Also, he boosts the flavor of the cake itself by adding a teaspoon of Vanilla Extract to the batter. Even the most popular recipe in The New York Times can be improved! And here is the recipe…

Original Plum Torte Adapted from Marian Burros’s Original Plum Torte, published by The New York Times

September 16, 2026

Servings: 8

Prep: 15 min

Difficulty: Astonishingly easy which is one reason for its enormous popularity

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It is homey but handsome, easy but never ordinary. Despite the name, this is really a tender, buttery cake rather than an elaborate European torte.

By: Monte Mathews

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, or up to 1 cup for tart plums, plus more for topping
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 large eggs
• 12 small Italian prune plums, halved and pitted
• Fresh lemon juice, for sprinkling
• About 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
• Softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving, optional

Directions

• Step 1 Heat the oven to 350°F. Butter an 8-, 9- or 10-inch springform pan.
• Step 2 Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy. Add the flour, baking powder, salt and eggs, then beat just until the batter is smooth and well combined.
• Step 3 Spread the thick batter evenly in the prepared pan. Arrange the plum halves over the surface, skin side up.
• Step 4 Sprinkle the plums lightly with sugar and a little lemon juice, adjusting both to the sweetness of the fruit. Finish with the cinnamon.
• Step 5 Bake for about 1 hour, until the cake is deeply golden and a tester inserted into a section of cake—not a plum—comes out clean. Cool before releasing the sides of the pan.
• Step 6 Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, plain or with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
• Step 7 Andrew’s Notes
• Step 8 Choose the right plums: Small Italian prune plums are ideal because their concentrated flavor intensifies in the oven and their size gives nearly every slice a generous share of fruit.
• Step 9 Do not worry when the batter looks sparse: It rises around the plums as it bakes. The transformation is part of the recipe’s charm.
• Step 10 Make two if the plums are exceptional: The cooled torte freezes beautifully. Wrap it well, freeze it, then thaw and warm it briefly in a 300°F oven.
• Step 11 The next morning is fair game: A modest wedge with coffee is breakfast. The Food Police have been notified and declined to intervene.

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