Juicy plums star in this gluten free plum torte, my take on the classic NY Times plum torte recipe. Make this total winner of a cake with late-season plums, or bake it year-round using seasonal fruit.
The New York Times claims that Marian Burros' original plum torte recipe is its most-requested recipe and if you've been wishing for a gluten free version of this favorite, look no further. The ripest of plums are strewn across a sweet gluten free cake made with oat and almond flours for a simple, timeless dessert. Add whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and serve slices warm.
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Why You'll Love NY Times Plum Torte
This NYT plum torte is the perfect bridge from later summer into fall, and indeed, the paper used to print it yearly every September (happily it now lives online). My gluten free plum torte attempts to recreate this beloved recipe but with gluten free flour so that everyone can enjoy it. And, I think I have succeeded! I know you will love this beautiful, tender cake. (And did I mention it's a one-bowl recipe?)
- Simply gluten free - A perfect combination of oat flour and almond flour in the right ratio creates a tender cake that holds up perfectly to ripe plums dusted with sugar.
- Makes the most of fruit season - As fleeting as summer itself, plums are best during the warmest months of the year. This cake celebrates ripe fruit in one of the best ways I know.
- Keeps well - This gluten free cake keeps its moisture very well, even after days in the fridge. It's also a great cake to freeze - you can keep it for up to 3 months in the freezer, meaning on a cold winter's afternoon you can nibble on a slice to savor the memory of summer.
What Is a Torte?
I'm glad you asked! A torte is a cake, but it's a richer, denser cake than, say, an oat flour chocolate cake with a lighter, fluffier crumb. Tortes tend to contain less flour - making them ideal to convert to being gluten free - and can be made with ground nuts or nut flour instead of or in addition to flour. They're often topped with fruit, chocolate, or nuts.
Ingredient Notes
See the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Granulated sugar - The original recipe calls for ¾-1 cup of sugar, but I prefer to use the full 1 cup. You can experiment with less sugar if you like.
- Butter - Unsalted butter is best, and soften it to room temperature before using it.
- Oat flour - Grab a package of oat flour, or learn how to make oat flour easily at home.
- Almond flour - I love a little almond flour in this cake for extra moisture. Feel free to swap it for more oat flour or another nut flour of choice.
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon - You can add more cinnamon or ground ginger if you like.
- Salt - I always use fine sea salt in my recipes!
- Eggs - As with all of my baking recipes, I tested this cake using large eggs - so I recommend using large eggs.
- Plums - You can use whatever variety of plums you prefer for this cake.
Variations
Try these variations on the theme of plum torte:
- Other fruit - Almost any fruit you can think of will work with this recipe principle. In summer, try berries like raspberries, blueberries, or blackberries, or use other stone fruit like peaches or nectarines. Cherries would also be lovely. In fall, try sliced pears or apples. In winter, sprinkle the top of the cake with cranberries!
- Cornmeal - Swap the almond flour for medium or fine-ground cornmeal for a more rustic feel.
- Use gluten free flour - If you wish, use my homemade gluten free flour blend or your favorite gluten free flour mix in place of the oat flour and almond flour.
- Lemon zest - Add the zest of 1 organic lemon to the bowl when you cream the butter and sugar.
- Sliced almonds - Scatter sliced almonds over the top of the cake after you add the plums.
For another similar, summery fruit cake, try my gluten free peach cake!
How to Make Plum Torte
Here's a look at how you'll make this gluten free plum cake. The detailed instructions are in the recipe card lower down.
- Cream butter: Grease a cake pan and line it with parchment paper. Cream the sugar and butter.
- Add remaining ingredients: Beat in the oat flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and eggs.
- Mix well: Beat until a thick batter forms.
- Add to pan: Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
- Add plums: Press the plum slices lightly onto the top of the batter.
- Bake: Bake the torte for about 1 hour, then cool on a rack.
A Note on Plums
You can use whatever plums you have on your trees or find in your local market. I like to slice the plums rather than halve them, a change from the NYT, because I think it makes for a prettier presentation and it doesn't matter what size your plums are. I needed about 6 plums to make this plum torte, but I think you could add more or less fruit depending on how plummy you want your cake to be.
Tips & Substitution Suggestions
- Rest the batter - After you've assembled the cake, let the batter rest in the pan for 20 minutes or at least while the oven preheats. Gluten free flour always benefits from a short rest before baking so that the flour can hydrate fully.
- The plums will sink - Important! It is almost 100% certain that the plum slices will sink into the cake. So it won't have that NYT plum torte look where the plums are perched on the top of the cake. This is because gluten free flour is not as heavy as wheat flour. However! I prefer the fruit enfolded by the cake, and I don't mind this at all.
- Flour substitutions - Sorghum flour by weight makes an ideal swap for the oat flour if you can't eat oats. Brown rice flour is another more economical option. For the almond flour, try cornmeal or another nut of choice. Or, use gluten free all-purpose flour.
- Sprinkle the top with cinnamon - For extra flavor, sprinkle the top of the cake with 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar.
- Bake as small cakes: Line a cupcake tin with liners, then fill each cup about ¾ full. Top the batter with berries or plums, sprinkle with cinnamon, then bake for about 40-45 minutes.
Serving Suggestions
Serve torte warm (my preference) or cold - it's delicious any way you eat it. Also, try it with:
- Whipped cream - Lightly sweetened or unsweetened homemade whipped cream is amazing with plum torte.
- Ice cream - Vanilla ice cream alongside a warm slice of cake is a must!
- A drizzle of dessert sauce - For a sweet-salty touch, make a batch of salted caramel sauce and generously spoon it over the whole cake or individual portions.
Storage
- Fridge - Cover leftover cake tightly with foil or place it in an airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Freezer - Double-wrap the cooled torte in foil, then place it in a freezer-safe, sealable bag. Store the torte in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw it completely in the fridge before serving.
More Gluten Free Fruit Cake Recipes
If you tried this Gluten Free Plum Torte or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below! And I always appreciate a star rating if you loved it ❤️
Gluten Free Plum Torte
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup oat flour (120 grams)
- ¼ cup almond flour (40 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs
- 6 plums, pitted and sliced, see notes
Instructions
- Grease an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan and line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, cream the sugar and butter in a bowl for about 3 minutes. Add the oat flour flour, almond flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and eggs and beat well.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Place the sliced plums skin side up on top of the batter, then sprinkle with additional sugar if you like. Rest the batter for up to 20 minutes, then preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Place the torte in the oven and bake it for 60-70 minutes, until a tester comes out clean and the top is set. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then gently turn out to cool to room temperature.
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