Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds Italian prune plums
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan.
- Quarter and pit plums. Coarsely chop half of plums and in a bowl toss with 2 tablespoons sugar. In another bowl combine remaining plums with 2 tablespoons sugar. On a baking sheet in middle of oven lightly toast hazelnuts until fragrant and insides are golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool nuts and grind fine in a food processor.
- In a bowl whisk together hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, salt, and allspice. In a bowl with an electric mixer beat butter and remaining 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating after each addition, and beat in vanilla and flour mixture until batter is just combined.
- Drain chopped plums in a sieve, pressing on fruit, and pat dry with paper towels. Stir plums into batter and spread evenly in pan.
- Drain quartered plums in sieve, pressing on fruit, and arrange, skin sides up, over batter. Bake torte in middle of oven 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until golden brown and a tester comes out clean. Cool torte in pan on a rack 30 minutes. Remove side of pan and cool completely.
