This easy plum pie recipe from The New York Times is made with simple ingredients and juicy fresh plums. The recipe is incredibly easy to make, yet the result is buttery, soft, and full of plum flavor. It’s one of those simple desserts you’ll want to bake every plum season.
You may also know this dessert as the famous New York Times Plum Torte. Although it is often called a plum pie, the original recipe is actually a simple fruit torte made with a buttery cake-like batter and fresh plums.
The legendary plum pie recipe was published in The New York Times for 7 years in a row (every September from 1983 to 1989), and is now freely available on the official website.
Probably many people have already seen this recipe on the web, read its story and maybe even cooked it. I came across it for the first time in 2016, cooked it and fell in love with it.
The original recipe uses American cup and spoon measurements. I’ve included both cups and grams in the recipe card below for convenience.
This is my adaptation of the original New York Times plum pie recipe, with my own notes and a few minor adjustments.
The author of the recipe writes that the finished pie can be frozen for future holidays or events. On the day you need it, just defrost the pie and reheat it in the oven at 150°C (302°F), it will be as fresh as ever.
Ingredients for The New York Times Plum Pie
- sugar
- unsalted butter at room temperature
- eggs
- all-purpose flour
- salt
- baking powder
- plums
- brown sugar and cinnamon for sprinkling
What Kind of Plums to Use
Italian plums or other small, firm plums work especially well in this recipe. If your plums are large, you may need fewer than the 12 plums called for in the original recipe. Choose ripe but firm fruit so the plums hold their shape while baking.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
Beat the softened butter with the sugar.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth.
Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth.
Prepare a baking dish by making a “French shirt”: grease the bottom and sides with a thin layer of butter, then dust with flour.
Cut the plums in half and remove the pits.
Spread the batter evenly in the dish. Arrange the plum halves on top (do not press them into the batter, otherwise they may sink during baking).
My 24 cm diameter baking dish holds 16 halves, while the recipe from the newspaper holds 24 halves. Guess my plums were bigger.
The original recipe recommends plum halves with the skin side up. This makes the pie juicier and more flavorful, but the plums become softer. So my family likes it better the other way – with the cut up.
Sprinkle the pie with brown sugar (1–2 tbsp) and cinnamon (1 tsp).
Bake at 180°C (356°F) for about 45–50 minutes. The baking time depends on your oven.
Check for doneness with a toothpick (it should come out clean), starting around the 40-minute mark.
Serve the plum pie warm or cold. It is also delicious hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
If you try this recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out! Share your experience or any creative twists in the comments below. Happy baking!
The New York Times Plum Pie | YellowMixer.com
Print RecipeIngredients
- 150 g (3/4 cup) sugar
- 113 g (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 eggs
- 120 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 8–12 plums
- 1–2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).
Beat the softened butter with the sugar.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition until smooth.
Add the sifted flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt. Beat until smooth.
Prepare a baking dish by making a “French shirt”: grease the bottom and sides with a thin layer of butter, then dust with flour.
Cut the plums in half and remove the pits.
Spread the batter evenly in the dish. Arrange the plum halves on top (do not press them into the batter, otherwise they may sink during baking).
Sprinkle the pie with brown sugar (1–2 tbsp) and cinnamon (1 tsp).
Bake at 180°C (356°F) for about 45–50 minutes. The baking time depends on your oven.
Check for doneness with a toothpick (it should come out clean), starting around the 40-minute mark.
Notes
Serve the plum pie warm or cold. It is also delicious hot with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The plum pie can be frozen for future holidays or events, then defrosted and reheated in an oven at 150°C (302°F).
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