This Plum Torte Recipe Adds Cheese For An Amazing Flavor

If you are looking for a plum torte recipe that isn’t too sweet nor too salty, this traditional plum cake with cheese is just right for breakfast or dessert!

Like the traditional Italian plum cake, this version does not contain the one ingredient that you might expect, plums. Traditionally, Italian plum cake is more like a pound cake in that it is simple, sweet and doesn’t contain any fruit. This version, with the addition of a fresh cheese, moves the cake a little bit away from the sweet end of the spectrum, but not to the point of being savory. 

This cheese plumcake is irresistible! It is easy to make and the results are delicious, moist and tasty. It’s what you need to make your breakfast or dinner special. If you feel like being adventurous, you can serve it next to a platter of cold cuts because its sweetness contrasts with their saltiness, or if cut into pieces it’s perfect as an aperitif or to enrich a buffet, but it’s also perfect for breakfast with a little salted butter!

Pasta Maker	Gnocchi Board	Pasta Board	Ravioli Maker
Ravioli Press/Stamper	Ricer	Bialetti Pasta Pot	Bamboo Cutting Board Set of 3
Silpat Baking Mat	Santoku Knife	Measuring Cups and Spoons	Stainless Mixing Bowls
Dutch Oven	Mesh Strainers	Stainless Colander	Stainless Steel Fry Pan

Plum Torte Ingredient Recommendations

What Cheese Should I Use?

Most cheeses that are recommended for this recipe are considered a “Fresh” cheese. This means it is typically soft, not aged very long, not very salty and will dissolve (or break up) when you mix it with eggs. This ensures a consistent texture and doesn’t result in big chunks of cheese in the cake. 

What I described is a pretty wide selection of cheeses, but for reference, I chose a Primo Sale di Capra. The name identifies the first and only salting that the cheese received during production. Primo Sale is not very salty and has no maturation. “Yesterday it was milk, today it is Primo Sale on the table”.

Vanilla Extract Or Beans?

The answer to this question is totally up to you. While I typically choose vanilla bean pods over extract, I wanted to keep this recipe simple and fairly inexpensive.

Adding Lemon Zest To The Orange Zest?

I’ve seen recipes for a similar plum torte with cheese that ups the citrus flavors a bit by including both orange zest as well as lemon zest. This is a bit much for me, so I just stuck with the orange. You might reconsider if you think the cheese flavor will overpower the torte, but mine didn’t so the extra zest would’ve been too much.

Plum Torte Recipe

• Difficulty: Easy
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 45 mins
• Servings: 8

Plum Torte Ingredients

• 8 ounces (250 grams) “00” or All-Purpose Flour
• 1 Tablespoon (12 grams) Baking Powder
• 8 ounces (250 grams) Sugar
• 4 ounces (100 grams) Unsalted Butter
• 4 large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon of Vanilla extract
• 1 Orange
• 7 ounces (200 grams) fresh unaged Cheese 
• pinch of Salt

Cooking Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375° F.
2. Add cheese and sugar to a bowl and mix well with a spatula.
3. Add melted butter and slowly mix thoroughly.
4. Add salt and mix with a hand mixer (or whisk).
5. One egg at a time, mixing thoroughly.
6. Add the vanilla extract.
7. Add the zest of an orange.
8. Sift flour and baking powder into the bowl and mix well, with spatula or hand mixer.
9. Pour batter into the loaf pan and put in the oven for around 40 minutes.
10. Check the plum cake with a toothpick to confirm doneness. If it needs more time, add to the timer in 5 minute increments.
11. Once the toothpick comes out clean, let the loaf pan cool on a wire rack.
12. After 30 minutes, slice and serve.

Serving Suggestions

You have a few options with this dessert (or breakfast) because it is living in that space between sweet and savory.  You could add some vanilla gelato to a warm slice, eat it plain hot from the oven or even add some salted butter on top of a warm slice. I do this with banana bread and it is a surprisingly delicious combination of salty and sweet.

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