New York Times Purple Plum Torte -- Number One, Flip-Flops, and the Sweetest Launch Day

Launch day. September 16th. 'Dinner at 1800: 100 Recipes from Nine Kitchens' is in the world. The podcast dropped at midnight. 'Why We Cook' — Episode 1 — the pot roast, the sear, the Kandahar headnote. By 6 AM, it was the number-one food podcast on Apple Podcasts. NUMBER ONE. I found out at 6:15 AM when Sarah called. She was screaming. Again. 'NUMBER ONE! YOU'RE NUMBER ONE!' I was in the kitchen. Making coffee. In my pajamas. Number one in my pajamas. The book hit bookstores. I went to a Barnes & Noble in San Diego at lunch and saw it on the shelf. MY BOOK. On a SHELF. In a BOOKSTORE. I stood in the aisle and stared at it and a store employee asked if I needed help and I said 'That's my book' and she said 'Oh! Are you Rachel Abernathy?' and I said yes and she asked me to sign the store copies and I signed five books in a Barnes & Noble in San Diego in my flip-flops. Caleb: 'Is your book famous now?' 'The book is in a store, baby.' 'Like a TOY store?' 'Like a BOOK store.' 'Can I get a book too?' I bought him a shark encyclopedia. He was satisfied. The launch event was virtual — 800 people this time, double the second book. I cooked the chicken and rice casserole live on camera, narrating every step, reading the page-100 headnote. The chat was all-caps crying. The pattern holds: when I read, people cry. I'll take it. Made nothing after. Ryan ordered pizza. The depletion pizza. Number one. Flip-flops. Five signed copies. Dinner at 1800 is in the world.

Ryan ordered the pizza that night — the depletion pizza, the one that means the day took everything I had in the best possible way — but the next morning I wanted to make something that actually felt like what September 16th was. This torte is my answer to that: simple enough to pull together without a plan, beautiful enough to mean something, and the kind of recipe that has been baked to mark extraordinary days for decades. A number-one podcast and five signed copies in flip-flops at a Barnes — Noble deserves something that holds its own on the shelf.

New York Times Purple Plum Torte

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45–50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar, plus 1–2 tablespoons for topping
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 12 small Italian prune plums (or 6 larger plums), halved and pitted
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Preheat and prep. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour a 9-inch springform pan and set aside.
2. Make the batter. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and 3/4 cup sugar together with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then mix in the vanilla extract.
3. Add dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a separate bowl. Add to the butter mixture and stir until just combined — do not overmix.
4. Fill the pan. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared springform pan.
5. Arrange the plums. Place the plum halves cut-side down in a single layer over the batter, pressing them in gently. They should cover most of the surface.
6. Top and bake. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1–2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon. Drizzle the lemon juice over the plums, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top.
7. Bake. Bake for 45–50 minutes, until the torte is golden, the batter is set around the plums, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 20 minutes before releasing the springform.
8. Serve. Serve warm or at room temperature, plain or with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 290 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 13g | Carbs: 40g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 115mg