A Simple Plum & Hazelnut Torte | dolly and oatmeal

it's a funny thing when your seemingly teeny baby can walk all of a sudden. when you hear the gentle (or sometimes not so gentle) thud of his little feel behind you. it's one of those moments that's quite ordinary, but unbelievably marvelous. amesy's first birthday is next week, and while we're just having a small family gathering, i'm trying to make sure every moment counts and every detail is thought through. i know he won't remember, so maybe this is more of my own stuff, but i want every minute of that day to be special.

frank and i have found ourselves reminiscing a lot about where we were at last year. how crazy it is to think of life before ames. how our days looked. and what we thought being a parent would even look like. i've been annoyingly poking frank to look at my iphone pictures each day to show him photos of last year - before baby, before a move to LA, before a lot of things. it's a sweet reminder that life happens fast, and to be gratful each day - even the difficult ones ;)

this little torte is a quick end-of-summer, beginning-of-fall dessert, and perfect for celebrating a sweet new year. we're hosting our first rosh hashanah on saturday, so i'm feeling a bit overwhelmed and underprepared. i'm planning on roasting a chicken or two, roasting all the veggies, making a slaw-ish apple salad, this challah (for my family to nibble on), these macaroons, and the plum torte here :) let's see if i can pull it off...

this torte is loosely based on marian burros's acclaimed plum torte from the new york times and bon appetit's italian plum and almond cake. it's delicate and simple, and has really great nutty fragrance from the ground hazelnuts, which i love. plus, it all comes together in less than an hour - an ideal dessert situation :)

shana tova to all who celebrate! xo

a simple plum & hazelnut torte | gf & df

this torte can also be made in a 9-inch pan, just make sure to adjust the baking time. also, i call for a springform pan, but you can use a regular cake pan. just make sure to line the bottom with parchment and to grease it well.

| makes one 8-inch round torte |

3/4 cup fine brown rice flour
1/2 cup hazelnut meal/flour*
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2-1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup liquid unrefined coconut oil
3/4 cup coconut sugar
2 large pasture raised eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
7-8 opal plums, sliced in half

*to make your own hazelnut meal/flour, simply blend 1-2 cups raw hazelnuts in a blender or food processor until they have meal-like consistency.

method

preheat oven to 350°F. grease and line an 8-inch round springform pan with 2-inch sides. (you can also use a regular round pan if you don't own a springform.)
in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, salt, and 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon (you can add a whole teaspoon of cinnamon if want a stronger cinnamon flavor) . in another large bowl, whisk together the coconut oil and sugar. one at a time whisk in each egg, then add the vanilla.
a little at a time, add the dry ingredient into the wet, mixing with a rubber spatula until everything is combined.
pour the batter into the pan and arrange the plums on top.
bake in the center of your oven for 32-40, until the edges are lightly browned and a toothpick or cake tester come out clean.
let the torte cool completely before removing and serving. slice and serve with coconut whip and chopped hazelnuts.
*the torte can be made a day ahead. once it's completely cool, remove the edges of the springform pan and cover tightly with parchment paper, storing at room temperature.