Melissa Clark, confident that her whims can improve on perfection, attempted to surpass Marian Burros'
plum torte for Rosh Hashana with a whole wheat
variation. There is a reason that Burros' plum torte is the most requested New York Times recipe. It is the most perfect of fall desserts. It is soft, filled with unctuous tart plums and feels decadent without being too heavy. And it is really simple.
In the same week, Sam sent me this and LT made it. Since the granola granted Melissa Clark a few weeks of amnesty, plums are still in season, and I had a bag of whole wheat flour lying around (does anyone know the average expiration date of that stuff?), I decided to give Melissa another chance.
So much of cooking is creative: constant editing and tweaking to taste and to whatever is in your refrigerator that day. Baking is less forgiving. The chemistry is fragile. Proportions and even the order of operations can really impact the outcome. This cake is very similar to the original, which is an impressive feat of chemistry. I wouldn't call the top "crunchy" and there isn't much more fruit than the original. The big difference is the whole wheat-milk batter.
For a "healthier" dessert, this isn't bad. The whole wheat cake is pretty similar to whole wheat bread. Served with cream, it was an acceptable dessert. I like white flour. I think it has its time and place. And that place is homemade baked goods. As a leftover for breakfast, I was much more open-minded. This cake was sort of like eating toast with plum jam baked within.
No comments:
Post a Comment