---
title: "The Legendary New York Times Plum Torte: The Original 1983 Recipe and a 22 cm Pan Adaptation"
description: "The Original Plum Torte was first published by The New York Times in 1983, authored by Marian Burros. We cover the original recipe and the adapted proportions for a 22 cm pan."
date: 2026-09-09T11:22:01.000Z
lang: en
url: https://xab.info/en/posts/new-york-times-plum-torte-recipe
tags: [plum-torte, new-york-times, recipe, dessert, baking]
publisher: "XAB.info"
---

# The Legendary New York Times Plum Torte: The Original 1983 Recipe and a 22 cm Pan Adaptation

![Legendary New York Times plum pie from the 1983 recipe, sliced into wedges in a 22 cm pan, with a golden crust and glossy dark plum filling](https://xab.info/media/2026/09/09/slivovyy-pirog-iz-new-york-times-recept/slivovyy-pirog-iz-new-york-times-recept-1.webp)

## 🎯 Key Points

- The Original Plum Torte recipe was published in The New York Times in 1983, authored by food editor Marian Burros.
- The original version is designed for an 8–10 inch (20–25 cm) pan and bakes for about an hour at 350°F (≈175–180°C).
- For a 22 cm pan there is an adapted proportion by blogger "anny.cooking," baking at 180°C for about 40–45 minutes.

The plum torte, known as the Original Plum Torte, is one of the most recognizable desserts in the culinary history of American press. The recipe was first published by The New York Times in 1983, and its author was food editor Marian Burros. The bake became so beloved by readers that the newspaper returned to it every year for several years, and today the dish is rightly considered the signature treat of the publication's food section and the perfect dessert for plum season.

### History and character of the recipe

The classic version is designed for about eight servings and is built on simple ingredients, with the bulk of the work going into making the dough. The character of the dessert is defined by the combination of tangy fruit with sweet, buttery dough and cinnamon — it is precisely this that makes the pie recognizably "autumnal." The amount of sugar can be adjusted depending on the sweetness of the plums chosen, which makes the recipe flexible for different fruit varieties.

### Original preparation technique

According to the classic recipe, softened butter is creamed with sugar until smooth, after which flour, baking powder, salt, and eggs are added and mixed into a uniform dough. The finished batter is spread into a removable pan with a diameter of 8, 9, or 10 inches — roughly 20, 23, and 25 centimeters. Plum halves are packed tightly on top skin-side up, sprinkled with sugar, and finished with a little lemon juice and cinnamon. The pie is baked for about an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is around 175–180 degrees Celsius, and then allowed to cool.

### Adaptation for a 22 cm pan

For a more compact pan with a diameter of 21–22 centimeters, food blogger under the handle "anny.cooking" shared an adapted proportion on her Instagram page. The quantities of several ingredients and the baking time have been adjusted. The blogger recommends taking all ingredients out of the refrigerator in advance so they are at room temperature. Butter is creamed with sugar, then eggs, flour, baking powder, salt, and vanilla are added; the finished dough is transferred to the pan, topped with plum halves, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, and baked at 180 degrees for approximately 40–45 minutes.

### How to check for doneness

The doneness of the adapted version, like any shortcrust pie, is best checked with a wooden skewer: it should come out of the dough clean, with no traces of raw batter on the surface. This is a simple and reliable guide that helps avoid drying out the dessert and keeps the juicy fruit filling intact. The pie is best served after cooling, when the dough and caramelized plums have set and the slices come out more cleanly.

## 🔍 Fact-Check Verification

- [The Legendary New York Times Plum Torte: Original Recipe for a 22 cm Pan](https://styler.rbc.ua/ukr/deliciously/legendarniy-slivoviy-pirig-vid-the-new-york-1788945057.html) - Основной источник: год публикации 1983, автор Мариан Беррос, оригинальная форма 8–10 дюймов, 350°F ≈175–180°C, ~1 час; адаптация 22 см от «anny.cooking» при 180°C 40–45 мин.
- [Plum Torte from The New York Times. A Simple Recipe for a Legendary Dessert](https://focus.ua/eda/536229-slivovyy-pirog-iz-the-new-york-times-prostoy-recept-legendarnogo-deserta) - Подтверждает статус рецепта как известного десерта NYT и простоту состава.
- [Plum Torte from the New York Times: A Simple Recipe That Has Already Swept Kitchens Around the World](https://news.ru/society/slivovyj-pirog-iz-new-york-times-prostoj-recept-kotoryj-uzhe-obletel-vse-kuhni-mira) - Подтверждает широкую популярность рецепта и его международное распространение.
- [The Most Famous Plum Torte in the World: A Recipe from The New York Times](https://focus.ua/eda/668544-samyy-izvestnyy-slivovyy-pirog-v-mire-recept-iz-the-new-york-times) - Подтверждает статус рецепта как известного десерта NYT и простоту состава.

## ❓ FAQ

### Q: Who is the author of the New York Times plum torte, and when did it appear?
**A:** The author of the Original Plum Torte recipe is food editor Marian Burros; it was first published in The New York Times in 1983.

### Q: At what temperature and for how long should the original pie be baked?
**A:** The original version in an 8–10 inch pan is baked for about an hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which is approximately 175–180 degrees Celsius.

### Q: How do I adapt the recipe for a 22 cm pan?
**A:** For a 21–22 cm pan, use the adapted proportion by blogger "anny.cooking": ingredients at room temperature, baking at 180 degrees for approximately 40–45 minutes, with doneness checked using a wooden skewer.