The Foolproof Fruit Dessert Recipe You Should Know: Marian Burros' Plum Torte | Kenji's Cooking Show

[@flowercook3915]

So glad to hear you mention that artificial vanilla works fine for baked goods,I've been going that route since ATK did a piece on it years ago where their taste testers were unable to discern it was artificial in baked goods

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Yeah, I was on that tasting panel 😂

[@gerrypower9433]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt Ina Garten is gonna get you! (She actually makes her own vanilla extract.)

[@Johonnac]

I used Trader Joe’s vanilla bean paste-wow

[@theoneandonlysoslappy]

I just noticed that Kenji's habit of grabbing pan handles with a kitchen towel is so strong, that he even does it with pans that he absolutely knows to be cold.

[@clarkgray4109]

I’m sure he’s had some gnarly burns from grabbing hot handles lol

[@debbyd5729]

I feel like he’s mentioned that this is a good habit he learned quickly when he started working in restaurant kitchens. He’s talked about the towels and how he uses them for various purposes. Inspired me to look into getting a pack for myself!

[@tomh5094]

@@debbyd5729 as a chef, this is common practice. You're taught in college to sprinkle flour on hot handles but basically Noone ever does that. So, you must always assume a handle is hot. The habit transfers into real life cooking. I do it all the time even when I know it's cold.

[@seankay597]

@@tomh5094 hell I just burned the bottom of middle finger because a skillet I don't normally put in the oven was put in the oven and man I'm glad my oven is close to my sink!

[@iggywow]

@@tomh5094 found out recently that even a slightly damp towel is almost useless when you grab a hot handle, moisture will transfer heat really quickly

[@RikkiMama]

I learned this kind of cake is also known as a Buckle cake. I successfully use a 7 inch springform pan to make this. A little almond extract (1/4 - 1/2 tsp) went really well with the plums. I've also made this cake with strawberries, sliced in half, with vanilla extract. Thanks for sharing this, Kenji.

[@debbyd5729]

Strawberries and vanilla! Oh, yum! Do you think frozen berries would work?

[@GwynneDear]

@@debbyd5729 yes, frozen fruit will work, peaches are lovely for this type of recipe as well.

[@daphnepearce9411]

Kenji you are such a dad! Love the little girl pedicure ha ha! Thank you for this simple recipe and clarifying that using fake vanilla extract is perfectly fine for most baked goods. Thanks!

[@seankay597]

HAHAHAHA I just posted that in my discord laughing about it. Either that or he ended up drunk and passed out at a party!

[@emvv3784]

Kenjis nihilistic baking show where all order is an illusion, recipes are but leaves tossed into an uncaring wind, and nothing matters. this is the kind of existential dessert preparation i come here for day in and day out.

[@Norde_]

Jesus died for you

[@emvv3784]

@@Norde_ no he did not!

[@Norde_]

@@emvv3784 k coomer. God bless

[@emvv3784]

@@Norde_ your entire life is based on self delusion and a fictional book that you don't understand is a fantasy story! XD!

[@Norde_]

@@emvv3784 my entire life is beautiful and the fact someone died for me makes it even more magical. God bless.

[@astro2191]

I'm sure you get this non-stop, but your dogs are a gift and a treasure. I love seeing Shabu and Hamon! They are kinda opposite personalities (by what we see in vids), but both are always ready for your cooking haha!

[@cameronempey8350]

I forgot how much I love your style of videos completely raw and natural

[@Stan_sprinkle]

My fav tip for buttering a pan: save the butter wrapper you pulled off the stick of butter. It has enough butter on it to butter a pan

[@carlie5515]

You can store extra butter wrappers in the freezer too. They thaw quickly when needed!

[@Grilnid]

That transition from evening voice to morning voice at 11:04 was unexpected but reassuring

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Haha I noticed that when I was editing. I really sound different! At least you know I didn’t fake the timing.

[@gmmeier321]

My mom’s been making this for fifty years. Always a crowd pleaser. You can also make it a little thinner and it gets a little chewier since the juices caramelize on the bottom. Yummy.

[@Jodabomb24]

I make this kind of cake every year with peaches; I usually do it upside down style, fruit on the bottom with brown sugar, then invert it. Absolutely gorgeous and showstoppingly tasty.

[@senorkarl]

Thanks! Inspired me to make this with some pears and blueberries I had. Used vanilla, a bit of coconut flavor, and a touch of almond extract. It was so good.

[@bexpi7100]

Just a note on using microwaves at low power: Most microwaves actually don't turn down the power of the magnetron when you set a lower power level (though i think there are fancy ones that do). Most microwaves just turn the magnetron on/off at the requested duty cycle. Unfortunately the period of this modulation is fairly long, on the order of 10-30 seconds. So basically selecting a low power level for a 15 second cook duration is equivalent to just having a 5-10 second cook duration at full power. The power level selection only really works for long cook times, as the idea is apply heat, then wait for that heat to spread, repeat.

[@gerrypower9433]

I have an older 1,000W Amana microwave. I get good results with 5 second full power blitzes, 30-to-60 seconds apart. Conventional stick butter from the refrigerator is usually spreadably soft (but unmelted) after four such zaps.

[@justinrowan594]

If you want to see this in action, you can take a look at styropyro's video from a few weeks ago where he talks about this specifically: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nH6cmYywf9OUpZI

[@zachpw]

There's a few newer (and expensive) models that use an inverter to change the actual power output instead. Breville makes one that works pretty well, although I guess the inverter causes heat buildup because it runs a fan for 30 seconds or so after you're done. If your microwave has it, you'll probably know, because I assume any inverter microwave is gonna make it very clear that you have a fancy one with "smart inverter" logos etc.

[@stanceypanda8668]

Love hearing them pups just tip taping around.

[@ChuckD99]

That's how you know the food is delicious 😊

[@ElSuperNova23]

Your point about imitation/artificial vanilla. The majority of ingredients attribute their taste and smell to a huge variety of compounds, this is the certainly the case for natural vanilla pods. But the primary component, Vanillin, kinda overpowers the rest and is considerably less volatile. Artificial extract is just Vanillin dissolved in ethanol. I used kilos of crystalline, food-grade vanillin in the lab as a starting material and TLC stain, always a pleasure to work with.

[@glitchframe6784]

Its rare to see someone who is so talented, yet so cool, and polite. Thank you for the pleasent food :)

[@randysmith1262]

This is my favorite dessert i make it every single year! I even had back surgery in 2016 and crawled to the kitchen to make this dessert.

[@christinajohnson6543]

Seriously, I have a bag of plums that I was wondering what to do with! Thank you Kenji, for coming to the rescue 🙏🙌❤

[@Johonnac]

Just made this last week; MUCH easier and faster to cream butter FIRST, then (slowly) add sugar. If your butter is soft enough a spoon or spatula will do just fine-no need to clean greasy beaters

[@taceyrosolowski7793]

I have made this with many different fruits and it is fantastic and foolproof. Serve with cardamom scented creme anglaise. Divine. And easy to take to a dinner or brunchl.

[@neongooroo]

Your toes looking fresh bro👌👌💯💯💯

[@KarisaMusolf]

Came here to see if anyone else noticed! #parentlife

[@larrycot]

I used to play "pretty pretty princess" with my daughters. Now it's with my grandkids. Yes, the boys play too.

[@zachsdickDOTmpg]

@@larrycot I grew up playing that game with my sisters and mother. NGL it was fun asf.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

I have enjoyed dressing up and painting nails and doing hair and makeup etc. for basically my whole life so doing it with my daughter is extra fun.

[@rap7ure_]

Respecc the toes

[@TheCharles303]

When I saw you cut the circle into rectangles I smiled ear to ear thinking about the comment section. I love it. I’m gonna make this gluten free and with peaches here in Colorado.

[@Hrishtam]

So, all those square made a circle.

[@mrsatan4760]

@@Hrishtam Kenji, I need you to tell me that I can leave the kitchen if I want to!

[@juliarydquist5442]

Oh Kenji, We may be both adults who wish we had stuck with our piano lessons when we were children. I am a musician in many other ways, but piano is the best foundation! So, good for you!

[@dio52]

If you cut your butter into a bunch of little cubes (like sugar cube size) and spread the cubes out on a plate, it'll come to room temperature very quickly. Assuming your kitchen is somewhat warm, cut the butter before you even get the other ingredients out. By the time you have everything else set up and measured, your butter will probably be soft.

[@Jachael123]

It's really interesting coming back to this video after hearing you talk about the same butter-microwave conversation in your latest video (the cheeseburger fatty melt one). I guess it's something that's really stuck with you over the years!

[@danielprice3717]

You're wearing the triangles shirt, and I was thinking, ok I know just what he's going to do... but then you cut it into squares! 😫 Sick twist in the plot at the end. Anyway I make this cake every summer without fail. It's an all time classic. Cheers!

[@nightfly4081]

I just made this. I don't have a hand mixer, or a whisk. I mixed everything with a fork. Lazily. My plums weren't fully ripe. I used a too-small oven dish and some spilled over the sides and burned. The final result however? Delicious, wow. Bulletproof recipe.

[@rickwoods5274]

Just took this out of the oven, and it smells delicious oh my god. We used peaches (and vastly overestimated how many we needed). This is breakfast tomorrow for sure! I'll see you all in ...

[@rickwoods5274]

... ten hours! (this comment is late.) This was pretty good, I used 3/4 cup of sugar and dusted with cinnamon. I think next time I will up the vanilla and come down even more on the sugar.

[@ragsriches8213]

Your dogs are one of the best parts of your videos.

[@pct87]

I wanna hear the grilled cheese convo. Especially the Mayo vs butter part. As a person that never has spreadable butter, Mayo is amazing.

[@ACappellaVGM]

We made this torte this past weekend with raspberries instead of plums and it worked perfectly! It was so easy and came together so quickly; this will be a go-to dessert any time I need something quick for company.

[@TK-cs1qc]

Didn’t think I’d be watching a plum recipe for my Friday night but I’m ok with it

[@CarmenTaylor-ln1xc]

So I just used your recipe. It looks amazing. The only difference I do I put a glaze on top.

[@JimBryson1]

I made this a couple weeks ago when he posted it in Instagram. Fabulous!

[@amaiaamaiaa]

Kenji I just made this with some terrible tasteless hard grocery store plums, and it came out amazing!! So flavorful! And easy!! next time I would try some lemon zest in the batter.

[@lunarmagpie619]

This is just to say I have made a torte from the plums that were in your plum tree and which you were probably not going to eat for breakfast Forgive me they were delicious so sweet and so warm

[@parentteachernight]

I was literally just looking for a dessert recipe for these Italian plums i got at market. Thanks.

[@suburbanrancherMD]

I’ve made this cake with so many fruits over the years. Such a great recipe.

[@lindalindley1291]

Have you ever used frozen mangoes? Thanks!

[@barbrafite9876]

I have been making this since the 80's when it was 1st printed it is brilliant!It's so great you are sharing this with more people. I top it with raw sugar and lemon zest

[@tomudj]

Made this last night and it was so easy and fire. I used strawberries and replaced some of the flour with almond flour which gave it a nice nutty crust

[@katiedey]

love the artistic cropping , very cinematic

[@Noruko11235]

Your drupe desserts remain on point. The clafoutis that you showed last year became an instant favorite. Can't wait to give this a try!

[@flygirlfly]

I just start chuckling when I hear the tappity-tapping of the puppy toes.

[@lindak7193]

absolutely fantastic! I loved every minute of it! Your cooking technique is great! You remind me of my friend who is a professional chef. I learned the plum cake from my Aunt before she passed.😁🥰

[@willdbeast1523]

I made this by accident when i was just trying to make something sweet and warm after work but with apple, really just seems like "put all the baking stuff in what seems like reasonable amounts" and it works out

[@alexissavvakis9397]

Does this work well with apple?

[@camobanana1]

Kenji, I was wondering if you may be able to make a video on baking with a toaster oven and tricks and tips on it too?

[@tubeagespank]

Had a bunch of nectarines a few weeks ago. Made some hand pies and they were just OK and a *ton* of work. Gonna use this recipe next time and maybe vac and freeze one or two.

[@EarlOfWarwick1561]

Kenji: Let it sit overnight so you can cut into it Me, looking up with a mouth full of cake burning my tongue: Let it what?

[@SomeOnSunday]

Thanks for this Kenji, my kids are going to love this!

[@ToxicHorsePucky]

Wonder if it’s because I live in a drier climate but I leave my butter out in a covered dish for 5-10 days at a time and it never turns rancid or cheesy. Incredibly convenient. If it did turn bad then I’d probably not use butter anywhere near as much.

[@philipferrato]

A great, evergreen recipe. But I'm lazy, and brown the the butter (aka beurre noisette) instead of whipping it with the sugar. Not quite as much lift in the crumb and a slightly chewier result.

[@fewfew444]

Finally a professional cook that publicly says it is okay to use imitation vanilla extract.

[@grungeman86]

@@toin9898 I have used both the fake stuff and the real pod. The latter gives a very beautiful look and finish to custards and creamy stuff as the black specks + flavor combo really works. But for baked goods, no reason to splurge all the money, just go with the imitation.

[@ZanHecht]

America's Test Kitchen also heavily promotes the imitation stuff.

[@noonelikesfurries]

I don't see why it matters.

[@fewfew444]

@@noonelikesfurries Then you haven't experienced wanting to make a recipe, the cook says you MUST use pure vanilla extract because it makes a huge difference. You go to the store and find out 2 oz of the pure stuff can be $8.

[@Johonnac]

@@fewfew444 Try Trader Joe’s vanilla bean paste-$5.00 for 2 oz-so good 👍

[@rachelshulman111]

I tried to order the Italian plums but the store kept sending figs 😭😭 I need to actually get my hands on them next year - this looks so good. Thanks kenji!!

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

This works with figs!

[@swaggerbuns]

I love how every time kenji feeds jamon a treat he then chuckles, probably because of the face jamon makes. As a sharpei x owner I can totally relate 😂

[@jborghoff]

I've been making this since the recipe was first published in the Times, still have the article I cut out in our recipe folder! Now my daughter makes it every year as well as soon as prune plums are in the market. Love this recipe.

[@LeylaWilson-0]

Would love to see more baking videos from Kenji

[@tedmontague]

Kenji may have missed the piece of butter that fell to the left of the counter but Jamón didn’t. Good boy.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Oh I saw him grab that!

[@TheGoldenLad7]

What id do is top it in a zigzag of umeboshi maraschino cherry syrup and dulce de leche. I think the umami and bitter ness found in the fermented plum would go nicely.

[@elisana3073]

Anyone else cheer when his cake came out clean?

[@ABanksy]

As for the Mayo vs Butter for grilled cheese, butter wins for me as long as its salted butter. Mayo works and taste perfectly fine but the salt in the butter helps with that grilled cheese flavor so much.

[@martinraboy5971]

have made this a couple of times. Really love it.

[@nimrodshteindel7923]

But microwave power setting in commercial application is just what percent of the time the emitter is on, so if you do short bursts the power setting doesn't matter.

[@saraha7382]

Thanks, Kenji, yet again for making awesome videos that inspire us! wonder if you could do this with kumquats... with... a tiny bit of rosemary? what herb would go with a mild citrus?

[@msjennlove1]

Thank you for the inspiration tonight. I now have a fig torte in the over!

[@debbyd5729]

This looks like something I’d actually bake! Will have to give it a try.

[@Johonnac]

Make it easy on yourself-just cream the softened butter with a spoon/spatula first, slowly adding the sugar. MUCH faster instead of dragging out an electric mixer and ending up with greasy beaters to clean

[@debbyd5729]

@@Johonnac thanks for the tip! I don’t think I have an electric beater and the stand mixer is in a high cabinet and crazy heavy. I’ll try the spatula tip. Kenji said it’s a really forgiving recipe so I’ll test out that claim! 😬😂

[@aaronryder4008]

Iirc microwave was invented by Dr. Percy Something. I love how you include these small talks you have with your friends

[@EnteiFire4]

I love the rainbow toenails!

[@ronaldstarcher1154]

From my engineering days - nothing is foolproof. Fools are ingenious.

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Yes true. I usually say fool-resistant.

[@nikhilsamayam6196]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt lololol

[@meyermedia]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt Fool-hardy?

[@DaMorg3]

Fools are also delicious. Trolololo

[@tomh5094]

@@meyermedia different meaning.

[@IDDQDSound]

I love how your dogs always pop in near the end like "whatchu cookin there bud?"

[@thepdfdify]

I don't even eat desserts/sweets but I'm not going to miss a Kenji video

[@tompoynton]

I put vanilla extract in pretty much every dessert I make whether the recipe specifies it or not

[@NathanBreese]

When he grabbed the skillet bare handed I almost freaked out. Then I remembered that 5 seconds for me was like 12 hours for him

[@TheLepke2011]

I love how in every video that dog shows up right when Kenji is almost done.

[@Nocco20]

Great video Kenji, thank you!

[@gerrypower9433]

Thank you Kenji. Your videos always make me feel like I'm just hanging out with a friend who happens to be a really good cook.

[@Sku11Hax]

I learnt like 3 things from this video besides the recipe, and I respect the cast iron pan!

[@mladen98]

Hey Kenji, a question about using butter when cooking: When is it okay to substitute lard instead of butter? Where I live, beef isn't as popular, so butter is a lot more expensive than lard, and I'd rather not substitute for margarine, or hydrogenated fats in general. Also, should I substitute 1:1 or less lard since butter isn't 100% fat?

[@Pammellam]

I also wonder if coconut oil would work??

[@xyz7981]

Use a vegetable or nut oils instead; a fruity olive oil is delicious in cakes with fruits. In this case, beat eggs and sugar together first until creamy, then drizzle in the oil ( it will look like mayonnaise when done). Proceed with recipe as in the video.

[@gingerthingx]

definitely making this!! looks so yum

[@benclaytor6128]

Love the painted toenails!

[@NicholasCullen1]

ok so I think that butter in the pan and mayo dusted with garlic powder on the bread yields an amazing result.

[@debauchery715]

Vanilla milk sounds like it would be a short video -- and I would love to see it!

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

Put milk, vanilla, and a small splash of maple syrup into a cup. Microwave it for 30 seconds and stir.

[@debauchery715]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt Don't have a microwave but I'll try it on the stove. Thanks very much for your response :)

[@stevemarshall6564]

@@debauchery715 You should get one - I've heard they're good for softening butter.

[@nicoalfaro.]

Esta es una receta infalible 👌👌es la raja

[@dAfoodie101]

i’ve never heard of using a cake tester to test meat temps that’s so interesting

[@alisonzhang6162]

This looks so good- gonna have to try this out!

[@robsantos8012]

New to your videos, so many Chef Johnisms!

[@36Stubby1]

That looks so good!

[@newdonkshitty]

hey kenji i dont know how to say this but you should double-check the videos in your equipment reviews playlist

[@xvwavez949]

When you picked up the piece of butter off the floor was that really you just showing off your new awesome pedicure?

[@brandonedward93]

You remind me of someone special in my life

[@jackisarobotable]

I like that you mentioned Raspberries as an alternative to the plums and other pitted fruits, but I'm curious if there's like a certain amount of your batter that you want to be visible once you're done covering it? It seems like you would almost be able to get a complete layer of something smaller like raspberries. Is that okay?

[@Whereisjaygoing]

Damn I like Kenji so much

[@lolthien]

I have a persimmon tree in my back yard... gonna have to try this with them.

[@lindalindley1291]

How did it turn out?

[@lolthien]

@@lindalindley1291 It was tasty, but I almost gave up because it is a HUGE PTA to deseed fresh persimmons, lol But, it really was quite good.

[@SJHaack]

I love peach desserts. If I did this with peaches, should I quarter them or would halves still be ok for a bigger fruit?

[@JKenjiLopezAlt]

However you like it! Chunks or quarters or even halves if the peaches are small enough.

[@SJHaack]

@@JKenjiLopezAlt I took a chance and used frozen fruit I had, a couple of chunks of pineapple and peach slices. Happy to report it worked.

[@namenl2205]

😍 that looks so yummy!!

[@contactkanoon]

We made one. Yum. Best to have it warm. Thanks dear. 🥰

[@Nishiskitchenrecipe]

Wonderful

[@Drenoxian]

Those French tips 🔥

[@thephantom17]

Would canned apricots work in this recipe? Can't seem to find fresh at the moment. Thanks

[@karenminster8461]

just wondering… can I use applesauce instead of eggs and dairy-free butter here? ps LOVE what you do and how you do it-THANK YOU ❤️

[@pbuttandjam]

I made mine the other night with flax eggs. I can’t say it turned out great but it was delicious. Just a little mushy in the middle. I used pears.

[@karenminster8461]

@@pbuttandjam wow thanks very much for helping! I'm going to try it

[@jamiecallahan1911]

Italian plum trees seem to be all over Seattle for some reason.

[@RadiantFeline]

When I grew up on Beacon hill, there was in my yard too. I devoured plums as a kid. As far as I know, the tree was a gift to previous residents of the house that I lived in but that had to be back in the early 80s at least.