sugarplum cupcakes

We've got so many plums, the tree's still heaving with them but if I pick anymore the kitchen will burst. This recipe's really easy, a basic cupcake recipe with some plums chucked into the middle, plus an easy icing.

If you felt like it you could make a decent vegan buttercream with some plum puree or juice in it, or bake some sugared plum slices to make crisps to stick on top.

This amount makes around 8-10 cupcakes and needs 3-5 plums, depending on their size.

You'll need:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cardamom (not essential, just nice)

1 tbsp vegan margarine

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola/sunflower oil

1/2 cup soy milk

Sift all the dry ingredients together into a bowl. Cream the margarine and sugar then add to the flour mixture. Add the oil and milk and beat until smooth. DONE.

So now line your cupcake pan with papers and fill them about 1/4 of the way up. Only do about 4 at a time so you don't run out of batter.

Grab a plum and a knife and run the knife all the way around the plum once, then twist and you should have two halves.

Scoop out the stone, then slice and add 2 or 3 slices of plum to each 1/4 filled cupcake paper.

Top up to 3/4 full once you've put the plum in, then keep going with the rest of your papers until you've run out of batter.

Bake at Gas mark 4/350F/180C for 25-30 minutes. They're done when they look like this:

(and when you put a knife in and it comes out clean, but don't put it in too far or you'll smush all the plum out).

The icing is just a basic mix of 1 part lemon juice to about 4 parts icing sugar with the tiniest tiniest drop of red food colouring, so it's pinkish.

Have you ever heard of the Sugar-Plum Tree? 'Tis a marvel of great renown!