Makes 12
150g (1 cup) gluten-free plain white flour blend (Dove’s Farm is good)
50g (½ cup) ground almonds
125g (2/3 cup) granulated sugar
125ml (½ cup) sunflower oil
1 tbsp Demerara sugar
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
3 eggs
¼ tsp vanilla extract
grated zest of half a lemon
pinch of fine salt
200g (1 ½ cups) fresh plums
1 tbsp gluten-free baking powder
Sunflower oil for oiling
Place the flour blend, ground almonds, sugar, and half the oil
in a food processor. Blend until you get a mixture that resembles breadcrumbs
(if you don’t have a food processor or blender, whisk everything with an
electric whisk).
Remove ¼ cup of this crumble mix and place in a small bowl
with the Demerara sugar and ground cinnamon. Stir.
To the mixture in the food processor add the rest of the
oil, the eggs, vanilla extract, lemon zest and salt. Blend/whisk for 30 seconds
until thoroughly combined. Now leave the mixture to stand for 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 160C. Place 12 muffins cases in a 12-cup
muffin pan. Lightly oil the top surface of the muffin pan with sunflower oil in
case over overflowing cake mixture.
Slice the plums in half and extract the stones. If they are
large plums, cut them into quarters. Set aside.
After the 15 minutes’ standing time, add the baking powder to
the cake mixture and blend briefly to combine everything. You’ll have a smooth,
yellow batter with the consistency of thick custard.
Distribute the mixture equally between the 12 cases. Add
plum pieces to each case, followed by a level tsp of crumble mix over the top.
Pop the muffin pan in the oven for 25-30 minutes until the
muffins are risen and golden. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the
tin.