Plum & sloe gin meringue cake

1.Preheat the oven to 180°C, gas mark 4. Grease a 22cm springform cake tin.
Cut the plums in half and put them cut-side up in a small roasting tin. Drizzle over the sloe gin and roast for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and leave to cool. 

2. Sift the flour into a bowl and, using your fingertips, rub in the Stork until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Whisk the eggs and milk together and stir into the flour mixture until smooth. 

3. Spread the mixture in the tin and spoon the plums on top, arranging them in a single layer. 

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

4. To make the meringue, pour the egg whites into a clean bowl and whisk with an electric whisk until stiff peaks are formed. Whisk in the sugar, 1 tbsp at a time. Spoon the meringue on top of the plum cake and swirl it around with the back of a spoon, letting it peak a little. 5 Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Carefully run a round bladed knife around the edge of the meringue to loosen it, then remove the cake from the tin and cool on a wire rack. Serve warm.