Yorkshire parkin
Sticky oatmeal and black treacle ginger cake for Bonfire Night
Parkin is the dark ginger cake that West Yorkshire bakes for the 5th of November, cut into squares and handed round at Bonfire Night fires in Leeds, Halifax and Bradford. It is made with oatmeal, black treacle and golden syrup, so it is dense, chewy and gingery rather than light. It gets better with time, turning stickier after a few days in a tin. Chef's tip: wrap it and keep it for three days before cutting; fresh parkin is dry and crumbly by comparison.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
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What you'll need
Spices & pantry
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 275°F (250°F fan). Grease and line a 20 cm square tin.
5 minStep 2: Melt the 7 oz butter, 3 ½ oz dark brown sugar, 3 oz black treacle and 7 oz golden syrup in a pan over a low heat, stirring, until smooth; don't let it boil.
5 minStep 3: Mix the 8 oz medium oatmeal, 3 ⅞ oz self-raising flour, 1 tbsp ground ginger, ½ tsp grated nutmeg and 1 tsp mixed spice in a big bowl, pour in the melted mixture and stir well.
2 minStep 4: Beat in the 2 eggs and 2 tbsp milk to a loose batter and pour into the tin.
2 minStep 5: Bake for 45–50 minutes until firm on top and a skewer in the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs. A common mistake is overbaking, which loses the sticky texture.
50 minStep 6: Cool in the tin, then wrap in baking paper and foil and keep in a tin for 3–5 days before cutting into 16 squares.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 230 kcal
- Protein
- 3 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does yorkshire parkin take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
- What can I use instead of dark brown sugar?
- White sugar + 1 tbsp molasses or treacle per 200g.
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