This sticky old fashioned Yorkshire Parkin recipe contains oatmeal. It keeps really well and improves with time. Therefore, it can be made a couple of days before it's needed.
Preheat the oven to 170c conv/150deg Fan Assisted. Grease and line an 8"/20cm square, loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment.
Place the butter, Black Treacle, Golden Syrup and Brown Sugar in a pan over a low heat. Gently simmer until all the sugar and butter have melted.
Take off the heat and leave to one side to cool a little.
Place all the dry ingredients consisting of Oatmeal, Flour, Baking Powder and Ginger, into a large heat proof bowl and gently mix together.
Pour the cooled sugar treacle mix over the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.
Add the milk and give it all a good mix. Gradually add the eggs and mix until well combined. Remember that the mixture may still be a little hot. Take care as you don’t want scrambled eggs.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 35 - 45 mins or until cooked, testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.
Leave in the tin to cool for around 15 mins before removing from the tin then leave to cool completely.
Notes
TIPS AND FAQ’S
Syrup vs Treacle – I used a mix of golden syrup and dark treacle in my list of Parkin ingredients. Dark treacle is often used when making bonfire toffee.
A word about Oatmeal – For this Yorkshire Parkin recipe I would only recommend that you use Medium Oatmeal rather than the larger Porridge or Whole Oats that are normally associated with making porridge.
Runny cake batter – This cake batter is a little runnier than normal sponge cake batter, which is why it’s important to line your cake tin with baking parchment to stop the batter from leaking out of the tin.
What is Treacle?Treacle is also known as Molasses outside the UK. It is a very think, dark sticky syrup made from partially refined sugar. There are several grades of treacle, ranging from Golden Syrup to dark black treacle.
What is Oatmeal?Oatmeal, Medium Oatmeal or Pinhead Oatmeal are a finer grain of Oats and is often used to make Porridge. Not to be confused with Whole Oats.
How long does Parkin Keep?Parkin improves with age by keeping tightly wrapped in an airtight container for 2 – 5 days, before cutting and eating.Can I use Porridge Oats to Make Yorkshire Parkin?You can use roughly blitzed Porridge oats in place of Medium Oatmeal, I've made it this way several times.