Sticky Treacle Parkin Cake for Bonfire Night

Method

1. Preheat and Prepare the Tin

   Preheat your oven to 160 degrees C fan or 180 degrees C conventional. Grease a 20cm square baking tin and line it with greaseproof paper, leaving a little overhang so the cake is easy to lift out later.

2. Mix the Dry Ingredients

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the oatmeal, plain flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, and mixed spice. Stir them together well so everything is evenly distributed. Set this aside.

3. Melt the Wet Ingredients

   Put the butter, dark brown sugar, black treacle, and golden syrup into a medium saucepan. Heat gently over a low flame, stirring occasionally, until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil. Remove from the heat and let it cool for about 5 minutes.

4. Combine and Add Eggs

   Pour the warm treacle mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Add the beaten eggs and the milk, then mix everything together until you have a smooth, fairly runny batter. It will look looser than a standard cake batter and that is exactly right.

5. Bake the Parkin

   Pour the batter into your prepared tin and spread it level. Bake in the centre of the oven for 45 to 50 minutes. The parkin is done when it no longer wobbles in the middle and a skewer inserted near the centre comes out with just a few moist crumbs attached, not wet batter.

6. Cool and Rest

   Leave the parkin to cool completely in the tin, then lift it out using the paper. Wrap it tightly in fresh greaseproof paper and then foil. Store at room temperature for at least 24 hours, ideally 48, before slicing. This resting time is what gives parkin its famously sticky, dense texture.