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Home » Recipes » Cake

Old Fashioned Yorkshire Parkin

June 13, 2020 by Lynn Hill 21 Comments

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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. Gingerbread Traybake is a lovely alternative to this Yorkshire Parkin recipe. It tastes just as delicious and is equally easy to make.

Yorkshire Parkin sliced

What is Yorkshire Parkin

A recipe for Old Fashioned Yorkshire Parkin should not be confused with a Ginger Cake or Ginger Bread recipe. It is often associated with Yorkshire and eaten around Halloween, Bonfire Night (Wiki), and guy fawkes. (Wiki)

It's a time of year when comfort baking is in full swing. True Yorkshire Parkin contains Oatmeal and any cake without it is simply a Ginger Cake/Bread and nothing more. In fact, when you look at the list of ingredients, it is very similar to Lancashire Parkin.

A good treacle Parkin recipe has to be moist, sticky and full of ginger and toffee flavours with a nutty texture coming from the medium oats, and deep toffee flavours created by the addition of dark black treacle.

How to Make This Recipe for Parkin.

Making a Parkin cake, couldn't be easier. Once you've switched on the oven, weighed out all the ingredients, greased and lined your baking tin, you are ready to start baking.

The mixture is a little runny, which is why it's essential that you also line your loose bottomed cake tin with baking parchment. To help prevent any batter from oozing out and making a mess of your oven.

Parkin Mixture in mixing bowls

Place the butter, black treacle, golden syrup, and brown sugar in a pan over low heat. Gently simmer until all the sugar and butter have melted. Take off the heat and leave it to one side to cool a little.

Dry cake ingredients in green mixing bowls

Place all the dry ingredients consisting of Oatmeal, Flour, Baking Powder and Ginger into a large mixing bowl that is heatproof and gently mix everything together. Then pour the cooled sugar treacle mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until well combined.

Add the milk and eggs to the Parkin cake batter

Now is the time to add the eggs and milk, but add the milk first and give it a good mix. Then gradually add the eggs and mix until well combined. Remember that the mixture may still be a little warm, you don’t want scrambled eggs.

Pour the cake batter into the tin.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for 35 - 45 mins or until baked, testing the centre of the cake with a skewer until it comes out clean.

Yorkshire Parkin

Leave in the tin to cool for around 15 mins before removing from the tin onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Yorkshire Parkin sliced

Parkin can be eaten straight away. But it does improve with age by keeping it tightly wrapped in an airtight container for 2 – 5 days, before cutting and eating.

Tips and FAQ's for Making a Yorkshire Parkin Recipe

  • Syrup vs Treacle - I used a mix of golden syrup and dark treacle in my list of Parkin ingredients in the recipe card below. Dark treacle is often used when making bonfire toffee.
  • A word about Oatmeal - For this 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. See my note below about using Porridge Oats.
  • 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. See my note below about using Porridge 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.

What is Yorkshire Parkin?

Yorkshire Parkin is a kind of Gingerbread. The difference between the two recipes is Parkin contains a form of Oats or Oatmeal, but Gingerbread does not. The taste and texture are also quite different. Parkin often contains dark Treacle as well as golden syrup, giving it that rich dark colour and flavour. Gingerbread, such as Gingerbread Biscuits, contains Golden Syrup with no dark treacle, which gives the Gingerbread Men and Gingerbread Houses, a light golden colour.

Other Ginger Flavoured Cakes that you may Like to Try

  • Sticky Ginger cake recipe - With a syrup glaze and a glace ginger topping. It's a lovely alternative to a parkin cake if you are looking for a Ginger cake that doesn't use Oatmeal.
  • Glace Ginger, Oat and White Chocolate Cookie bars - A lovely shortbread texture with a Ginger bite.
  • Gingerbread Traybake - A lovely alternative to Parkin.

Bake Ginger Muffins

I've adapted this recipe into Treacle, Ginger and Oat Muffins They take less time to bake and are so much easier to hand out on Bonfire Night or BBQ at home. They are also ideal for charity events and school bake sales.

Pin for Later

Pinterest image of Yorkshire Parkin sliced and unsliced.
Yorkshire Parkin sliced

Old Fashioned Yorkshire Parkin

Lynn Hill
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.
4.65 from 82 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 45 mins
Total Time 1 hr
Course Afternoon Tea
Cuisine British
Servings 16 slices
Calories 217 kcal

Equipment

  • 8 inch Square Cake Tin
  • Baking Parchment
  • Cake Skewer

INGREDIENTS

  • 200 grams Butter Unsalted
  • 100 grams Soft Dark Brown Sugar
  • 100 grams Black Treacle
  • 150 grams Golden Syrup
  • 110 grams Medium Oatmeal or roughly blitzed porridge oats
  • 180 grams Self Raising Flour
  • ¾ teaspoon Baking Powder
  • 3 teaspoon Ground Ginger
  • 2 Large eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 tbs Milk
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Instructions
 

  • 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.

Nutrition

Calories: 217kcalCarbohydrates: 27gProtein: 3gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 48mgSodium: 100mgPotassium: 160mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 342IUCalcium: 56mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Ginger,, halloween, Parkin Recipe, Treacle, Yorkshire Parkin
Did you Make this Recipe? Tag it Today!Let me know how you got on. Tag me on Facebook at @TraditionalHomeBakingTHB and include hashtag #TraditionalHomeBaking
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Marie

    October 02, 2022 at 4:42 pm

    5 stars
    Just making this now it smells beautiful ? I’ll let you know how it tastes in a few days time. ??

    Reply
  2. Alison

    November 17, 2021 at 7:50 pm

    5 stars
    At last a recipe that tastes like Parkin I remember from my childhood. I’m from Lancashire but couldn’t replicate the taste When trying Lancashire Parkin recipes online. Made this twice in the last 2 weeks.

    Reply
  3. Ann

    November 11, 2021 at 4:01 pm

    Great recipe although I never know how to weigh syrup out think I'm a bit dippy but this is the best recipe ever . Just like mum used to make cannot make enough I double up recipe and that's not enough all extended family descend when I make it lol thankyou

    Reply
  4. CB

    November 04, 2021 at 9:57 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious. Kids loved it. Relatively easy and quick to make. Perfect cake for bonfire night.

    Reply
  5. Jeffrey Portman

    November 01, 2021 at 8:50 am

    5 stars
    Hello Lynne,

    Thankyou for uploading this recipe. I made it yesterday, and although I plan to leave for the recommended days, I did try a sneaky piece and it was delicious! It reminded me so much of my Mothers baking from my childhood.

    Reply
  6. john

    May 11, 2021 at 10:03 pm

    some recipes add a tsp of mixed spice, what do you think

    Reply
    • Lynn

      May 12, 2021 at 8:03 am

      If you do decide to add some mixed spice, it could be a little overpowering as you already have some ground ginger in the recipe. Both are strong flavours.

      Reply
  7. Sam

    December 03, 2020 at 5:05 pm

    5 stars
    Attempted this recipe a couple of times, it was delicious! Even if I do say so myself. First time I had ever made Parkin so was a tad nervous but this was easy to follow even for a novice baker like me. I will be having another go.

    Reply
  8. Joanne

    December 03, 2020 at 2:47 pm

    5 stars
    To me this taste like the real deal. I find a lot of shop bought parkin tastes rather plain in comparison to this. A great recipe for all year round.

    Reply
  9. Clare Trinder

    November 16, 2020 at 10:07 am

    Have made this twice now and it's really delicious, cant get enough , love it and it's so easy to make

    Reply
  10. Kirsty

    November 01, 2020 at 5:18 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect recipe. Found this three weeks and currently making my third cake.Easy, quick recipe and goes down a treat.

    Reply
    • Lynn

      November 02, 2020 at 2:54 pm

      Thanks. That's good to hear.

      Reply
  11. kathryn

    October 25, 2020 at 7:30 pm

    5 stars
    My family really enjoyed this recipe.

    Reply
    • Lynn

      October 25, 2020 at 7:33 pm

      Thanks, Kathryn, I'm glad you all liked it.

      Reply
  12. Nina

    October 07, 2020 at 8:49 am

    4 stars
    Hi. I've made this at the weekend and it was really crumbly in the middle. Is this what consistency it should be like or have I gone wrong somewhere? I actually took it out after 35 minutes as it was starting to burn around the edges and when I checked it with a skewer it came out clean. Not sure if my oven is too hot and its over baked? Tasted delicious though!

    Reply
    • Lynn

      October 07, 2020 at 9:10 am

      Sorry to hear that it was a bit crumbly in the middle, it should be an even texture all round. I wonder if your oven was a little too hot, cooking it more on the edges rather than in the middle. It may be an idea to invest in an oven thermometer to make sure it's at the correct temperature.

      One way to help prevent any over baking on the edges is to wrap the outside of the cake tin with baking bands or cover the top of the tin, with a sheet of baking parchment as soon as you see that it starts to over bake. One thing about this cake is that it improves with age, so after a couple of days, it will be really moist.

      Reply
      • Nina

        October 10, 2020 at 7:39 am

        thank you for your reply. i will definitely try this as it was so delicious and im sure its my oven that has done it. thanks again.

        Reply
  13. Veronica

    May 13, 2020 at 9:03 am

    5 stars
    I'm going to make this parkin! I haven't tasted any for years and I'd love to try it again.

    Reply
    • Lynn Hill

      May 13, 2020 at 9:04 am

      Let me know how you get on Veronica.

      Reply
  14. David

    November 13, 2019 at 6:40 pm

    5 stars
    Excellent ******** Best parkin I have tasted for a long while ..

    Thank You.

    David (68 years old and still baking and cooking)

    Reply
    • Lynn Hill

      November 14, 2019 at 12:02 am

      Thanks David. At the moment, I can't stop making it. It's so good.

      Reply

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