Parkin — Yorkshire ginger and oatmeal cake
Parkin is a dense Yorkshire cake made with oatmeal, treacle, ginger, and sometimes lard or butter — sticky, deeply spiced, and traditionally eaten on Guy Fawkes Night (5 November) in the north of England.
i. Origin & history
Parkin has been baked in Yorkshire for centuries. The combination of oats and treacle is northern English peasant food; the Bonfire Night association reflects the cake's hibernal-warmth role.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 16 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 200 g pinhead or porridge oats
- 200 g plain flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp baking soda
- Pinch salt
- 200 g black treacle
- 100 g golden syrup
- 100 g muscovado sugar
- 200 g unsalted butter
- 1 egg
- 100 ml milk
iii. Method
- Heat oven to 160 °C. Line a 22 cm square tin.
- Melt treacle, golden syrup, sugar and butter; cool slightly.
- Mix oats, flour, spices, soda, salt.
- Beat egg with milk; stir into treacle mixture; pour into dry ingredients; mix to a thick batter.
- Pour into the tin. Bake 60-70 min until firm.
- Cool; wrap in foil; let mature 3 days before eating — parkin sticks improve with age.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Yorkshire parkin is the canonical version. Lancashire parkin is slightly lighter. Tharf cake is the older oatcake ancestor.
vi. Common questions
What is parkin?
Parkin is yorkshire ginger and oatmeal cake, from british & irish cuisine.
Where is parkin from?
Parkin is from the british & irish dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does parkin keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 3 weeks airtight (improves with age).