Bonfire Night parkin cake
A sticky, gingery treacle cake made for Bonfire Night — dark, moist and best eaten a day after baking when the flavours mellow.
Parkin is the sort of cake that smells like nostalgia: treacle, ginger and toasted oats all wrapped up in a sticky square. Traditionally eaten around Bonfire Night, it gets better the day after baking when the flavours mellow and the texture softens.
This recipe keeps things simple and egg-free — you’ll make a dark, moist cake that’s easy to slice and brilliant with a mug of tea or custard. Make it the day before your party and let it mature for maximum stickiness and flavour.
Ingredients
- 225 g porridge oats
- 125 g plain flour
- 175 g soft brown sugar
- 125 g unsalted butter
- 120 g black treacle
- 140 ml milk
- 5 ml bicarbonate of soda
- 10 ml ground ginger
- 5 ml mixed spice
- 0 ml fine sea salt
Equipment
- 20cm square baking tin
- parchment paper
- digital scales
- wire rack
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C conventional. Line a 20cm square baking tin with parchment paper, leaving an overhang to lift the cake out later.
Toast the porridge oats and plain flour in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until fragrant and lightly golden, stirring constantly so they colour evenly.
Put the unsalted butter, soft brown sugar and black treacle into a small saucepan and warm gently over a low heat, stirring until the butter has melted and the sugar has mostly dissolved. Do not boil hard.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir the toasted oats and flour into the treacle mixture until evenly combined. Add the ground ginger, mixed spice and fine sea salt and stir again.
Mix the bicarbonate of soda into the milk (it will fizz). Pour the milk and bicarbonate mixture into the warm oat mixture and stir quickly to combine — the fizz helps give a light lift.
Spoon the sticky batter into the prepared tin and press level with the back of a spoon or spatula. Bake in the preheated oven for 45–50 minutes until the top is dark brown and the cake feels firm to the touch.
Remove the tin from the oven and leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes.
Using the parchment overhang, lift the parkin from the tin and place it on a wire rack. Cover loosely with a clean tea towel and leave for 24 hours at room temperature to mature — this is when the flavours mellow and the texture improves.
After 24 hours, slice into squares and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days — the parkin will keep getting stickier and more flavoursome.
Tips
- Toast the oats and flour — it deepens the flavour and prevents a raw flour taste.
- Heat the treacle mixture gently and stir constantly to avoid burning; burnt treacle is bitter and irrevocable.
- Do not skip the 24-hour rest — parkin improves dramatically overnight as the treacle softens the oats.
- Store at room temperature in an airtight tin; refrigeration will firm it up and steal the sticky character.
- If the top darkens too quickly in your oven, cover loosely with foil after 25 minutes to prevent burning while allowing the centre to cook.
Substitutions
black treacle → golden syrup, same quantity (120g) — sweeter and lighter in flavour
Noticeably differentporridge oats → quick oats, same quantity (225g) — gives a softer, less chewy texture
Stays closeplain flour → self-raising flour, same quantity (125g) — will give a slightly lighter rise and different crumb
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 280
- Calories
- 4 g
- Protein
- 43 g
- Carbs
- 10 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 17 g
- Sugar
- 120 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I freeze parkin?
Yes — once completely cooled, wrap tightly in foil and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and allow an hour to come back to sticky life before serving.
Why does my parkin taste bitter?
Most likely the treacle or sugar was overheated and slightly burned. Use a low heat and stir constantly when melting treacle and sugar to prevent bitterness.
Can I make parkin gluten-free?
Use a certified gluten-free oat and substitute the plain flour with 125g of gluten-free plain flour blend. Texture will be slightly different but still tasty.
Do I need to cover the cake while it rests?
Cover loosely with a clean tea towel to keep dust off but allow a little airflow — sealing it immediately can trap steam and make the crust soggy.
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