If you’re a fan of gingerbread and are looking for something uniquely different – this traditional Yorkshire Parkin is it! From Yorkshire, England, Parkin is an age-old cake featuring oats and black treacle (molasses) to create a delightfully sticky, chewy cake with a deeply robust flavor that only improves with time!
The year was 1728. Banging his gavel, the magistrate of the West Riding Quarter Session called the courthouse to order. The accused was brought forward. Standing erect in a pose of dignified capitulation, Mrs. Anne Whittaker, occupation housewife, listened as her offense was read aloud.
The crime:Â She had stolen oatmeal.
Her defense:Â Why, to make Yorkshire parkin, of course.
The verdict: Guilty as charged but dang, was the parkin worth it!
True story. And that was one of the first ever published references to Yorkshire parkin, the crime of theft, of culinary passion, all in the name of this centuries-old cake.
Traditionally parkin is associated with the month of November with the first Sunday of the month known as “Parkin Sunday.” Specifically it is a key element of Bonfire Night, or Guy Fawkes Night, where the cake is eaten as part of the festivities. However, parkin is also commonly eaten throughout the winter months.
This traditional Yorkshire specialty, though bearing some similarities to gingerbread, is probably very different from anything you’ve had before. It’s as bold, hearty and unforgettable as Yorkshire itself.
I lived in England for 6 years about two hours south of Yorkshire. We went back as a family this last Summer and spent some time soaking in this beautiful area of the country.
Parkin is commonly associated with Yorkshire, England though it is also eaten in Lancashire. There is at least one key difference between the two versions however: Yorkshire parkin traditionally uses black treacle resulting in a very rich and dark flavor and color.
Lancashire uses golden syrup, resulting in both a lighter color and flavor. Lancashire parkin also tends to be sweeter with a higher sugar content.
Many modern recipes for both versions cross regional lines and use some of each. It comes down to personal preference. We’re featuring a more traditional Yorkshire parkin that is heavy on the treacle/molasses with a little golden syrup, but feel free to adjust the black treacle to golden syrup ratio according to your preference.  If you’re not sure, go with less treacle and more golden syrup than what this recipe calls for – traditional Yorkshire parkin produces a very bold flavor that you may not be used to.
Important Note: While you can substitute molasses for black treacle, there is no substitute for golden syrup. Corn syrup is not remotely the same thing. It is starkly different in flavor with golden syrup having a wonderfully rich, caramelized flavor. Again, be sure to use genuine golden syrup.
Parkin uses black treacle and/or golden syrup in large quantities resulting in a delightfully chewy, sticky cake.
You can also very easily make your own golden syrup.
Check out our recipe for homemade Golden Syrup!
LET’S TALK OATS. Aside from the high quantity of black treacle and/or golden syrup, another thing that makes parkin unique is the addition of oats. Yorkshire parkin simply isn’t Yorkshire parkin without oats. Oats, not wheat, were the staple grain of the poor in this region and that is the primary grain in Yorkshire parkin. The form of oats traditionally used in parkin is not rolled outs, it’s what’s referred to as medium oatmeal in England.
Whole oat groats are dehusked and can either be milled into a fine, medium or course “oatmeal.” Parkin calls for medium. An easy way to make “medium oatmeal” yourself is to take steel-cut oats (also known as Irish oats in the UK) and pulse them briefly in a food processor until they are broken down but not to a fine flour, you want some small chunks to remain which will be visible in the finished parkin and contribute to that wonderful chewy texture of the cake.
Traditionally Yorkshire parkin is also made with lard instead of butter. Lard adds a layer of richness and also creates a moister cake. We’re using some of each to get the best of both worlds but you can use all butter if you prefer.
Finally, a very important key to making parkin is to LET IT SIT IN A SEALED CONTAINER FOR AT LEAST 3 DAYS BEFORE EATING. The resting time is what develops both the texture and the flavor of the cake and is essential. The oats will soften, the treacle and golden syrup will fully penetrate and soak through the grains, and the flavor of the spices will fully develop. So don’t be impatient, let time do its intended job! Â
And so we present Yorkshire Parkin, that famously dark, rich, chewy, sticky, deeply flavorful cake that is the provides the perfect sweet comfort for those cold Fall and Winter nights!
If you’re a fan of gingerbread and are looking for something uniquely different – this is it!
And remember, even Mrs. Whittaker was willing to risk jail time in order to make it!
Traditional Yorkshire Parkin Recipe
Let’s get started!
Place the medium oatmeal (see blog post and recipe box for a description of what that is and how to make it) in a large bowl along with the flour, spices, salt and baking powder.
In a medium saucepan add the brown sugar, black treacle, golden syrup, butter and lard (if using).
Heat the mixture until the sugar is melted (don’t boil it) and remove from the heat. Let it cool for 5 minutes.
Pour the hot mixture into the dry mixture and stir well to combine.
Add the candied ginger, egg and milk and stir well to combine. The batter will be liquid and sticky.
Generously grease an 8×8 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Pour the batter into the baking pan and smooth the top. In an oven preheated to 300 degrees F, bake the parkin for 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. The cake should be fairly firm but springy.
Let the cake cool in the pan.
Invert the cake onto a platter. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the parkin into squares.
Place the squares into an airtight container and let it sit for at least 3 days before eating.
Enjoy!
For more delicious British treats try our:
- Treacle Tart
- Crumpets
- Spotted Dick
- Sticky Toffee Pudding
- Eccles Cakes
- Flapjacks
- Scottish Shortbread
- Bara Brith (Welsh Tea Bread)
- Barmbrack (Irish Tea Bread)
- Mincemeat
- Mince Pie
- Christmas Pudding
- Lemon Curd
- Victoria Sponge Cake
Yorkshire Parkin
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups medium oatmeal , see NOTE
- 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon Mixed Spice
- Homemade Mixed Spice Recipe (recommended)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground mace
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cups Black Treacle (can substitute dark molasses) **See NOTE about the quantity
- 1/4 cup Golden Syrup (there is NO substitute, it is completely different in flavor than corn syrup)
- Homemade Golden Syrup (click link for recipe - it's very easy to make!)
- 1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons lard (optional, can substitute butter)
- 1/4 cup candied/crystallized ginger , finely diced (optional)
- Homemade Candied Ginger Recipe
- 1 large egg , lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
Instructions
- Generously grease an 8x8 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
- Place the medium oatmeal in a large bowl along with the flour, spices, salt and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a medium saucepan add the brown sugar, black treacle, golden syrup, butter and lard (if using). Heat the mixture until the sugar is melted (don't boil it) and remove from the heat. Let it cool for 5 minutes.Pour the hot mixture into the dry mixture and stir well to combine. Add the candied ginger, egg and milk and stir well to combine. The batter will be liquid and sticky.Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and bake 70-80 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. The cake should be fairly firm but springy.  Let the cake cool in the pan.  Invert the cake onto a platter. Peel off the parchment paper. Cut the parkin into squares.
- Place the squares in an airtight container and let it sit for at least 3 days before eating (not in the fridge or it will get hard). The oats will soften, the treacle and golden syrup will fully penetrate and soak through the grains, and the flavor of the spices will fully develop.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on The Daring Gourmet November 10, 2018
Melissa says
Thank you, this is an excellent recipe and I’ve tried several parkin recipes.
In the US, Trader Joe’s sells “quick cook steel cut oats” that is just about an exact match to medium oatmeal in the UK. Failing that, I agree the best bet is to spin some whole steel cut oats in the blender or food processor.
Personally I prefer parkin without eggs, but I love the addition (or re-addition) of lard in this recipe.
Kimberly Killebrew says
Thank you, Melissa, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks also for the info about Trader Joe’s, that will be helpful for our U.S. readers.
Emilie says
Hello dear cook,
The taste is good, but the consistency is quite weird – although the cake is very moist, the oats are awfully hard, like little rocks, it is not enjoyable to chew at all… Are the steel cut oats supposed to be cooked before being used in the recipe?
Thank you for your time.
Terry Wainman says
Kimbley this recipe his just fine, I’ve made it 3 times so far i just add a little more ginger to it as i like it that way.
Looking at some of the comments i cannot believe the bickering about treacle or Syrup lancashire or yorkshire as long as you make it to your liking what his the problem. Kind regards. Terry
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Terry, I appreciate your feedback and am happy you’ve been enjoying the parkin :)
Patrick Barrow says
Made in time for Guy Fawkes Day this year. I couldn’t find black treacle in time so I used molasses. And my wife’s vegetarian so I used vegetable shortening instead of lard. I put it in the refrigerator for 3 days (didn’t read thoroughly enough and just read your comment that I only had to be airtight, not refrigerated.) The squares all stuck together and were hard as rocks by day 3. Only by heating them up was I able to eat them. Was nice with some ice cream (my dad did the same at a different Guy Fawkes celebration.)
Next time I will skip the fridge and go for a container that has a better seal than the tupperware I used. Any other recommendations? Cook the oatmeal before processing? I am a fairly novice baker. Thanks!
Kimberly Killebrew says
Hi Patrick, thanks for the feedback and I’m glad you were able to heat and enjoy them. I’ve added a note for clarification that these should not be kept in the fridge. No, don’t cook the oatmeal in advance, it will soften up nicely as the parkin sits at room temp for 3 days.
Patrick Barrow says
Excellent, thank you! I’ll try again.
Rob says
I used only 1/4 cup of brown sugar and this is still insanely sweet, is it supposed to be so sweet? My teeth hurt from eating it :P
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Rob, it is quite sweet, yes. As to “insanely” sweet, that’s just going to come down to personal preference. You can certainly cut back more on the sugar if you prefer.
Claire Harrison says
A great recipe! I’m from South Yorkshire and this recipe tastes identical to Parkin we had around bonfire night, usually bought from bakeries in town.
I didn’t add the candied ginger but I’m sure that’d be nice too.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Claire, I’m so happy to hear that, thank you!
Felicity, Scotland says
Cake of the season! Absolutely delicious.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Felicity, I’m happy you enjoyed it! And friendly greetings to Scotland! :)
Patricia Wilson says
I made this today and ordered the Black Treacle and Golden syrup. It is in the oven.
I can’t wait to taste it. Of course after 3 days. Does this need refrigeration?
This is a wonderful taste. Luckily I had all the spices and the candied ginger.
I loved the taste of the batter. I used 50/50 of syrup and treacle.
Can’t wait to try it.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Patricia, this does not need to be refrigerated, just be sure to store it in an airtight container. Happy baking! :)
Annabelle Resch says
I recently retired and started to get a little nostalgic about my mother’s cooking and my childhood growing up in Yorkshire. I discovered your website and made the Parkin yesterday – it turned out beautifully! I am having some English friends over for dinner on Sunday and will be making a traditional roast with Yorkshire puddings and the Parkin for dessert. I am sure they will be happy to have this reminder of home. Love your website – will be trying many many more recipes.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you for you kind words, Annabelle, I appreciate it and am so happy you found my site <3
Nigel Smith says
In response to your ‘discussion’ with the surly Lancastrian Kimberley, you are correct on all points. Firstly, all food recipes vary and cross between areas, towns and even streets! Secondly, For example Harrogate’s famous Eatery ‘Betty’s’ uses only black treacle, my mum, nana, etc,etc the same, whereas I know of other ‘Tykes’ use a mixture of Golden syrup and black treacle. And lastly, there is a similar cake in Yorkshire called ‘Moggy’. This is often mistakenly called Parkin even by Yorkshire folk, but is in fact more like a soft sponge but with a similar flavour profile to Parkin. In closing, I’d like to thank you for the passion and praise you convey to the world when speaking of our damp Island nation.
My best to you & yours,
From the West Riding of Yorkshire.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thank you for sharing those insights, Nigel, and friendly greetings to West Riding or Yorkshire!
Maria Corcoran says
I made this today after seeing it on Escape to the country. I had a little taste and put the rest in the fridge for the next 3 days to cure…..interesting and I would make this again, as I still have left over ingredients….should be nice to eat in the winter, instead of the hot Queensland weather….
Liz says
This is NOT Yorkshire parkin, this is LANCASHIRE parkin. My mother in law was true a Yorkshirewoman, she never put black treacle in parkin, she used a traditional recipe, it’s more like ginger cake with oatmeal. Toffeeapple’s recipe above is true Yorkshire parkin. LANCASHIRE parkin always has black treacle and never has candied ginger.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Sorry, Liz, it’s just the other way around. Many contemporary recipes cross regional lines in swapping the type of treacle used (dark treacle vs light treacle/golden syrup). By “contemporary” I mean 1900 onward, so your mother-in-law’s recipe can still be considered “traditional.” But if you consult food histories and 19th century cookbooks you’ll find that Yorkshire parkin historically used black treacle. Yorkshire parkin dates back to at least the 1700’s and Golden Syrup (light treacle) wasn’t even invented until the 1880’s.
Liz Newman says
Sorry Kimberley I’m not wrong! I AM FROM LANCASHIRE and always had LANCASHIRE parkin with black treacle either homemade or store bought. I suggest you ask others from Lancashire what parkin is. I only ever had Yorkshire parking with golden syrup and we spent a lot of time in Yorkshire with my inlaws.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Liz, I am not debating the fact that you’re from Lancashire or that your experience with Lancashire and Yorkshire pudding are as you say. I believe you. What I am pointing out is the historicity of parkin predating the 20th century and the historic evidence is clear: The oldest recipes for parkin are Yorkshire parkin, and early to mid 19th century recipes were always made with black treacle because golden syrup didn’t exist. Again, golden syrup wasn’t invented until the 1880’s and Yorkshire parkin pre-dates golden syrup.
If you or anyone else finds any historic evidence to the contrary please feel free to share.
Elinor says
My mother was Lancastrian(died earlier this year aged 98!) and she always firmly told me that Lancastrian parkin was made with black treacle, dark brown sugar – certainly no crystallized ginger. The Yorkshire version always contained golden syrup. Delia Smith backs this up. Obviously if you go very far back to pre-golden syrup times things may get more fluid! Don’t want to start another War of the Roses!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi Elinor, yes, as I already mentioned this discussion is referring to traditional Yorkshire parkin pre-dating the era of golden syrup when it was only made with black treacle.
Lesley Swales says
Hi Liz. A short message from friendly Yorkshire.
Wind yer neck in lass!
My mum always made parkin with black treacle, and she was Yorkshire through and through. Don’t forget there is not much distance between the boundaries of Yorkshire(God’s Own County😉), and Lancashire. So recipes and customs were bound to have crossed over. No need to get all twined about it 😊. Tek care.
Jenny says
Recipes vary from village to village and house to house. Both of my grandmothers and my mother-in-law lived their entire lives in Yorkshire. This recipe is almost identical to that made by my mother-in-law who was from the Scarborough area. As for my grandmothers, they both hailed from the Dales. One used lard and no butter for her recipe, and the other used all butter, but both used a mix of syrup and treacle. With a recipe so old, there is never a definitive version, but this one comes damn close.
sana says
who is deeply interested in food history, I’ve been gradually purchasing and growing my vintage cookbook collection (all 19th century and older) from Germany, the U.S. and Great Britain. These original sources are invaluable for getting the true facts about the cooking of those eras. The Parkin was challenging and I based my recipe on old descriptions I was able to source, but was unable to find an actual recipe dating back as far as the one you have. What a treasure, I’m excited to see it. I’ve no doubt you have quite the treasure trove of other old recipes, I would love to dive into it :)
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
How fun, Sana, that’s exciting that you’re growing your vintage cookbook collection! I agree, original sources for anything, including cooking, are invaluable. Happy baking and I hope you enjoy the parkin!
Adele TAYLES says
Fantastic recipe. Not sure it will last 3 days before eating!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks so much, Adele!
JFMahler says
For Thanksgiving I made both the Yorkshire version and Lancashire (reverse molasses and Golden Syrup proportions) and each were fabulous! We ate them, served with whipped cream, after letting them set in sealed containers for four days. The leftovers on days 5 and 6 were equally divine. I’ve been asked to make these for our Christmas family gathering as well.
JFMahler says
Should note that we did a ‘taste test comparison’ of the Yorkshire version and the Lancashire version. Some preferred one, some preferred the other, all were emphatic about their choice! The difference between the two fades a bit after day 5 or 6. This recipe is seriously To Live For!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s wonderful, JFMahler, thank you so much for the feedback!
Jenzee says
Just spotted the tab for metric conversions!