We've taken the traditional Yorkshire parkin cake and added boozy toffee sauce!

Ask any northerner what bonfire night is about, and chances are you’ll hear a fair few tales of parkin cake and treacle toffee.

For southerners not yet acquainted with this rib-sticking delight, parkin cake is a dark, spicy tray bake – a bit like ginger cake, but with the addition of treacle and oats to bulk up the mixture. It’s sweet and spiced and full of all things cosy and nice. The perfect winter bake!

We’ve gone for a classic parkin recipe here but then we’ve added a creamy gin toffee sauce for pouring. The sauce adds that extra touch of boozy indulgence that everyone deserves when the nights start to draw in!

Why is parkin called parkin?

It is unknown exactly where the name “parkin” comes from, although Parkin (meaing “Peter”) was a common surname in Yorkshire, where the dish is thought to have originated.

Is parkin the same as gingerbread?

Gingerbread is very similar to parkin but not the same. The main difference between parkin and gingerbread is that parkin is traditionally made with oats and gingerbread is not.

Is parkin a Yorkshire thing?

Parkin is thought to have originated in Yorkshire, however, versions of parkin cake can be found in Lancashire too. Yorkshire parkin is usally made with a greater ratio of oats to flour than parkin recipes found in Lancashire. Both versions are delicious!

Perhaps it would be most accurate to say that parkin is a northern thing. Although southerners are waking up to the joys of this baked treat!

What do you eat with parkin?

Parkin is most often served simply with a good cup of Yorkshire tea. It is also fantastic warmed through and served with stewed fruit, cream and custard. We love pouring lashing of our ginny toffee sauce over parkin too!

Method:

1. Begin by making your parkin cake. Preheat the oven to 160C/ Gas 3. Grease a 23cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment.
2. Heat the butter, treacle and sugar in a saucepan until melted, then leave to cool. Sieve the flour and spices into a large bowl and add the porridge oats.
3. Whisk the egg and bicarbonate of soda with the milk and add to the dry ingredients, along with the treacle mixture. Pour into the prepared tin.
4. Bake for about an hour, until the cake is firm and gently bounces back to the touch.
5. Leave to cool for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Wrap in parchment and leave to rest for a week, or serve it warm straight away with the toffee sauce.
6. To make your toffee sauce, mix the water and sugar in a large saucepan until the mixture reaches a sandy consistency. Then melt over a medium-high heat along with the grapefruit peel and vanilla, whisking constantly so that it melts evenly.
7. Carefully add the butter – it will foam up quite a bit here – and whisk until melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream.
8. Use a fork to remove the grapefruit peel and vanilla pod (be careful of the hot sugar!) and then mix in the gin, salt and bitters. Drizzle generously over your warmed-up parkin cake.

Begin by making your parkin cake. Preheat the oven to 160C/ Gas 3. Grease a 23cm square cake tin and line with baking parchment.

Heat the butter, treacle and sugar in a saucepan until melted, then leave to cool. Sieve the flour and spices into a large bowl and add the porridge oats.

Whisk the egg and bicarbonate of soda with the milk and add to the dry ingredients, along with the treacle mixture. Pour into the prepared tin.

Bake for about an hour, until the cake is firm and gently bounces back to the touch.

Leave to cool for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack. Wrap in parchment and leave to rest for a week, or serve it warm straight away with the toffee sauce.

To make your toffee sauce, mix the water and sugar in a large saucepan until the mixture reaches a sandy consistency. Then melt over a medium-high heat along with the grapefruit peel and vanilla, whisking constantly so that it melts evenly.

Carefully add the butter – it will foam up quite a bit here – and whisk until melted. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cream.

Use a fork to remove the grapefruit peel and vanilla pod (be careful of the hot sugar!) and then mix in the gin, salt and bitters. Drizzle generously over your warmed-up parkin cake.

Ingredients:

For the parkin

160g butter

180g treacle

120g soft dark brown sugar

180g flour

3 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

275g porridge oats

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

150ml milk

For the toffee sauce

50ml water

200g brown sugar

Peel of 1 grapefruit

1 vanilla pod

100g butter

180ml heavy cream

2-3 tbsp gin

6-8 drops grapefruit/orange bitters

1/2 tsp salt