Sticky Parkin Cake

Depending on which part of North East England you hale from, Parkin can take the form of a biscuit or cake. When served warm with fresh cream, there is little that compares to Debbie’s Sticky Parkin Cake.

Ingredients
225g plain flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
110g oatmeal
175g caster sugar
115g unsalted butter
115g treacle
2 tablespoons golden syrup
150ml milk
2 large eggs

For the sauce
175g light muscovado sugar
55g butter, cut into pieces
225ml heavy/double cream
1 tablespoon black treacle

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees and butter and flour a loaf tin
In a bowl, combine the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ginger, cinnamon, salt, oatmeal and sugar.
In one small pan, melt the butter and in another, warm the treacle and syrup. Remove from heat and stir the butter into the syrup mixture, then pour over the dry ingredients.
Add the eggs and milk and mix thoroughly until all ingredients are combined.
Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 30 minutes

While cake is baking, melt the butter, sugar and half the cream in a saucepan, over a medium heat. Raise the heat slightly and bring to the boil stirring constantly until all the sugar has dissolved. Add the treacle and allow the sauce to bubble for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to cool for 1 minute then stir in the remaining cream.

Test cake is ready by inserting a wooden skewer. If clean when removed, remove cake from oven. Leave to cool for five minutes, put on a plate and pour over sauce.

Serve with pouring cream and enjoy the decadence.