Parkin Cake for Guy Fawkes Night
It’s Bonfire Night in the U.K. Time to celebrate with over a bonfire, Parkin cake, and some classic bangers and mash.
Remember, remember the 5th of November — it’s Guy Fawkes Night! Tonight in the U.K, we mark the occasion of Guy Fawkes Day also known as Bonfire Night. Every 5th of November since 1605, the British celebrate the failure of the Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament.
A group of Catholic conspirators including Guy Fawkes put together an elaborate plan to set off explosives in Parliament. Apparently King James I of England and other members were due to be in the building. The plan foiled as Guy Fawkes was caught red-handed beneath the House of Lords. So to mark the occasion, fireworks are on display to represent the explosive that never set off. Additionally, stuffed effigies are burned over bonfires.
There will be no major fireworks to commemorate Guy Fawkes this year, unfortunately. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the occasion. We dusted off the old firepit and had our own bonfire in the garden after a dinner of bangers and mash. It was a chilly evening, but hot chocolate and s’mores kept us warm.
Parkin Cake for Guy Fawkes Night
To celebrate Guy Fawkes Night, I made a Parkin cake, a speciality cake from Yorkshire, the birthplace of Guy Fawkes. Parkin is a sticky, ginger cake made from a combination of black treacle, light syrup, oatmeal, and a warming touch of autumnal spices. It is traditionally enjoyed for Bonfire Night but honestly, this delightful cake can be eaten as an afternoon treat with tea.
Parkin cake is very easy to make: melt the butter and sugars under low heat and add it to the dry ingredients, then gradually add the beaten egg, mix well and pour into a prepared baking dish. Voila! Note, as I have a toddler I added an extra ½ cup of oats which made the cake more dry than moist and sticky. However, the Parkin cake still retained the classic autumnal flavours of ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and allspice. Apparently, the flavours of the Parkin cake improves with age. I’ll report back and let you know, that is if there is any left after tonight!
Happy Guy Fawkes Night! Enjoy and Be Safe.
Parkin Cake: A Yorkshire Treat
Ingredients
- 1 cup / 220 grams butter room temperature
- 1 cup golden syrup
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup black treacle or molasses
- 1 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 cup medium oatmeal
- 4 teaspoons ground ginger
- 2 teaspoons nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon all-spice
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoons milk if needed
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 275F /140 C. Grease an 8 x 8-inch square cake tin with butter.
- In a heavy-based saucepan, melt together the butter, golden syrup, brown sugar, and treacle over a gentle heat. Stir occasionally until melted and well-blended. Do NOT boil.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, oatmeal, ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, all-spice, and baking powder.
- Gradually add the melted butter mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring to coat and mix thoroughly.
- Gradually beat in the eggs a few tablespoons at a time.
- Add a tablespoon of milk at a time if the mixture feels dry. Stir well.
Notes
