Up north, in the UK, we call this sticky sweet slightly spicy cake Parkin. It’s not too dissimilar to gingerbread but has a softer stickier texture and the addition of the absolutely essential oats which gives the cake a grainer more wholesome and chewier texture.
The oats are essential in our opinion
Medium oats is not the same as the rolled oats often sold for porridge down south; if it isn’t stocked in your usual shopping destination, it can usually be found in health food shops; if you prefer a rougher texture, use coarse oatmeal instead
It’s an all rounder that is inoffensive and sure to delight or even surprise your friends and family!
Traditionally eaten in the UK on bonfire night (Guy Fowke’s night) it’s actually best eaten at any time during the colder winter months. For the dairy free people it’s very easy to swap out the dairy for plant based substitutes.
We take advantage of rice cookers sealed cooking method to preserve the moisture and flavours. For this recipe we used Sakura (8 cup capacity) but you can simply scale the ingredients for whatever capacity rice cooker you have.
We like parkin with a hot cup of tea of coffee but can also be served with custard, cream or ice cream and even warmed for those that prefer it that way.
AuthorHungry PandaCategoryDessertsDifficultyIntermediateWeigh out the treacle, syrup and butter into a medium saucepan and place on a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until melted together. Do not let the mix come to a boil.
Grease the rice cooker inner bowl
Combine the flour, oatmeal, spices, sugar, salt and bicarb in a large bowl and whisk to mix.
Pour the treacle mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring until no more dry pockets of flour are visible.
Beat the egg with the milk, then stir into the cake mixture to create a batter that’s loose enough to pour into the tin – if it’s still a bit too thick, add a little more milk.
Pour the mixture into the inner bowl, level the top, then select the 'CAKE' setting for 60 minutes. Press 'START'
At the end of the cooking cycle, check it’s just firm in the centre and the cake springs back when pressed with a finger (carefully!).
Cut into squares or rectangle and enjoy!
Ingredients
Parkin is one of those cakes that gets better with age so stick it in a tin and it will keep for at least a couple of weeks.
For the dairy free people it’s very easy to swap out the dairy for plant based substitutes.