Traditional Parkin Recipe Mary Berry (2024)

FAQs

Why does parkin sink in the middle? ›

Why has my parkin sunk? Not baking parkin for long enough can mean the gooey mixture inside will cause the cake to collapse/sink as it cools. However, leaving it for longer can make the parkin too dry. The best advice is to check with a skewer 10 minutes before the end baking.

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.

And although you can eat the cake almost immediately, it gets stickier if you wrap and store it for several days. In addition to keeping well in an airtight tin, this recipe can be eaten as a cake or warmed as a pudding with a dollop of custard.

Also check after 45 minutes to see if the Parkin is baked, if it is still soft in the middle, without being 'raw', it is done – this cake is easy to over-bake and become dry. Also note, the top of the cake will naturally split slightly as it bakes, as the oats enlarge.

almost as important as the ingredients, is the aging of the parkin. No matter how tempting it may be, do not eat the parkin on the day you have made it. It needs to be kept in an airtight box or tin for at least three days. The cake needs a bit of time for the flavours and stickiness to develop.

Parkin makes a delicious dessert too, served with stewed apples, pears or plums and a dollop of whipped cream. Our decadent Yorkshire parkin & blackberry trifle recipe pairs layers of creamy custard and blackberry compote with spongy parkin, or for another twist on the traditional, try pear parkin pudding with custard.

Black treacle is a dark, thick syrup that is a byproduct of refining sugar. It is a product of the U.K. and considered to be the British equivalent of molasses, appearing in many of the country's signature food recipes.

There are regional differences, for example in Hull and East Yorkshire, it has a drier, more biscuit-like texture than in other areas whereas in Lancashire it is generally made with golden syrup rather than the treacle used elsewhere.

Parkin is a traditional ginger cake from Yorkshire, flavoured with syrupy molasses, oatmeal and warm spices.

The origins are unclear – they could be pagan or linked to All Saints' Day – but for centuries it's been enjoyed at the start of November, usually on 'Parkin Sunday'. We have the brisk Yorkshire climate that favours oats over wheat to thank for parkin.

Which supermarket sells parkin? ›

Sainsbury's Parkin Cake | Sainsbury's.

Several steps can be taken to prevent cakes from sinking in the middle. Eensure the oven is fully preheated, avoid frequent opening during baking, use correct ingredient measurements, mix thoroughly, avoid overmixing, bake on the center rack, and avoid underbaking.

Incorporate too little air and your cake won't rise enough. Too much air and your cake will collapse because it simply can't hold onto all that air. Overbeating can add too much additional air and/or large air bubbles which the cake can't support, causing it to collapse in the oven.

The most common reasons a cake sinks in the middle include the following: The pan is too small. There's too much liquid. Opening the oven or moving pans during baking.