By Frances

I never knew a parkin was a traditional cake made from treacle and oatmeal, originating in northern England. This recipe from the 1830s was in Paul Hollywood’s Bread book. They used to measure from a breakfast cup but he’s given the metric equivalent too.

½ c treacle (200g)

½ butter (140g)

½ c brown sugar (120g)

2 c oatmeal (250g)

20g ginger

1 tsp bicarb soda

2 eggs

1 Tbs cider vinegar

Melt treacle, butter and sugar. Mix dry ingreds, pour in wet mixture. Stir in eggs, vinegar. Pour into 20cm square tin and let sit for 30 min for the bicarb to do its thing. Bake for 1 hr at 150C.