Man Cake Recipe: Baking Yorkshire Parkin

A winter warming cake recipe from Yorkshire, England that makes a great Bonfire Night treat. 

It's a little known fact that us cyclists love cake. Coffee and cake is a cycling institution from winter training to Cyclocross race meetings.

As a cyclist I don't just enjoy eating cake. I also like to bake my own. I've been a little adventurous over the years but I always come back to what I consider to be the ultimate sponge cake- Yorkshire Parkin.

This Yorkshire Parkin recipe is simple and easy to do for almost anyone and will make a great winter treat.

What is Parkin?

Yorkshire Parkin- moist and mourish

Yorkshire Parkin cake is a rich, moist, sponge cake with elements of ginger and golden syrup to make nit a real winter warmer when straight out of the oven. Or alternately it's great to leave it for a few days in a sealed tin which actually makes it moister and even easier to devour. Traditionally the cake recipe includes golden syrup, however for North American viewers you can use corn syrup if you choose, 

Yorkshire Parkin cake is a rich, moist, sponge cake with elements of ginger and golden syrup to make nit a real winter warmer when straight out of the oven. Or alternately it's great to leave it for a few days in a sealed tin which actually makes it moister and even easier to devour. Traditionally the cake recipe includes golden syrup, however for North American viewers you can use corn syrup if you choose, 

How Long To Prepare And Bake Your Yorkshire Parkin
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 hour
Ready in: 1 hour 10 min
Yields: Mixture will make a cake with 15-20 piece

Ingredients To Make A Great Yorkshire Parkin

·         200 gram Self Raising Flour

·         100 gram Caster Sugar

·         2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger, Or spice of choice (Nutmeg works well)

·         1 Teaspoon Bicarbonate of Soda

·         50 gram Butter (Unsweetened)

·         100 gram Lyles Golden Syrup, Or Corn Syrup

·         1x Free Range Egg

·         200 ml Milk, Made with skimmed milk but it's your choice

Directions To Make Your Own Yorkshire Parkin Cake

1.     Preheat your oven so it's up and running at Gas Mark 2/ 150 celcius/ 300 Fahrenheit.

2.     Place your self raising flour, caster sugar, bicarb and tablespoons of ginger in a bowl and mix together making sure you get lots of air into the mixture

3.     Add your Golden Syrup (or Corn Syrup) and butter too a pan and lace on a low heat, stirring together

4.     In a separate bowl beat together your egg and the 200ml of milk.

5.     Slowly pour your butter and golden syrup into the flour mixture while stirring together. Then continue, adding the egg and milk until you have a thick, yet slightly runny mixture

6.     Place greaseproof paper in a medium sized baking tin and pour in your Yorkshire Parkin cake misture

7.     Place on the middle shelf in your pre-heated over for 60 minutes

8.     Take out of the oven and enjoy your sponge cake.

How To Serve Your Yorkshire Parkin Sponge Cake

One piece of Parkin cake in all it's syrupy glory.

Straight from the oven leave your sponge a few minutes to cool sligtly before removing it from the baking dish and then peeling back the greaseproof paper.

I find it best to cut your Parkin into squares around 3-4 cm in diameter although one single square will never be enough.

It's a great winter warming cake with the spice element and can be served warm with cream or custard if you choose although I feel the taste itself is best on it's own.

It's also a great post winter cyclocross or summer road racing treat after a cold, hard hour in the saddle to add some sugar back into your bloodstream.