Parkin Squares with Black Treacle Cream Cheese Frosting

Serves: 24 SQUARES
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Difficulty: EASY

Parkin is a dense, oaty ginger cake, traditionally made in Yorkshire and enjoyed on fireworks night. It’s lovely, but today I have an extra decadent version for you. We’re taking Parkin to the next level with an indulgent black treacle and cream cheese frosting, topped with little pieces of honeycomb. Each bite gives you crumbly-sticky-spicy Parkin, smooth-sweet-treacley frosting, and crunchy-sticky cinder toffee.

HERE'S WHAT YOU'LL NEED...

For the sponge

200g salted butter
140g golden syrup
140g black treacle
90g dark brown sugar
75g oats
275g self-raising flour
1 tbsp ginger
1 medium egg
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla

For the topping

500g icing sugar
150g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla paste
1 tbsp black treacle
2 tbsp of supermarket honeycomb (cinder toffee) pieces

PSSTTTT...

These little squares may look dainty, but they are wicked fun to make and incredible to eat.

HAVE YOU SEEN...

SET OVEN TEMP: 160C/GAS MARK 3

HERE'S HOW IT'S DONE...

1

Preheat the oven to 160C (140C fan). Put the sugar, butter, golden syrup and black treacle in a pan and place on the hob over a medium heat until melted, then set aside to cool.
2

Mix the oats, flour and ginger together in a large bowl. Pour the cooled syrup mixture into the flour bowl. Mix until well combined.
3

Beat the egg on its own in a small bowl, then beat in the milk. Pour the egg mixture into the batter, followed by the vanilla.
4

Mix well until you have a lumpy, thick batter, then pour into a greased and lined tray. Level off and bake for 30 minutes until just firm. You can check it’s ready by pushing a cocktail stick into the centre – it should come out clean. Leave the sponge to cool completely on a wire rack.
5

For a true Parkin texture, you can now wrap the sponge in foil and leave it somewhere cool and dry to get nice and sticky, but you can move on to the frosting straight away if you wish…

To make the topping, beat the cream cheese and icing sugar together until thick and pale. Add the vanilla, then the treacle and beat again until you have a thick piping icing.
6

Cut your Parkin into 24 equal squares and place the pieces on a wire rack. Transfer your black treacle frosting to a piping bag with the very end snipped off and pipe zig zags of icing across the surface of each square. While the icing is still wet, top each square with a sprinkle of cinder toffee and leave to set.
7

This is a chewy, sweet, comforting treat that’s just perfect for bonfire night. Or any night for that matter. Enjoy!