Fresh Ginger Parkin (Deep, Spicy, Sticky Cake from Nw England)

This recipe took FOREVER to reach. Way too many hours on the web, way too many hours in the kitchen, tweaking (while thinking maybe I ought to get a life?!) Anyway, here it is, medicine for the soul in the crisp, cold of Autumn. Please don't be deterred by the amount of spice as it really is imperative in producing what slowly becomes the most delicious, mellow, sticky blend of...sigh! As a rule I tend to weigh ingredients when baking for accuracy, however should anyone be interested in this but unsure of the conversion from grams to cups, just say the word and I'll send them over :-)

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 8-12
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 220  g unsalted butter
• 110  g light muscovado sugar
• 55  g treacle
• 200  g golden syrup
• 1  lemon, grated zest of
• 2  tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
• 200  g self raising flour
• 5  teaspoons ground ginger
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2  teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1  teaspoon mixed spice
• 145  g oats (blitzed in a food processor)
• 2  eggs, large
• 1 -2  tablespoon milk
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 140°C.
2. Grease (I use butter) and line with baking parchment an 8 x 8inch square baking tin.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift flour, salt and ground spices together. Add oatmeal then mix to thoroughly combine. Make a well in the center and set aside.
4. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, melt butter, sugar, treacle and syrup on a medium to low heat. Stir to combine here and there. Do not allow the mixture to boil!
5. Once the mixture is deep and golden in appearance grate in the fresh ginger and lemon zest. Mix together, take off the heat and set aside.
6. In a small dish lightly whisk the eggs together.
7. Pour the melted butter mixture into the flour etc and beat to combine.
8. Beat in the eggs in two steps followed by the milk and finally vanilla extract.
9. Pour into the baking tin and bake for 1 hr 30 minutes. ( Although I use an oven thermometer, I check at 1 hr 20mins as my fan assisted oven is kinda keen).
10. Allow to cool in tin for 15 mins then transfer to a cooling rack.
11. DIFFICULT BIT. This is one of those cakes that tastes waaaaay better days after it has been made. So once completely cooled down, allow this to do its thing wrapped in parchment, then foil, and allow to sit untouched for three (yes 3!) days.