- butter, for greasing
- 110g/4 oz self-raising flour
- salt
- 2 tbsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp mixed spice
- 75g/3oz oatflakes
- 175g/6oz golden syrup
- 50g/2oz black treacle
- 110g/4oz unsalted butter
- 110g/4oz soft brown sugar
- 1 free range egg, beaten
- 2 tsp full-fat milk
- 200g/7oz golden syrup
- 2 tsp dry cider
- ½ tsp ground mixed spice
- 255g/9oz rhubarb, in 1cm/¼in lengths
- 3-4 tbsp caster sugar, to taste
- 500ml/1lb 2oz vanilla ice cream
- Pre-heat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1.
- Grease a 20cm/8in square cake tin with butter.
- Sieve the flour, a pinch of salt, the ginger, nutmeg and mixed spice together into a large bowl.
- Mix in the oatflakes.
- Warm the tins of syrup and treacle in hot water to make it easier to measure them out accurately.
- Put the syrup, treacle, butter and soft brown sugar into a small saucepan and melt over a gentle heat, bring up to a simmer but do not boil.
- Stir into the flour mixture.
- Mix in the beaten egg and milk to create a soft, almost pouring, consistency.
- Pour into the buttered tin and bake for 1¼ hours, until firm in the centre.
- Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 5-10 minutes before turning out and cutting into squares.
- For the hot spiced syrup, simply whisk all the ingredients together in a small pan and warm, but don't boil.
- Place the rhubarb into a saucepan with a little water and the sugar.
- Bring to a simmer and cook until just tender.
- To serve, place a spoonful of rhubarb in the centre of the plate, top with a ball of ice cream.
- Place a piece of parkin on the side and drizzle over the spiced syrup.