A Look at Syr-Area’s Rhubarb Cake Recipes.
If you’re a fan of classic, homey desserts that evoke memories of rural kitchens and bygone eras, the webpage at
https://syr-area.com/cookbook/rhubardcake.html is a hidden gem.
Titled “Rhubarb Cake Recipe for Rhubarb Crunch,” this simple site
offers a collection of three rhubarb-based recipes straight from an old cookbook, dating back about fifty years to a rural community.
It even nods to notable figures with mentions of recipes from former First Lady Betty Ford and Vice President Nelson Rockefeller’s wife,
though the focus here is squarely on rhubarb.
The page kicks off with a straightforward Rhubarb Cake recipe that calls for basic pantry staples like sugar, shortening, an egg, sour
milk, flour, and plenty of finely cut rhubarb. The instructions are delightfully vintage: cream the sugar and shortening, alternate
adding the flour and soda-dissolved sour milk, stir in the rhubarb, and top it with a mix of sugar, nuts, cinnamon—and optionally,
colorful candy sprinkles for a fun twist. Baked at 350 degrees in a 13x9-inch pan for an hour, it’s the kind of no-fuss cake perfect
for springtime when rhubarb is in season.
Next up is the Rhubarb Crunch, which amps up the indulgence with brown sugar, eggs, vanilla, sour cream (or milk), chopped nuts, and
chopped raw rhubarb. Mixed in the order given, spread into a greased pan, sprinkled with sugar and cinnamon, and baked for 40 minutes at
the same temperature, this one serves 12 and promises a crunchy, sweet treat that’s easy to whip up.
Rounding out the trio is another variation on Rhubarb Cake, this time using brown sugar, butter, buttermilk, and sifted flour with
baking powder. The method involves creaming, sifting dry ingredients, alternating with buttermilk, folding in rhubarb, and finishing
with a brown sugar-cinnamon sprinkle before a 40-minute bake in an 8x13-inch pan. These recipes share common threads—simple ingredients,
straightforward steps, and that signature tart-sweet rhubarb flavor—but each offers a slight twist for variety.
What makes this page charming is its unpretentious vibe, complete with a closing note encouraging visitors to enjoy these “quick and
easy recipes” alongside links to other historical treats like Mrs. Gerald Ford’s Strawberry Blitz Torte from around 1975. It’s a
nostalgic peek into mid-20th-century American home cooking, ideal for anyone looking to recreate authentic, time-tested desserts without
modern frills. If you have fresh rhubarb on hand, head over to the site and give one a try—your kitchen might just fill with the aromas
of yesteryear.
The History of Rhubarb in American Cooking
Rhubarb, often treated as a fruit in desserts despite being a vegetable, has a rich history that spans continents and centuries
before becoming a staple in American kitchens. Originating in the cold climates of northern Asia, including China and Mongolia, rhubarb
was primarily used for medicinal purposes for over 5,000 years, valued for its laxative and healing properties. Its roots were dried
and powdered, serving as a tonic for digestion and other ailments, and by the Middle Ages, it was a costly import in Europe, more
expensive than spices like cinnamon. Rhubarb history, rhubarb cake recipe, history of rhubarb.
The plant’s introduction to America dates back to the 1730s, when botanist John Bartram received seeds of Siberian and Rhapontick
rhubarb from Peter Collinson in London. Bartram, a pioneering figure in American botany, is credited with being the first to cultivate
rhubarb in North America at his garden in Philadelphia. In 1770, Benjamin Franklin further aided its spread by sending seeds of
the “true rhubarb” to Bartram from London. Alternatively, some sources attribute its arrival around 1800 to an unnamed Maine farmer
who imported seed or root stock from Europe, from where it migrated south to Massachusetts and beyond. By the 1820s, rhubarb had
established itself in New England markets and seed catalogs, becoming a common sight along the Eastern Seaboard by 1822.
The shift from medicinal to culinary use in America was influenced by European trends, particularly in Britain, where affordable sugar
in the 19th century allowed for sweetening the tart stalks. In the U.S., rhubarb’s popularity surged as an early spring crop, providing
a fresh, fruit-like option after winter when stored apples often spoiled. It earned the nickname “pie plant” in 19th-century America
due to its primary role in tarts and pies, a tradition that began with one of the earliest printed recipes in Maria Eliza Ketelby
Rundell’s 1806 cookbook, A New System of Domestic Cookery, which gained traction through its Boston editions starting in 1807.
Rhubarb’s versatility expanded in American cooking, appearing in upside-down cakes, crumbles, sauces, salads, and preserves like jam.
It thrived in regions like New England and the Midwest, where it became a low-maintenance perennial in home gardens, symbolizing the
arrival of summer with its nutrient-rich stalks packed with vitamin C, potassium, and fiber. Commercial production peaked before
World War II, concentrated in states like Washington, Oregon, and California, but declined due to sugar rationing during the war.
A notable legal milestone came in 1947 when the U.S. Customs Court ruled rhubarb a fruit for tariff purposes, underscoring its
dessert-centric identity.
Today, rhubarb remains a beloved ingredient in American cuisine, evoking nostalgia for rural traditions and
simple, seasonal baking. Its journey from an exotic medicinal import to a backyard pie filling highlights the adaptability of immigrant
plants in shaping the nation’s food culture.
