American Cake - Cake #33: Alaska Rhubarb Cake

Time Period: 2000 - The Present

Rhubarb does well in cooler climates, which may explain why this cake is identified with Alaska. Though its leaves are poisonous, the stalks are often combined with sweeter fruits and added to pies and cakes. Benjamin Franklin first introduced to America as a medicinal plant, which isn't surprising, given its flavor. It wasn't until we started copying Britain's tendency to use it for jams, sauces, and baked goods that the States began turning out the sweets it's most associated with today.

I have a checkered history with rhubarb. I've never liked cherries or cherry-flavored anything, but I try them every few years to see if that's still the case (and wow, as of this writing, is it ever.) I'm not sure why I didn't extend the same opportunity to rhubarb. When I first tried it, I found it bitter and unappealing. Maybe that's just because it wasn't balanced well with the other flavors in whatever it was in, because this cake was outstanding. It didn't even need a balancing factor like strawberries - the sugar and cinnamons was all that was required to give this cake a moist sweetness with a slight tang from the rhubarb.

I shared this cake at a party, and it was remarkable to see people take a tiny sliver, try a tentative bite, and then immediately come back to carve off a bigger wedge. Thanks to this recipe, rhubarb's reputation has been rehabilitated in my mind, and I'm already thinking about what I've been missing out on.