It’s been great living in a parsonage the past two years, while I served as an intentional interim pastor. Someone else does the mowing and snow removal, the commute to work is a two-minute walk, whatever the weather, and there are little gifts left behind by former pastors – like the apple tree and the rhubarb. In four days, the moving van will take our things away to make room for the next pastor, so before I pack up the baking dishes, I need to use up some rhubarb, which is at its peak right now. Good thing there’s a potluck where I can share the goodness!

How you make this cake depends on how much rhubarb you have. If it’s a plentiful harvest, and you can gather 3 cups of chopped rhubarb stems at once, use a 9×13 dish and the quantities in bold type. If you only have 2 cups, use a 9×9 square pan (or 8×10 if you have it) and the quantities in parentheses. Either way, this cake is delicious warm or cold, with vanilla ice cream or plain.

INGREDIENTS

3 c (2 c) chopped rhubarb stems
2-2/3 c (1-3/4 c) sugar, divided
5 T (3T) butter, softened
1-1/2 tsp (1 tsp) baking powder
1/4 tsp (1/4 tsp) salt
3/4 c (1/2 c.) milk
1/2 tsp (1/2 tsp) vanilla extract
1-1/2 c (1 c) sifted flour
1-1/2 T (1 T) cornstarch
1 c (2/3 c) boiling water

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Preheat oven to 375˚ (F).

Lightly butter (or coat with cooking spray) the dish. Spread the rhubarb evenly in the bottom of the baking dish.

Combine 1 c. sugar with the softened butter, then add the baking powder, salt, and sifted flour, the milk, and the vanilla. Pour this batter over the rhubarb (add a little milk if it’s too thick) and spread to cover the fruit.

Mix the cornstarch with the remaining sugar, and sprinkle this over the batter. Pour the boiling water over everything, and put it immediately into the preheated oven.

Bake 45 minutes, until golden on top. Cool slightly to serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream. Leftovers should be refrigerated, and will be just as delicious cold as the cake was fresh from the oven.

I will add a photo when it comes out of the oven!