This is one of my all time favorite recipes, not only because it’s from my Grandma Liz, but also because it tastes so darned good. It’s so light that it’s kind of hard to stop eating it – so I don’t. This is why I am calling it a snack cake – any guilt factor I may have had is much less if I think of it that way. My advice to you: Do not fight yourself. Dive in headfirst.

And now, about the rhubarb. Some people know spring has arrived when they hear birds chirping or see daffodils sprouting. With me, it’s rhubarb. Starting in December, I venture out to our rhubarb patch to look for those tiny little rose-colored sprouts. Our rhubarb is from my Grandma Liz Vanderzanden’s farm, and is over 80 years old. A true and valued ‘memory plant’ that I remember sneaking out to her patch as a kid and eating. Finally, on January 24, my first sighting!

…and a few short months later, it was time to make Rhubarb Snack Cake!  This is nearly a ‘one bowl’ cake (with the exception of a small bowl to mix up the butter & sugar topping).  It comes together in minutes, and that’s just about how long it takes to eat the entire thing.

Here’s a bird’s eye view of how this beauty looks before popping him into the oven..

Thirty-five minutes later – there you have it.  You can pretty him up with some blooms from your garden…

Or just go on ahead and eat it out of the baking dish like I do…just when I’m passing through the kitchen of course.  Fork is optional.

Thanks Grandma Liz!!!  Miss you!!!  xoxoxox

Rhubarb Snack Cake

Roberta Reynolds

This is one of my all time favorite recipes, not only because it’s from my Grandma Liz, but also because it tastes to darned good. It’s so light that it’s kind of hard to stop eating it. I speak from personal experience, but have also recently witnessed a 14 year old devouring half of an entire cake all by himself within 4 hours. I think he polished it off by the end of the evening. Seriously. My advice to you: Do not fight yourself. Dive in headfirst.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr

Course Dessert

Ingredients

  

• CAKE:
• 2 cups unbleached white flour
• 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups rhubarb thinly sliced (about 1/8 of an inch thick)
• 1 egg
• ½ cup canola or vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• TOPPING:
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

 

• Preheat over at 350 degrees for 30 minutes prior to baking.
• Prepare 13x9 inch baking by lightly coating with cooking spray.
• In a large mixing bowl, stir together flour, sugar, soda and salt.
• Add the sliced rhubarb and lightly toss to coat rhubarb with flour.
• In a separate bowl, combine the egg, oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir into the flour mixture until combined.
• Pour this mixture into the 9x13 baking pan and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients by using a pastry blender or pulsing briefly in a food processor. Sprinkle topping mixture over top of cake, so cake is covered evenly.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes or until top springs back when touched.

Notes

Because of the rhubarb, this moist cake will continue to become more moist each day but still delicious. We rarely have to worry about that though, since it disappears fast!