Local newspaper recipe contests in the 1960s drew thousands of entries each year, judged by panels who chose winners from across the readership and published their names in the paper that everyone on the block read over morning coffee. Mrs. Edmund S. Lepkowski of Scranton, Pennsylvania entered her old fashioned rhubarb cake into the Cakes category, claimed the grand prize, and earned exactly that kind of recognition. You only need one bowl, one pan, and ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
Back in the 1965 Kitchen
In 1965, the Beatles' "Help!" was on AM radio, the first U.S. combat troops had landed in Vietnam, and a loaf of bread cost about 21 cents. Homemakers were managing household budgets with precision, and a backyard rhubarb plant was a genuine asset because it returned every spring without costing a dime. Rhubarb was particularly prized in Midwestern and Northeastern yards precisely because it was indestructible. Plant it once and it came back for decades, which made it one of the most economical spring ingredients a home cook could work with.
Crisco shortening was a fixture in 1960s kitchens, stocked at every A&P and Piggly Wiggly from coast to coast. It was the reliable baking fat that produced predictable results in an era before butter's cultural moment in American home cooking. Church suppers and neighborhood potlucks were still the primary social calendar for many families, and a cake that traveled well, sliced cleanly, and fed fifteen people from a single pan was exactly what those occasions demanded.
That same practical magic shows up in community cookbooks from the decade that followed - Pat Berklund's Easy Iced Pumpkin Cake Squares is another vintage single-pan cake that was a potluck staple, baked from a 1971 Wisconsin hospital auxiliary cookbook with the same humble Crisco-and-a-single-egg DNA.
Recipe contests gave local newspapers a built-in reason to keep readers engaged week after week. Families who did not enter still followed the results, because the winner was likely someone from the next street over, and the winning recipe was something you might actually make. Mrs. Lepkowski's neighbors probably saw her name in that paper and that meant something.
What Makes This Old Fashioned Rhubarb Cake Work
Old Fashioned Rhubarb Cake Recipe
This old fashioned rhubarb cake comes from a 1965 local newspaper recipe contest, where it claimed the grand prize in the Cakes category. Made with buttermilk, shortening, and warm cinnamon in a single pan, it finishes with a simple powdered sugar dusting that lets the rhubarb flavor hold center stage. It is the kind of recipe that travels well, feeds a crowd, and tastes better the next day.
- Total Time: 55 Minutes
- Yield: 12 Servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup shortening (such as Crisco), at room temperature
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, sifted together with flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- Powdered sugar, for dusting
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 12×8 inch or 9×13 inch baking pan and set aside.
- Combine the rhubarb pieces with 1/2 cup of granulated sugar in a medium bowl. Toss to coat evenly and set aside. This maceration step draws out the rhubarb’s natural juice and softens the pieces so they bake evenly into the cake.
- In a large bowl, cream together the 1 cup of granulated sugar and the shortening with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the egg and vanilla extract to the creamed mixture and beat until fully combined.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.
- Alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the creamed mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix on low speed just until each addition is incorporated. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the sugared rhubarb, including all of the syrup that has collected in the bowl. Stir gently until the rhubarb is evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake at 350°F for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Check at the 28-minute mark.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before dusting.
- Dust generously with powdered sugar just before serving.
- Prep Time: 20 Minutes
- Cook Time: 30-35 Minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
How to Make Perfect Old Fashioned Rhubarb Cake
Recipe Variations, Serving Ideas, & Storage
Recipe Variations
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Thaw the rhubarb completely and drain all excess liquid before measuring your 2 cups. Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel before tossing with sugar. Frozen rhubarb releases more moisture during baking than fresh, so draining thoroughly is the difference between a moist cake and a soggy one.
Shortening is 100% fat with no water content, which means it creates a more tender, evenly lofted crumb without the steam that butter's water produces during baking. It was also the standard baking fat in 1960s kitchens, found in virtually every pantry as Crisco. The result is a lighter texture that slices cleanly and holds together well at room temperature, which is precisely what a contest-winning cake needed to do.
Stir 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice into 1 cup of regular whole milk and let it sit for 5 minutes until it curdles slightly. This replicates the acidity and chemical properties of buttermilk and works perfectly in this recipe. Plain yogurt thinned with a splash of milk is another reliable option.
Yes, and the flavors actually deepen slightly overnight as the cinnamon and rhubarb have more time to settle into the crumb. Bake the cake up to 2 days in advance and store it covered at room temperature. Hold off on the powdered sugar until the day you serve it.
The original recipe specifies a 12x8 inch shallow pan, which is less common in modern kitchens. A standard 9x13 inch pan works equally well and is more widely available. The 9x13 version produces a slightly thinner cake with a greater surface area, which means slightly crisper edges, which many people prefer.
Fresh or properly thawed frozen rhubarb gives the best results. Canned rhubarb is typically packed in syrup and carries significantly more moisture and added sweetness than the recipe accounts for. If canned is your only option, drain it thoroughly and reduce the sugar in the rhubarb maceration step to 1/4 cup.
Fresh rhubarb is generally available from April through June in most parts of the United States, with peak availability in May. Farmers markets, grocery stores, and home gardeners are all good sources. Many backyard gardeners have more rhubarb than they can use in May and June, exactly as they did in 1965.
The edges of the cake will begin to pull slightly away from the sides of the pan. Press the center surface gently with a fingertip. It should spring back without leaving an indentation. If it sinks back down, give the cake another 3 to 4 minutes.
Half a cup of chopped walnuts or pecans folded into the batter adds texture and a mild earthiness that pairs well with the cinnamon. Fold them in at the same time as the sugared rhubarb. This is not in the original recipe, but it fits the flavor profile without competing with what the cake already does well.
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A Recipe Worth Remembering
A grand prize recipe from 1965 survived because it was built right the first time. Mrs. Lepkowski did not overcomplicate it, and the judges noticed. This is the kind of cake you make once and keep making, because it does exactly what it promises every single time.
Did rhubarb show up in your childhood in some form? Maybe from a grandmother's garden, a neighbor who pressed stalks into your hands every May, or a church potluck table where it appeared in some form you have never quite been able to identify. I would love to hear about it in the comments below.
If you make this Old Fashioned Rhubarb Cake recipe, please leave a rating and a review. Your feedback helps other readers find this recipe and means a great deal.
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