When John Tyler ran for Vice President with William Henry Harrison, they were dubbed the fertility ticket. These dudes knew how to breed. That’s all I’m saying about that. Seriously. Let’s not get bogged down in mental images here.

When they ran, these guys had 25 children between them. I’m sorry, I should have warned you. Now you’ve gone and spilled your coffee. Yes, 25 children. That is over 18 years of pregnant wife.

John Tyler had two wives. Not at the same time, of course.  Because of the fertility ticket thing, I always joke that he wore his first wife out. Then he had to get another one.

If you think that’s crude, you should know that Washington was not nice to him about his second wife. We’ve never been very nice about May-December relationships.

Washington was never very nice to President John Tyler. He was the first vice president to become president after a president died. He took decisive steps during this transition claiming the presidency as his own. His decisions here, as well as his decision to make decisions against the standard line of the party which had elected him, made him a target of many. Derogatorily, he was dubbed “His Accidency,” as he was never elected to/intended for the White House. Of note, John Tyler was the only former US president to have joined the Confederacy.

The Cake:
I knew that I wanted to focus on Tyler’s May-December marriage. So, I decided to mix springtime flavors with wintry flavors. As spring settles upon us, the only thing I can think about is rhubarb. So, I knew that rhubarb would be a part of Tyler’s cupcake. Citrus is something that usually makes me think of the winter months, so that seemed like something to play with. Ultimately, the cake is touched with lime juice and studded with rhubarb and strawberries. The frosting is white chocolate buttercream with lime zest.

These cupcakes were a super success. My son, who can take cupcakes or leave them loved this one. I believe that he was about to shake me down for the recipe.