By April 2023. Spring in Memphis, and I am 64, watching the azaleas and dogwoods bloom along my neighborhood walk, the annual resurrection that makes the winter worth surviving. The smoker wakes up in spring the way the whole city wakes up — slowly, with a stretch, then fully, with purpose.
Rosetta beside me through the week, steady as ever, the woman who runs this household with the precision of a hospital ward and the heart of a mother who has loved fiercely for 39 years of marriage.
Ribs this week — spare ribs, dry-rubbed, five hours at 225, no foil, no rush. The Memphis way. The bark cracked when I bit into it, and the flavor was layered: smoke first, then spice, then the sweetness of the pork, each layer arriving on its own schedule, patient as a sermon. Rosetta ate two ribs and said nothing negative, which is a standing ovation from the toughest critic in my life.
Sunday at Mt. Zion, the choir sang and I sat in my pew and let the music hold me. The bass notes I used to add are quieter now — my voice is aging, the way everything ages — but the listening is its own participation, and the church holds me the way the church has held this community for a hundred years: faithfully, unconditionally, with room for everyone who shows up. I show up. That is enough.
The ribs carry the afternoon, but Sundays at our house don’t end with smoke — they end with something sweet on the counter that Rosetta can cut into without negotiating. After church, after the music, after five hours tending the smoker in that good spring air, I wanted a dessert as bright as those azaleas on my morning walk: this Mandarin Orange Cake has been a quiet Sunday staple for us, light enough not to compete with the bark on those spare ribs but sweet enough to feel like a proper close to a day worth remembering.
Mandarin Orange Cake
Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 30 min | Total Time: 45 min | Servings: 12
Ingredients
- 1 box (15.25 oz) yellow cake mix
- 1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, undrained
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
- 1 package (3.4 oz) instant vanilla pudding mix
- 1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or a 9x13-inch baking pan.
- Mix the batter. In a large bowl, combine the yellow cake mix, undrained mandarin oranges (break them up as you stir), eggs, and vegetable oil. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes until well combined and the orange pieces are mostly broken down.
- Bake. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 25—30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let layers cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.
- Make the frosting. In a medium bowl, stir together the undrained crushed pineapple, instant vanilla pudding mix, and vanilla extract until the pudding is fully dissolved and the mixture thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Fold in the thawed whipped topping until light and evenly combined.
- Frost and chill. Spread the pineapple-whipped frosting generously between cake layers and over the top and sides. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or overnight) before slicing — the cake firms up beautifully and the flavors come together.
- Serve. Slice cold and garnish with a few fresh mandarin segments or a sprig of mint if you have it. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 390 | Protein: 4g | Fat: 17g | Carbs: 57g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 380mg