Red Velvet Jar Cake

Father's Day. I took Pop a plate of ribs and corn on the cob. He sat in the recliner. He ate two ribs. He fell asleep mid-rib. The third rib went into the fridge. Pop's been getting tireder. We are in a phase. I am savoring it.

Pop's tireder. Sugar runs low some days. Mama monitors. Pop complains. The system holds. Sunday at Mama's. She made greens with hambone the way she has since 1985.

Pulled pork Sunday. Pork shoulder, twelve hours at two-fifty. Sandwiches on Hawaiian rolls with slaw.

Aiden's 11. The youth basketball league. I'm coaching. He's the best player on the team and he knows it. Zaria's 8. Helps me cook on a step stool. Has opinions about the seasoning.

I sat on the back porch with a beer and looked at the smoker and thought about nothing for an hour.

Watched the Tigers Sunday afternoon. Lost in extras. Detroit reflex. I yelled at the TV the way Pop used to yell at the TV. The TV did not respond. The bullpen will probably not respond either.

A song came on the radio Tuesday — old Stevie Wonder — and I had to sit in the truck for the rest of it before I went into the store. Some songs do that. Detroit is a city of songs that do that.

The basketball court at the rec center got refurbished. New floor. Plays different. Bouncy. I shot a few from the elbow before practice Wednesday. The knee held. The shot fell short.

Stopped at Eastern Market Saturday. Got chicken thighs, bacon, a watermelon, and a pound of greens that I did not need but bought anyway. The vendors know me by name now. Three of them asked about the family.

The custody calendar holds. Aiden and Zaria alternate weeks. Brianna and I co-parent without drama now. We do not always have to like each other to do this right.

The block had a small drama Tuesday. Somebody parked in front of Ms. Diane's driveway. Ms. Diane addressed it directly. The car moved within the hour. The neighborhood polices itself on small things.

The grass came in fast this week. Cut it Saturday morning before the heat. The mower had been sitting all winter. Took three pulls to start. Once it ran, it ran. Some things just need patience.

The drive home Friday was the long way around. I took Outer Drive past the lake. The water was still. I do not always notice the water. I noticed Friday.

Pop sat in the recliner Sunday. He fell asleep before the third quarter. We covered him with a blanket.

A catering inquiry came in this week — fifty-person family reunion. Booked. Saturday after next.

A reader wrote in about the smothered pork chops. Said her late husband loved them. I wrote back. I told her about Pop. We exchanged three emails. She's in Saginaw. She's coming to the city in the spring.

Aiden had practice Tuesday and Thursday. I drove. He shot threes for an hour after.

The kids next door knocked over my trash cans Tuesday night. Their dad made them help me clean up Wednesday morning. Good man. The kids apologized. I gave them each a Capri Sun. Cycle complete.

I cleaned the smoker Sunday morning. Brushed the grates. Emptied the ash. Wiped down the body. The smoker repays attention. So does most everything that matters.

Filled the propane tank Wednesday. The smoker is the only appliance I baby. Wiped it down. Checked the gaskets. Checked the temperature gauge. The smoker is mine the way Pop's torque wrench was his.

The pulled pork gets all the attention on Sundays — twelve hours, two-fifty, Hawaiian rolls, slaw — but something sweet has to close it out, especially when Pop is in the recliner and the kids are still at the table and you’ve got a fifty-person family reunion booking on the calendar. Zaria helped me put these together on her step stool, and she had opinions, as she always does. Red Velvet Jar Cake travels well, plates clean, and feels like the kind of thing Mama would have made if she’d had mason jars and a little extra time — which is exactly the right energy for a Sunday that holds this much.

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 25 min | Total Time: 1 hr (includes cooling) | Servings: 6

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
6 half-pint (8 oz) mason jars

Instructions

Preheat and prep. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan and line with parchment paper.
Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, red food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla until smooth.
Combine and bake. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until just combined — do not overmix. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake 22–25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely. Remove from oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool fully before cutting, at least 30 minutes.
Make the frosting. Beat cream cheese and butter together with a hand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add powdered sugar and vanilla and beat on low until incorporated, then increase to medium-high and beat until smooth.
Cut and layer. Use a round biscuit cutter or the jar’s lid as a guide to cut circles from the cooled cake. Place one cake round in the bottom of each jar, add a generous layer of cream cheese frosting, add a second cake round, and top with a final swirl of frosting.
Serve or store. Serve immediately at room temperature, or seal jars and refrigerate up to 3 days. Let refrigerated jars sit out 20 minutes before serving.

Nutrition (per serving)

Red Velvet Jar Cake — Something Sweet for the Sundays That Hold Everything