What Is Picnic Cake?

A recipe inspired by my mom and her mom

Bonjour, EGO Nation. I’ve had a hot week (95 here!) blasting the oven to test this recipe while also turning the AC off so that I can film without all the whirring and sputtering. It was worth it, though, for this week’s recipe, which is childhood nostalgia-fueled. It’s the cake my mom wants for her birthday every year, and it’s sort of an unusual one. Neither of us have ever heard of anyone else making it, but you can read more about it below and tell me if you’ve had it.

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🎧 Podcast: The Ezra Klein Show
I recently listened to this episode about climate change, which was really good but also kind of made me feel kind of helpless and like I shouldn’t use my oven or AC unit so much. (Again, I was baking on one of the hottest days of the year.) It’s actually a good balance of difficult news but also like actual solutions and answers, and it avoids the whole apocalyptic, this is all your fault tone that a lot of climate reporting falls into. If you’re looking for a really good overview of where we are after a summer of record-breaking extreme weather (is anyone looking for that?) this does a good job explaining it.

📚 Cookbook: Let’s Eat by Dan Pelosi
There’s a big difference between Let’s Eat, Dan Pelosi — and Let’s Eat Dan Pelosi. Had to get that out of the way.

Over the past few years, the “meatball making meatballs” behind GrossyPelosi has become an influential force in food and lifestyle worlds. Especially on Instagram. When the pandemic hit, Dan began to grow a devoted following by posting his cooking endeavors on the app, many of them Italian American-inspired dishes and takes on family heirloom recipes. He also posts his life, complete with travel-logs (in which he is the consummate vacation house mom), gingham table linens and bright red nail polish, and a cast of family and friends who you can’t help but feel like they might be your grandpa too?

Dan has become such a wonderful new friend and colleague over the last year or so, never hesitating to offer his help and advice, or to make a connection, and of course, inviting me on his Food52 show The Secret Sauce. (You can watch our episode here.) So of course, when I received Let’s Eat in the mail Wednesday, I immediately stopped what I was doing to absolutely dive headfirst into it and quick-read the first half. (I’m still a fan!) Combing through the “Grossery List” of pantry staples, or his mom’s guide to cleaning *everything*, or how he puts together a menu, it’s a pleasure to see how the gears turn in his head. The book feels like a little world, with such a clear point of view on everything from the colorful, retro aesthetics to the traditional but sometimes twist-y flavors to the approachable, unfussy attitude towards cooking that the whole book screams.

EGO Updates

1. We’ve got a (bwam bwam bwam bwammmm!) sponsored post up on the Instagram feed today, folks. These keep the wheels on the bus over here at easygayoven HQ, so I really appreciate 1) you understanding that sponsored content is part of the gig, at least for now 2) all your love and support on them!

2. And also! I was late to upload some free recipes (that have already appeared in the newsletter) to easygayoven.com, but they’re up there now! I know some people like to print them out so you can do that by scrolling to the bottom and clicking “print” on the recipe card. Here are the links: Watermelon-Strawberry Jello Bars and Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie with “Magic Shell”.

This Week’s Recipe

Everyone in my family has a preferred birthday cake — naturally — and they never really change. My sister’s? Funfetti cake, as in Funfetti from the Pillsbury box. My Dad’s? Fruit cocktail cake — box yellow cake mix with canned fruit cocktail mixed in and Cool Whip on top (which I might also make a version of.) Mine? This. Of course, I don’t make it easy on anyone, including myself.

My mom’s birthday is coming up at the end of September, and every year, she makes (or we make for her) what has always just been called “picnic cake”. It’s yellow cake from a box mix, with chocolate chips and marshmallows scattered on top, then baked. For a my whole life, I just thought “picnic cake” was simply *this* cake, but come to find out it loosely refers to any single-layer cake that is baked and frosted in the same tin, and can easily be transported and served to many people at, let’s say, a picnic!

“This was a cake my mom made for us,” my mom explained to me over text, noting that because the marshmallows toast on top, you don’t have to frost it. “One layer. Not messy. This would become my birthday cake every year growing up and grown!” She says that a traditional picnic cake is a yellow cake with thick chocolate icing, but I can’t find much information otherwise about picnic cakes online, and everyone seems to have their own version of one. Shockingly, my mom and I haven’t come across anyone who does picnic cake quite like this, and we’re not really sure where my grandma got the inspiration, if anywhere. If you know of more resources about picnic cakes or have your own picnic cake recipe, I would love to hear about it!

I wanted to make an EGO version of this formative dessert that was just one step up from box mix. (Although I don’t know if my family will accept it for my mom’s birthdays going forward.) But also, store bought really is fine sometimes, so if you want to follow my mom’s directions for box mix, do it! Here they are, word for word:

Make yellow cake mix as directed. Pour into 9x13 pan. On top of batter, drop choc chips, 3/4 bag. Cover chips with bag mini marshmallows. Press lightly. Bake as directed on box.

In this version, we’re using the reverse creaming method where dry ingredients are mixed with softened butter before adding liquids. This is instead of the traditional creaming method where butter and sugar are beaten together, then the eggs are added, and then alternating the wet and dry ingredients. The reverse creaming method attempts to prevent excess gluten development by coating the flour pieces in butter, resulting in a cake that is more tender, has a more even structure, and bakes up flatter.

I also found that, due to this cake having a lot of liquid and eggs, it didn’t bake as fast under the blanket of marshmallows. So by the time the center was done, the edges were overcooked and the marshmallows were evaporating or a little past toasty. That’s why we’re adding the marshmallows toward the end of baking, so the cake’s structure can set up, the water can evaporate from the batter, and the marshmallows don’t over-cook. I use a 9x13 pan that’s a little over 2 inches deep. I know some of the glass Pyrex ones are more shallow, so be sure to only fill the pan about halfway or you could have some overflowing marshmallows. (We put a tray underneath just in case to catch any spillage.)

This is not the prettiest cake in the whole world, but it is super portable, very unique and a little retro. The marshmallows get toasty and sticky, and almost seep into the top of the cake, keeping it really moist. Despite the pictures, the chocolate chips actually don’t all sink to the bottom. (With the box mix version they usually do, and that’s how my family likes it!) It’s so fluffy and bright yellow thanks to its use of four large eggs. And with lots of vanilla and buttermilk, it is reminiscent of that nostalgic box mix, but also feels pretty luxurious.

Picnic Cake with Chocolate Chips and Marshmallows

Makes one 9x13-inch cake, about 15-20 servings

Ingredients

• 2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour (348 grams) 

• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar (315 grams) 

• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder 

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 

• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (170 grams)

• 1 cup whole buttermilk, at room temperature (242 grams)

• 1/4 cup vegetable oil (56 grams)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 

• 4 large eggs, at room temperature

• 1 heaping cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (about 6-7 ounces or half a bag)

• 1/2 to 2/3 bag of mini marshmallows (5-7 ounces)

Directions

1. Grease a 9x13x2-inch pan with butter or baking spray and preheat the oven to 350°F.

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and kosher salt. Add the butter and run on medium-low speed until the butter is well incorporated and the mixture looks sandy. There should be no lumps of butter. (You could also do this with a hand mixer it will just take longer.)

3. In a large glass measuring cup or small mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs.

4. Switch the mixer to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on running on low, gently stream in the liquid ingredients. Once all the liquid has been added, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and return to mix on low for a few more seconds.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly with a rubber spatula, offset spatula or the back of a spoon.

6. Scatter the chocolate chips evenly over top. You should still be able to see plenty of batter underneath.

7. Place on the center rack and slide a half sheet tray on a rack underneath to catch any marshmallow spillage. Bake for 28 minutes and then very gently pull out the oven rack the cake is on and top the cake with the mini marshmallows, just enough to barely cover the surface. This doesn’t have to be perfect (they will melt and spread out anyway) but you do want to get it back in the oven very quickly to prevent it from deflating any further.

8. Bake for 7 more minutes. A wooden skewer poked into the center of the cake should come out with very moist crumbs.

9. Transfer to a wire rack to let cool completely before serving.