{"id":1093,"date":"2023-09-15T19:19:59","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T00:19:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/easygayoven.com\/?p=1093"},"modified":"2024-11-03T11:54:19","modified_gmt":"2024-11-03T16:54:19","slug":"chocolate-chip-marshmallow-picnic-cake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/easygayoven.com\/chocolate-chip-marshmallow-picnic-cake\/","title":{"rendered":"Picnic Cake"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Everyone in my family has a preferred birthday cake \u2014 naturally \u2014 and they never really change. My sister\u2019s? Funfetti cake, as in Funfetti from the Pillsbury box. My Dad\u2019s? 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 some time.) Mine? This<\/a>. Of course, I don\u2019t make it easy on anyone, including myself. My mom\u2019s 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 \u201cpicnic cake\u201d.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Is Picnic Cake?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s yellow cake from a box mix, with chocolate chips and marshmallows scattered on top, then baked. For a my whole life, I just thought \u201cpicnic cake\u201d 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\u2019s say, a picnic!<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was a cake my mom made for us,\u201d my mom explained to me over text, noting that because the marshmallows toast on top, you don\u2019t have to frost it. \u201cOne layer. Not messy. This would become my birthday cake every year growing up and grown!\u201d She says that a traditional picnic cake is a yellow cake with thick chocolate icing, but I can\u2019t find much information otherwise about picnic cakes online, and everyone seems to have their own version of one. Shockingly, my mom and I haven\u2019t come across anyone who does picnic cake quite like this, and we\u2019re 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! [Note: After posting about this on TikTok<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>, a small few people have come forward saying that they’ve also tried this cake at family events. One said their grandma got it from a magazine in the 60s. Others still mentioned variations like s’mores cake, dump cakes, or other picnic cakes like “beer-box cakes<\/a>“.]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How to Make Chocolate Chip-Marshmallow Picnic Cake<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I wanted to make an EGO version of this formative dessert that was just one step up from box mix. (Although I don\u2019t know if my family will accept it for my mom\u2019s birthdays going forward.) But also, store bought really is fine sometimes, so if you want to follow my mom\u2019s directions for box mix, do it! Here they are, word for word:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Make yellow cake mix as directed. Pour into 9×13 pan. On top of batter, drop choc chips, 3\/4 bag. Cover chips with bag mini marshmallows. Press lightly. Bake as directed on box.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Why This Recipe Uses Reverse Creaming Method<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In this version, we\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Other Notes and Tips for Success<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I also found that, due to this cake having a lot of liquid and eggs, it didn\u2019t bake as fast under the blanket of marshmallows. So by the time the center cooked, the edges overcooked and the marshmallows evaporated or went a little past toasty. That\u2019s why we\u2019re adding the marshmallows toward the end of baking. This means the cake\u2019s structure can set up, the water can evaporate from the batter, and the marshmallows don\u2019t over-cook. I use a 9×13 pan that\u2019s 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<\/strong>. Otherwise, you could have some overflowing marshmallows.<\/strong> (We put a tray underneath just in case to catch any spillage.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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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\u2019t all sink to the bottom. (With the box mix version they usually do, and that\u2019s how my family likes it!) It\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Want more recipes like this? Try…<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n