Happy Wednesday, friends! In a fun and tasty shoutout to these end-of-summer days, I’ve teamed up with Bonne Maman to give you the ins and outs of throwing the cutest little picnic this side of the Mississippi. If you’ve got some pals who will join in and a hankering to eat al fresco, then keep reading and whet your tastebuds for a super simple picnic and a cherry pound cake to go with it.

Location

Location for a picnic, particularly here in the South, is everything. Will people show up to your mid-day picnic if there is no shade or breeze to be found? Probably. But do you risk early departures and sweaty guests? Also a yes. Scope out a location that will be comfortable for your guests at the time of picnic and be sure to pack accordingly. For example, planning an early evening cocktail picnic? Bring bug spray or a citronella candle to ward off bugs. Going for a high-noon affair? Spring for some paper fans and pack a cooler of ice to keep beverages (and your guests!) cool. 

Food

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box! I opted to throw a little breakfast picnic because I knew my crew would be awake early and eager to be outside before the heat of the day set in. Be sure to choose a theme and menu that suites the crowd you’re serving.

My number one rule of picnicking is to limit the menu to primarily semi-homemade and room temperature foods. There’s no reason to worry over the temperature of your tuna salad when your a platter of crudités would go over just as well, and you’ll save yourself tons of fuss if you opt to prepare only a select number of the menu items yourself. I like to pick up fresh fruits and bakery breads to supplement my picnic menus and limit my homemade items to one or two make-ahead treats. Cookies, bars, tea sandwiches, (or this cherry pound cake!) make great homemade options to serve your guests.

Decor

As with any party, you’ll want to set the scene, but in the case of a picnic, I prefer to keep the details simple. Here, layered quilts and blankets in complementary patterns and colors are both functional and aesthetic. Woven bags serve dual purposes, first as food carriers and then as a flower vase for a few floral stems wrapped in wet paper towels and plastic wrap. Bread boards or galvanized metal trays used as serving platters match the provincial feel of a picnic and provide a sturdy place to rest glasses or bottled drinks. Beyond a few simple items, I prefer to let fruits and vegetables spruce up the picnic with their color and natural beauty. By combining a variety of colors, shapes, and sizes, simple food can turn into beautiful, seasonal decor!

Guests and Activities

A picnic is a great way to welcome loads of friends into your social calendar. Pack a few extra blankets and encourage guests to BYOB or bring a finger food for sharing to keep the work load on any one person minimal. To transform your average picnic into a full-blown event, pack a few yard games and create a custom playlist to keep your guests engaged and having a ball. Even a few decks of cards or quick board games can help to keep the mood light and entertaining.

Cherry Pound Cake

Every picnic needs a show-stopping centerpiece and this cherry pound cake is just the thing. With a dense, buttery crumb and Bonne Maman INTENSE Cherry Fruit Spread swirled throughout, this cherry pound cake is a simple dessert that will serve and satisfy any crowd. To make it, we start by creaming together butter and sugar until it is light and fluffy. Eggs are added next along with plenty of vanilla extract. Finally, the dry ingredients are stirred in, alternating with room temperature sour cream that moistens this flavorful cake. As the thick batter is spooned into a prepared bundt pan, we swirl in Bonne Maman’s INTENSE Fruit Spread. I chose to use cherry here, but any of their varieties would work splendidly. The cake bakes up thick and lightly sweetened and tastes wonderfully in slices served plain or with a bit of butter.

Bonne Maman INTENSE Fruit Spreads contain simple ingredients and a homemade taste that work well with this cherry pound cake. With more fruit and 39% less sugar than their regular preserves, the spreads offer loads of that fresh fruit flavor that summertime picnics beg for. Plus, with time-honored recipes and real ingredients, Bonne Maman products are ones I feel good about baking into the foods that I serve to people that I love. This cherry pound cake showcases the fruit spread in an effortless yet beautiful way that really ups the ante at any gathering, especially a picnic.

Whether you plan to picnic or not in the coming weeks, I hope you’ll give this cherry pound cake a try. It’s a delicious one-bowl recipe, and I can’t imagine you all not adoring it. Many thanks to Bonne Maman for sponsoring this post, and thanks to you all for supporting brands that make Wood & Spoon possible. Give this cherry pound cake a try and let me know what you think! Happy Wednesday and Happy Baking!

If you like this cherry pound cake you should try:

Stone Fruit Skillet Cobbler

Cherry Chip Cake

Marble Loaf Pound Cake

Lemon Pound Cake Loaf

Black Forest Ice Cream Cake

 

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