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Cake Picnic: Recipes for the Love of Cake & Friends
From the founder of Cake Picnic—a series of joyful, diverse, and deliciously indulgent gatherings where every attendee brings a whole cake—this cookbook of 50 baking recipes includes a guide to hosting your own confectionery events and encourages bakers to lean into play, connection, community—and lots of cake!
It all started with a A few friends lounging in the park on a sunny day, eating cake. Elisa Sunga posted the invitation to that first-ever cake picnic and, to her surprise and delight, nearly 200 people showed up. And so, Cake Picnic, a joy-filled gathering where each attendee brings a whole cake to share with friends old and new, was born. Its immense, immediate popularity inspired Elisa to take her picnic series on the road, traveling from LA to New York and beyond. When she realized she couldn’t bring Cake Picnic to everyone, everywhere in the world, she did the next best She wrote this book.
Part how-to guide, part recipe collection, Cake Picnic provides everything you need to host your own delightfully decadent cake picnic. Here is practical advice for planning, hosting, and how to choose a theme, prepare your guests, set up the event, encourage connection, transport whole cakes, and more. But the icing on the—you guessed it—cake is the 50 recipes within.
Organized by theme, from an Autumn Harvest Cake Picnic to an Afternoon Tea Cake Picnic, a Beach Cake Picnic to a Salty-Sweet Cake Picnic, these imaginative recipes will inspire your creativity and tempt your sweet Cherry & Pistachio Buttermilk CakeTorched Rosemary Caramel CakeChocolate & Earl Grey Whipped Cream CakeGuava Cream Cheese Bundt CakeRoasted Apple & Sesame Upside-Down CakePretzel S’mores CakeAnd many more!
Let this book be your invitation to spread joy through baking and plan your own festive celebration. And never apologize for trying ten slices in one sitting—happiness often comes frosted, sprinkled, and cut into generous servings.
THE CAKE PICNIC What started as a sweet idea for a picnic with friends snowballed into a movement. The very first cake picnic had nearly 200 guests, just through word of mouth. The series has since expanded to San Francisco, San Diego, New York, London, and beyond. The multi-thousand-person waitlist is proof that everyone wants to partake in a cake picnic, and now this book makes that possible!
HOST YOUR This beautiful book encompasses both a tantalizing recipe collection and a guide to planning and hosting so anyone can put on a cake picnic. Picnic themes include Confetti, New Year, Floral, Chocolate Everything, and plenty of encouragement to come up with your own!
CREATIVE Recipes include lots of layer cakes with frostings, soaks, and beautiful decoration; interesting flavor combinations, such as lemon saltine, rose geranium, chocolate and star anise; and a range of cake types, including loaf cakes, dome cakes, trifles, and more.
GREAT Beautiful photos and tons of inspiration for pretty cake toppings and floral decorations make this gorgeous book the perfect gift for bakers, food lovers, and aspirational picnickers.
Perfect loversHome bakers of all levelsAnyone who dabbles in baking or enjoys crafty projectsFans of Cake Picnic and picnics in generalFans of Cherry Bombe, Christina Tosi, Broma Bakery, or Natasha Pickowicz
It all started with a A few friends lounging in the park on a sunny day, eating cake. Elisa Sunga posted the invitation to that first-ever cake picnic and, to her surprise and delight, nearly 200 people showed up. And so, Cake Picnic, a joy-filled gathering where each attendee brings a whole cake to share with friends old and new, was born. Its immense, immediate popularity inspired Elisa to take her picnic series on the road, traveling from LA to New York and beyond. When she realized she couldn’t bring Cake Picnic to everyone, everywhere in the world, she did the next best She wrote this book.
Part how-to guide, part recipe collection, Cake Picnic provides everything you need to host your own delightfully decadent cake picnic. Here is practical advice for planning, hosting, and how to choose a theme, prepare your guests, set up the event, encourage connection, transport whole cakes, and more. But the icing on the—you guessed it—cake is the 50 recipes within.
Organized by theme, from an Autumn Harvest Cake Picnic to an Afternoon Tea Cake Picnic, a Beach Cake Picnic to a Salty-Sweet Cake Picnic, these imaginative recipes will inspire your creativity and tempt your sweet Cherry & Pistachio Buttermilk CakeTorched Rosemary Caramel CakeChocolate & Earl Grey Whipped Cream CakeGuava Cream Cheese Bundt CakeRoasted Apple & Sesame Upside-Down CakePretzel S’mores CakeAnd many more!
Let this book be your invitation to spread joy through baking and plan your own festive celebration. And never apologize for trying ten slices in one sitting—happiness often comes frosted, sprinkled, and cut into generous servings.
THE CAKE PICNIC What started as a sweet idea for a picnic with friends snowballed into a movement. The very first cake picnic had nearly 200 guests, just through word of mouth. The series has since expanded to San Francisco, San Diego, New York, London, and beyond. The multi-thousand-person waitlist is proof that everyone wants to partake in a cake picnic, and now this book makes that possible!
HOST YOUR This beautiful book encompasses both a tantalizing recipe collection and a guide to planning and hosting so anyone can put on a cake picnic. Picnic themes include Confetti, New Year, Floral, Chocolate Everything, and plenty of encouragement to come up with your own!
CREATIVE Recipes include lots of layer cakes with frostings, soaks, and beautiful decoration; interesting flavor combinations, such as lemon saltine, rose geranium, chocolate and star anise; and a range of cake types, including loaf cakes, dome cakes, trifles, and more.
GREAT Beautiful photos and tons of inspiration for pretty cake toppings and floral decorations make this gorgeous book the perfect gift for bakers, food lovers, and aspirational picnickers.
Perfect loversHome bakers of all levelsAnyone who dabbles in baking or enjoys crafty projectsFans of Cake Picnic and picnics in generalFans of Cherry Bombe, Christina Tosi, Broma Bakery, or Natasha Pickowicz
272 pages, Hardcover
Published May 19, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
July 20, 2026
After immigrating to the U.S. from the Philippines, Elisa Sunga discovered the many wonderful cake desserts common to American menus. She began experimenting with cake recipes and enjoyed both making and sharing them with friends. In an attempt to share this love with her community in the San Francisco area, in the spring of 2024, she posted an invitation online for a “cake picnic”. On the day of the picnic she wondered if anyone would come. To her amazement, 183 people arrived with cakes to share! Thus the idea of “Cake Picnic” was born. It was a way to make friends, share delicious desserts and recipes and form a community of like minded friends.
Elisa has received invitations to conduct the picnics worldwide! This cookbook has resulted from her many events where cake recipes have been exchanged and communities formed. In this book Elisa gives tips for organizing and hosting a cake picnic and, of course, she has included recipes for over 50 cakes!
This is such an interesting book for anyone who loves cakes and baking! I’ve copied several of the recipes to try - I don’t think I have the energy to organize a picnic myself, but would love to go to one!!
Elisa has received invitations to conduct the picnics worldwide! This cookbook has resulted from her many events where cake recipes have been exchanged and communities formed. In this book Elisa gives tips for organizing and hosting a cake picnic and, of course, she has included recipes for over 50 cakes!
This is such an interesting book for anyone who loves cakes and baking! I’ve copied several of the recipes to try - I don’t think I have the energy to organize a picnic myself, but would love to go to one!!
January 6, 2026
A cake picnic, SAY LESS! I had never heard of a cake picnic before, but this book instantly made the idea feel irresistible. The cakes featured throughout are stunning and had me eager to pull out my KitchenAid and start baking right away. The recipes are both inspiring and approachable, and the photography is beautifully styled and genuinely mouthwatering. The author covers all the basics for hosting a successful cake picnic, including organization, helpful baking tips, and seasonal ideas, before moving into recipes thoughtfully organized by theme, including seasonal celebrations, themed gatherings, location-inspired picnics, and ingredient-focused collections.
I highly recommend this book. It offers a fun and unique way to bring people together and celebrate both little moments and big occasions. While I may not host a full-fledged cake picnic, I can’t wait to try some of these ideas at family and friend gatherings.
A huge thanks to NetGalley, the author & the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy—it was so worth it!!!
I highly recommend this book. It offers a fun and unique way to bring people together and celebrate both little moments and big occasions. While I may not host a full-fledged cake picnic, I can’t wait to try some of these ideas at family and friend gatherings.
A huge thanks to NetGalley, the author & the publisher for the opportunity to read this advanced copy—it was so worth it!!!
July 15, 2026
Charming idea, a smile maker.
November 24, 2025
This is an excellent cookbook! Not only does it offer ample cake recipes with full baking details, but the author gives recommendations on perfect settings to take each to. There is a lot of wonderful info and inspo for “cake picnics” at the start of the book. All of the cakes look delectable! As a professional photographer, I was very impressed with the cohesiveness of the imagery that was captured by various photographers. This would be the perfect gift for someone who loves hosting and baking! I plan to pick up a physical copy myself!
Thank you to Elisa Sunga, Chronicle Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
Thank you to Elisa Sunga, Chronicle Books and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC!
August 8, 2026
While I do have an Instagram account, I rarely (if ever) am on it. I follow maybe two people. Honestly, if an "influencer" doesn't show up between the pages of a printed publication, I probably don't know about them. (I do have a work friend who does keep me partially hip. Her most recent share with me is Jimothy. Thanks for keeping me mostly up to date, Jamie!)
While I knew that Cake Picnic was going to be full of cake recipes, I had no idea that Cake Picnic was a trademarked social event. These events seem to be international (but it's hard to tell from the website how many actually took place.)
Anyway, cook social experiment. Now, on to the book.
Sunga grew up with natural sugary desserts from her childhood in the Philippines, things like "fresh mangoes dripping down our fingers, sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, coconut candies that melted on our tongues" (9). Then her family moved to America and she discovered everything from sugary donuts to Betty Crocker mixes. She was a refined sugar convert.
This book and the whole Cake Picnic experience is another by product of the pandemic. Like many, her kitchen became her safe place with Christina Tosi's cookbooks as her guide. (She baked all of Tosi's recipes and then reimagined them as donuts to bid her time until the world reawakened.)
The first Cake Picnic experiment was in San Francisco in 2024. 183 people came and brought cake! In 2025, the number had increased to 1,387. Obviously not the intimate experience she first envisioned.
She wrote Cake Picnic to help capture that intimate feeling, sharing the book with us, the readers. Besides holding recipes, she shares tips and themes to start your own events. She even includes conversation starters and icebreakers and etiquette for attending.
I love a cookbook with menus and the first few sectionals are seasonal ideas for New Year, Summer, Autumn Harvest, and Winter Cake Picnics. The themed cake section includes floral cake recipes (Lavender & Lemon Poppy Seed, Orange Blossom Chantilly, Chamomile Honey, and Pistachio Sugar Cake with Rose Water Buttercream). Other themes in this section are Color Cake, Afternoon Tea Cake, and Confetti Cake Picnics (with three or four recipes in each category).
Next, Sunga presents location location themes for a beach, a camping, and a poolside cake picnic. The beach themed recipes are full of tropical fruits and coconut. Camping themes include s'mores, smoke, and roasted apple flavors. Poolside is both tropical (again) and a bit boozy with an Orange Aperol Spritz Sheet Cake.
Single ingredients themed ideas follow with chocolate cake recipes (of course), more citrus cakes, a corn cake picnic idea and a "Salty Sweet" theme. This latter one was really inventive with Chocolate Cake with Potato Chip Toffee, Lemon Curd & Saltine Cracker Cake, and Apple Cake with Pretzel Buttercream.
Note that most of the cakes presented are not easy bar or sheet pan types (though there are a few of these). Mostly, it's full-on layer cakes that are meant to impress.
So, when I read that Tosi was her go to for cake instruction, I was a bit skeptical. The Hubs gave me a copy of Milk after we watch Tosi on some chef-inspired TV series. We loved her there. The cookbook, not so much. I didn't do a full blown review of Milk but I did give me thoughts on it here. I can only speak to the one recipe I tried (Apple-Sage Sugar Upside Down Cake). I hate to judge but I think this might be the case with this book. I found one blunder in that cake recipe about greasing and lining the pan which wasn't given until after the caramal had been poured in the bottom. I didn't dive into many of the other recipes because, honestly, I am not a huge cake person. That is probably why I was drawn to the herbal-ness of the above recipe.
This is a cool book full of beautiful cakes and beautiful photos and is based on a beautiful idea.... I'd like to teach the world to bake in perfect harmony. I'd like to host a cake picnic and keep them company.
This is another one I'm glad I check out of the library. I am glad to know about Cake PIcnic though. Someone hipper than I please let me know if it really is a phenomenon (or a way to promote yourself on Instagram and publish a cookbook).
While I knew that Cake Picnic was going to be full of cake recipes, I had no idea that Cake Picnic was a trademarked social event. These events seem to be international (but it's hard to tell from the website how many actually took place.)
Anyway, cook social experiment. Now, on to the book.
Sunga grew up with natural sugary desserts from her childhood in the Philippines, things like "fresh mangoes dripping down our fingers, sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves, coconut candies that melted on our tongues" (9). Then her family moved to America and she discovered everything from sugary donuts to Betty Crocker mixes. She was a refined sugar convert.
This book and the whole Cake Picnic experience is another by product of the pandemic. Like many, her kitchen became her safe place with Christina Tosi's cookbooks as her guide. (She baked all of Tosi's recipes and then reimagined them as donuts to bid her time until the world reawakened.)
The first Cake Picnic experiment was in San Francisco in 2024. 183 people came and brought cake! In 2025, the number had increased to 1,387. Obviously not the intimate experience she first envisioned.
She wrote Cake Picnic to help capture that intimate feeling, sharing the book with us, the readers. Besides holding recipes, she shares tips and themes to start your own events. She even includes conversation starters and icebreakers and etiquette for attending.
I love a cookbook with menus and the first few sectionals are seasonal ideas for New Year, Summer, Autumn Harvest, and Winter Cake Picnics. The themed cake section includes floral cake recipes (Lavender & Lemon Poppy Seed, Orange Blossom Chantilly, Chamomile Honey, and Pistachio Sugar Cake with Rose Water Buttercream). Other themes in this section are Color Cake, Afternoon Tea Cake, and Confetti Cake Picnics (with three or four recipes in each category).
Next, Sunga presents location location themes for a beach, a camping, and a poolside cake picnic. The beach themed recipes are full of tropical fruits and coconut. Camping themes include s'mores, smoke, and roasted apple flavors. Poolside is both tropical (again) and a bit boozy with an Orange Aperol Spritz Sheet Cake.
Single ingredients themed ideas follow with chocolate cake recipes (of course), more citrus cakes, a corn cake picnic idea and a "Salty Sweet" theme. This latter one was really inventive with Chocolate Cake with Potato Chip Toffee, Lemon Curd & Saltine Cracker Cake, and Apple Cake with Pretzel Buttercream.
Note that most of the cakes presented are not easy bar or sheet pan types (though there are a few of these). Mostly, it's full-on layer cakes that are meant to impress.
So, when I read that Tosi was her go to for cake instruction, I was a bit skeptical. The Hubs gave me a copy of Milk after we watch Tosi on some chef-inspired TV series. We loved her there. The cookbook, not so much. I didn't do a full blown review of Milk but I did give me thoughts on it here. I can only speak to the one recipe I tried (Apple-Sage Sugar Upside Down Cake). I hate to judge but I think this might be the case with this book. I found one blunder in that cake recipe about greasing and lining the pan which wasn't given until after the caramal had been poured in the bottom. I didn't dive into many of the other recipes because, honestly, I am not a huge cake person. That is probably why I was drawn to the herbal-ness of the above recipe.
This is a cool book full of beautiful cakes and beautiful photos and is based on a beautiful idea.... I'd like to teach the world to bake in perfect harmony. I'd like to host a cake picnic and keep them company.
This is another one I'm glad I check out of the library. I am glad to know about Cake PIcnic though. Someone hipper than I please let me know if it really is a phenomenon (or a way to promote yourself on Instagram and publish a cookbook).
November 25, 2025
This is a really fun cookbook. I’ve never heard of cake picnics, but apparently the author created a movement where lots of people gather in large cities and everyone has to bring a cake. It’s even trademarked. She gives lots of instructions on how to host your own cake picnic and then she has 50 recipes for decadent cakes, with a photo for each.
The cakes are creative with very interesting flavor combinations. They look wonderful and I would love to try almost every one of them.
There were a few things I wished were different. For one thing, she talks a lot about how to accommodate all different dietary needs at your cake picnic like gluten free, dairy free and vegan, but she does not include a single recipe for these. She doesn’t even include a base recipe for these with instructions on adapting the flavors of the others to them. As someone who bakes for gluten free family members and sometimes for vegan friends, this was disappointing. These are complicated recipes and no matter what people tell you, it is not as simple as just substituting gluten free flour mix in a recipe, and every frosting recipe had eggs and/or cheese.
Also, almost every frosting recipe was a variation of her standard cooked buttercream recipe over a double boiler and beaten twice. Not only is it complicated, but I really wanted more variety for frosting types. My all time favorite frosting recipe is an easy but delicious cream cheese frosting, for instance, and there wasn’t a single cream cheese frosting in here. There was one that used mascarpone but no cream cheese. I think this might be because the picnics could get warm and a cooked buttercream frosting would hold up better, but I wished for more variety nonetheless.
Also, the author is from San Francisco and the ingredients reflected that — lots of tropical fruits and specialty ingredients.
Lastly, these are definitely decadent cakes with many ingredients and many steps. Each recipe is many pages long. The author says she generally makes them over several days. The vast majority are special occasion cakes that you are not going to whip up for the afternoon.
So I ended up reading the book the way I watch The Great British Bake-off, for fun and entertainment rather than for something that I could personally make. I do love to do that and still enjoyed it. If you are the type to honestly bake like those folks and don’t cook with dietary restrictions, this will give you great recipes. If you just like the inspiration, it’s great for that too.
I read a temporary digital loan of this book for review.
The cakes are creative with very interesting flavor combinations. They look wonderful and I would love to try almost every one of them.
There were a few things I wished were different. For one thing, she talks a lot about how to accommodate all different dietary needs at your cake picnic like gluten free, dairy free and vegan, but she does not include a single recipe for these. She doesn’t even include a base recipe for these with instructions on adapting the flavors of the others to them. As someone who bakes for gluten free family members and sometimes for vegan friends, this was disappointing. These are complicated recipes and no matter what people tell you, it is not as simple as just substituting gluten free flour mix in a recipe, and every frosting recipe had eggs and/or cheese.
Also, almost every frosting recipe was a variation of her standard cooked buttercream recipe over a double boiler and beaten twice. Not only is it complicated, but I really wanted more variety for frosting types. My all time favorite frosting recipe is an easy but delicious cream cheese frosting, for instance, and there wasn’t a single cream cheese frosting in here. There was one that used mascarpone but no cream cheese. I think this might be because the picnics could get warm and a cooked buttercream frosting would hold up better, but I wished for more variety nonetheless.
Also, the author is from San Francisco and the ingredients reflected that — lots of tropical fruits and specialty ingredients.
Lastly, these are definitely decadent cakes with many ingredients and many steps. Each recipe is many pages long. The author says she generally makes them over several days. The vast majority are special occasion cakes that you are not going to whip up for the afternoon.
So I ended up reading the book the way I watch The Great British Bake-off, for fun and entertainment rather than for something that I could personally make. I do love to do that and still enjoyed it. If you are the type to honestly bake like those folks and don’t cook with dietary restrictions, this will give you great recipes. If you just like the inspiration, it’s great for that too.
I read a temporary digital loan of this book for review.
November 19, 2025
I love cookbooks. I think it would also be fair to say that cookbooks were as huge of a player in my early love for reading as fiction books. That being said, I have read many many cookbooks and my personal collection is pretty extensive! Every cookbook tells it's own story and can be fun, educational, straightforward with no frills and they are all great in their own way.
There have been many days since my childhood where I literally pick one from my collection, sat on my couch, and just read for inspiration......and then my parents would come home to me covered in flour and surrounded by five trays of scones and biscuits. Fun fact, I also went to culinary school so I'm sure this encouraged the behavior, but I highly suggest sitting down with a fun cookbook one day with a nice cup of tea and just getting lost.
ANYWAY
Cake Picnic was such a joy to flip through and read. This is one that I would absolutely gravitate to in the store. This reminds me of one of those books I would sit on my couch and read just for fun. The photos are stunning and I loved the authors introduction with her personal dessert journey/childhood into the segue of the Cake Picnic event itself!
I probably will not ever host a cake picnic event per se, but I really enjoyed flipping through her theme ideas, storage and transport tips, and tablescape inspiration. And of course, the CAKES. I have tabbed so many recipes already that I'm hoping to try before the holidays are over! We do a lot of gatherings with family and friends so hopefully I can put some of these recipes to good use.
I don't think it quite fits the aesthetic/layout of the cookbook but I personally prefer step by step instructions for cookbooks. Sometimes reading instructions in a paragraph can be a little tricky if you're switching back and forth from looking. This feels a bit more like a "reading" cookbook than a functional easy cookbook. Like I said earlier, I read them all and in all different styles but I've found that for less stressful baking, that is best!
I'm actually a little sad that this comes out next Spring because I would love a hard copy now. This was such a joyful read. Thank you Chronicle Books for the advanced copy! If you're looking for anyone to review a hard copy.....I'm your girl!!! lol
There have been many days since my childhood where I literally pick one from my collection, sat on my couch, and just read for inspiration......and then my parents would come home to me covered in flour and surrounded by five trays of scones and biscuits. Fun fact, I also went to culinary school so I'm sure this encouraged the behavior, but I highly suggest sitting down with a fun cookbook one day with a nice cup of tea and just getting lost.
ANYWAY
Cake Picnic was such a joy to flip through and read. This is one that I would absolutely gravitate to in the store. This reminds me of one of those books I would sit on my couch and read just for fun. The photos are stunning and I loved the authors introduction with her personal dessert journey/childhood into the segue of the Cake Picnic event itself!
I probably will not ever host a cake picnic event per se, but I really enjoyed flipping through her theme ideas, storage and transport tips, and tablescape inspiration. And of course, the CAKES. I have tabbed so many recipes already that I'm hoping to try before the holidays are over! We do a lot of gatherings with family and friends so hopefully I can put some of these recipes to good use.
I don't think it quite fits the aesthetic/layout of the cookbook but I personally prefer step by step instructions for cookbooks. Sometimes reading instructions in a paragraph can be a little tricky if you're switching back and forth from looking. This feels a bit more like a "reading" cookbook than a functional easy cookbook. Like I said earlier, I read them all and in all different styles but I've found that for less stressful baking, that is best!
I'm actually a little sad that this comes out next Spring because I would love a hard copy now. This was such a joyful read. Thank you Chronicle Books for the advanced copy! If you're looking for anyone to review a hard copy.....I'm your girl!!! lol
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I just finished paging through Cake Picnic by Elisa Sunga, and honestly, I'm kind of obsessed. The photography is absolutely stunning—those San Francisco backdrops make every single cake look like a work of art, colorful, mouthwatering, and perfectly styled. But what really hooked me is the whole concept of a cake picnic: everyone brings a cake to share, slices get passed around, and suddenly baking becomes this joyful, communal thing instead of a solo kitchen project. The first photo of all those cakes gathered together at the original event? Magic!
The recipes themselves are wonderfully approachable. There are 50 of them, organized into fun themes like harvest cakes, chocolate-only sections, poolside treats, camping vibes, and more. You get everything from sheet cakes and loaves to domes and trifles, with flavors that feel fresh and creative rather than the same old standbys. I love that the instructions read clearly even for someone who's not super confident in the kitchen, and there's a whole helpful front section on pantry staples, favorite tools, basic techniques, decorating tips, and storage advice. Some ingredients might be a little harder to track down depending on where you live, but nothing feels overly fussy or intimidating.
What stays with me most is how this cookbook is really an invitation to connection. The detailed guide to planning your own cake picnic—location ideas, weather tips, setup suggestions—turns something as simple as sharing dessert into a real event worth looking forward to. In a world that can feel busy and disconnected, Cake Picnic reminds us that gathering friends around sweetness doesn't need to be complicated. It's playful, welcoming, and genuinely heartwarming. I can't wait to host my first one—and I'm already plotting which cake to bring.
I received an advanced digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for review.
The recipes themselves are wonderfully approachable. There are 50 of them, organized into fun themes like harvest cakes, chocolate-only sections, poolside treats, camping vibes, and more. You get everything from sheet cakes and loaves to domes and trifles, with flavors that feel fresh and creative rather than the same old standbys. I love that the instructions read clearly even for someone who's not super confident in the kitchen, and there's a whole helpful front section on pantry staples, favorite tools, basic techniques, decorating tips, and storage advice. Some ingredients might be a little harder to track down depending on where you live, but nothing feels overly fussy or intimidating.
What stays with me most is how this cookbook is really an invitation to connection. The detailed guide to planning your own cake picnic—location ideas, weather tips, setup suggestions—turns something as simple as sharing dessert into a real event worth looking forward to. In a world that can feel busy and disconnected, Cake Picnic reminds us that gathering friends around sweetness doesn't need to be complicated. It's playful, welcoming, and genuinely heartwarming. I can't wait to host my first one—and I'm already plotting which cake to bring.
I received an advanced digital copy from NetGalley in exchange for review.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
5 Stars…No Notes!
Cake Picnic: Recipes for the Love of Cake & Friends by Elisa Sunga is a graphically stunning culinary book and the perfect sweet treat of a release for May 16th. Like many home bakers, Elisa’s dessert obsession truly blossomed in the early 2020s, with YouTube and Pinterest acting as a delicious catalyst, connecting friends beyond screens through butter, sugar, and shared stories.
In Cake Picnic, Sunga invites readers into the joyful world of planning a cake-focused outdoor gathering. She thoughtfully walks you through every step of hosting a “cake potluck,” from designing invitations and creating a cohesive aesthetic to transporting and storing your creations safely.
The recipe chapters are organized by season and ingredient (the corn cake chapter is a standout), offering a delightful range from impressive showstoppers to comforting sheet cakes and loaf cakes. Whether you're a confident baker or just getting started, there’s something here for every skill level and every craving.
And best of all? There’s a full-color photo for every single recipe (truly, BRAVO!). The styling throughout is simple yet elegant, letting the cakes shine in all their glory.
A cake picnic: sharing stories through sweets in an outdoor dessert spread: feels like the kind of gathering we all need more of, starting this summer.
With over 50 dessert recipes, there’s truly a cake for everyone (especially if you, like me, are partial to anything lemon!).
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this beautifully crafted baking collection.
Cake Picnic: Recipes for the Love of Cake & Friends by Elisa Sunga is a graphically stunning culinary book and the perfect sweet treat of a release for May 16th. Like many home bakers, Elisa’s dessert obsession truly blossomed in the early 2020s, with YouTube and Pinterest acting as a delicious catalyst, connecting friends beyond screens through butter, sugar, and shared stories.
In Cake Picnic, Sunga invites readers into the joyful world of planning a cake-focused outdoor gathering. She thoughtfully walks you through every step of hosting a “cake potluck,” from designing invitations and creating a cohesive aesthetic to transporting and storing your creations safely.
The recipe chapters are organized by season and ingredient (the corn cake chapter is a standout), offering a delightful range from impressive showstoppers to comforting sheet cakes and loaf cakes. Whether you're a confident baker or just getting started, there’s something here for every skill level and every craving.
And best of all? There’s a full-color photo for every single recipe (truly, BRAVO!). The styling throughout is simple yet elegant, letting the cakes shine in all their glory.
A cake picnic: sharing stories through sweets in an outdoor dessert spread: feels like the kind of gathering we all need more of, starting this summer.
With over 50 dessert recipes, there’s truly a cake for everyone (especially if you, like me, are partial to anything lemon!).
Thank you to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the Advanced Reader’s Copy of this beautifully crafted baking collection.
November 24, 2025
Cake Picnic is an absolute delight!
As the title suggests, this is a book about picnics where the star is cake. From the outset, author Elisa Sunga says, "Consider this book your enchanted map to a world where cake becomes more than just dessert -- it transforms into a reason for gathering, celebrating, and turning ordinary afternoons into memories you'll treasure." Sunga offers suggestions for how to plan various cake picnics, including tips on supplies, hosting duties, and even cake sampling etiquette.
The photography is fantastic. The photos of cakes and cake picnics are so good you can feel the sugar buzz from the various cakes dripping off the page. Each recipe includes one or more wonderful photos of the finished cake. If the title and description of the cake doesn't make you want to bake the cake, the photographs will seal the deal.
After the basics of organizing a cake picnic, the book jumps into cake recipes, sorted by topic: Seasonal cake picnics (new year, summer, autumn, winter); Themed cake picnics (floral, color, afternoon tea, confetti cake); Location cake picnics (beach, camping, poolside); Ingredient cake picnics (chocolate, citrus, corn, salty sweet). There are some classic cakes, but plenty of new ideas (to me, at least) that I'm looking forward to trying. Basil and blackberry dome cake? That sounds amazing. Champagne confetti and cranberry curd cake? Sounds like a New Year's tradition about to begin. Pretzel S'mores cake? Skip the camping trip, I want to head to the kitchen and make s'more of that.
As the title suggests, this is a book about picnics where the star is cake. From the outset, author Elisa Sunga says, "Consider this book your enchanted map to a world where cake becomes more than just dessert -- it transforms into a reason for gathering, celebrating, and turning ordinary afternoons into memories you'll treasure." Sunga offers suggestions for how to plan various cake picnics, including tips on supplies, hosting duties, and even cake sampling etiquette.
The photography is fantastic. The photos of cakes and cake picnics are so good you can feel the sugar buzz from the various cakes dripping off the page. Each recipe includes one or more wonderful photos of the finished cake. If the title and description of the cake doesn't make you want to bake the cake, the photographs will seal the deal.
After the basics of organizing a cake picnic, the book jumps into cake recipes, sorted by topic: Seasonal cake picnics (new year, summer, autumn, winter); Themed cake picnics (floral, color, afternoon tea, confetti cake); Location cake picnics (beach, camping, poolside); Ingredient cake picnics (chocolate, citrus, corn, salty sweet). There are some classic cakes, but plenty of new ideas (to me, at least) that I'm looking forward to trying. Basil and blackberry dome cake? That sounds amazing. Champagne confetti and cranberry curd cake? Sounds like a New Year's tradition about to begin. Pretzel S'mores cake? Skip the camping trip, I want to head to the kitchen and make s'more of that.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Cake Picnic is less a cookbook and more an invitation—to gather, to celebrate, to make something a little sweet with the people you love. Yes, there are cake recipes (and good ones), but the real charm is how the book expands the idea of cake beyond the kitchen. There’s a whole, generous section devoted to hosting cake picnics with friends: how to set them up, how to share the joy, how to make cake a communal event rather than a precious, perfect thing. It feels playful and welcoming, not fussy or intimidating.
With my husband’s birthday coming up, this book has me genuinely excited to bake, despite the fact that I’m not really the baker in our family. The cakes don’t look overly complicated (some more tropical ingredients may be hard for me to source though), which gives me just enough confidence to try. And honestly? If it turns out a little Nailed It-adjacent, I’m calling that a win as long as it’s delicious. There’s something comforting about a book that doesn’t demand perfection, only enthusiasm and a willingness to try.
I especially loved the themed sections—poolside cakes, camping cakes—each one a reminder that cake belongs everywhere, not just at formal celebrations. It’s joyful and a little whimsical. I was bummed to miss the Cake Picnic event when it came through Denver (ironically, it was my own birthday and we already had plans), but reading this book felt like being let in on the magic anyway. Truly, what a delight. Bonus: amazing photography throughout. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
With my husband’s birthday coming up, this book has me genuinely excited to bake, despite the fact that I’m not really the baker in our family. The cakes don’t look overly complicated (some more tropical ingredients may be hard for me to source though), which gives me just enough confidence to try. And honestly? If it turns out a little Nailed It-adjacent, I’m calling that a win as long as it’s delicious. There’s something comforting about a book that doesn’t demand perfection, only enthusiasm and a willingness to try.
I especially loved the themed sections—poolside cakes, camping cakes—each one a reminder that cake belongs everywhere, not just at formal celebrations. It’s joyful and a little whimsical. I was bummed to miss the Cake Picnic event when it came through Denver (ironically, it was my own birthday and we already had plans), but reading this book felt like being let in on the magic anyway. Truly, what a delight. Bonus: amazing photography throughout. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.
July 22, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of
Cake Picnic.
Seriously, how can you not want to read this?
It has CAKE in it!
Cake Picnic is part baking book, part how-to-guide in how to host your own cake picnic complete with themes, planning advice, choosing a theme and party prep.
But the best part are the recipes!
The recipes are original, creative — cheese in cake?
If the author says it works, I believe her.
I prefer simple, old‑school cakes like chocolate, Black Forest, carrot, and strawberry shortcake, but Cake Picnic wants you (makes you want) to up your cake game.
The author shares her fancy, artsy, thoughtful recipes and though some are a bit labor‑intensive, I know they'll be worth the effort.
The ones I really want to try are Sour Cherry & Pistachio Buttermilk Cake, Mango Trifle, and Pretzel S’mores Cake.
The recipes are organized by theme, and the author offers ideas to help you add your own personal twist.
The photos are beautiful and decadent, offering a jumping-off point to inspire your own creative cakes.
A cake picnic is all about bringing people together to laugh, talk, spend time together, and—most importantly—eat cake!
The author celebrates community and creativity, encouraging you to enjoy cake with others.
Or if you'd rather bake a cake just for yourself, bake it!
This makes a great gift for cake lovers, dessert lovers, party planners, home bakers of every skill level, and anyone who enjoys baking projects.
Seriously, how can you not want to read this?
It has CAKE in it!
Cake Picnic is part baking book, part how-to-guide in how to host your own cake picnic complete with themes, planning advice, choosing a theme and party prep.
But the best part are the recipes!
The recipes are original, creative — cheese in cake?
If the author says it works, I believe her.
I prefer simple, old‑school cakes like chocolate, Black Forest, carrot, and strawberry shortcake, but Cake Picnic wants you (makes you want) to up your cake game.
The author shares her fancy, artsy, thoughtful recipes and though some are a bit labor‑intensive, I know they'll be worth the effort.
The ones I really want to try are Sour Cherry & Pistachio Buttermilk Cake, Mango Trifle, and Pretzel S’mores Cake.
The recipes are organized by theme, and the author offers ideas to help you add your own personal twist.
The photos are beautiful and decadent, offering a jumping-off point to inspire your own creative cakes.
A cake picnic is all about bringing people together to laugh, talk, spend time together, and—most importantly—eat cake!
The author celebrates community and creativity, encouraging you to enjoy cake with others.
Or if you'd rather bake a cake just for yourself, bake it!
This makes a great gift for cake lovers, dessert lovers, party planners, home bakers of every skill level, and anyone who enjoys baking projects.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I am not a baker but I love to eat baked things like cakes and cookies - you could say I have a “sweet tooth.” But my one granddaughter has inherited her mother’s baking skills so in thinking about a different kind of birthday gift for her I came upon this book and was mesmerized.
First the photography is stunning (San Francisco is a beautiful setting too). The cakes look mouthwatering and are posed and situated beautifully. Second while I’m not sure I could make any of the cakes, as I’m reading the instructions I find they are easy to follow - another plus to my way of thinking. Third how awesome to have a cake picnic: everyone’s brings a cake to share - the picture of all the cakes brought to the first one the author started was amazing! Looks like there are kindred spirits in the cake world.
The author gives you instructions/ suggestions on how to have a cake picnic - set up, location, weather, etc. . She divides her cakes into themes (Harvest Cake Picnic for example), flavors (chocolate gets its own) and others. All in all there are 50 cake recipes (and lots splendid looking cakes to salivate over).
I found this book intriguing for the idea of how to create community through the art of baking. It reminds us all that coming together can be simple. Bravo to the author!
My thanks to NetGalley and the Chronicle Books for allowing me to review this “delicious” ARC.
#cakepicnic
#elsasunga
#chroniclebooks
First the photography is stunning (San Francisco is a beautiful setting too). The cakes look mouthwatering and are posed and situated beautifully. Second while I’m not sure I could make any of the cakes, as I’m reading the instructions I find they are easy to follow - another plus to my way of thinking. Third how awesome to have a cake picnic: everyone’s brings a cake to share - the picture of all the cakes brought to the first one the author started was amazing! Looks like there are kindred spirits in the cake world.
The author gives you instructions/ suggestions on how to have a cake picnic - set up, location, weather, etc. . She divides her cakes into themes (Harvest Cake Picnic for example), flavors (chocolate gets its own) and others. All in all there are 50 cake recipes (and lots splendid looking cakes to salivate over).
I found this book intriguing for the idea of how to create community through the art of baking. It reminds us all that coming together can be simple. Bravo to the author!
My thanks to NetGalley and the Chronicle Books for allowing me to review this “delicious” ARC.
#cakepicnic
#elsasunga
#chroniclebooks
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Before reading this, I had never heard of Cake Picnic and did not know who Elisa Sunga was. Now that I do, I can honestly say I am obsessed with the idea of Cake Picnic and Elisa has done an incredible job, both with the events and the cookbook. I chose this book on NetGalley based on the cover alone - and this one example of a time when you really can judge a book by its cover! Not only the cover, but the entire book is filled with the most gorgeous photography. I would purchase the book based on the photography alone. But that’s not usually why you purchase a cake cookbook…typically you purchase it for the cake recipes! And this book does have plenty to choose from. My favorite section was, of course, the seasonal one. I practically drooled over the autumn and winter cakes! But every section had plenty of Pinterest-worthy cakes to choose from, and I’m personally going to mix and match recipes to suit my taste. I’ll choose one of the chocolate cakes with one of the buttercream frosting recipes. This was very informative and teaches you how to host your own little Cake Picnic with friends, and I highly recommend to anyone who likes to bake (or just look at pretty pictures!) Cake Picnic will be published May 19th, 2026.
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and opinions are my own.
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley and opinions are my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I was not familiar with the backstory of Cake Picnic before coming across this book and, first and foremost, I loved reading about the incredible things that can happen when you choose to gather community over a shared interest. I hope this book inspires everyone to have their own cake picnic (or cookie picnic or birdwatching picnic or whatever else can joyfully bring friends together!).
The first section of the book is all about the logistics of hosting your own Cake Picnic, and Elisa does a good job of laying out even the most minute details of what you need to know, and offering different levels of complexity depending on how fancy you want your picnic to be.
The bulk of the book is essentially a cookbook of cake recipes. These are not for the lazy baker! While Elisa does a good job of walking through steps that I think even a novice baker could follow, the recipes in this book are meant to be on the more complex side. I was drooling at so many of here creative flavor combinations: I particularly can't wait to make the orange blossom chantilly cake, jasmine and toasted coconut cake, or aperol spritz cake next time I'm in the mood for a baking project.
Overall, a fun book to inspire more whimsical gatherings!
Thank you to Chronicle Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
The first section of the book is all about the logistics of hosting your own Cake Picnic, and Elisa does a good job of laying out even the most minute details of what you need to know, and offering different levels of complexity depending on how fancy you want your picnic to be.
The bulk of the book is essentially a cookbook of cake recipes. These are not for the lazy baker! While Elisa does a good job of walking through steps that I think even a novice baker could follow, the recipes in this book are meant to be on the more complex side. I was drooling at so many of here creative flavor combinations: I particularly can't wait to make the orange blossom chantilly cake, jasmine and toasted coconut cake, or aperol spritz cake next time I'm in the mood for a baking project.
Overall, a fun book to inspire more whimsical gatherings!
Thank you to Chronicle Books for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is such a beautiful book. Like, truly one of those cookbooks you just want to sit and flip through because it’s that visually stunning.
The recipes are definitely on the more elevated, slightly bougie side—which I personally love. If you have a more adventurous palate or enjoy trying unique flavor combinations, this book is so exciting. There are so many cakes in here that I immediately added to my “I need to try this” list.
One of my favorite things is how the cakes are organized by the kind of picnic you’d bring them to—beach, camping, and more. It makes the whole book feel really intentional and creative, not just like a random collection of recipes.
It also goes beyond just baking. The presentation ideas and overall picnic setups are so cute and inspiring. It makes you want to plan an entire experience, not just bake a cake.
Also—she’s doing a Cake Picnic book tour where you can literally try hundreds of cakes, which sounds like an absolute dream. If you’re in the DC area, please join the waitlist so we can get a stop here because that would be amazing.
Overall, this is such a fun, inspiring, and gorgeous book. If you love baking, hosting, or just beautiful cookbooks, I highly recommend it.
The recipes are definitely on the more elevated, slightly bougie side—which I personally love. If you have a more adventurous palate or enjoy trying unique flavor combinations, this book is so exciting. There are so many cakes in here that I immediately added to my “I need to try this” list.
One of my favorite things is how the cakes are organized by the kind of picnic you’d bring them to—beach, camping, and more. It makes the whole book feel really intentional and creative, not just like a random collection of recipes.
It also goes beyond just baking. The presentation ideas and overall picnic setups are so cute and inspiring. It makes you want to plan an entire experience, not just bake a cake.
Also—she’s doing a Cake Picnic book tour where you can literally try hundreds of cakes, which sounds like an absolute dream. If you’re in the DC area, please join the waitlist so we can get a stop here because that would be amazing.
Overall, this is such a fun, inspiring, and gorgeous book. If you love baking, hosting, or just beautiful cookbooks, I highly recommend it.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Cake Picnic by Elisa Sunga is such a beautiful and joyful cookbook. As a lover of all things cake, I genuinely could not resist requesting this one on NetGalley, and I am so glad I did!
What I especially loved is how Sunga begins the book by explaining what a “cake picnic” actually is and how to host one. The opening sections are filled with thoughtful guidance on planning, baking tools, storage tips, and even etiquette for sharing and sampling cakes.
The recipes themselves are wonderfully creative and well organized. They are grouped by themes such as seasonal cake picnics, ingredient-focused picnics, locations, and color or occasion-based themes. While there are some comforting, familiar flavors, many of the cakes feel fresh and exciting. The photography also deserves special mention. Every cake is beautifully styled, and the picnic scenes throughout the book genuinely would make you want to pack a blanket and start baking immediately. The photos are inspiring and absolutely stunning.
I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves cake or hosting!
What I especially loved is how Sunga begins the book by explaining what a “cake picnic” actually is and how to host one. The opening sections are filled with thoughtful guidance on planning, baking tools, storage tips, and even etiquette for sharing and sampling cakes.
The recipes themselves are wonderfully creative and well organized. They are grouped by themes such as seasonal cake picnics, ingredient-focused picnics, locations, and color or occasion-based themes. While there are some comforting, familiar flavors, many of the cakes feel fresh and exciting. The photography also deserves special mention. Every cake is beautifully styled, and the picnic scenes throughout the book genuinely would make you want to pack a blanket and start baking immediately. The photos are inspiring and absolutely stunning.
I would highly recommend it to anyone who loves cake or hosting!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I received this book courtesy of Netgalley for the purpose of a fair and honest review.
Overview: Have you always wanted to have a get together that serves only cake or any other kind of dessert? Does cake decorating seem to be overly complicated? Mrs. Sunga has you covered. You get the history of the recently added festival called Cake Picnic, and quite a few recipes in this book. Let's find out how many of these recipes will work for us.
Dislikes: There were a couple of cakes that I won't be able to use. Chamomile is a great relaxing herb, if you are not allergic to it.
Likes: Many of these cakes are beautiful. I like the fact that Mrs. Sunga used Swiss buttercream, instead of mixing butter with shortening to make the frosting last in the heat.
And we got multiple recipes for different curd flavors.
I'm going to try the Toasted Coconut Cake Roll.
Conclusion: This is a great book. If you have an occasion that calls for cake coming up, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Overview: Have you always wanted to have a get together that serves only cake or any other kind of dessert? Does cake decorating seem to be overly complicated? Mrs. Sunga has you covered. You get the history of the recently added festival called Cake Picnic, and quite a few recipes in this book. Let's find out how many of these recipes will work for us.
Dislikes: There were a couple of cakes that I won't be able to use. Chamomile is a great relaxing herb, if you are not allergic to it.
Likes: Many of these cakes are beautiful. I like the fact that Mrs. Sunga used Swiss buttercream, instead of mixing butter with shortening to make the frosting last in the heat.
And we got multiple recipes for different curd flavors.
I'm going to try the Toasted Coconut Cake Roll.
Conclusion: This is a great book. If you have an occasion that calls for cake coming up, then this book is for you. Enjoy the read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I have yet to make it to a cake picnic, making me only mildly jealous. However, cake is the greatest love of my love, so I am well-equipped to judge this cookbook.
I would bake most of the cakes in this book. They are creative and beautiful without being fussy. It's full of unique flavors without trying to be too inventive. There are recipes for a variety of cake forms: layered, bundt, sheet, rollade, upside-down, loaf, etc. I like that the book is first broken down by season and then by theme, making it easy to plan your own cake picnic. You don't need a picnic to make these cakes. They're simply great cake recipes for any occasion.
I'd make the champagne confetti & cranberry curd cake for my next New Year's Eve party. Mimosa chiffon cake would work for a special brunch gathering. The smoked molasses persimmon cake looks like something I HAVE to try. Any number of these recipes could inspire my next birthday cake. I will be purchasing this book to add to my cake shelf in the cookbook collection. Yes, that is something I have.
I would bake most of the cakes in this book. They are creative and beautiful without being fussy. It's full of unique flavors without trying to be too inventive. There are recipes for a variety of cake forms: layered, bundt, sheet, rollade, upside-down, loaf, etc. I like that the book is first broken down by season and then by theme, making it easy to plan your own cake picnic. You don't need a picnic to make these cakes. They're simply great cake recipes for any occasion.
I'd make the champagne confetti & cranberry curd cake for my next New Year's Eve party. Mimosa chiffon cake would work for a special brunch gathering. The smoked molasses persimmon cake looks like something I HAVE to try. Any number of these recipes could inspire my next birthday cake. I will be purchasing this book to add to my cake shelf in the cookbook collection. Yes, that is something I have.
July 8, 2026
It's a genuinely gorgeous book with stunning photos and some Quentin Blake style black-and white illustrations at the start. About 20% of the book is an explainer on how to put on a Cake Picnic (the author wants you to believe the term is trademarked - it is not) and how to participate in one. It's somewhat interesting, but it's also common sense to anyone who has ever hosted a gathering of their friends. I wouldn't say there's any information in that 20% that the average person wouldn't be able to figure out for themselves. The rest of the book is regular cookbook with recipes for various cakes.
I would say it's a decent photo book and the recipes seem alright (but I haven't tried any as of yet). I wouldn't buy this, but I might borrow it from a library if a particular need arose. It's just not interesting or informative enough that I would buy to keep.
This is the site for Cake Picnic's trademark, or rather it's lack of one: trademark
I would say it's a decent photo book and the recipes seem alright (but I haven't tried any as of yet). I wouldn't buy this, but I might borrow it from a library if a particular need arose. It's just not interesting or informative enough that I would buy to keep.
This is the site for Cake Picnic's trademark, or rather it's lack of one: trademark
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Cake Picnic joyfully celebrates the joy and beauty of homemade cakes as bakers gather to share their cake creations, swap stories and create new friendships. That's a win-win as anything that draws people together to share happiness and beauty is worth baking a beautiful cake.
I loved how the author gave tips on how to organize a Cake Picnic and what to do if you are a guest at a Cake Picnic. I also loved the tips given on how to bake a cake and what tools to use.
Cake Picnic shares beautiful recipes and photos which is like frosting on a beautiful cake. I really loved drooling over the cake photos as they are gorgeous. I really loved seeing the Mimosa Chiffon Cake (I love chiffon cakes too so that may have biased my opinion) as the Mimosa Chiffon Cake was a cheery orange cake.
Overall, Cake Picnic provides eye candy and lots of luscious recipes waiting to be baked.
Review written after downloading a free ARC from NetGalley.
I loved how the author gave tips on how to organize a Cake Picnic and what to do if you are a guest at a Cake Picnic. I also loved the tips given on how to bake a cake and what tools to use.
Cake Picnic shares beautiful recipes and photos which is like frosting on a beautiful cake. I really loved drooling over the cake photos as they are gorgeous. I really loved seeing the Mimosa Chiffon Cake (I love chiffon cakes too so that may have biased my opinion) as the Mimosa Chiffon Cake was a cheery orange cake.
Overall, Cake Picnic provides eye candy and lots of luscious recipes waiting to be baked.
Review written after downloading a free ARC from NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
When author Elisa Sunga hosted her first cake picnic, she thought only a handful of people would show up. Little did she know that this novel idea would attract a few hundred cake-loving individuals. With the idea taking hold in various communities, Sunga's Cake Picnic cookbook is the icing on the cake (pun intended) for anyone thinking about hosting this kind of event or making delicious cakes.
This is a beautifully written and photographed cookbook with 50 cake recipes, many of them incorporating unusual ingredients. While I found the recipes to be well-organized, I confess that for the average cake baker (of which I am one), many of these recipes had far too many steps. I'm not sure that I would make any of these cakes, but I would certainly love to be invited to a cake picnic where they'd be served.
Cake Picnic would make a lovely gift for that adventurous baker. Thank you to #NetGalley and #ChronicleBooks for this electronic ARC of #CakePicnic.
This is a beautifully written and photographed cookbook with 50 cake recipes, many of them incorporating unusual ingredients. While I found the recipes to be well-organized, I confess that for the average cake baker (of which I am one), many of these recipes had far too many steps. I'm not sure that I would make any of these cakes, but I would certainly love to be invited to a cake picnic where they'd be served.
Cake Picnic would make a lovely gift for that adventurous baker. Thank you to #NetGalley and #ChronicleBooks for this electronic ARC of #CakePicnic.
June 5, 2026
Beautiful Images 3.5 Stars
What I really liked about this book was that the measurements are provided in both weights as well as cups or teaspoons. I also like the way the author sections off each set of steps, such as how to make each cake, how to make the frosting, and then how to assemble it all. This book also goes into great detail in how to organize and host your own cake picnic.
While the cakes appear beautiful and appealing, the ingredients and instructions seem complicated and not ingredients I’d readily have on hand, such as the following:
Champagne (2 Tbs)
Jasmine extract
Guava paste
Purple food coloring
English black tea bags, specifically PG Tips or Yorkshire Gold
Mango purée
Spelt flour
Sumac powder
If you love to bake cakes, this may be the book for you. A cake picnic is certainly something I’d enjoy attending!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
What I really liked about this book was that the measurements are provided in both weights as well as cups or teaspoons. I also like the way the author sections off each set of steps, such as how to make each cake, how to make the frosting, and then how to assemble it all. This book also goes into great detail in how to organize and host your own cake picnic.
While the cakes appear beautiful and appealing, the ingredients and instructions seem complicated and not ingredients I’d readily have on hand, such as the following:
Champagne (2 Tbs)
Jasmine extract
Guava paste
Purple food coloring
English black tea bags, specifically PG Tips or Yorkshire Gold
Mango purée
Spelt flour
Sumac powder
If you love to bake cakes, this may be the book for you. A cake picnic is certainly something I’d enjoy attending!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
July 18, 2026
I read this book and all the recipes. I’ve never heard of a cake picnic. It sounds like a great idea. I would go to something like that. I would make a cake and I would go and sample other cakes. I would not want to organize a cake picnic, that would be too much work.
The recipes in this book I’m sure are great. One of the things that she mentions is pantry Supplies needed to make a cake. And one of the items it suggested was a can of corn. My husband says what no flour!
I know there are other ingredients that go into cakes; potato chips, carrots, cola etc. so to add a can of corn to a recipe probably does taste good, I just don’t think I would try that particular cake.
All the recipes are involved. A lot of ingredients and directions. This is for a more experienced baker than I.
I did like all the different buttercream frosting recipes. Very interesting.
The book comes with a ribbon so that you can mark your spot in the book
I
The recipes in this book I’m sure are great. One of the things that she mentions is pantry Supplies needed to make a cake. And one of the items it suggested was a can of corn. My husband says what no flour!
I know there are other ingredients that go into cakes; potato chips, carrots, cola etc. so to add a can of corn to a recipe probably does taste good, I just don’t think I would try that particular cake.
All the recipes are involved. A lot of ingredients and directions. This is for a more experienced baker than I.
I did like all the different buttercream frosting recipes. Very interesting.
The book comes with a ribbon so that you can mark your spot in the book
I
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
*I received a free ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review*
I had never heard of a cake picnic before this book but now I want to plan and/or attend one myself! Cakes have always been somewhat of a weakness of mine when it comes to baking so I was so thankful for some of the tips and tricks at the beginning of this book. This is not just a collection of recipes, it's also a guide to how to make great cakes in general. I loved that there were pictures of each of the cakes (I need to know if my own attempts look anything close to how they should). And a whole chapter on chocolate cakes? Yes, please. Some of the recipes include ingredients that might not be the easiest to come by, but the instructions are not overly complicated. I can't wait to give these recipes a try!
I had never heard of a cake picnic before this book but now I want to plan and/or attend one myself! Cakes have always been somewhat of a weakness of mine when it comes to baking so I was so thankful for some of the tips and tricks at the beginning of this book. This is not just a collection of recipes, it's also a guide to how to make great cakes in general. I loved that there were pictures of each of the cakes (I need to know if my own attempts look anything close to how they should). And a whole chapter on chocolate cakes? Yes, please. Some of the recipes include ingredients that might not be the easiest to come by, but the instructions are not overly complicated. I can't wait to give these recipes a try!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
What a delightful book! I was sad to have missed the cake picnic celebrating the SF Legion of Honor Museum’s 100th anniversary but after reading about it, I was intrigued. When the opportunity to read an eARC of the Cake Picnic by Elisa Sunga appeared on NetGalley, I didn’t hesitate. I love the beautiful photos of each cake. The story of how the Cake Picnic concept came to be was enchanting and I like that the book is organized by season, occasions, and flavors. It makes it easy to find the recipes. I look forward to trying some of these recipe and in the true spirit of the Cake Picnic…sharing the results with friends.
Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are solely my own.
Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are solely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A cake picnic! Count me in. The concept of a myriad of sweet treats cannot help but bring a smile to one’s face. In this fun cookbook, there are delightful combinations including the delicious sour cherry and pistachio buttermilk cake which received a thumbs up from my family. Organized by seasons, themes, locations, and/or ingredients, there is something for everyone here.
Accompanied by beautiful photos, this book provides both the “how to” and “what to” everyone needs in order to organize their own cake picnic. In response to the assertion you don’t need another cake cookbook, I reject that. This festive book is one of a kind.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
Accompanied by beautiful photos, this book provides both the “how to” and “what to” everyone needs in order to organize their own cake picnic. In response to the assertion you don’t need another cake cookbook, I reject that. This festive book is one of a kind.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Chronicle Books for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.
May 19, 2026
A great book for this upcoming summer, with hopefully more cake picnics coming up! The book had a great variety of recipes with unique combos I wouldn't have thought to try, and I'm excited to try them! One of the recipes that particularly caught my eye was the blueberry cake with corn cream. Visually, I loved the photography, which was both aesthetically pleasing and a good way to see what the cake should look like (I'm someone who prefers every recipe in a cookbook to have an accompanying image). A great cookbook for those who love to bake, who love cake, and/or would love to host a cake picnic of their own!
Thank you to NetGalley, Elisa Sunga, and the publisher for an ARC of this book!
Thank you to NetGalley, Elisa Sunga, and the publisher for an ARC of this book!
June 23, 2026
Oh. My. God. This. Book!!!
I've been a cake lover for as long as I can remember. I was that bratty child who came to your birthday party, and demanded the corner slice with the most icing. AND, the biggest frosting rose.
This book is an orgy of drool-inducing photos, and recipes guaranteed to make your stomach growl.
I want to go to a Cake Picnic, have a Cake Picnic, and make every cake in this book.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go choke down my healthy green salad while I pretend that it's a yummy slab of Guinness & Hazelnut Chocolate Cake.
Many thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for sharing.
I've been a cake lover for as long as I can remember. I was that bratty child who came to your birthday party, and demanded the corner slice with the most icing. AND, the biggest frosting rose.
This book is an orgy of drool-inducing photos, and recipes guaranteed to make your stomach growl.
I want to go to a Cake Picnic, have a Cake Picnic, and make every cake in this book.
Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go choke down my healthy green salad while I pretend that it's a yummy slab of Guinness & Hazelnut Chocolate Cake.
Many thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for sharing.
November 25, 2025
Cake Picnic by Elisa Sunga
Just looking at the photos in this book will make your mouth water to taste these delicious looking cakes.
I like how in the beginning of the book the author talks about what a picnic cake is and how to have one. It also includes baking tools and storage guidelines.
Some of the cakes I would like to try are Dark Chocolate Mousse and Red Velvet Cake, Peaches and Cream Truffle, and Lavendar and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.
This book is packed with recipes to keep any home baker happy for days to come.
I really recommend this book to anyone who loves to bake and would make a great gift for the baker in your life.
Just looking at the photos in this book will make your mouth water to taste these delicious looking cakes.
I like how in the beginning of the book the author talks about what a picnic cake is and how to have one. It also includes baking tools and storage guidelines.
Some of the cakes I would like to try are Dark Chocolate Mousse and Red Velvet Cake, Peaches and Cream Truffle, and Lavendar and Lemon Poppy Seed Cake.
This book is packed with recipes to keep any home baker happy for days to come.
I really recommend this book to anyone who loves to bake and would make a great gift for the baker in your life.
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