Ann Reardon

Gravity Defying Popcorn Cake

gravity defying popcorn cake ann reardon
 

The countdown to Christmas is on, half of the advent lollies have been eaten and school holidays are upon us. Movies are something we do most holidays. Here is a fun gravity defying popcorn cake to turn any movie gathering in to a party. Seriously, when I served this up the guests thought it was a pot exploding with popcorn. They were delighted to eat the chocolate lid, devoured the caramel popcorn and were amazed that it was actually a cake.

The competition to win one of 6 Kitchen Aid Artisan mixers is now closed. The winners were: Amber Williamson, Yasshna Asriani, Anthea Ashleigh, Mia Plumridge, Minna Wong and Ailis Relihan.

To make this gravity defying popcorn cake you will need:

One and a half times my rich chocolate cake recipe baked in three 8″ round cake tins, baked, cooled and leveled.
600mL (20.29 fluid ounces) Cream
Cake Support
800g (28.22 ounces) chocolate
150g (5.29 ounces) Black fondant
4 lollipop sticks
edible silver luster dust
acetate

Salted Caramel

2 cups or 500mL (16.91 fluid ounces) cream
2 tsp vanilla
300mL (10.14 fluid ounces) or 1 1/4 cups water
430g (15.17 ounces) or 2 cups caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1 tsp sea salt
40g (1.41 ounces) or 2 tablespoons glucose syrup
Place the water, sugar and glucose syrup into a pan. Give it a little stir to make sure all the sugar is wet. Wash the sides of the pan down with a wet pastry brush.

Leave it unstirred to boil, after a few minutes until it starts to turn golden. Let is get an even golden colour – then remove it from the heat. Add in your vanilla and the cream. Return to the heat and keep stirring it until the caramel is melted into the cream. Stir in the salt and continue to heat until the desired thickness is achieved (see the video for how to test what thickness you caramel will be).

Caramel Popcorn (make two separate batches of this recipe)

70g (2.47 ounces) popcorn kernels
210g (7.41 ounces) or 1 cup sugar
100mL (3.38 fluid ounces) water
15g (0.53 ounces) or 1 Tablespoon butter

Pop the corn kernels (I used an air popper but you can do it in a pan if you prefer)
Heat the sugar and water until it goes golden then stir in the butter.
Immediately pour that over the popcorn and stir it around.

Cut some acetate to the height you want your pot to be and wrap it around a round cake tin. Mark where it joins so you know where to spread the chocolate to. Remove the acetate. Wrap another piece of acetate around the tin to cover it so you can slide the chocolate off.

Temper the chocolate, if you don’t know how to do that see my chocolate secrets post. This is important or your chocolate won’t set at room temperature.
Spray a little oil on the underside of a pan lid and then gently rub it with some paper towel so that you leave a thin layer of oil. Pour on approximately 200g (7.05 ounces) of tempered chocolate and spread it around the lid. As it starts to thicken spread it out form the middle back to the edges so they are not too thin. Then place it in the fridge to set.

Spread the remaining chocolate onto the acetate to make the sides of the pot, once it is starting to set wrap it around the covered cake tin. Place over a bowl to set (see video for demonstration). Repeat with a smaller piece of acetate just smaller than your pan lid

Once the lid is set run your nail around the edge and then flip it over to remove the chocolate from the lid. Using a fondant extruder make a snake of black fondant. Rub a little water around the edge of the chocolate lid and wrap the fondant around the lid, gently pressing it onto the chocolate.

To make the handle roll a thick snake of black, then use your fingers to roll it thinner and fold the ends down. Check that it is the right width for your lid and leave the fondant to dry out.

Make the handles for the side of the pot in the same manner but adding a little ‘foot’ on each side. Use you cake tin to make sure it is on the right angle. Add a lollipop stick to each side of the handle so you can add it to the cake.

Slowly and gently pull and turn to wiggle the chocolate rings off the cake tins. Add the smaller one to the underside of the lid. Check the larger one for holes and patch any problem areas before removing the outside acetate.

Whip the cream.

Assemble the cake inside the large chocolate ring layering up cake, salted caramel and cream.

Brush the fondant handles, lid and sides of the pot with silver luster dust.

Make a batch of caramel popcorn and tip your popcorn out onto some baking paper then using thick silicone gloves shape the popcorn into a cylinder by just gently pushing it together. Once cooled add to the cake.
Add the lid into place. Then make another batch of popcorn and add it artistically exploding out of the pot.

gravity defying cake tutorial
Copyright © 2017 Reardon Media Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. How To Cook That

My Cookbook

ann reardon crazy sweet creations cookbook
Stores that sell my book listed by country: http://bit.ly/ARcookbook
All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.

197 Comments View Comments

  1. Rating: 5

    I think this is the best original cake ever!

  2. Rating: 5

    i would eat all this cake haha

  3. #salted caramel!

  4. may I ask you Ann, why you didn’t just make the chocolate pot with the pot, just like you make a bucket playdoh cake?

    • Hi Cheryl, The method is very similar. For the playdoh recipe Ann needed a pbucket shape, which is eay to achieve using a mold. This time it was easier to lay the cakes and make a ring of chcolate to fit over them.

  5. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann, you always show such creativity and uniqueness in all your amazing creations. My ultimate obsessions are popcorn chocolate and caramel so your gravity defying alter caramel popcorn cake blew me away!!!! I really can’t wait to make it for my birthday. Sending lots of love and hugs your way. Stephanie Patel <3

    • Thanks Stephanie.

  6. Rating: 5

    Thank you Ann for such an amazing giveaway and incredible opportunity! I absolutely love love love your channel and videos! I ALWAYS look forward to seeing each of your videos and what amazing creations you’ll come up with each time! Much love from the USA in Tennessee and God bless you and your family!

    • Thanks Krista.

  7. Hi Ann, my brother and I will be making a part of the cake because we don’t have what is needed, sadly. But, we are super exsided to make the popcorn! c:

  8. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann! I love you soooooooooo much? I love your recipes so much I can’t tell you! I wish to see you once. I have entered for the mixer giveaway and I hope to win one ? Anyways love you lots and keep making these amazing and mouth watering things!
    Lots of love ?

    • Thanks Anza.

  9. Rating: 5

    I had to watch this tutorial/ video about 3 times to get my answer! I feel like a lunatic because I have 3 out of 4 of my grandchildren with me and their ages are 3 yrs of age ,10 months,4 months and the one that wasn’t here is 16 days old! Lol!

  10. Rating: 5

    This was a great cake. I love baking it’s the greatest thing in the world. I’m not great at it but I get better every time. And with more and more practice ill get there someday. Thank you for being one of my inspirations. Your the best.

  11. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann
    Sorry for bad English
    I love your channel
    You are one of my favorite youtubers
    Thank you for posting a great videos

    • Thanks Amani.

  12. Rating: 5

    Hi ann i love your creations especially the chocolate ones and i have tried to make them also

  13. Rating: 5

    Hi Ann, my mum and I love watching all your cake videos and I’ve actually attempted to make a few of your desserts before as I am an aspiring Chef. But my mum and I would never be able to afford one of those stand mixers, and I really hope to win one and surprise her.
    Your biggest Aussie fan Tegan 😉

  14. Rating: 5

    What a great cake! I can totally imagine me and my best friends eating and watching movies !!!

  15. Rating: 5

    Hi ann ??? omg i really like your ideas and your cakes and also your chocolates??? i hope that i will win one of your stand mixer giveaway ??we watch your video with my sister ..

  16. Rating: 5

    Hey its me alisher i looooooooooove ur baking and i alsoo bake alooooooooot ????? and i would love ❤️ to have one one pls because if i bake 4 times a week so i need a stand mixer and do u know what ur my number youtuber cause i always follow ur recipes ur my peace ✌️ love ❤️ ya and i m from Pakistan ?? inshallah (a muslim word for hope) u and ur family will live longer and be loved by everyone in this world ? bye regards: alisher from Pakistan ??

  17. Rating: 5

    Ann ur awesome ?

  18. Rating: 5

    I love your videos and though i’m still 14 i love baking but whipping and creaming without a mixer is so terribly hard.??
    And my familly don’t have the money for buying one yet but i love making my birthday cake this christmax???⛄❄? by one,
    Wish you the best things and health and love for you and your familly??❤4 eternity❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤????

  19. Rating: 5

    I love all of your work Ann and Chocolate

  20. Rating: 4.5

    Salted Caramel and Chocolate and Cream. Wow. Sounds like heaven to me!! I love all your videos Ann, keep up the amazing work!
    I do have one question. When you make caramel, do you use regular granulated sugar or caster sugar? I made caramel with granulated sugar and even washing the sides of the pan made it grainy. I wanted to make sure I was using the right sugar though. Thank you so much! ❤️Love you!

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