Gravity Defying Popcorn Cake
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.
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All recipe quantities in the book are in grams, ounces and cups.
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OMG this looks incredible and i bet it is as delicious as it looks
Can’t wait to try and make it!
I realy loved that cake popcorn and caramel is a very nice and cool combination of food and the cake it self looks amazing. Ann you realy are talented. And say hello to your famaly.
Hey Ann love your all videos and I have made many cakes seeing your videos just love you please visit India too we are really waiting to see you lots of love Ann and merry Christmas
This looks Amazing and Delicious?
Ann you are great … Always there is so much to learn. You have significantly increased my interest in baking.
Hey Ann I love your videos
I love your videos
Excited to try this on christmas, thank u ann,.. always a fan here ??
Hi I would just like to say thank you for all the joy you bring to our faces evry week
THanks Ashlee and happy baking.
Thanks I did this and my family loved it. I’m only 11 and I asked for a stan mixer for my birthday and I dident get one my hand mixer broke so I wisk everything the Stan mixer will help me so much as it will be very much appreciated
I truly do believe I have a strong passion for baking and cooking, recipes come to my head from scratch. Your videos always makes me feel more accomplished and makes me want to do so much more in life.
Thank you.
OMG I love you and your videos so much you are so amazing your videos make me happy but also hungry but that’s ok the sound of your voice is amazing so calming I am almost 13 and I have been asking for a stand mixer for a long time so I can make more of your amazing creations this cake was sooooo cool Merry Christmas.
Yummy Popcorn Caramel Cake. Looks like another yummy cake. Love your show. I entered. I hope I win. Merry Christmas to you and your family. God Bless. Ruth Kaiser
Looks amazing as always!!
Praying I’m one of those winners…love to bake n watch your video’s…:)
Goodluck everyone who entered!
Thank you for the opportunity.
hello ma’am. u r just amazing. I love all the recipes that you show and actually i tried many of them..it was super cool and super fun to make those cake.❤???
I love you ann your my fav youtuber ♡♡♥♥☆☆★★
Ur are so amazing my role model I love u so much thank u ❣❣
I love your creations your the best cook of the universe ?? I have been watching your videos from 3 to 4 years I love your ideas. And the caremal cake amazing