This Chocolate Salted Caramel Popcorn Cake has a chocolate cake layers topped with movie popcorn salted caramel sauce and chocolate buttercream.
In this time of uncertainty many businesses have had to get creative to stay alive.
One of our local movie theaters decided since so many people were having movie nights at home they would figure out how to make that work.
A good chunk of people when they go to the movies get movie popcorn.
I do.
I make a meal out of it. 🙂
So they came up with the idea to sell GIANT bags of movie popcorn with curbside pickup.
With one little catch so to speak.
The popcorn cost $25.
Which you are probably saying, wow, that’s insane.
It’s popcorn.
And it is popcorn.
But it also comes with a $25 gift card to go to the movie theater when it opens up.
I think it’s a very creative idea.
Because they don’t really make money off the movie but the snacks you eat.
So you get to have movie popcorn at home for you movies and you get to go to the movies when they open up.
When I get popcorn at the movies I also get it with Milk Duds.
And I eat them at the same time so that I get that salty sweet goodness.
That is what inspired this Chocolate Salted Caramel Popcorn Cake.
I have made this combo before and people thought I was a little crazy.
But I really do love the flavor combo.
While there is popcorn in both the cake and the caramel sauce it is just a hint.
However, if you are scared off by the popcorn you can just sub the movie popcorn milk for just milk…same for cream.
Then you would just have a salted caramel chocolate cake which I’m sure will be tasty as well.
And as always, it’s a great day to order my cookbook.Â
Want more Cake Recipes?
Strawberry Lemonade Layer Cake
Chocolate Peanut Butter Stout Layer Cake
Vanilla Cheesecake Funfetti Pink Ombre Layer Cake
Chocolate Salted Caramel Popcorn Cake
Ingredients
- For the Movie Popcorn Milk:
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups movie popcorn (microwaveable or actual movie popcorn)
- For the Movie Popcorn Cream:
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 2 1/2 cups movie popcorn (microwaveable or actual movie popcorn)
- Chocolate Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract (I used Rodelle)
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 cup unsweetened Cocoa Powder (I used Rodelle)
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 1/2 cups movie popcorn milk
- 1 cup hot water
- For the Salted Movie Popcorn Caramel:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 cups movie popcorn heavy cream
- ½ tsp salt
- Chocolate Salted Caramel Buttercream:
- 1 cup (about 9) egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 10 oz. semisweet chocolate melted and cooled slightly
- 1/3 cup Salted Movie Popcorn Caramel
Instructions
- For the Movie Popcorn Milk:
- Heat the whole milk in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add the movie popcorn and remove the pan from heat.
- Cover with a lid and let sit for one hour.
- Strain the popcorn out of the milk.
- Set aside. It will be used in the cake.
- For the Movie Popcorn Cream:
- Heat the heavy cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil.
- Add the movie popcorn and remove the pan from heat.
- Cover with a lid and let sit for one hour.
- Strain the popcorn out of the cream.
- Set aside. You will use this in the caramel sauce.
- For the Chocolate Cake:
- Spray with baking spray two 9-inch cake pans or three 6-inch pans (I used 6 inch) and line with a parchment circle and spray circle with baking spray as well.
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa, and salt.
- Set aside.
- Using a stand mixer, beat together the oil and sugar with a paddle attachment until combined – about 1 minute.
- With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time.
- Stir in extract.
- Beginning and ending with your dry mixture, alternate dry ingredients and liquids (milk and hot water) until smooth.
- Be sure to scrape down the sides of your mixing bowl with a spatula between batches.
- Pour into prepared cake pans and bake in a 350 degree oven until centers are done and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes for 9-inch and about 40-45 minutes for the 6-inch cakes.
- Cool on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes before removing from pans.
- For the Salted Caramel Movie Popcorn Sauce:
- Combine the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan over medium heat.
- Cook, gently swirling the pan occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and starts to turn color.
- Increase the heat to thigh and boil until the syrup turns a deep amber color, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Watch carefully, as it can burn quickly.
- Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour in the cream and salt.
- Use a long-handled wooden spoon to carefully stir in the cream, as caramel has a tendency to hiss and splash as the cold cream hits it.
- Place the pan over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until the caramel thickens, 5 to 7 minutes.
- The mixture should be the consistency of very thick cream.
- Let boiling sauce cool until it is just warm before serving.
- To store, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- To reheat the sauce, microwave, uncovered, for about 1 minutes on high. Stir until smooth.
- For the Chocolate Salted Caramel Buttercream:
- Place the egg whites and sugar in the metal bowl of a stand mixer and set over a small pot of simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water).
- Heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture is 160F.
- Transfer bowl to stand mixer and beat on high speed with a whisk attachment to medium stiff peaks, about 8 minutes.
- Reduce mixer speed to medium low and add butter a tablespoon at a time, letting it incorporate into the meringue for few moments before adding more.
- Add melted semisweet chocolate and salted caramel sauce and beat on high for 1-2 minutes until smooth and creamy.
Kelly says
Oh wow, that frosting looks absolutely divine.