Caramel Corn Cake!
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
This amazing cake infused with popcorn essence topped off with a salted caramel Swiss merengue buttercream will have all your senses delighted. The perfect celebration cake to make any event extra special!
Author:
Serves: 14 to 16
Ingredients
  • For the cake:
  • 2 cups AP flour ¾ cups cake flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 4 tsp. baking powder
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 1¾ cup sugar
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • 4 cups whole milk for steeping ( 1 ¼ cup go into batter)
  • ¼ cup mascarpone
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla
  • 10 to 12 cups popped popcorn for steeping with the milk
  • For the buttercream:
  • 7 egg whites
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • ½ tsp. salt
  • 4½ sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temp
  • ⅓ cup + 2 to 3 tbsp. salted caramel sauce
Instructions
  1. For the cake:
  2. In a large heavy bottomed pot, over medium high heat, pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in and half a cup of popcorn kernels. Cook popcorn until most of the popping has subsided. Set aside. In a large sauce pan over medium heat, bring the milk to just scaled. That’s when small bubbles just start to form around the edges. Remove from heat. Add 10 to 12 cups of the popcorn directly to the milk and push down until fully submerged. Allow to steep for 25 to 30 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer, until you are left with 1 and ¼ cup of milk.
  3. In a large bowl mix all your dry ingredients and set aside. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line with parchment paper and lightly spray three 8-inch round cake pans.
  4. Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the sugar and beat until light and fluffy on medium high speed.
  5. Next add in the mascarpone and beat to combine.
  6. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until fully incorporated after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.
  7. Slowly add ⅓ of the dry ingredients until just combined. Add half of the milk and mix to incorporate. Add another 3rd of the dry mix to incorporate, scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add the rest of the milk and incorporate and then add the remainder of the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, don’t over mix.
  8. Evenly distribute the batter into the 3 prepared cake pans. Place in oven staggering two on top and one on bottom rack, rotating half-way through bake time. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes depending on your oven, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Start checking at the 20- minute mark.
  9. Allow to cool about 10 minutes in pans on racks. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on wire racks.
  10. For the buttercream:
  11. Separate whites from yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer.
  12. Pour sugar and salt in the bowl of stand mixer with the egg whites.
  13. Place bowl over, not touching, a pot with simmering water.
  14. Whisk constantly until sugar has completely dissolved around 160 degrees. If you don’t have a candy thermometer, you can tell it’s done when you rub a little of the mixture between your fingers and it is completely smooth with no graininess. Should take about 10 minutes.
  15. Then return bowl to stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
  16. Begin beating the eggs and sugar until whites are glossy and stiff peaks have formed. The bowl should be cool to the touch, this will take around 10 minutes.
  17. Next switch to the paddle attachment and beat on medium high speed.
  18. Add the butter slowly one piece at a time to incorporate. The mixture will look like it’s curdled, keep mixing, that is normal. Mix until frosting is smooth and shiny.
  19. Add in the vanilla extract and salted caramel and mix to combine.
  20. Decorate cooled cake as desired. Store in air-tight container for up to 2 days at room temp or covered in the fridge for up to 5.
  21. Enjoy!
Recipe by Social Buttercream at http://socialbuttercream.com/2018/03/24/caramel-corn-cake-surprise-sort-of/