Caramel Popcorn Peanut Cake
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Layers of fluffy vanilla cake twisted with rich peanut chocolate fudge, stacked with salted caramel buttercream, crunchy peanuts, and caramel popcorn. Two ingredient swaps: whole wheat flour replaces some white for bite and depth; coconut oil instead of vegetable oil for subtle aroma. Slightly less sugar to tone down sweetness. Adjusted bake and chill times based on my experience. Assembly bold: pop the cake layers flat by shaving domes, slice into four strata. Alternate textures: soft cakey, creamy fudge, sticky caramel, crunchy nuts and popcorn. Real kitchen beats: avoid dry crumb by watching batter consistency and oven temperature. Chill fudge until just firm but not brittle to slice clean. Final drizzle of salted caramel seals the deal.
Prep:
50 min
Cook:
50 min
Total:
Servings:
20 servings
#cake
#caramel
#peanuts
#popcorn
#French-inspired
#baking
#dessert
#layered cake
Baked cakes before. Dense or flat. Learned patience with whipping eggs by timing look not clock. Coconut oil swap transformed texture; subtle coconut scent perks up buttery caramel. Whole wheat flour adds complexity, not heaviness. Peanut-chocolate fudge? Chill just right or crumble. Buttercream? Salt balance key. Caramel popcorn atop? Last-minute add, or it’s soggy. Stacking layers—leveling cakes saves fights with knives later. Caramel drizzle shines a gooey glossy touch, but too much means disaster. Cover pops for crunch. I slice nuts uneven for surprise bites. These layers sing together but not harmony like a choir. More like jazz with crunch riffs. Worth the extra steps, though. Means patience. Long bake smell—sweet, nutty, rich. Use eyes and touch more than timer. Experience guides feel. A carnival in a cake, textured but balanced.
Ingredients
Cake
- 315 g (2 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 135 g (1 cup) whole wheat flour
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) baking powder
- 2.5 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
- 4 eggs
- 350 g (1 3/4 cups) sugar
- 15 ml (1 tbsp) vanilla extract
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) coconut oil
- 310 ml (1 1/4 cups) milk
Peanut Chocolate Fudge
- 300 g (10 oz) milk chocolate, chopped
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) creamy peanut butter
Topping
- 1 batch salted caramel buttercream
- 150 g (1 cup) roasted salted peanuts
- 70 g (2 cups) caramel popcorn
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) salted caramel sauce
About the ingredients
Adjusted flour ratio cuts some refined flour; whole wheat hits complexity but dries if overmixed. Coconut oil swap for neutral vegetable oils adds gentle scent and cleaner fat profile; can substitute grapeseed oil if allergy. Butter instead? Use melted but cooled. Sugar reduced slightly; sweetness balanced by salted nuts and caramel sauce. Chocolate remains milk to counterbalance salt in peanuts. Peanut butter creamy; natural runs risk of oil separation, stir thoroughly or use stable commercial style. Salty roasted peanuts essential — try dry roasted if possible, avoid raw or heavily coated. Popcorn caramel balance critical — too hard popcorn breaks teeth, store-bought with softer caramel preferred. Homemade caramel buttercream needed for fresh layered taste; store-bought buttercream not same depth or salt bite. Caramel sauce from any good quality brand is valid; homemade better aroma if possible. Adjust ingredient quantities by 30% for cake flours and sugar to match personal palate or season.
Method
Cake
- 1. Set oven rack to center. Preheat oven 175 C (350 F). Grease and parchment-line two 20 cm (8 inch) springform pans. I use a dollop of coconut oil under parchment to keep it from drifting.
- 2. Sift or whisk together flours, baking powder, salt. Whole wheat adds nuttiness but watch you don't overmix — gluten develops quickly here.
- 3. In a large bowl, whip eggs, sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on high for 9 minutes. The volume triples; look for pale yellow ribbons falling slowly from the beater. Not rushing this ruins the cake's lift.
- 4. Stream in the coconut oil while beating at medium speed. It emulsifies better cold but pours slow like molasses. Mix until just combined.
- 5. Lower speed to minimum. Alternate adding dry ingredients in thirds with milk in halves. Stop folding as soon as batter is uniform and glossy. Overmix = tough crumb.
- 6. Divide batter evenly into pans; bang them once on countertop to release air bubbles.
- 7. Bake 48–52 minutes. Jiggle pans gently; if cake bounces back, close to done. Insert toothpick near center. Dry crumbs attached, not wet batter. Let cool completely on wire racks before unmolding.
Peanut Chocolate Fudge
- 8. Line two 20 cm pans with parchment. Microwave chocolate and peanut butter in 30-second bursts, stirring each time until smooth warm fudge mixture forms. Use good quality peanut butter; natural works but stir well to combine oils.
- 9. Pour evenly in pans. Tap gently. Refrigerate 25–35 minutes until firm but sliceable. Avoid freezer to preserve texture.
- 10. Run a thin blade along sides before unmolding. Keep fudge cool but ready to slice with clean cuts.
Assembly
- 11. Trim domes off cakes to even layers using a serrated knife. Each cake cut horizontally into two thin disks by scoring carefully with a sawing motion to avoid crumbs.
- 12. Place bottom cake layer on serving plate. Spread roughly 3/4 cup salted caramel buttercream evenly. Scatter quarter cup roasted peanuts over buttercream — some chopped, some whole for crunch variety.
- 13. Add one peanut-chocolate fudge disk evenly on top. Press gently, no sliding though or fudge breaks.
- 14. Add second cake layer. Repeat buttercream, peanuts, then scatter 1/2 cup caramel popcorn. Drizzle half the caramel sauce over popcorn with a spoon; not too much or popcorn sogs.
- 15. Add third cake layer. Continue pattern: buttercream, peanuts, popcorn, drizzle remainder caramel. Ends with a crunchy, sticky top.
- 16. Chill cake 30 minutes before serving. Let warm slightly to soften buttercream and bring out nutty aromas. Caramel drizzle shines glossily when slightly cooled.
- 17. Leftovers keep 2 days at room temp in airtight box. Beyond that, popcorn loses crispness; fudge firms hard but stale flavor creeps in.
Notes and Tips
- Cake batter should fall slowly like a thick ribbon. Too thin or runny, add small spoon flour bit by bit.
- If coconut oil is melted too warm it splits batter; cooler is safer.
- Whole wheat flour trades slight dryness for nuttiness. If nervous, mix only half cup wheat and fill rest all-purpose.
- After baking, avoid poking too often. Moisture loss is quick.
- Refrigerate fudge just until firm; too cold makes it crack when slicing.
- Remove cake domes so layers stack evenly; crooked cakes end in structural heartbreak.
- Salted caramel buttercream: balance salt carefully so it’s not overpowering but brightens flavors.
- Popcorn popcorn soggy? Toast lightly in oven 3 minutes before stacking.
- Caramel sauce from store or homemade does work; freshly made has deeper burnt sugar aroma.
- Don’t rush assembly—cold fudge is firm and slippery; room temperature makes layering tricky.
- Snip nuts into uneven pieces for texture contrast; whole nuts can hide in cake bites for pops of salt.
- Serve with simple whipped cream or plain yogurt to cut richness if needed.
Cooking tips
Eggs and sugar have to be beaten long and well, this is where volume and structure form—watch for drying surface on top, signs overbeating. Oil added in slowly or batter collapses. Flour first mixed separately to avoid lumps, then gently folded with milk in parts; helps keep batter light. Baking temp lower by 5 degrees for even rise; cakes need visual bounce test beyond toothpick check. Chocolate-peanut fudge mixture must melt gently to avoid graininess; stirring off heat important before refrigerating to cool evenly — rushing fridge chills unevenly. Use parchment lining for fudge to slide out smoothly without breaking. Level cake domes with serrated knife, keep fingers safe and smooth edges — uneven tops sabotage stacking. Layering sticky caramel buttercream demands even spreading but not so thick it sogs layers. Scatter nuts as last minute, press lightly to anchor. Popcorn added only just before top to keep crispness intact. Drizzle caramel sauce liberally but carefully; don’t drown popcorn. Refrigerate cake for 30 minutes helps set but serve closer to room temperature for better spread and flavor release. Store cake covered but away from heat and humidity to keep popcorn from softening.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Watch batter texture closely. Thick ribbon falling slow from whisk; too thin means add flour bit by bit. Coconut oil firm or cold emulsifies better; melted or warm makes batter split. Folding dry flour thirds into milk halves keeps crumb airy; stop folding once uniform gloss appears. Overmix turns cake tough—gluten forms fast, especially with whole wheat. Temper reflects oven heat; try jiggling pans near end, cake bounce means almost there. Toothpick check crumbs attached, no raw. Baking time varies; trust sight and feel.
- 💡 When melting fudge, do bursts 30 seconds max in microwave or double boiler low heat. Stir between bursts to smooth lumps. Peanut butter consistency matters—natural oils separate, stir thoroughly or pick stable commercial. Cool fudge until firm but still sliceable; too cold cracks, too warm slides apart on cake. Parchment lining necessary for clean unmolding; fudge sticks otherwise and breaks. Keep fudge refrigerated but not frozen. Prep fudge early; adds chill time but stops crumb migration into fudge layer.
- 💡 Trim cake domes carefully—serrated knife is the tool. Score thin disks horizontally by gentle sawing. Finger safety important, shaky hands wreck stack. Even layers stack better; crooked layers cause structural fail. Press fudge layer gently to avoid breaks but no sliding. Buttercream should spread evenly but not sog layers; thick layers weigh cake down. Scatter nuts last minute; chopping nuts uneven gives texture contrast. Toast peanuts dry if unsure freshness; brings out nut aroma without oil. Popcorn only at last step, popcorn softens quickly otherwise.
- 💡 Caramel sauce can vary; store-bought works but homemade richer, deeper burnt sugar scent. Drizzle carefully, half before popcorn, half after, to avoid soggy layers. Chill assembled cake 30 minutes minimum for setting; buttercream firms but stays creamy. Serve closer to room temp to soften buttercream and release aromas. Leftovers: air tight box at room temp for 2 days max, popcorn loses crispness fast, fudge hardens and stale flavors creep in. Refrigeration ruins popcorn crunch but preserves cake longer; prioritize fresh texture.
- 💡 Egg whipping key step—mix 9 min high speed, pale yellow ribbons fall slowly from beater. Full volume develops cake structure. Adding oil slow prevent collapse. Use room temp eggs for easier emulsion. Avoid poking cake mid-bake; moisture escapes quickly making dry crumb. Whole wheat flour adds complexity but dries cake if overbeat—limit to partial sub. Sub grapeseed oil if coconut aroma unwanted; melted butter possible but cool before adding. Any swap needs adjustment in batter moisture. Popcorn caramel coating balance tricky—too hard popcorn breaks teeth, too soft soggy cake.
Common questions
How to keep popcorn crunchy in cake?
Add popcorn last possible moment. Toast lightly in oven for 3 minutes if stale or humid. Drizzle caramel carefully; too much wetness makes popcorn soggy fast. Store cake airtight but popcorn best eaten within 2 days. Refrigeration keeps fudge firm but ruins popcorn crispness.
Can I substitute coconut oil?
Yes, grapeseed oil is neutral, works well. Butter can replace but must be melted and cooled. Vegetable oil works but loses coconut subtle aroma. Adjust batter moisture carefully if swapping; coconut oil solid at room temp, others liquid, affects mixing and cake texture.
What to do if cake crumb is dry?
Most likely overmix or too hot oven. Watch batter thickness; thin batter means add flour bit by bit. Avoid poking cake. Lower oven temp 5 degrees if possible. Don’t rush egg whipping; full volume traps moisture. Cool cake fully before removing from pan to keep structure moist.
How to store leftover cake properly?
Room temp airtight box best for 1-2 days to keep popcorn crisp. Refrigerate to keep fudge firm but popcorn softens and loses crunch fast. Cover cake but avoid steam buildup; use parchment between layers if stacked. Freeze not recommended due to caramel sauce and popcorn texture changes.
