This salted caramel popcorn cake recipe is one of the most fun cakes I've ever made. You get soft caramel-flavored cake layers, creamy salted caramel frosting, rich caramel drizzle, and a bunch of crunchy caramel popcorn on top.
You can make this cake any time of the year; that is why I love making it so often. If you love caramel desserts, why not try this Sea Salted Caramel Cupcakes recipe? Let’s dive in!
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Try This Salted Caramel Popcorn Cake Recipe
One of my favorite things about this caramel popcorn cake is the different textures. One bite gives you a soft cake, creamy frosting, gooey caramel, and crunchy popcorn all in one.
Once the cake layers and frosting are finished, the final decoration doesn’t take much to do and makes the cake look delicious and taste even better.
Why You’ll Love It
- A real showstopper: Whenever I serve this cake, it's the first thing people talk about, and everybody loves it.
- Loaded with caramel flavor: From the cake layers to the frosting and topping, caramel is everywhere.
- Perfect sweet and salty balance: I love how the salt prevents the caramel from becoming too sweet.
- Great for celebrations: This is one of my go-to cakes when I want to impress guests.
- Fun to decorate: The caramel popcorn makes decorating easy while creating a stunning finish.
Ingredients
- Brown sugar: I use brown sugar throughout the recipe because it gives the cake and caramel a deep, rich flavor.
- Butter: Good-quality butter is what makes a smooth caramel and adds richness to the cake layers.
- Heavy whipping cream: This is what gives the caramel and frosting a silky texture.
- Popcorn: I like to always pop the kernels just before I make this recipe, because freshly popped popcorn works best, as it stays crispy and holds the caramel together well.
How to Make Salted Caramel Popcorn Cake
1. Start by combining flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Stir and set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix butter and brown sugar until creamy. Then add eggs and vanilla. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk.
3. Divide batter into two 9“ springform pans equally and bake.
4. When making the frosting, you need to make the salted caramel first. Melt the butter over medium heat. Then add brown sugar and heavy cream.
5. Bring to a boil and cook for about 2 minutes until it is getting thicker. Stir constantly so that the caramel doesn’t burn. Trust me. This can happen very quickly when you are not constantly stirring.
6. Then remove from the heat and stir in vanilla and salt. It needs to come to room temperature before proceeding further. Once it is cooled, you can go on with the frosting.
7. Mix the cooled caramel with sifted powdered sugar. Add about 1-1.5 cups at a time and mix until combined. It will look crumbly, but this is ok. It will get creamy when you add the heavy cream.
8. I recommend starting with 5 cups of sifted powdered sugar and ¼ cup of heavy cream. Add more sugar or heavy cream, little by little, if the consistency is too liquid or not creamy enough.
Tip: The consistency is right when it is creamy but firm enough that you can spread it easily. You can go up to 6 cups of powdered sugar or ½ cup of heavy cream.
9. Frost the cake between the layers and on the sides of the cake.
10. I used the cooked caramel sauce for the topping as well. Cook it exactly like before. Then let it cool for a few minutes until it is not hot anymore but still liquid, and pour 1 cup of caramel sauce over 10 cups of popped corn and stir until evenly moist.
11. Drizzle the remaining caramel around the edges of your chilled cake so that it drips down the sides. Place the popcorn on top. The cake with the popcorn on top will be super high. Just saying.
12. If you don’t use all the caramel popcorn for the cake, then enjoy it later in front of the TV.
Recipe Tips
- I always let the caramel cool before adding the powdered sugar.
- Stir the caramel constantly while cooking because it can burn very quickly.
- If the frosting feels too thick, I add a little extra cream.
- I like to chill the cake overnight in the refrigerator whenever possible because it slices more cleanly and gives extra flavor.
- Fresh popcorn gives the best texture for the topping.
- Any additional caramel sauce can also be added to salted peanuts as a delicious snack.
What Can You Serve With This?
- Coffee
- Vanilla ice cream
- Hot chocolate
- Salted caramel sauce
- Whipped cream
- Fresh berries
- Cold milk
FAQs
Yes. I usually make it a day ahead because the caramel flavors have more time to meld together.
You can, but I find freshly popped popcorn stays crunchier and tastes better with the caramel coating.
It is definitely a dessert for caramel lovers, so yes, it is sweet, but the added salt helps balance the sweetness nicely.
Yes. I usually freeze the cake layers separately and assemble the cake when I'm ready to serve it.
Recipe
Salted Caramel Popcorn Cake Recipe
Ingredients
cake
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (360g)
- 2 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup butter, room temperature (226g)
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar (300g)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 1 ¼ cups milk (300ml)
frosting
- 1 cup butter (226g)
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar (300g)
- ¾ - 1 cup heavy whipping cream (180-240ml)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 2 vanilla beans (or 2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
- 5 - 6 cups powdered sugar (600-720g)
topping
- 1 cup butter (226g)
- 1 ½ cups brown sugar (300g)
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream (120ml)
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 10 cups popped corn (100g)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C. Line the bottom of two 9“ springform pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides. Set aside.
- Cake: In a large bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt to combine. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a whisk or paddle attachment beat butter and sugar until creamy for about 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla* and mix until combined. Alternately add dry ingredients and milk and mix on low speed just until combined. Begin and end with dry ingredients. Divide batter into the two prepared springform pans equally. Bake for about 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick centered in the middle comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature before frosting.
- Frosting: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add brown sugar and ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes. Whisk continuously. Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla* until combined. Transfer to a large heat-proof mixing bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
- Add 5 cups of powdered sugar to the cooled caramel little by little and stir on medium-low speed until it's starting to get crumbly. Add ¼ cup heavy cream and mix on medium speed until combined and creamy. Add more sugar or heavy cream little by little if the consistency is too liquid or too little creamy. The consistency should be creamy but firm enough to spread. Add salt and stir to combine. When you add more sugar, you may increase the salt amount to your taste.
- Cut cake layers in half horizontally. Spread with ¼ of the frosting. Place a second cake layer on top and frost again. Repeat two more times. Spread remaining frosting on top of the cake and around the sides. Chill in the fridge at least 4 hours.
- Topping: In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, add brown sugar and ½ cup of heavy whipping cream and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes. Whisk continuously. Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla* until combined.
- Transfer the popcorn to a large bowl and pour 1 cup of the cooked caramel sauce on top. Stir until popcorn is evenly moist.
- Pour the remaining caramel around the edges of your chilled cake that it drips down the sides. Place the caramel popcorn on top of the cake. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Notes
Cooking Time and Temperature
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 23-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Chill the assembled cake for at least 4 hours before decorating.Taste & Texture
This salted caramel cake is wonderfully soft and moist with a rich caramel flavor running through every layer. The frosting is creamy and smooth, while the caramel popcorn adds a crunchy, sweet-and-salty finish that makes every bite interesting.Storage, Freezing & Reheating
- Refrigerator: I store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: The cake layers freeze very well for up to 2 months.
- Thawing: Allow frozen layers to thaw at room temperature before assembling.
- Best Served: Slightly chilled or at cool room temperature.
Serving Recommendations
I love serving this caramel popcorn cake after a family dinner with coffee or hot chocolate. It also makes an incredible birthday cake because the popcorn topping creates such a dramatic presentation.Recipe Variations and Substitutions
- Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar gives an even deeper caramel flavor.
- Popcorn: I sometimes use lightly salted popcorn to bring out the sweet-and-salty contrast.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract works perfectly if you don't have vanilla beans.
- Extra caramel: If you're a caramel lover like me, add an extra drizzle before serving.
- Decoration: A sprinkle of flaky sea salt on top looks beautiful and adds even more flavor.
Proper Storage Tips
- Store the cake in an airtight container.
- Keep refrigerated because of the frosting.
- Add the popcorn topping as close to serving time as possible for maximum crunch.
- Cover leftover slices well to prevent them from drying out.
Pro Tips
- Let the caramel cool completely before making the frosting.
- Don't rush the chilling time.
- Use freshly popped popcorn for the best texture.
- Stir the caramel constantly while cooking.
- Chill the cake before adding the caramel drizzle and popcorn topping.
Video
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Yuri
This cake is one of the most tasty, rich cakes I have ever made.
thanks for all the amazing videos. 😉
Safina naz hi
Hi I will definitely gonna make this beautiful cake looks amazing I m from pakistsn can u pla tell me the half ratio of this recepie wanna make small cake of this recepie what will be quantity of the ingredients ,will be very thankful. Stay blessed
Sabine
You can divide all ingredients by 2 to make a small cake. This should be easy to do for all ingredients except the egg. I would suggest using only 1 egg and add an additional 2 tbsp of milk to the batter. I hope this helps!
Meryl
This looks delicious! If we make this we were thinking of steeping popcorn in the milk (for cake) and cream (for frosting) to infuse it with more popcorn flavor! Have you ever tried anything like that?
Sabine
No, I haven't thought of that before. Sounds like a good idea!
Anna
Hi Sabine,
Thanks for this recipe, it looks gorgeus!! One question... Aren't the popcorn absorbing humidity?
Please, let me know...
Thanks!!
Sabine
Hi Anna, yes, the popcorn gets chewy the longer it is in the fridge. You could make the cake, store it, and add fresh popcorn and caramel sauce when serving. Hope that helps!
Amanda
O.M.G. This is so spectacular. I have no words. All what I can do is give it 5-stars.
Sabine
Thank you so much, Amanda! I'm happy that you like it (: I would love to send you a slice!