Primrose Bakery Popcorn Cake

Method

1. Preheat oven and prepare baking tin

   Preheat the oven to 1800C/1600C (fan)/3500F/ gas mark 4. Lightly grease a deep 23cm baking tin and line with parchment paper.

2. Combine flour and salt

   Put the flour and salt into a bowl, stir to combine, then set aside.

3. Mix butter and sugar together, add eggs

   In a separate bowl and using an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together for 3-5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the vanilla extract with the last egg.

4. Add in flour mix and milk

   Add half the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated, then pour in half the milk and mix until smooth. Repeat until all of the flour and milk is incorporated.

5. Pour into tin

   Pour the batter into the prepared tin and spread it out evenly.

6. Bake

   Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45-50 minutes, until the cake is golden brown on top and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

7. Cool and turn onto wire rack

   Allow to cool in its tin for 15 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8. Put chocolate in bowl

   Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and set aside.

9. Heat cream, add to chocolate

   Heat the cream in a small pan over a low to medium heat until it starts to simmer. Be careful not to allow it to boil. Once the cream starts to simmer, immediately pour it over the chocolate.

10. Stir

    Let it stand for 30-60 seconds, then stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until all the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.

11. Cool

    Allow it to cool to room temperature.

12. Mix popcorn together

    Put all the popcorn into a bowl and mix together.

13. Ice cake with chocolate ganache

    Ice the sides and the top of the cooled cake with the chocolate ganache.

14. Top with popcorn

    Cover the sides and the top of the cake with the popcorn, gently pushing it into the ganache to ensure it sticks

15. Serve immediately

    This cake is best served immediately, as the popcorn will start to go soft over time