Indulge in a festive and unique Valentine’s Day treat with this delicious Caramel Popcorn Cake. Packed with pink sprinkles and themed chocolate candies, it’s an excellent dessert to serve those you love!
Valentine’s Day is a special occasion that calls for a sweet and festive treat!
If you’re tired of the usual candies and chocolates, why not try something new and delicious this year like my Valentine’s Day Caramel Popcorn Cake.
It’s a simple and tasty dessert that’s perfect for sharing with your loved one.
This recipe works because it’s:
- Sure to impress. Whether you’re planning a romantic dinner for two or a fun gathering with friends, this cake is sure to be a hit.
- Both fun and delicious! With its pink sprinkles, themed chocolate candies, and fluffy popcorn base, your guests won’t be able to stop eating it.
- Simple to make. This popcorn cake only has a handful of ingredients and there’s no stovetop required for preparation.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Place 10 cups of popped kettle corn (3-ounce bag) in a large mixing bowl. Remove all of the unpopped kernels.
Add 10 ounces of miniature (or regular-sized) marshmallows, 3/4 cup of caramel bits, and 3 Tablespoons of butter, cubed to a separate large microwave-safe mixing bowl.
Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 3 minutes or until melted. Stir after each minute.
Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and mix well.
Spread the popcorn on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with 3 Tablespoons of Valentine’s sprinkles.
Allow it to cool for a few minutes and then sprinkle on 3/4 cup red, white, and pink M&M’s. You don’t want the popcorn to get too cool, but cool enough that the chocolate won’t melt.
Spray your heart-shaped cake pan with cooking spray and press the popcorn in with parchment paper or greased hands.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let cool for at least 2 hours.
To serve, gently loosen the cake with a butter knife and turn it onto a plate. Cut pieces with a serrated knife.
Recipe Tips and Substitutions
The original recipe I followed called for 16 ounces of marshmallows which was way too much for 10 cups of popcorn. I adjusted the amount of marshmallows so that you won’t have so much caramel sauce leftover.
Along those lines, I used a 6 inch x 3 inch heart cake pan and it wasn’t quite big enough for all of the popcorn. If you want all of the popcorn to fit, I recommend at least an 8 inch pan.
You’ll see that some of the M&M’s in my cake got a little melted. If you wait until the popcorn has cooled a little more, you shouldn’t have that issue. You can also put the candies in the freezer or fridge before adding them so they’re nice and chilled.
Be sure to coat your cake pan evenly with cooking spray so that your popcorn cake will slide out easily.
Don’t press the popcorn into the pan too much or your cake could come out hard and dense.
Once your popcorn cake has cooled, you should store it in an airtight container, along with any leftover caramel popcorn that didn’t make it into the cake.
You can use any size of marshmallows that you want for this recipe as long as they come out to a total of 10 ounces.
Try these additional add-ins to personalize your caramel popcorn cake:
- Peanuts or cashews
- Pink colored marshmallows
- Heart-shaped gummies
- Drizzle the top of the cake with melted white or milk chocolate
More Like This
Looking for more yummy Valentine’s Day treats? You’ll love these!
- Strawberry Valentine’s Day Cupcakes
- Mini Cherry Cheesecake Bites
- Raspberry Pretzel Jello Dessert
- Pink Fluff
- Valentine’s Day Breakfast Ideas for Kids
- Valentine’s Party Food Ideas For Kids
FAQs
If you don’t want the cake to have the caramel color to it, you’ll want to eliminate the caramel bits from the recipe. You should still have enough marshmallow mixture to cover the 10 cups of popcorn without the addition of the caramel.
3/4 cup of caramel bits is the equivalent of about 20 wrapped caramels.
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Valentine’s Day Caramel Popcorn Cake
Ingredients
- 10 cups popped kettle corn, 3-ounce bag
- 10 ounces miniature marshmallows
- ¾ cup caramel bits
- 3 Tablespoons butter, cubed
- 3 Tablespoons Valentine's Day sprinkles
- ¾ cup red, white, and pink M&M's
Instructions
- Place popped kettle corn in a large mixing bowl. Remove all of the unpopped kernels.
- Add miniature marshmallows, caramel bits, and butter to a separate large microwave-safe mixing bowl.
- Microwave, uncovered, on HIGH for 3 minutes or until melted. Stir after each minute.
- Pour the caramel mixture over the popcorn and mix well.
- Spread the popcorn on a greased cookie sheet and sprinkle with Valentine's sprinkles.
- Allow the popcorn to cool for a few minutes and then sprinkle on the M&M's. You don't want the popcorn to get too cool, but cool enough that the chocolate won't melt.
- Spray your heart-shaped cake pan with cooking spray and press the popcorn in with parchment paper or greased hands.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let cool for at least 2 hours.
- To serve, gently loosen the cake with a butter knife and turn it onto a plate. Cut pieces with a serrated knife.