Description
A festive and easy-to-make Patriotic Popcorn Cake that combines crunchy air-popped popcorn with colorful red, white, and blue marshmallow coatings. Perfect for holidays and celebrations, this sweet-and-savory treat is quick to prepare, kid-friendly, allergy adaptable, and visually striking.
Ingredients
Scale
Popcorn Base
- 12 cups plain air-popped popcorn
Marshmallow Mixture
- 1/4 cup butter
- 10 ounces mini marshmallows
Coloring and Decoration
- Red gel food coloring
- Blue gel food coloring
- White chocolate or candy melts (for drizzling)
- Red, white, and blue sprinkles
Instructions
- Prepare Your Popcorn: Start by popping about 12 cups of plain popcorn. Air-popped is best to avoid excess oil, but stovetop popcorn works fine if you drain well. Remove any unpopped kernels to keep it safe and pleasant to eat.
- Melt Butter and Marshmallows: In a large pot, melt 1/4 cup of butter over low heat. Add 10 ounces of mini marshmallows and stir continuously until completely melted and smooth. This sticky mixture will hold your popcorn together.
- Tint the Marshmallow Mixture: Divide the marshmallow mixture equally into three small bowls. Add red food coloring to one bowl, blue to another, and leave one plain for white. Stir until the shades are vibrant and consistent.
- Combine Popcorn with Colored Mixtures: Divide the popcorn into three equal parts. Pour the red marshmallow mixture over one portion, the blue over the second, and the plain white mixture over the third. Stir gently to coat each batch completely without crushing the popcorn.
- Layer the Popcorn Cake: Line a square or rectangular baking pan with parchment paper. Press the red-coated popcorn into the bottom third of the pan, then the white-coated popcorn in the middle, and finish with the blue-coated popcorn on top. Use a spatula or lightly greased hands to press each layer lightly but firmly.
- Add Finishing Touches: Once layered, drizzle melted white chocolate or candy melts over the top and sprinkle liberally with red, white, and blue sprinkles. Allow the cake to cool and set for about an hour before slicing.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant colors without thinning the marshmallow mixture.
- Work quickly as marshmallow mixtures harden fast.
- Grease your hands lightly to prevent popcorn from sticking and crushing when pressing layers.
- Keep the layers level and compact for a neat and visually appealing cake.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container to keep popcorn crisp for up to 3 days.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Appetizers
- Method: Baking
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approximate)
- Calories: 180
- Sugar: 22g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 6g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 1.5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 1g
- Cholesterol: 15mg