Salted caramel popcorn cake (gluten and dairy free)

My salted caramel popcorn cake combines 2 layers of gluten free brown sugar sponge with a salted caramel buttercream, toffee popcorn and a drizzle of salted caramel sauce! It’s totally gluten and dairy free, and is the perfect celebration cake for anyone with a sweet tooth! If you do make this cake I’d love to see, don’t forget to tag me in your photos over on social media.

Frequently asked questions 

Which butter do you use for the the buttercream?

I use the Stork ‘perfect for baking’ 250g gold packet butter which is naturally dairy free and available in most major UK supermarkets. If you can’t get hold of this butter, it’s always best to use a hard dairy free butter block instead of a soft spread for a dairy free buttercream as soft spread can sometimes cause the mixture to curdle. Note: This is the only Stork butter that doesn’t contain milk so be careful to pick up the right packet.

How long will this cake last? 

This cake last in an airtight container for up to 3 days however, is always best served on the day you make it.

Which popcorn did you use for the topping?

For this cake I used the Propercorn Salted Caramel popcorn however any toffee/caramel popcorn would work, just make sure it doesn’t contain any gluten or dairy! If you are unable to find any toffee popcorn that doesn’t contain milk, you can easily make your own with popping corn, light brown sugar, dairy free butter and golden syrup.

Which coconut milk do you use for the salted caramel sauce?

For my salted caramel sauce I use the Blue Dragon Full Fat Coconut Milk (the whole tin including the hard part at the top & the watery part in the bottom) however any other full fat coconut milk will work, just ensure it’s not a light version.

Print Recipe

4.89 from 18 votes

Salted caramel popcorn cake

Prep Time30 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 12 Slices

Ingredients

For the cake

• 250 g dairy free butter
• 250 g light brown sugar
• 5 medium eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 250 g gluten free self raising flour
• 2 tbsp dairy free milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp baking powder

For the salted caramel sauce

• 1 400g tin full fat coconut milk (see FAQs)
• 175 g light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp salt

For the buttercream

• 150 g dairy free butter block (see FAQs)
• 300 g icing sugar
• 2 tbsp salted caramel sauce

Instructions

For the cake

• Pre heat the oven to 180C and grease and line 2 standard cake tins. In a large bowl beat dairy free butter and light brown sugar, until creamy. Add the eggs 1 at a time and continue to beat until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and beat again.
• Fold in the self raising flour, baking powder, salt and dairy free milk until fully combined. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and bake in the oven for around 25-30 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

For the salted caramel sauce

• Make the salted caramel sauce by adding the coconut milk (the whole tin including the hard and liquid part), light brown sugar and vanilla extract to a saucepan. Heat on a medium heat and stir until it comes to a boil.
• Once it's come to a boil, continue to stir for around 20 minutes until it has thickened slightly and is a dark brown colour. Stir through the salt and place to one side to cool.

Make the buttercream

• Once the the salted caramel sauce has cooled down make the buttercream by beating the dairy free butter block until creamy. Slowly add the icing sugar and continue to beat until it's fully combined (this can take up to 5 minutes).
• Add 2 tablespoons of the salted caramel sauce and beat again until combined.

Assemble the cake

• Sandwich the 2 cakes together with a layer of the buttercream and spread the top with more buttercream. Top with salted caramel popcorn and drizzle over the rest of the salted caramel sauce. Enjoy!

I absolutely love seeing what you’ve created, so if you do make this recipe (or any other recipe from my website) don’t forget to tag me over on my social media pages @glutenfreealice and use the hashtag #glutenfreealice