Cake Batter Popcorn

If you've been to any ice cream places lately I'm sure you have seen and maybe even tried cake batter ice cream. It's very popular and although we don't make outings to the ice cream parlor often I have to admit it is quite tasty.

I thought I was being really creative and inventive when I thought to make cake batter popcorn. Turns out there are already many recipes out there to follow to make this, however, all of them that I read used shortening (gross!) and white chocolate along with the cake mix. Since I can't bring myself to use shortening I knew I had to come up with something else.

My mom makes the most delicious caramel corn so I decided to modify her recipe to make it taste like cake batter but still be perfectly coated and crunchy!!

I have a serious problem with GMO (genetically modified organism) anything and since corn is something like 90% (don't quote me on the percentage) genetically modified these days I only buy organic non-GMO popcorn. You choose but be aware that unfortunately most corn is modified in some way.

Cake Batter Popcorn
1 stick butter
1/2 c. sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 c. light corn syrup
1 c. yellow cake mix
1/2 t. baking soda
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Pop 4 quarts (16 cups) of popcorn and divide equally between two lightly buttered 9 x 13 pans making sure there are no kernels left.  I use my hands after popping the corn and put it in the baking pans leaving the un-popped kernels in the bottom of the bowl. It's no fun to break your tooth on a popcorn kernel so take your time doing this! (I think using an air popper is the easiest way to make popcorn but if you don't have one you can make it on your stove in a large stock pot with a little oil.)

Combine the butter, sugar, salt and corn syrup (try to get corn syrup that does not have HFCS) in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring enough to blend. Once the mixture begins to boil, boil for 5 minutes on medium heat stirring constantly.

Remove from the heat, and stir in the baking soda, cake mix and vanilla. The mixture will become light and foamy.

Immediately pour cake batter sauce over the popcorn in the pans, and stir to coat.

Bake for 1 hour, removing the pans, and giving them each a good stir every 15 minutes. After 30 minutes shake on some sprinkles for added fun! If you do this any sooner the colors will run making a messy looking popcorn and who wants that?!

After one hour remove pans from the oven and continue to gently stir the popcorn until it cools enough so it doesn't stay in big clumps.

Serve to anyone who loves popcorn or cake batter!