Popcorn Cake

Note: use specialty M&Ms to make it festive for your occasion, like red and green for Christmas, or your favorite team’s colors for a Superbowl party.

Pop popcorn and allow to cool. You may want to shake out the popcorn into a bowl to get all the unpopped seeds out.

In a very large bowl, place M&Ms, peanuts and popcorn in that order, with M&Ms on the bottom, peanuts on top of the M&Ms, and popcorn on top of that.

In a saucepan over medium heat, begin melting margarine and add oil and stir. Add in marshmallows and begin stirring while allowing the marshmallows to melt. Stir constantly with a heat-proof spatula/spoonula. Allow to boil until approximately 230ºF. The mixture will be translucent when coating the thermometer or against the bottom of the pan when you tilt it to the side.

You can do all of the above in the microwave. Just be very careful about the marshmallows expanding and spilling over your bowl.

Once the marshmallow mixture is finished cooking, pour it over the popcorn. With two wooden spoons, mix the hot marshmallow mixture into the popcorn and gradually incorporate the peanuts and M&Ms at the bottom of the bowl as the mixture cools a bit. Mix until all the ingredients are evenly distributed. (Or until at least mostly evenly distributed.)

Lightly spray an angel food cake pan (or Bundt) and your hands with cooking spray. Using your hands, press the popcorn mixture down into the pan. This recipe will completely fill an angel food cake pan and fill a Bundt pan with a little left over. Allow the pressed cake to cool in the pan for a while (maybe 30 minutes to an hour) until the cake has set and firmed up.

Turn cake out on a platter or cake taker that can be covered. You may have to lightly squeeze the pan to release it or you may use a hair-dryer on the outside of the pan to warm and release it. Continue to allow the cake to sit out and set up in the open air at room temperature for another hour or so.

Use a sharp bread knife to slice the cake and eat it with your fingers. And eat some more … and some more … you get the idea.