A rich, vegan chocolate cake topped with homemade caramel popcorn and a light coconut-based frosting. This dessert delivers contrasting textures and indulgent flavors that are easy to love.

Ingredients

• Cake
• 4 cups flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup oil
• 2 cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• Icing
• 4 cans coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Caramel Popcorn
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1½ tsp vanilla
• ¾ tsp salt
• ½ cup coconut cream, chilled overnight
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 4 cups popped popcorn

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 170°F (or the lowest setting on your oven) to dry the popcorn after coating it with caramel.
2. Make the caramel by placing the sugar, salt and vanilla in a pot over high heat.
3. Stir constantly until the sugar becomes lumpy and turns a light brown color.
4. Carefully add the chilled coconut cream and continue stirring.
5. Stir until all lumps dissolve and the caramel is smooth.
6. Remove the pot from heat.
7. Stir in the baking soda until evenly combined.
8. Allow the caramel to cool slightly.
9. In a large mixing bowl, pour two-thirds of the caramel over the popped popcorn and stir to coat evenly.
10. Spread the coated popcorn in one or two 9×13 pans in as thin a layer as possible.
11. Bake the popcorn for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes so it dries and crisps evenly.
12. The finished caramel popcorn will be clumped together but not sticky; you’ll break it apart rather than stirring it smoothly.
13. Once the popcorn is out of the oven, prepare the cake layers.
14. Preheat the oven to 350°F for the cake.
15. Grease three to four 8-inch round cake pans and set aside.
16. Mix all dry ingredients together in a medium bowl.
17. Mix all wet ingredients together in another bowl.
18. Combine dry and wet ingredients, adding the dry mix in 1/3-cup increments, or combine all at once if short on time.
19. Blend until the batter is smooth.
20. Fill each cake pan about 3/4 full.
21. Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
22. Remove from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn out to cool completely.
23. To make the icing, scoop the thick cream from the chilled coconut milk cans into a bowl, avoiding the coconut water. Save or discard the liquid as you prefer.
24. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, then mix on high with a hand mixer for 2–3 minutes until stiff and fluffy.
25. Spread a thin crumb layer of frosting on each cake layer as you stack them, then cover the assembled cake with a full layer of frosting.
26. Pile the caramel popcorn on top of the frosted cake and around the base as desired.
27. Rewarm any remaining caramel in the microwave in 30-second increments, stirring between each interval, until soft enough to drizzle.
28. Drizzle the warmed caramel over the popcorn and cake, then serve and enjoy.