POPCORN & PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CAKE

SERVES 16 PREP + COOK 1 HOUR 15 MINS + COOLING

✦ ½ cup cocoa

✦ ½ cup boiling water

✦ 185g butter, chopped (see tip)

✦ 1½ cups caster sugar

✦ 2 tsp vanilla extract

✦ 3 eggs

✦ 1½ cups self-raising flour

✦ ½ cup plain flour

✦ ¾ cup buttermilk

✦ 2 cups nutty caramel popcorn

✦ 2 tsp icing sugar

PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

✦ 435g ready-made vanilla frosting

✦ 200g smooth peanut butter

✦ 1 tbs milk

1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease a deep 22cm square cake pan with butter. Line base and sides with baking paper.

2 Combine sifted cocoa and boiling water in a large bowl until smooth. Add butter, caster sugar and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer until butter is paler and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add sifted flours and buttermilk in 2 batches. Beat on low speed until just combined. Spread mixture into pan.

3 Bake cake 55 mins until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean. Leave cake in pan 5 mins before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool completely.

4 PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Stir all of the ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.

5 Place cake on a plate. Spread frosting on top. Just before serving, arrange popcorn on frosting, then dust with sifted icing sugar.