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Popcorn Box Cake - A Night at the Movies or Oscars Party

Posted


Throw the best birthday party ever!

A Night at the Movies



Created and decorated by Elisa Strauss
Photos by Craig Gustafson

WOW to Elisa, 
she is such a gifted artist...

Made with buttery vanilla cake, these treats are 
perfect for a in-home movie night, Oscar night or a birthday party.  T
These are small cakes are also table decorations and if not eaten at the party, 
guests can take them home as a special gift.  
The popcorn box cakes are sure to get lots of 
ooooohs and aaaaaahs, we just know it!

 




Essential Elements:
4 pounds gumpaste
Gel icing colors:  red and lemon yellow
Craft knife or paring knife
Shortening
Ball tool
Powdered icing colors:  brown and yellow
3 art brushes, fine and standard-tipped
Water
Half-sheet cake
Ruler
Serrated knife
3 cardboard or foam core rectangles, 4 x 2-1/2 inches
Buttercream icing or filling
4 pounds rolled fondant icing
Scissors
Bone tool
Parchment or pastry bags
Tip #2
1/2 cup royal icing


Elisa Suggests:
Be sure to prepare the popcorn kernels one day in advance.  Each cake requires 20 kernels of sugar popcorn.


1.  Tint 2 pounds of gumpaste with yellow gel coloring.  Roll the icing into a rope measuring 10 inches long and 1/2 inch in diameter.  Cut the rope into 20 pieces 1/2-inch wide, 20 pieces 1/4-inch wide and 20 pieces 1/8-inch wide.


Elisa Suggests:
Prevent the slices from drying out by covering them with plastic wrap and a damp cloth while you are working.




2.  Grease your hands lightly with shortening, then roll each piece of yellow gumpaste into a ball.  Repeat steps 1 and 2 three times.





3.  Form 1/4-inch indents in each of the 1/2-inch balls using the small end of a ball tool.  Add 1/8-inch indents in each of the smaller pieces, then distort the edges with your finger tips.  Attach a medium-sized kernel to a large kernel with the smooth sides together.  Add a small kernel next to the medium kernel, using a dab of water to adhere the pieces together.  Repeat with the remaining balls.

Elisa Suggests:
You do not want anything to look perfect.  Popcorn comes in all shapes and sizes, so be creative!  Feel free to add more balls to some kernels, and just one ball to others to create the irregular look you find in real popcorn.  Some of the small kernels can even be left unattached.





4.  Tint the outside of each piece of popcorn with yellow powdered coloring applied with a standard-sized art brush.  In a small dish, mix brown powdered coloring with water to achieve a subtle brown color.  Using a fine-tipped art brush, apply the brown coloring to the inside of each piece to resemble the kernel's leftover shell.  






5.  Allow a half-sheet cake to chill in a freezer for one hour to faciliate carving.  Once chilled, divide the cake into 12 rectangles measuring 4 x 2-1/2 inches.  Place a cake rectangle on a matching rectangle of cardboard or foam core board.  Stack two more cake rectangles on top, adding buttercream filling between each layer.  Push down slightly on the top layer to secure the layers together.  Repeat to create two more cakes, then chill them in a freezer for 1 hour.  After the cakes have chilled, carve a gusset into the sides of each cake, and remove the excess.

Elisa Suggests:
A gusset  is the upside-down Y shape that is found on the sides of shopping bags which allows them to fold neatly.  Have a real shopping bag nearby to refer to while carving.





6.  Crumbcoat the cakes with a thin layer of buttercream.  Roll out 1 pound of donant to 1/8-inch thickness.  Cut out two squares measuring 4-1/2 inches, and two rectangles measuring 3 x 4-1/2 inches.  Keep the cut pieces covered with plastic wrap and a damp cloth to prevent drying.  Attach the fondant squares to the front and back of the cake, being sure the icing extends past the top and sides of the cake by 1/4 inch.  Trim the fondant along the bottom edge with a craft knife.  Brush the exposed edges of the front and back pieces with water, then place the fondant rectangles against the sides.  Pinch the seams together and smooth the fondant against the cake to secure.





7.  Using a bone tool, press the side pieces into the gussets carved in step 5.  If necessary, clean up the seams by removing excess paste with scissors.  Repeat with the remaining cakes.





8.  Tint the remaining gumpaste red and roll out to 1/16-inch thickness.  Cut the paste into 14 strips measuring 3/8 x 4-1/2 inches.  Lightly moisten the backs of each strip with water, then attach them to the cake sides at regular intervals.  Fold the tops of the strips over the top edge of the fondant.

Elisa Suggests:
For even spacing, place a ruler on the work surface near the edge of the cake to measure the spacing.  Do not add too much water to the backs of the strips as red tends to bleed.





9.  Load a parchment or pastry bag with tip #2 and royal icing.  Pipe a dab of icing onto the back of a piece of popcorn and place it inside the bag.  Repeat the process with each piece of popcorn to secure it in place.  Have a few pieces positioned along the outside edge to create the illusion of an overflowing bag.

Elisa Suggests:
You can also make tiny popcorn buckets using cupcakes by wrapping one piece of fondant around the cupcake -- extending past the top -- and filling it with popcorn.




Thanks to American Cake Decorating Magazine!


If you like decorating cakes or just looking at cake photos and recipes, this is a MUST HAVE magazine.  To read more about American Cake Decorating Magazine, visit http://thepartyworks.com/product_info.php/cPath/194/products_id/5822
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