Toffee Popcorn Fudge Cake

Step 01

First infuse the cream for the ganache. Heat the 1 tsp oil in a saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add one piece of corn and cover with a lid then, once it pops, add the rest. Cook covered for about 4 minutes, shaking the pan regularly until most of the corn has popped. Slide the lid open a touch and leave for 5 minutes to let the rest pop, shaking now and then. Add the cream, butter and a pinch of fine sea salt, then set over a medium heat, stirring regularly, until the butter has melted and the cream is steaming but not boiling. Take off the heat, cover and leave to infuse for 30 minutes.

Step 02

Strain the popcorn cream through a sieve to remove the kernels and discard them. Put the cream back in a pan over a medium heat, stirring, until almost simmering. Add the white chocolate and cook for 1 minute until melted and combined, then scrape into a bowl. Leave to cool, then chill for at least 2 hours until very cold.

Step 03

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Melt the butter for the cake, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool. Grease and line the bases of 2 x 20cm sandwich cake tins with a little of the melted butter. Combine the flour, both sugars, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl.

Step 04

Beat together the eggs, treacle, soured cream and vanilla in a large bowl until combined. Whisk the 120ml oil into the cooled melted butter, then mix in 280ml cold water. Combine with the egg mixture, then fold in the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until evenly mixed.

Step 05

Divide the cake mixture between the tins and bake for 35-40 minutes until a skewer pushed into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out to cool completely.

Step 06

While the cake cools, make the toffee sauce. Put all the sauce ingredients in a pan over a low-medium heat until the butter has melted and everything is combined. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes, then pour into a jug and leave to cool completely at room temperature, stirring now and then as it thickens.

Step 07

Once the ganache is completely cold, beat it with an electric mixer for a few minutes until it whips into a fluffy ganache. Spread half the whipped ganache over one cake, top with the other, then spread the rest over the top.

Step 08

Drizzle two thirds of the toffee sauce over the cake, pile the toffee popcorn on top, then drizzle over the remaining sauce to finish.