Poppin’ Up Happy Birthday Cake

Prep Time: 35 Minutes • Start to Finish: 2 Hours 50 Minutes • 15 servings

Savory popcorn and sweet cake come together in a unique cake appealing to both old and young alike!

• 1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist yellow cake mix
• Water, vegetable oil and eggs called for on cake mix box
• 2 containers (1 lb each) Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy creamy white frosting
• Tray or cardboard (24 x 16 inches), covered with wrapping paper and plastic food wrap or foil
• Red pull-and-peel licorice
• ¼ bar (4-oz size) white chocolate
• Blue decorating icing (from 4.25-oz tube)
• 2 cups popped microwave kettle corn popcorn

1 Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom and side of 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray with flour. Grease and flour bottom and sides of 11 x 7-inch glass baking dish (do not use baking spray). Make cake batter as directed on box. Pour 1⅓ cups batter into 8-inch round pan and remaining batter into 11 x 7-inch baking dish.

2 Bake 8-inch pan 23 to 28 minutes (dark or nonstick 8-inch pan 26 to 33 minutes) and 11 x 7-inch dish 34 to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan and baking dish to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

3 Cut 8-inch round cake crosswise in half. Spread 2 tablespoons frosting over top of 1 cake piece. Top with second cake piece.

4 Cut wedge shape from each long side of 11 x 7-inch cake so cake is 4 inches wide at one end and 7 inches wide at other end (see diagram 1). On tray, place larger cake piece with 4-inch end at one end of tray. Place stacked rounded cake at 7-inch end of cake on tray (see diagram 2) for kettle corn. Freeze cake 1 hour before frosting to reduce crumbs.

5 Spread desired amount of remaining frosting over entire cake. Peel 5 sections of licorice apart; arrange lengthwise on popcorn bag.

6 Place white chocolate bar on center of popcorn bag. Write “Happy Birthday” on bar with decorating icing. Press kettle corn onto top of cake. Store loosely covered.

1 Serving (Cake and Frosting Only): Calories 410; Total Fat 17g (Saturated Fat 3.5g, Trans Fat 3.5g); Cholesterol 40mg; Sodium 320mg; Total Carbohydrate 62g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 1g Exchanges: ½ Starch, 3½ Other Carbohydrate, 3½ Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 4

Tip You can purchase already-popped kettle corn instead of popping microwave popcorn.

Cutting and Assembling Poppin’ Up Happy Birthday Cake

1. Cut 11 x 7-inch cake for popcorn box.

2. Arrange cake pieces on tray and decorate.