Never heard of baking caramel corn. My mom use to make it every year, I haven't had any in over 20 years! We use to pour it over popcorn, butter our bare hands, scoop up some of the covered popcorn and form into balls. That was the only thing she would let me do. I do remember when she added the baking soda that the hot mixture would foam up and she had to stir, stir, stir so it wouldn't run over.