What to Eat Wednesday- Chocolate Malt Cake

Chocolate Malt Cake
*edit at the bottom of the page after the recipe*

I had pinned this last spring only for how it looked. The image was so enticing I didn't even think about the fact that I didn't love malt balls. When it got closer to my birthday I quickly put the idea away as I looked at the recipe. Not only was I clueless on how to follow the recipe, I was reminded again that I don't love malt flavoring. I changed the pin to something I could try for Jay's birthday.

Well September came and I started to try and find a recipe that would work for me to bake for Jay's cake. I asked if I could just surprise him with a birthday treat. Good thing he said yes. I found "the" cake recipe.  I wished I would have found it for my birthday. I could go on and on with words trying to describe the cake and it's chocolate malt goodness but it is no use. You just have to taste it. My only improvement would be to add more malt (I know! I said I don't even like malt) which I have noted in the recipe.

 

 

Chocolate Malt Cake

Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup malted milk powder (slightly more)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Chocolate Malt Frosting
1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup malted milk powder (for sure add more- I think at least a cup)
5 cups confectioners' sugar
Garnish: malted milk balls 

(A very large bag is needed to cover the entire cake. Think Sam's Club/Costco sized bag)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 2 (8-inch) cake pans.

In the bowl of an electric mixture, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a small bowl, combine milk and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add milk mixture, oil, and eggs to flour mixture, beating at medium speed until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla, beating just until combined. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let cool completely on wire racks.

To make the frosting, in a large bowl, beat butter and cocoa powder at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.

In a small bowl, combine cream and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add cream mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed to combine. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth.

Spread frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with malted milk balls.

adapted from Paula Deen's Holiday Baking, 2007 & found on the blog  Budding Baketress- 

The recipe called for less malt and 3- 9 inch cake pans. I found it completely acceptable to just do 2 - 8 inch pans and add more malt.

*edit* Yes it was interesting to cut. We put pans underneath to catch all the stray malt balls then had them sitting in a bowl. The kids ate them up quick. Once we started cutting the cake started to loose its shape causing some of the malt balls to shift sideways. Some fell, but most stayed on.
The decorating part took about as long as it would to decorate any other kind of cake. It was a lot of fun to make!