Triple Malt Chocolate Cake Recipe
By
Kate Ramos
Email
Truly the sum of its parts, this recipe comprises elements that are each delicate in their malt flavor—the cake, Vanilla Malt Frosting, and malted milk balls—but that together form a treat even the best soda jerk couldn’t top.
What to buy: Malted milk powder is a natural sweetener made from barley malt, wheat, and milk, and is the key ingredient in malted milk shakes. Look for it next to the powdered chocolate milk and other drink mixes at your local grocery store.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups malted milk powder
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for coating the cake pans
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 large eggs
- 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil, plus more for coating the cake pans
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups whole milk
- 1 recipe Vanilla Malt Frosting
- 1 cup malted milk balls, coarsely chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- Heat the oven to 325°F and arrange a rack in the middle. Coat 2 (8-inch) cake pans with oil and flour, and tap out any excess flour. Set aside.
- Combine the malted milk powder, measured flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to aerate and break up any lumps. Set aside.
- Combine the eggs, sugar, measured oil, and vanilla in a separate large bowl and whisk until combined and smooth. Add a third of the flour mixture and whisk until just incorporated. Add half of the milk and whisk until smooth. Continue with the remaining flour mixture and milk, alternating between each and whisking until all of the ingredients are just incorporated and smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the cakes start pulling away from the sides of the pans, about 45 to 50 minutes.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and transfer them to a wire rack to cool, about 15 minutes. Run a knife around the perimeter of each and turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.
- To frost, place a cake layer on an 8-inch cardboard round, a tart-pan bottom, or a cake plate. Evenly spread about a third of the frosting over the top of the layer. Stack the second layer and evenly spread another third of the frosting over the top and sides of the whole cake. (Don’t worry about looks at this point—this is just a base coat, or crumb layer, and it will be covered up later.) Place in the refrigerator until the frosting is set up and slightly hard, about 15 minutes. Remove from the refrigerator and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake, ensuring it’s as even as possible. Press the malt balls into the frosting around the sides of the cake and serve.
I made this with Ovaltine (the only brand of malted milk powder locally available). I only used 2 sticks of butter for the frosting, as recommended by other posters, and I made a chocolate ganache to go between the layers. Delicious! I'm glad I used the ganache, because otherwise I think I would have had a skimpy coat of frosting. My only complaint is that the chopped malted milk balls (I used Whoppers) developed a kind of funny chewy texture after they absorbed the moisture from the frosting. I'm thinking about just using shaved chocolate on the sides next time and topping each slice with a malted milk ball when served.
I made these in cupcake form since they're portable. I used the Horlick's malt for the cake part and Carnation for the frosting as I ran out of the Horlick's. I used Malteser's for the crushed topping. This impressed everyone, including my malt-hating wife. The cupcakes were really moist and delicious. I had to stop myself from completely licking the batter bowl clean. As per the previous comments, I only used 2 sticks of butter for the frosting which and it came out fine (though the texture was "off" as I didn't allow the milk and butter to get to room temp. Lesson learned).
I made this cake and it was wonderful! It looked just like the photo and tasted fantastic! I listened to those who wrote in and only used 2 sticks of butter instead of 3. I used Carnation Malted Milk and thought it was great. I increased the amount of malted milk powder to increase that yummy flavor. I didn't measure that increase, just did it by eye and taste. I have to say that with decreasing the amount of butter you come out with just enough icing to finish the cake nicely. Also, I made the layers of cake ahead, froze them and then made the frosting and put it together the day before the party and kept it refrgerated. I'll definitely be making this again!
YUMMOLISCIOUS!!! Cake is devine, vanilla malt icing is soooo nice and I agree its not too sweet! I used chocolate buttercream for the layer in the middle to make it that little extra chocolatey. Try this!! THIS MALT CAKE IS TO DIE FOR!!
I made this recipe w/ Horlick's malted milk powder. And I used 1/2 the butter, and an extra 1/2 cup powdered sugar for the frosting. It was so easy to make, and it was perfectly superb. I made it for my boyfriend's birthday party, and everyone raved about it. I'll be making it again for my Dad's birthday. Thanks so much, Chowhound, for a magnificent and interesting cake recipe!
Hey all, I thought that the frosting sounded like too much butter for me, so I tried using a cream cheese frosting with malt as an ingredient instead. The cake was very good, but I didn't get the malt flavor. I think the key must be in the frosting, then.
bitchinkitchen; you're talking yourself out of making this cake. Don't.....give it a try. Read everyones comments, mostly just the one about reducing the butter and increasing the sugar because it will make a little less greezy icing, especially if you need to travel with it somewhere. Keep it in the refrig. and take it out just a few minutes before you will be serving it. It is a wonderful cake. Friends and family will sing your praises for months. RoseannRoseann
Oh wow, I am officially dying to make this. I have Ovaltine at home, but is the general consensus that it wouldn't work that well?
I made this the other day and it was simply delicious. I did reduce the butter and increased the sugar in the frosting as was recommended. It turned out great and only got better as time passed.
I found twodognite's CACAO NIB MALT STRACCIATELLA ICE CREAM recipe at http://www.chow.com/recipes/13545 -- sounds great!
Thank you again twodognite for the Cacao Nib Malt Stratcciatella Ice Cream recipe-wonderful. Just made this cake. Rating the cake 3 out 5 stars. And rating the frosting 4 out 5 stars after modifications. Thanks to the previous commentators on reducing the butter and upping the powdered sugar. This is a rich & over-the-top cake!
this is especially for jennywenny. I agree that the frosting, even when I read it before making it, seemed like toooooooo much butter in the frosting. So when I made it I cut the butter in the original to "1" less stick and added just a little more sugar. See how that works for you. It is a butter based frosting so if you don't put it in the refrig it will turn into a bit more "grezzzzzzy" butter frosting. When the cake had thoroughly cooIed I put it in the refrig., took it out a little bit before serving and it was fine. I will make it again, definitely. I loved it.
Thanks for the recipe. The cake was great, but I didnt really like the frosting that much, it was just really greasy. It went down really well with everyone at work though!
I tried to put up the CACAO NIB MALT STRACCIATELLA ICE CREAM recipe but I don't know where it went so if you want a copy, email me: twodognite@roadrunner.com
Sounds Great !
I finally made this "Tripple Malt Chocolate Cake." OMG it was outrageous. It took the proverbal "CAKE." Everyone loved it! Soooooo many ooos and ahaaaas. I will definitely make it again and again. I did minimize the amount of butter suggested in the posted recipe here to .....one less stick of butter. It came out fine. You must keep this cake cold tho because of the butter in it. Take it out of the refrig a little before serving it just iso it will be just right. The 8" cardboard round was a good idea and made working with the cake to frost it much easier instead of slopping frosting all over the dish. You can just pick up the cake and card board and put it on a clean serving dish. If you transport it, you really should keep it cool if you are going 20 minutes or more. We did. good luck. RoseannRoseann
I put in my notes that I would cut the butter down to two sticks, and *maybe* increase the sugar by half a cup, depending on how the decrease in butter affected the taste. Russell thought cutting it down to one stick would work, but I'm not sure you would have enough icing that way. So maybe a compromise of 1.5 sticks would work! Honestly, tasting that icing was a little like eating sweetened whipped butter! Even to an avid butter lover like me - I won't touch margarine -- it was a bit much. FWIW, this struck me as an excellent cake to make in the winter, because of its richness. Here in Texas, USA, in the triple digit heat we are so very blessed to have right now, what you really want at this time of the year is something lighter. Not that that stops me, most times! :) OK, that's enough from Vanessa for now!
I'm glad Vanessa86 added her comment about the icing having too much butter. When I read the recipe I thought OMG 3 sticks of butter! What do you think anyone about cutting it back by half, say 1-1/2 sticks of butter instead? Any other adjustments before I make this cake. RoseannRoseann
I made this last night with my cooking buddy Russell. We made the cake itself for a work function, so I haven't tried a full-on slice -- instead, he and I iced the top of the layer we sliced off to ensure an even, flat bottom layer, sprinked some crushed malted milk balls on it, and had at it! We enjoyed it, but didn't feel the rapture that some here have. And we both thought the icing had too much butter. OTOH, cilla123's comment makes me wonder if this is one of those cakes that needs a little standing time before it hits its peak. Any thoughts? BTW, this is my first post on chow. So glad to have found this site!
Just made this recipe... well half of it a single layer and it is AMAZING! I used a tad less sugar than the recipe called for and only one egg, even though half would be 1.5 eggs. Finishing my first piece and heading for a second! And so so easy to make.
Okay, so what is the consensus - use the store bought or hold out and order the premium?
shannon - post your opinion
I used Carnation's powder and I think the cake came out quite good. I imagine high quality stuff would make a difference, but I'm not complaining at all about the outcome I had. I highly recommend this cake, my friends all loved it.
OMG! OK, I made this cake last night and was prepared for it to be a total flop. When I was removing the warm cake from the pans a little chunk broke off and I tasted it. . . it tasted more like a foot than a chocolate cake. I thought for sure that twodognite's comments were coming to haunt me as I had used grocery store malted milk powder. I decided to let the cakes cool and make the frosting/assemble the cake in the am. Cut to this rapturous moment as I bask in the afterglow of what might be the most delectable piece of cake I have ever eaten! The cake is moist and dense and when paired with the fluffy, light as air (and not too sweet) buttercream, it is just like a malted milkball, but better. Buttery, balanced and satisfying. Like something the angels hand delivered on a cloud! Bottom line is if this cake is this awesome with so-so ingredients, imagine if I had actually had the patience to wait and make it with the quality malted powder. In a word, awesome! Make it!
How about just buying some powdered dry malt extract from a brewing store?
Hey, twodognite.....how 'bout giving some hints on how you make your wonderful ice cream? How much of this malt powder do you add? Do you use a regular vanilla or chocoate recipe? Thanks, Jeanette
Don't use grocery store malted milk powder. They ALL taste ICKY. I use and HIGHLY RECOMMEND "SODA FOUNTAIN MALTED MILK POWDER" which is available (only?) online from CTL FOODS in Wisconsin. I've made a malt flavored ice cream which is FANTASTIC and it's the malt. This malted milk powder tastes like an old fashioned malted you got when you/I were/was a kid! It's worth the extra money. Ovaltine, Carnation, and Horlicks don't hold a candle to this stuff. It's not cheap but it's worth it. My friends say my malt ice cream is THE BEST and I should sell it. ELZ
Didn't make it yet, but I plan to. It sounds outrageous