Let’s celebrate spring with this pretty pastel Chocolate Malt Cake!
This cake starts with my favorite chocolate cake recipe, then is topped with delicious chocolate malt frosting and pretty spring malt ball candies!
I think this cake would sure be a beautiful addition to an Easter meal or even a spring birthday or baby shower!
The malt flavor in this recipe is subtle, but it’s just enough to make this cake a bit different and special.
I enjoyed one nice slice (and served my family the same) and then had to give away the rest to a few neighbors so I didn’t eat it all myself!
I love the pretty pastel colors (of these spring malt eggs) against the rich chocolate, but this Chocolate Malt Cake could be enjoyed any time of year by using traditional (brown) chocolate malt balls (such as Whoppers).
Once the cake is baked and fully cooled, use a large serrated knife to level the layers (as needed), add a small dab of frosting to a cake turntable, then place a cake board (the same size as your cake) and add another small dab of frosting (on top of the cake board). Add one layer of cake, a generous layer of frosting, and then your top cake layer.
Using a small offset spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting around the cake to create a “crumb coat”, or a layer of frosting that seals in the crumbs. This layer of frosting should be relatively smooth, but does not need to be anywhere near perfect, it’s simply a base layer.
It is very difficult to successfully frost a cake without a cake turntable! The one I use is this simple Wilton cake turntable and cost less than $20, which I think is a bargain for all the cursing it prevents! =)
Once you have your first thin layer of frosting (the crumb coat), place the entire cake (and the turntable) in the freezer (or fridge) for about 30 minutes. This will allow the frosting (and cake) to firm up and make the final frosting layer much easier (and neater).
Once the first layer of frosting (the crumb coat) has chilled and the cake and frosting are firm, add another layer of frosting all the way around the cake, a bit thicker this time. After smoothing the icing a bit you can add some texture by holding the offset spatula horizontally and dragging the end of the (rounded) blade through the icing (while turning the turntable). Work your way up the cake, then use the same motion to create a spiral in the icing on the top of the cake.
For the cake pictured, I reserved a bit of frosting and after creating the horizontal lines (and swirl pattern on top), I put about a cup of frosting in a large piping bag fitted with a closed star tip (such as a Wilton 2D) and created a little shell boarder around the top edge of the cake.
I finished the cake with whole and chopped malt ball candies (or I guess they’re more malt eggs). I used Brach’s Malted Milk Eggs (I found at Target) and I also used some candies labeled “Mighty Malts” from Dollar Tree. The Brach’s ones were a bit tastier (they are the ones pictured with chocolate on the inside as well as the malt), but the Dollar Tree ones were such pretty colors I wanted to use them too.
I added some mixed pastel sprinkles for the final touch.
Beautiful and delicious… my favorite combo! =)
Happy spring baking!
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Malt Frosting
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Malt Frosting
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder best quality available
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs
- 3/4 cup whole milk or use skim milk and add a little cream
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup very hot water or hot coffee
Chocolate Malt Frosting
- 3/4 cup malted milk powder
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream or half and half
- 1 cup unsalted butter left at room temperature about 10 minutes (but still cool)
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder best quality available
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 1/2-4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
Prepare the cake
- Heat oven to 350*F.
- Prepare cake pans by rubbing the sides of the pans with a little oil or butter and dusting with flour. Line bottoms of pans with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl (the bowl of an electric mixer), stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
- Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for one minute.
- Stir in hot water or coffee (the batter will be thin, don’t worry, this is right).
- Divide batter evenly between prepared pans.
- Bake until the top of the cake is smooth and has a slight dome and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. I baked the cake shown in two 7" pans and baked them 35-40 minutes. You will need to adjust the bake time based on the pans you choose.
Make the frosting
- In a small bowl add malt powder and heavy cream and stir well. This will make a thick paste. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat butter until smooth.
- Add cocoa powder and blend until well incorporated.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and continue to blend.
- Add the malt powder/cream mixture and blend well.
- Add vanilla.
- Add and additional 2 1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar (while slowly mixing) until you've reached a nice thick consistency. The frosting should be thick, smooth and fluffy.
- Frost fully cooled caked as desired (notes below for cake pictured). Top with chopped or whole malt ball candies, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
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What a cake. This is so beautiful, and perfect for Easter
What is your suggestion for a substitution for malt milk powder?
Hi Kathy,
I’m not sure if malt flavoring comes in any other form (than powder). This cake would be equally beautiful and delicious as simply a chocolate cake (without malt flavoring). Feel free to omit the malt powder from the frosting recipe above, and then reduce the heavy cream to 1 tablespoon and add it after you’ve added most of the powdered sugar.
Happy baking!
Hey there, I’d like to make this cake for my husband and I next weekend for Easter, and was wondering about the milk and egg difference between this recipe and your perfectly chocolate cupcake recipe. That has been my go to for years. The cupcakes call for 2 eggs and 1 cup of milk, where this calls for 3 eggs and 3/4 c of milk. Why the difference? Can i use the measurements For the cupcakes for the cake version with the same results?
Hi Kathy, So glad you’ve been enjoying my recipes! Yes, the change you noticed is just a little change that I’ve made over time, as the updated version (listed here) produces a slightly sturdier cake (while still nice and fluffy, and with the same great flavor). I’ve made this recipe many times, and to be fair it works perfectly well both ways (2 or 3 eggs). Happy baking!
I can’t stop staring at this cake Glory! So so pretty! Now I need to make myself a chocolate cake, stat! Love your Easter spin on a classic 🙂
HI Glory,
Just wondering if you have any tips to actually make the cake a Malt cake as well? Would I need to substitute anything in the ingredients list or could I just add the malt flavour as well?
Thank you
Hi Natalie,
I actually did a test run with adding the malt powder to the cake as well, but found that even when I added a pretty generous amount (3/4 cup powder) I couldn’t taste the malt flavor over the chocolate flavor. I made this adjustment to the recipe above and left everything else the same. The cake baked up just fine and was delicious, but just tasted like a chocolate cake.
Feel free to experiment and let me know what you discover. I think if you want the malt flavor in the cake as well you may need to reduce the cocoa powder by a bit so the chocolate flavor is not so rich, and the malt can shine.
Happy baking!
This is so very fun and pretty!!
What a beautiful and yummy looking chocolate cake! 🙂
That is definitely a fun cake to welcome spring in!
Btw, nice kitchen update and welcome back. 🙂
I would have happily eaten a slice (or two) with you, and I don;t even like chocolate cake – STUNNING
YUM! This looks amaaaazing! I love chocolate cake and you!
~Cecilia
What a pretty cake, Glory!