Chocolate Malt Cake
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This malted milk chocolate cake is built on the most reliable chocolate cake recipe you’ll ever make, reimagined with homemade malted milk and a malted chocolate buttercream that tastes just like a Whopper in cake form.
The Most Reliable Chocolate Cake: Malted
If you’ve been around here for a while, you know my chocolate layer cake is basically my ride-or-die. It’s the one I turn to when I need a cake that looks and tastes like I spent way more time and effort than I actually did. One bowl, no mixer for the cake itself, and a batter that’s genuinely forgiving.
It’s everything a go-to chocolate cake should be.
So naturally, when I started dreaming up a malted milk version, I started with that exact recipe as my base. And naturally, my first attempt was a disaster.
My first instinct was simple: just dump malted milk powder straight into the batter. Seems obvious, right? Wrong. What actually happened was that my cakes overflowed in the oven, and I stood there watching the mess happen like “oh. But of course.”
In hindsight, it makes total sense now– adding a dry powder throws off the whole balance of the recipe. What I actually needed to do was make malted milk first, and use that in place of the buttermilk in the original recipe. And once I figured that out, everything else with the rest of the recipe just clicked.
THE KEY TO THIS CAKE
Making the malted milk is simple– it’s just malted milk powder blended into whole milk. But it is the very first thing you’ll need to do when you make this cake. Why? Because blending the powder into the milk makes it frothy, and you’ll need to let it rest for at least 10 minutes before using it so the bubbles settle back down to ensure you’re working with the proper amount of (malted) milk.
It’s certainly not a complicated step, it just needs your attention up front so it’s ready when you need it.
Other than that, this cake is just as easy as the original.
MY FAVORITE CHOCOLATE FROSTING: MALTED
And the frosting– ohhhh, the frosting! It’s my chocolate buttercream, but made with both cocoa powder (traditional or Dutch processed) and malted milk powder. The whole cake, from first bite to last, tastes exactly like a Whopper. It has that deep, nostalgic, malty chocolate flavor without any of the crunch (unless you adorn the top of the cake with them like I did).
It is truly one of my most favorite versions of my chocolate cake I have ever baked, and I think it’s about to become one of yours, too.
KEY INGREDIENTS
There is nothing complicated in this recipe, but there are a few ingredients I’d like to touch on so you know what to get and why you’re getting it.
MALTED MILK POWDER: you can find this at your regular grocery store, but where you’ll find it can vary. I usually find it with the nontraditional milks like sweetened condensed and evaporated, which are often in the baking aisle. If it’s not there, it may be with hot chocolate mixes, and there’s also a chance it’s with ice cream toppings.
VEGETABLE OIL: you can use any oil you want here, including avocado, canola, or melted coconut oil. Know that if you use the latter, you may be able to detect the coconut flavor just a touch.
COFFEE: coffee is such a game changer in chocolate cake! If you don’t want to use caffeinated, decaf works just fine. If you’re really not into using coffee, you can use water. Just be sure it’s boiling so you can bloom the cocoa powder in the batter.
WHISK, POUR, MIX, & BAKE
The process for this cake is crazy simple. The most complicated (speaking relatively here) part is preparing the malted milk.
Combine the powder + whole milk: pour your malted milk powder into a large measuring cup. Add whole milk to the 1 cup line, then whisk, mix, or whirr with a milk frother to mix and break up any of the big chunks of milk powder.
Allow it to rest: no matter the method of mixing your malted milk, it will create some bubbles and need to settle before you use it. Give it about 10 minutes or so. You can start preparing your pans and the dry ingredients of the recipe while you wait.
Stir gently to remove bubbles: the bubbles on the top layer of the milk will pop easily once they’ve rested, so stir the milk to create a smooth mixture. The liquid level will likely have gone down a bit, so pour some more milk in to bring the level back up to 1 cup. It is now ready to use.
Dry ingredients: whisk together the dry ingredients, take care to sift the cocoa powder to avoid lumps.
Add the wet ingredients: this includes the prepared malted milk. You’ll want to mix this together before adding the boiling coffee, and I usually stop when it’s mostly together so I can bring the rest of the batter together with the hot liquid.
Bake, cool, frost: you can make the frosting at any time. I like to make it while my cake is baking or cooling so that when it’s ready to stack and frost, I’m ready to go.
I chose to decorate my cake with Whoppers, but you can do whatever you want. If you use chopped Whoppers, know that after a day, the texture of the candies will change since the centers will be exposed to air. The taste will not be affected.
From the first bite to the last crumb, every forkful of this cake is a dream. It’s everything you love about a deeply chocolate cake that’s not overcomplicated or trying too hard with a little extra something that gives depth to the overall flavor.
It gives “nutty” and “caramely” without being outright or loud, and it’s almost savory. It’s downright heavenly and if Whoppers are on your list of favorite candies, you’re going to adore this cake.
Chocolate Malt Layer Cake Recipe
Ingredients
MALTED MILK
- 6 Tablespoons (42g) malted milk powder
- ¾ to 1 cup (180-240mL) whole milk1
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 and ¾ cups (210g) all-purpose flour be sure to measure properly
- 1 and ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup (72g) unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (120mL) vegetable oil2
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup (240mL) coffee3
MALTED CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar
- ¾ cup (72g) Dutch processed or unsweetened cocoa powder4
- ⅓ cup (37g) malted milk powder
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (227g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature
- ⅓ to ½ cup (80-120mL) milk or cream
Instructions
MALTED MILK
- Add the malted milk powder to a large glass measuring cup. Add milk to bring the total liquid level to 1 cup.6 Tablespoons (42g) malted milk powder, ¾ to 1 cup (180-240mL) whole milk1
- Use an immersion blender or add the milk to a blender to dissolve the powder and make malted milk. If necessary, use a spoon to mash some of the larger chunks.
- The milk will be frothy on top, so let the milk rest for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the cake batter. You will need to tend to it again in step #3 below.
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177ºC). Grease and flour (or use homemade cake release) two 8" round cake pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, stir together granulated sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Sift in the cocoa powder and stir combine.2 cups (400g) granulated sugar, 1 and ¾ cups (210g) all-purpose flour, 1 and ½ teaspoons baking soda, 1 and ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ¾ cup (72g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- Gently stir the malted milk with a spoon to pop the bubbles/froth on top, then add more milk to bring the total level back up to 1 cup. Stir again to combine.
- Add the eggs, malted milk, oil, and vanilla and stir well until batter is smooth.2 large eggs, ½ cup (120mL) vegetable oil2, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Brew a cup of coffee and microwave it until boiling.1 cup (240mL) coffee3
- Slowly add coffee to batter and stir until blended well. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure everything gets mixed together. Batter will be very thin.
- Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 28 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow cakes to cool in the pans completely on a wire rack before removing and assembling.
MALTED CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, and salt. Set aside.1 cup (227g) unsalted butter, ⅓ cup (37g) malted milk powder
- In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed until smooth (about 3 minutes).4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, ¾ cup (72g) Dutch processed or unsweetened cocoa powder4, ⅓ to ½ cup (80-120mL) milk or cream, ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Decrease mixer speed to low, then add ⅓ cup of the milk or cream.
- Slowly add the powdered sugar/cocoa powder/milk powder mixture and continue to mix on low until a cohesive frosting starts to form. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and add more milk or cream as needed, 1 to 2 Tablespoons at a time until desired consistency. Frosting is ready to use right away.
TO ASSEMBLE CAKE
- Place one layer, bottom side up, on a plate or cake stand. Using a spatula or knife, spread an even layer of frosting over the entire surface.
- Place the second layer on top, bottom side down, and press down on the top lightly. Spread the rest of the frosting on the cake, beginning with the top and working your way down the sides. Decorate as desired. Cake stays fresh covered at room temperature for up to 4 days. Cake may be covered and refrigerated for up to 7 days.
- Make ahead: prepare cakes and frosting up to 1 day in advance. Cover cakes tightly and keep at room temperature or in the refrigerator until ready to assemble. Refrigerate prepared frosting in an airtight container until ready to use. Unfrosted cake layers may be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before assembling. Frosted cake can be frozen, wrapped tightly, up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.
Video
Notes
- Whole milk: whole milk is preferred for this cake, but you can use any kind you prefer.
- Vegetable oil: you can use avocado oil or any other oil you prefer in this recipe. Know that if you use olive or coconut oil, you may be able to detect those flavors.
- Coffee: you can use decaf coffee or no coffee at all. If you don’t want to use coffee, you can use water.
- Cocoa powder: you can use either type of cocoa powder in this frosting recipe, just be sure you’re using traditional unsweetened cocoa powder for the cake itself.
Nutrition Disclosure
All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.