Indulge in the nostalgic flavors of malted milk balls with this moist and tender Chocolate Malt Cake. Featuring layers of light chocolate cake infused with chocolate malt powder, complemented by both vanilla and chocolate malt buttercream, and topped with crushed malted milk balls, this cake is a delightful treat for any occasion.
Chocolate Malt Cake
Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Malt Cake
Perfect for Celebrations: Whether it’s a birthday, holiday, or just because, this cake is sure to impress.
Balanced Chocolate Flavor: The cake offers a lighter chocolate taste, allowing the malt flavor to shine through.
Dual Buttercream Layers: Combining vanilla and chocolate malt buttercreams provides a rich and creamy texture with a pronounced malt essence.
Crafting the Perfect Balance: Cake Layers
The journey to the ideal cake base took some experimenting. I initially tried my signature dark chocolate cake but found it overshadowed the malt flavor. I then took inspiration from my Red Velvet Cake, which uses minimal cocoa, and developed a lighter chocolate cake that allows the malt to shine. Incorporating chocolate Ovaltine into the buttermilk ensures a smooth blend and consistent malt taste throughout the batter
Buttercream
For the buttercream, I actually decided to go with two! One buttercream flavor uses the chocolate Ovaltine malt powder (which is also in the cake) and the other uses the regular Ovaltine malt powder. Both are delicious but the vanilla malt buttercream definitely has a stronger malt flavor to it. I love the combination of both, but if you want to only use one, go with the vanilla malt and make an extra half batch.
Malt Balls
I debated whether or not to crush the malt balls, and ultimately decided to do it. I didn’t crush them too much – just a bit to break them up. Actually, a few were left whole. I wasn’t sure if the buttercream would dissolve the centers or if we’d still get a little crunch. The answer? Both actually! The smaller pieces were a little soft and dissolved in the buttercream, and the bigger pieces were still crunchy. And the ones that dissolved a little didn’t bother me at all! You still get an extra punch of malt flavor from the malt balls, so I say they’re a must no matter what!
Thick Cake Layers
You’ll notice the cake layers are slightly thicker than my usual layers. This is on purpose 🙂
I’ve been asked about how to create thicker layers from my recipes and here’s how you do it:
- 1.5x any of my recipes (like I did here)
- If you have odd number of eggs, round up
- Divide the batter evenly between pans (will be closer to 20-22 ounces of batter in each 8-inch pan)
- Bake at 325 degrees F
- Time will increase about 10-15 minutes
Easy as that!
Hope you love this recipe as much as I do!
Chocolate Malt Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE
- 3/4 cup (169.5) g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (165 g) brown sugar
- 3/4 cup (150 g) granulated sugar
- 5 large or extra large eggs at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 g)sour cream at room temperature
- 3 1/4 cups (390 g) all-purpose flour
- 4 tbsp. (40 g) regular (not dark) cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. (8 g) salt
- 2 cups (480 g) buttermilk at room temperature
- 3/4 cup (70 g) chocolate Ovaltine powder or regular flavored or other malt flavored powder
- 1 1/2 tbsp. (21 g) white distilled vinegar
- 2 1/2 tsp. (10 g) baking soda
FOR THE CHOCOLATE MALT BUTTERCREAM
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter slightly cold
- 4 ounces chocolate chips
- 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
- 1/2 tsp. (2 g) vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (47.5 g) chocolate Ovaltine or other malt flavored powder
- 4 tbsp. (45 g) heavy whipping cream
FOR THE VANILLA MALT BUTTERCREAM
- 1 1/2 cups (339g) unsalted butter slightly cold
- 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
- 1 tsp. (4.2 g) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (95 g) regular Ovaltine or other malt flavored powder
- 1/3 cup (77 g) heavy whipping cream
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.
GARNISH
- 1-2 cups malt balls I used Whoppers
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round pans with nonstick spray, line the bottom with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk and ovaltine powder. Set aside
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and cocoa powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugars. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another minute.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, being sure to mix and scrape down the sides of the bowl between each addition.
- Add the sour cream and mix until combined. (Don't worry if the mixture looks slightly curdled).
- With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by 1 cup of the buttermilk mixture. Continue with another 1/3 of the flour, the second half of the buttermilk and then the remaining buttermilk. Stir until combined.
- In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and baking soda. The mixture will bubble. Add the mixture to the cake batter and stir on low until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for another 20 seconds.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans (21 ounces in each of the 8-inch pans). Bake for about 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it.
FOR THE CHOCOLATE MALT BUTTERCREAM
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and the malt powder. Don't worry if the mixture is a little thick.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Stream in the melted chocolate and mix until well combined, making sure to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar.
- Add the vanilla, followed by the cream and malt mixture.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
FOR THE VANILLA MALT BUTTERCREAM
- In a small bowl, whisk together the cream and the malt powder. Don't worry if the mixture is a little thick.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the powdered sugar.
- Add the vanilla, followed by cream and malt mixture.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
FOR ASSEMBLY
- Place the first cake layer top side up, in the center of the cake board. Gently spread 1/2 of the chocolate malt buttercream over the cake layer (about 1 – 1.5 cups). Remember to get eye level with the cake to make sure you spread the buttercream evenly. ***If you want to use a little of the chocolate malt buttercream to create an ombre look, similar to mine, reserve 1/3 cup of the buttercream.
- Crush one cup of the malt balls and sprinkle about half over the buttercream and press into place with your hand. Don't crush the malt balls too much. Just a little. Big pieces are okay.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the buttercream. Evenly spread the other half of the chocolate malt buttercream over the cake layer and sprinkle with more malt balls.
- Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the buttercream.
- Using the vanilla malt buttercream, apply a thin layer of buttercream over the entire cake. This is the crumb coat. Freeze the crumb coated cake for 15 minutes.
- Once the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining vanilla malt buttercream and chocolate malt buttercream.
I love this cake! Love the flavor the buttermilk gives the cake it definitely has that Red Velvet Cake tang that I love. I decorated this cake with malt eggs for Easter it turned out really cute. Thanks for the great recipe Courtney!
So excited to make this for my dad- chocolate malt is his favorite! I am wondering- can I use regular flavored Ovaltine throughout the entire recipe, or will the flavor suffer if I don’t use chocolate at least for the cake and the chocolate malt buttercream?
Also, do you like semi-sweet chocolate chips or milk chocolate chips for the frosting? Thanks so much!
Try to use chocolate if you can but it will be fine if its regular flavored. Semi sweet for the frosting!
I made this cake using only half re0 xcipes since just two of us would be enjoying. Soon after it vanished and made another. It truly is the very best chocolate cake I ever enjoyed….hub says same thing. I made my own icising of cr. cheese , butter, vanilla,10x. T. or less of milk. This will be my go to always…I have baked for over 50 years by the way. Thank you for this winner.
I’m so glad! Thank you!
I made this for my hubby for his birthday and he loved it! I am going to be making it again for an anniversary cake but I am wanting to use 6″ pans. Should I just divide the batter among four pans or can I do three to achieve a thicker cake layer? Thank you!
You can do either! Three will give you thicker layers for sure!
I am a beginner baker. I want to try this cake, but would like to bake a smaller size (6 inches with 2 layers). Should I do a half recipe or 2/3 of recipe?
Half!
Hi ,
Can I make this cake as a small batch? Like if I halve the ingredients would it still work and taste the same way?
Yes just half the recipe and make 2 6-inch layers!
When you made the cake did you use large eggs or extra large eggs?
large
Lovely and decadent, but I followed the recipe to the letter and the color differential between buttercreams is basically nonexistent. Recommend paring back the ovaltine for the vanilla or just using malt powder.
I have never tried to bake a multi-layer cake before this one! I can’t believe how well it turned out. It was beautiful and delicious!! I don’t know who was more amazed, me or my friends. Thanks so much for this fantastic recipe!!! I am a convert to weighing ingredients now as well 🙂 You made the instructions so easy for a beginner to follow. Wonderful!!
I’m so happy you loved the cake and the experience!
Great cake especially if you’re looking to switch it up from regular chocolate. It definitely is more of a red velvet chocolate, which I personally love. The vanilla malt buttercream really gives the cake that malt punch. I decided to put the vanilla malt buttercream in the middle of the layers and the chocolate on the outside so i I could really get the malt flavor with every bite. This cake tastes exactly like a whopper, and everyone loved that it actually had whoppers in between the layers too.
Thank you so much!
Is it okay to add vanilla malt powder in cake instead of chocolate malt powder ?
Yeah
This recipe is so unique and absolutely delicious. Everyone absolutely loved it (except my sister who isn’t fond of malt at all). Thank you! It’ll be in my files with five stars.
I don’t see the recipe??
We had a site update that hid it for a minute, but it’s back now.
How tall are your cake pans?
2-inch in height
For vanilla malt powder do you just use regular malt powder?
I Used malted milk powder