Triple Malt Chocolate Cake

I only make cakes for birthdays. It was the husband's turn for a cake so I tried to come up with one that I knew he'd love. He loves malt flavors....malted shakes, malt balls, etc...so I decided to create a malt cake. I altered my usual chocolate cake recipe slightly, adding malted milk powder. Then I altered my usual frosting recipe for a malted flavor. I crushed up some chocolate malt balls to create a crust along the sides. Finally, I topped the cake with a chocolate ganache. I'm not much of a cake decorator, so the malt crust and ganache combination made for an easy way to make a delicious look. 

Chocolate Malt Cake

Ingredients

A little unsalted butter and flour for buttering and dusting the cake pans 
3 cups all-purpose flour 
3 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (the better quality chocolate you use the better it will taste)
1 cup malted milk powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
1 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Butter three 9-inch cake rounds. Dust with flour and tap out the excess. (see cooking lesson at the bottom of the page here)

3. Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, malt powder, and salt in a stand mixer using a low speed until combined.

4. Add eggs, buttermilk, warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat on a medium speed until smooth. This should take just a couple of minutes.

5. Divide batter among the three pans. I found that it took just over 3 cups of the batter to divide it evenly.

6. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the cake meets the toothpick test (stick a toothpick in and it comes out clean).

7. Cool on wire racks for 15 minutes and then turn out the cakes onto the racks and allow to cool completely.

8. Assemble the cake by frosting in between the 3 layers and the sides of the cake. Place 1 cup crushed malt balls  on the outside edges of the cake. Just take a handful and gently smoosh it into the frosting. Pour chocolate ganache on the top.

Malted Frosting

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups malted milk powder
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 cups powdered sugar (approximate)


Instructions

1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer (or you can use a stand mixer).

2. Add in the malted milk powder and vanilla and mix until combined.

3. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until desired consistency achieved. It should take approximately 6 cups, maybe more, maybe less, depending on the conditions of the day. It should be spreadable, but not runny. It needs to be able to hold to the cake.

Chocolate Ganache

Ingredients

1/2 cup heavy cream
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips


Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a boil, stirring constantly.

2. Once it boils, remove from heat and add in the chocolate chips, stirring until smooth. Pour over the cake before it hardens.