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Chocolate Malt Cake with Chocolate Malt Icing is a WIN. If you love chocolate, this chocolate layered cake with chocolate frosting topped with chocolate ganache is a total dream come true!
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Oh boy…chocolate lovers, this one’s for YOU. This chocolate malt cake with chocolate malt icing is A-MAZ-ING. It’s embarrassing to admit, but I am drooling just thinking about it. This is a safe space, right? 🙂
In all seriousness, this is quite possibly one of the best chocolate cakes I have ever had, and I’ve made it my personal mission to try as many as possible! I wish I could take the credit for this chocolate malt cake recipe, but alas, the glory belongs to my cousin Jill, who gave me this recipe a few years ago.
If the images in this post are making your tummy growl, let me tell you that it tastes BETTER than it looks! Seems impossible huh? But it’s true! I made this for my hubby’s birthday and he absolutely loved it. He asked if he could have it for his birthday EVERY year…fine by me! Thank you so much, Jill! You are the cake QUEEN!
What is Malt?
Malt certainly has a distinct (and delicious) taste, and this chocolate malt cake plays up the malt flavor in both the cake and the icing. If you’re curious what malt is, it’s a cereal grain that is dried in a special germinated method called malting. Fascinating, right?
Ingredients in Chocolate Malt Cake
Cake:
- Flour
- Sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Milk
- Malted milk powder
- Vegetable oil
- Eggs
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Malted milk balls – for topping
Malt Icing:
- Butter – softened to room temperature
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Heavy whipping cream
- Malted milk powder
- Powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache:
- Chocolate chips – bittersweet or semi-sweet
- Heavy whipping cream
Tips for Slicing a Round Cake
The chocolate malt cake can easily feed 12 adults when sliced properly. This cake has four layers of cake by using two cake pans and slicing each cake in half. If you are anything like I used to be, the thought of slicing a round cake might make you a bit nervous. If so, don’t worry. You’ll be a cake-slicing pro in no time with this brilliant tip.
Rather than cutting the cake into even triangle wedges, slice the cake horizontally all the way across into half-inch slabs. From there, cut the slabs into even rectangles. It’s much easier to understand if you see a visual, so check out this post here.
Frequently Asked Questions
Malt powder is a powder made up of malted barley, wheat flour, and condensed milk. Chocolate malt powder is malt powder that has been roasted and toasted until it has a richer and more caramelly flavor, closer to chocolate. Although it isn’t as sweet as chocolate because it doesn’t come from cocoa beans or contain as much sugar, it still has a similar flavor.
Chocolate malt is usually described as being both creamy and nutty.
I use the regular (mostly because that is what is most readily available) but you can definitely use chocolate.
Read next: 33+ Easy Dessert Ideas
More Chocolate Desserts to Enjoy
- Chocolate Raspberry Cake
- Easy Molten Chocolate Cake
- Ridiculously Delicious Chocolate Cake
- Easy Flourless Chocolate Cake
- Double Chocolate Oreo Bundt Cake
How to Make Chocolate Malt Cake
Chocolate Malt Cake with Chocolate Malt Icing
Equipment
- 9 inch cake pans
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup malted milk powder can be found by the instant breakfasts
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Malt icing see recipe below
- Chocolate ganache see recipe below
- Malted milk balls Whoppers
Chocolate Malt Icing:
- 1 1/2 cups butter softened
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup malted milk powder
- 7 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Chocolate Ganache:
- 16 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (we used chocolate chips)
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350. Butter & flour 2, 9-inch baking pans (you may have a little leftover to make a cupcake or two if you want). In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- In a small bowl, combine milk and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add milk mixture, oil and eggs to flour mixture, beating at a medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla, beating just until combined.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let cool completely on racks. Frost cakes, pour on ganache (after you pour the ganache over the cake. Place the entire cake in the refrigerator and let cool for at least an hour), and garnish with malted milk balls.
- For the frosting: This makes a lot of frosting… the original recipe makes a little less but I made extra for the layers. The frosting is so good! In a large bowl beat butter and cocoa powder at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. In a small bowl, combine cream and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add cream mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed to combine. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
- For the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate into a medium-sized bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a microwavable container and microwave for 3 to 4 minutes on high or until it just begins to simmer; be careful not to allow cream to boil over. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds or so. Using an electric mixer, beat on low until chocolate mixture is smooth. Use as is for glazing.
Notes
- Top the cake with malted milk balls, or Whoppers for a fancy flair!
Okay,made this cake for the 3rd time and it was the charm. I decided to put the malt in ( I can't even stand the smell of the stuff, but was determined for it to turn out RIGHT). Guess what… it really needs the malt 🙂 I couldn't taste it (yeah) and it turned out amazing. It even helped the frosting somehow. I made it for a family party last night and everyone LOVED it. Thank you for a recipe that will be part of out family from now on. Your blog ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!
Made this cake like I said I would for my husbands birthday on the Ausgust 13th. I was amazed at myself. It turned out FABULOUS! Thanks for the recipe! I will be making this cake again, and again, and again for special occasions. As for the other lady with frosting problems. I made it just how the recipe said and it was fine. I refrigerate the frosted cake for about an hour and then put the ganche over it. So if you don't like malt just leave it out of the cake like you did but put it in the frosting and it might turn out. My cake also took about 30 min to bake instead of 20. It could be the elevation.
Well, let's just say, my cake doesn't look near as pretty as yours!! The ganache does kind of mix with the frosting and alot gathers at the bottom of my cake plate. None the less, this cake is amazing and the frosting tastes divine. I found I had to keep it refrigerated to keep the frosting and ganache from getting softer and drooping.
The frosting isn't a thick, hard frosting like royal icing or even like a cream cheese frosting. The consistency is supposed to be like a whipped frosting, it should be a little lighter. Is it so soft that you can't put the ganache on?
Okay I made the cake again… I am determined to get it right 🙂 My cake took a lot longer to cook again, must be my oven. The frosting is so soft- I even let it sit over night in my fridge before I used it to frost the cake. So, I tried the frositng a 3rd time and I used more powdered sugar and less cream. Did your frosting seem soft? Thanks for answering all my questions. This recipe is amazing- I just want to perfect it, so I can make it for company or an event.
@ Taylor-
Yeah I think we refrigerated it for a bit while I made the ganache.. maybe an hour? I also had the ganache sit for a while so it wasn't like WAY warm when I poured it on. I am glad you liked it.. and the Winger's sauce (that is one of my hubby's FAVORITES)
I forgot to mention that I used nesquick as a substitute for the malt in the cake batter. I don't know if it did anything or not, but the cake was delicious. I really appreciate your response. Oh, did you refrigerate your frosted cake before you poured the ganache on? I love your blog!!! We LOVED the Winger's sauce.
@ Taylor-
I don't know if by leaving the malt out made a difference or not. I haven't made it without the malt. The malt flavor isn't really strong.. I don't know if there is a good substitute for malted milk powder. I for sure only did the cakes for 20 minutes. If the toothpick comes out too wet, I would check it every 2-3 minutes until it comes out clean.. no one will know if you poke the cake a ton. The cake should be really moist and the frosting shouldn't be runny at all. You may have had the right idea by adding more powdered sugar for next time. I have never had that problem! Sorry it didn't turn out as expected!
My cakes just took 40 minutes to bake all the way through! I had no extra batter—so maybe that has something to with it. Did you use convection baking? Shallower pans?
It can vary by oven, pan, or cooking time.. no matter how you make it just make sure to pull it out as soon as a toothpick comes out clean after inserting it into the cake.
I made your cake and it was yummy- but I have some questions. I baked it for 20 min- but the toothpick was very wet when I pulled it out. I baked it for more time, but may have dried it out. Is it really 20? Also, I am not a malt fan, so I left it out. My frosting turned out soft and it ran everywhere when I poured the ganache on it. Do you think the absence of malt did that? Maybe I should have used more powdered sugar. I am anxious to try this again. I look forward to your response.
Made this cake for a girls get-together. You're right. It's fabulous!! The only problem is all the leftovers. I just had chocolate cake for breakfast. Bad, but it sure was yum! Thanks
Love love LOVE your blog. and i'm seriously DROOLING over this. YUM!
Thanks! Just made your yogurt pancakes, they were delicious. I will be making this cake for my husband birthday. It is August 13th. I will let you know how I did. I am so excited though!
We just made your Big Kahuna Sandwhich over the weekend and it was amazing!!! Thanks for sharing the recipe, we will be making it again!
Wow, that cake looks fabulous and delicious!
My mouth is watering looking at these pictures! I will def be trying this one out!
haha I would love to! Can't have too many sisters, right? Maybe that is why my sisters and I are so close.. because we all like to eat.
UM Excuse me – is your last name Anderson – because I'm fairly certain that you are my sister. My sister just called me because she saw the link on my blog to your blog and said, " Um hello does that girl live in my mouth." I was like UH YAH! now if you aren't are sister – do you want to be – trust me you do! just say yes now! Love this – thanks much! Jen
That is not a stupid question at all– yes, I did cut the cakes in half so there were 4 skinny cakes.. then I loaded frosting in between each layer. You can just do the 2 layers if you don't want to slice up the cakes — I just think the 4 layers look pretty 🙂
So I see the picture and it looks great! I have never made a layered cake before though. Did you cut your cakes in half and frost, and then start layering or how do you get the frosting inside the cake? sounds like a stupid question probably but I would love to try it!
Oh! Wow! This recipe was bookmarked instantly. I definitely have to try this. Thanks!
What flavor of malt are we supposed to use, chocolate right?
No, just regular malted milk. However, the chocolate flavored malt would probably taste just as good. Thanks for asking!