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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 two four layers of cake by using two cake pans. 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.
No, because malt comes from barley it is not gluten free.
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!
question? Do you use original malt powder flavor or chocolate??
You can use either, we used regular but I am sure chocolate would be great
What is the best way to cut the cakes in half to make the four layers? When there cold sound reasonable?
Yes, you can even freeze them and cut them in half to make it easier 🙂
I found Carnation Malted Milk powder at GFS after calling all the stores I could think of. I am making the cake right now and 20 minutes had the cakes still half raw, so I am checking every 3 minutes. So far so good!
Hi there
I would just like to thank you and let u know i used ur idea for my maltesers cake and it was a winner !!
Thank you
Great, thanks!
I made this yummy cake & it came out exactly like your pic, everyone raved over it, I divided the batter into 3 pans & it was perfect……….had left over frosting & ganache, I might use milk chocolate chips instead of semi sweet for the ganache, I’m making this again tomorrow, my husband’s co-workers saw my post & pleaded for one, I loved the frosting is so creamy, fluffly………I piped the stars on top before placing the malted balls. Love it thanks so much u certainly made my day & my husband happy!
is malted powder same as ovaltine??
It is not the same. Ovaltine has malted milk powder in it but also has added sugar and other ingredients. It may change the taste and texture of the cake. Carnation and Nestle both make a malted milk powder that works great with this recipe. I hope this helps!
30 minutes and counting, and the toothpick is still coming out dripping wet. I’ve followed the instructions precisely. I’m getting nervous…
Any update on this? How close is your oven rack to the top of the oven?
Could you put this in a 9×13 pan? Looks good really want to make for work. but would work better in a 9×13 for everyone to get a piece.
I don’t think you would get the same results. I don’t know how you would do it in a 9×13 and have the center perfectly gooey! If you try it, come back and let us know how it turns out!
Hey, Can you tell me the alterations i need to make in the recipe if I want a tall cake with three layers?
also it is going to be topped with a fondant layer and and chocolate malt frosting doesnt hold up so well in warm temperatures. ganache on the other hand does. So should i just top and cover the cake with ganache or cover it with the malt frosting first and then cover it with the ganache completely?
looking forward to your reply!
I haven’t done it that way before… how warm of temperatures are we talking here? We have served this at room temperature and the malt frosting is fine. Can you refrigerate until serving?
I’m very excited to make this cake. We used to make (what I think is) a version of this but with Nestle Quik. It was very good and got lots of compliments. Over the years I lost the recipe. So I’m excited to see this and try it.
To do a 4 layer did you cut or do you double the recipe?
I cut the layers in half to get 4!
https://www.google.ca/search?q=nestle+quik+chocolate+cake+recipe&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en-ca&client=safari
Made this for my daughters birthday…. Awesome, awesome, awesome!!!!
Thank you!!
I have been wanting to make this cake for over a year. I could almost taste it from looking at the pictures. I made it a fews ago for my son’s 7th birthday. It was easy to make and the malt frosting is seriously DIVINE. More than one of our party guests said that this was the best chocolate cake they had ever tasted. My son loved it too. I love this site, everything I have ever made has been a huge hit with my hubby and 4 kids. The recipies are easy to make and you have such a diverse selection for every craving and tastebud. Thank you so much for sharing.
Baked a cake for my dad’s birthday yesterday and wanted a recipe for malt frosting. I stumbled upon this blog and I have been drooling since. The cake I made is very similar to the recipe above, but yours looks so much more divine! It is bookmarked!
I made this cake for my mom’s birthday. I used gold food coloring spray paint on the malt balls. I’d be delighted if you checked out my post. http://gustoandgrace.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/a-malted-chocolate-cake-for-mom/ I was sure to link to this recipe!
Very nice cake
Just made this and it looks AMAZING. While the cake turned out as stated I found that I had nearly two cups each of frosting and ganache left over. I must not have frosted as liberally as you. But I am at a loss for the ganache; what do I do with the extra 2 cups? Do you apply twice?
Erica,
I ended up using Ovaltine because it was all I could find… not the chocolate drink mix but the "regular" flavor that's a yellowish colour. It works great!! I don't know if it tastes exactly like yours, but I know it's DARN good! 🙂
Thanks soooo much for this recipe! The frosting is so amazing and I'm definitely going to use it for cupcakes too.
Thank goodness you have a blog!
I used the Carnation brand. I found it at our local grocery store. Sometimes it is found by the instant breakfasts, sometimes by the coffee creamers.. Your best bet is to ask one of your store associates. Depending on the store it could be tricky to find. I don't know if I would try the powder drinks, it might make the cake taste funny. Good luck!!
Hi there!
I can't wait to try this recipe but can't seem to find any malt milk powder! I have seen the Carnation Malt Milk Powder online but I can't find it anywhere.
What brand do you use? Could I possibly use Horlicks or Ovaltine Malt Beverage powder instead? Will the "malt" flavour be strong enough from those drinks to use?
Thanks a bunch in advance!!!
Erica-thank you for this fabulous recipe. My hubby and I are junk food junkies, and we both agreed this is "THE best chocolate cake EVER". Absolutely amazing.
@ Taylor — YAY!!!!!!!!!! I am so glad it FINALLY turned out.. and that you liked it with the malt! Thanks so much for letting me know! I am so happy to hear your family liked it. I was so baffled why it wasn't working out! I am so glad you figured it out. Now I know for SURE it doesn't work without the malt. I am sure my future readers will appreciate knowing that!
Thanks for not giving up!!! –Erica