Name: Chocolate Malted Cake
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Ingredients: 1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour; 1 teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon baking powder; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1¼ cups boiling water; 4 ounces (113 grams) unsweetened chocolate , chopped; ½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder; 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder; 10 tablespoons unsalted butter , softened; 1½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar; 3 large eggs , room temperature; ½ cup sour cream , room temperature; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 cup malted milk powder; ⅓ cup heavy cream; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter , softened; ¼ teaspoon salt; 3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar; 6 ounces (170 grams) milk chocolate , melted and cooled; 2 (5-ounce) boxes malted milk balls

Chocolate Malted Cake

By America's Test Kitchen

Published on June 22, 2017

Time

1¾ hours, plus 2 hours cooling

Yield

Serves 12

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake

1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt 1¼ cups boiling water 4 ounces (113 grams) unsweetened chocolate, chopped½ cup (1½ ounces/43 grams) Dutch-processed cocoa powder 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder or instant coffee powder10 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened1½ cups packed (10½ ounces/298 grams) light brown sugar 3 large eggs, room temperature½ cup sour cream, room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Frosting and Garnish

1 cup malted milk powder ⅓ cup heavy cream 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 24 tablespoons (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened¼ teaspoon salt 3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar 6 ounces (170 grams) milk chocolate, melted and cooled2 (5-ounce) boxes malted milk balls

Before You Begin

This Devil’s Food-style cake is packed with chocolate flavor. For an accurate measurement of boiling water, bring a full kettle of water to a boil, then measure out the desired amount. Malted milk powder is a mixture of malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated whole milk. It can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores.

Instructions

for the cake

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper, grease parchment, and flour pans. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in bowl. In second bowl, whisk boiling water, chocolate, cocoa, and espresso powder together until smooth.

Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until incorporated.

Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with chocolate mixture in 2 additions, scraping down bowl as needed. Give batter final stir by hand.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes, rotating pans halfway through baking.

Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, discarding parchment, and let cool completely on rack, about 2 hours.

for the frosting

Stir malted milk powder, cream, and vanilla in bowl until thoroughly combined. Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip butter and salt on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, slowly add sugar, and mix until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Add malted milk mixture, increase speed to medium-high, and whip until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add chocolate and whip until thoroughly combined.

Place 1 cup malted milk balls in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag and crush coarse with rolling pin. Place 1 cake layer on cake plate or pedestal. Spread 1 cup frosting evenly over top. Sprinkle 1/2 cup crushed malted milk balls evenly over frosting. Repeat with second cake layer, 1 cup frosting, and remaining 1/2 cup crushed malted milk balls. Place third cake layer on top and frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Arrange whole malted milk balls around top and bottom edges of cake. Arrange 5 malted milk balls in center of cake. Serve.