Thanks again to my friend Lee who always sends great recipes my way. She sent this one from CHOW for a Triple Malt Chocolate Cake. Because I can never leave well enough alone, I opted to make cupcakes and use my favorite buttercream frosting recipe.
Since Easter is just around the corner, I thought I’d decorate them with some toasted coconut and a few Cadbury Mini Eggs. Little nest of coconut with my favorite chocolate eggs nestled in the center.
Have I mentioned that Cadbury Mini Eggs are my most favorite of all the chocolate confections? I haven’t? Well let me sing it from the rooftops – I HAVE A MAD OBESSION WITH THE MINI EGG! It’s true. I’ve only purchased one bag of them this season, granted it was a gigantic bag from Sam’s Club, but I have put it far from my reach so they aren’t easily accessible. I warned the youngins that no one was to touch them until the cupcakes were decorated. They sat safely out of reach until it was decorating time. I can no longer vouch for their safety now. It will be a mini egg free for all in this house from this point on. Thank goodness they only come out once a year.
On to the cupcakes! Oh the delicious, moist and delectable cupcakes. I have to admit, while I was mixing this batter, there were times when I was tempted to take a straw and drink directly from the mixing bowl. The batter smelled so good, like a big malted milk shake, and when they were in the oven baking…..oh my goodness….my whole house smelled like a chocolate shop. I guess it’s the malted milk powder that gives them that intense chocolate smell. Not that I am complaining!
Where do you find malted milk powder pray tell??? Glad you asked. I went to 3 stores before I discovered that Ovaltine is actually malted milk powder! I know you can buy some fancy powders in specialty shops, or via mail order, but dammit, my cupcakes can’t wait! Ovaltine worked perfectly.
I have to say…these were some of the BEST cupcakes I have ever sunk my sweet teeth into. (I like sugar way too much to just have a sweet tooth). Make this cupcake and top them with my favorite buttercream frosting recipe. Your sweet teeth will thank you.
Malted Milk Cupcakes
Printable recipe
2 cups malted milk powder (Ovaltine)
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups whole milk
Heat the oven to 325 and arrange the rack in the middle.
Combine the malted milk powder, flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk to aerate and break up any lumps. Set aside.
Combine the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a separate large bowl and whisk until combined and smooth. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and whisk until just combined and smooth. Add ½ the milk and whisk until smooth. Continue with remaining flour mixture and milk, alternating between each and whisking until all ingredients are just incorporated and smooth.
Pour the batter into lined baking muffin tins, about 2/3 full. Bake 20 - 23 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Mine we done at 21 minutes. Let cool in pans about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with buttercream then sink your teeth into one of the best cupcakes you've ever tasted.
Thanks again to Lee, one of my favorite chicks!!
Where do you find malted milk powder pray tell??? Glad you asked. I went to 3 stores before I discovered that Ovaltine is actually malted milk powder! I know you can buy some fancy powders in specialty shops, or via mail order, but dammit, my cupcakes can’t wait! Ovaltine worked perfectly.
I have to say…these were some of the BEST cupcakes I have ever sunk my sweet teeth into. (I like sugar way too much to just have a sweet tooth). Make this cupcake and top them with my favorite buttercream frosting recipe. Your sweet teeth will thank you.
Malted Milk Cupcakes
Printable recipe
2 cups malted milk powder (Ovaltine)
1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
2/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
3 large eggs
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
2/3 vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups whole milk
Heat the oven to 325 and arrange the rack in the middle.
Combine the malted milk powder, flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda in a large bowl. Whisk to aerate and break up any lumps. Set aside.
Combine the eggs, sugar, oil and vanilla in a separate large bowl and whisk until combined and smooth. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture and whisk until just combined and smooth. Add ½ the milk and whisk until smooth. Continue with remaining flour mixture and milk, alternating between each and whisking until all ingredients are just incorporated and smooth.
Pour the batter into lined baking muffin tins, about 2/3 full. Bake 20 - 23 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Mine we done at 21 minutes. Let cool in pans about 5 minutes then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost with buttercream then sink your teeth into one of the best cupcakes you've ever tasted.
Thanks again to Lee, one of my favorite chicks!!
These are adorable decorated with the eggs, perfect for Easter!
ReplyDeleteHow cute can this be !
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious
Thanks for the pretty pictures and recipe.
Those are the cutest cupcakes! I love how you decorated them. Those mini eggs are addictive, aren't they? ;)
ReplyDeleteYum. Yum. Serious yum.
ReplyDeleteLisa, I absolutely love Cadbury eggs too-and did you know that this year they have come out with a dark chocolate version?
ReplyDeleteWe've already eaten 2 small bags of milk and are now working on the dark chocolate bag!
Happy Easter!
Diane
Those look delicious, Lisa. I knew you'd like that recipe!
ReplyDeletei love them... it looks like little nests.
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if I could substitute the whole milk for skim or low fat milk and the vege oil for canola oil. Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteAngie I would say give it a try. You might also try subbing the same amount of applesauce in place of the oil. I do that a lot and all my cupcakes come out great.
ReplyDeleteI made these last week using 2% milk instead of whole milk, vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract, and your suggested applesauce in lieu of oil. They turned out good, but very dense and heavy, almost like a mini pound cake. I'm not sure if it was because of the applesauce or the fault of my cooking skills but they were (and are) still delicious. I think the next time I make them I'll try it with the oil just to see if it was, in fact, the applesauce that made it so dense.
ReplyDeleteIncidentally, I woke up in the middle of the night (out of the blue!) thinking I had left out the cream of tartar and that was why the cupcakes didn't turn out the way I expected them to. A quick check later told me it was another recipe I was thinking of that called for cream of tartar. Ha!
Still, my denser cupcakes are pretty good and knowing I used applesauce instead of the vege or canola oil makes me feel less guilty eating them with the vanilla bean buttercream icing that I frosted them with.