Malt Ball Cupcakes

My mom’s birthday was a couple weeks ago!  I was excited to FINALLY make this recipe idea I’ve had in my head for over a year now.  You see she loves malt balls, malted milk shakes…all things malted and chocolate.  So why not a cake version!

I scoured some recipes online, and got some ideas.  I like the frosting recipe and presentation idea from here.   I also had my eye here, and on the back of the Trader Joe’s cocoa powder box when deciding on a cake.  I wanted a relatively simple cake…i.e. I just wanted to use cocoa powder instead of melting down chocolate.

Malted Chocolate Cupcakes

• 2 c. All Purpose Flour
• 1 1/2 c. cocoa powder
• 2/3 c. malted milk powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp espresso powder (optional)
• 1 3/4 c. granulated sugar
• 1 stick butter (room temp)
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350

In a mixing bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, malted milk powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and espresso powder.  Whisk together and set aside.

     

In another mixing bowl cream butter and sugar with an electric mixer (paddle attachment or hand mixer) until all combined and fluffy.  Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing after each.  Add sour cream, vanilla, and milk and mix until all combined and smooth.

Add flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until all incorporated.

Fill paper-lined muffin tins 2/3 of the way.

Bake 20-22 min for regular cupcakes, or

Bake 10 min for mini-cupcakes.

I made minis and regular size

one of these things is not like the other:

Let these guys cool, while you clean up and get ready to make the most delicious and simple frosting ever.

I basically used the same recipe as the one I saw here, but not quite the same quantities.  This is the type of frosting I grew up with and was probably the first type I ever made: butter + confectioners sugar + vanilla + milk.  So easy, SO SO SO good!!  It’s not the shiny, fancy, super-pretty frosting, but I’d take it over any of those Italian, Swiss, you-name-it types of butter cream ANY day. 

Malted Vanilla Butter Cream

• 1 box (1 lb) confectioners sugar
• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 6 tablespoons malted milk powder
• 3-6 T milk

Combine all ingredients in a bowl including 3T milk.  Beat with an electric mixer until combined.  It will seem overly powdery at first, and add milk 1T at a time until desired consistency is reached but beat it for a while before you keep adding milk…you don’t want it to be too thinned out or it wont hold any shape while decorating! 

 
You want it THICK like paste…delicious paste. 

This tasted exactly like the middle of a malt ball but in butter cream form.  Heaven. 

Now for the fun part.  Decorating bags and tips are really not that expensive and I think it just takes your cupcakes to a whole new level.  People are so much more impressed.

I knew I wanted a Whopper on top before I even started this, but I also loved the look of the half Whopped I saw on the site I referenced for the frosting.  So I did both:  whole for the big cupcakes, halves for the minis.

I also played around with two different decorating tips.  I will say my frosting was maybe a smidge too thick as it was kind of hard to pipe but nothing a little muscle couldn’t handle.

 

I loved how they came out, they look so cute.  I brought some to a party, some to mom, and the rest to work…big hit all around :)

Last weekend before Christmas…has everyone finished shopping!?  I only have a few small stocking stuffers left so I feel pretty good.  Also pumped about this short work week and then vacation!!  Well not going anywhere but my company is closing from Christmas to New Years.  I can’t wait to just get stuff DONE around here!