Recipes

Sunday, December 19, 2010

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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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one of these things is not like the other:

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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. 

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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! 

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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.

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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.

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IMG_6854 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 Christmashas 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!

15 comments:

  1. What a fabulous idea! And I love how you decorated them - they look like they're from a fancy bakery.

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  2. Oh my gosh! These are SO cute. Josh loves all things malted too- I will have to make these for him. What a great idea. Your company clothes from Christmas through New Years?! How fabulous is that!! I'm done shopping too- yayyy!

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  3. You did a great job with the frosting!

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  4. oh my gosh how gorgeous! these are SO BEAUTiful! I want to frame one of these photos to look at everyday :)

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  5. What a cute idea. I love the topping.

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  6. Bridget, these malted cupcakes look fantastic! Your mom is a lucky lady :).

    I'm done holiday shopping... finally. I tell myself every year to start early, but I never seem to get my butt in gear until a few weeks prior to Christmas ;).

    Have a wonderful holiday!

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  7. Wow, the malt ball cupcakes look gorgeous! You have a real eye for presentation!

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  8. What an excellent idea. I LOVE malted milk balls. (Though I prefer the Brit version, Maltesers, to Whoppers) Will definitely have to try this out.

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  9. I love whoppers but kinda forgot about them and haven't had some in a long time! These cupcakes look so yummy, I'm not surprised they were a big hit!

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  10. These are gorgeous- you do a fabulous job with the icing- mine looks like a kid did it :)

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  11. I'm smitten with the sound of these. I made malted blondies once and they were so good, but these sound even better. I agree with Kerstin, they are beautiful and do look professional.

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  12. Such a creative idea! And I love the frosting and decorating. Simplistic, yet perfectly executed!!

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  13. these sound delicious, and you did such an amazing job decorating them!! hope mom liked them :)

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  14. Wow, these look awesome!! I LOVE malted milkshakes and malt balls, too, so I definitely need to try these. And they're so beautiful... love the frosting!

    Sues

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  15. These cupcakes look so good. Wish I had one of these. Where can one find malted milk powder?

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