What could be better than Chocolate?

          Malted Chocolate!

There's something about 'malts' that I've loved since I was a child. When I was young, soda fountains were still very much a part of everyday culture. It was so much fun sitting in front of the long counter at our neighborhood drug store. Especially when it was on one of the red vinyl stools that spun around!

Ordering a malt meant watching the soda shop attendant fill a BIG silver 32 ounce container with scoops of vanilla ice cream, real whole milk, your favorite flavor syrup (chocolate, vanilla or strawberry) and MALT!  
EXTRA MALT to be exact!!
They would hang the silver container on the mixer and let it whirl.

But the VERY BEST PART...
was that not only did you get a huge soda shop glass filled with your favorite flavored malt, you got whatever was left in the big silver cup too! It took everything we had as kids to get down that giant glass of malt JUST so we could have what was in that ice cold silver container!  And who could forget those red and white soda straws made of paper! We had no idea what a plastic straw was back then. And because the malts were so gloriously thick, it would take no less than 3 straws to drink that whole malt. That's because, since the straws were made of paper, they constantly collapsed! If they didn't, then your malt just simply wasn't thick enough!
Malted shakes are still my favorites today. It's one of those great tastes that brings back wonderful memories of being a kid in a soda shop. For my taste buds, if it doesn't have malt in it, it's just not complete.


Those truly were the 'good ole days'~ 















So in honor of those wonderful memories I had to try these inspirations from yesteryear: Chocolate Malted Cupcakes with Chocolate Malted Buttercream Frosting!

And I'm so happy I did~

Malted Milk powder and real Dutch Cocoa are the kickers here!

Rich chocolate cake and creamy malted frosting are the perfect combination.
I can't wait to try these in vanilla and strawberry!

Chocolate Malted Cupcakes
Makes approx. 24 standard cupcakes or 18 King Size

 

Cupcakes:

1 box Devil's Food cake mix
2 cups of white cake mix

4 large eggs at room temperature

1/2 cup coconut oil (liquified)

1 3/4 cup milk at room temperature
2 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar (white vinegar will work too)

1 cup sour cream at room temperature

1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract

1 cup malted milk powder

Chocolate Malted Buttercream Frosting:

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

4 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sifted cocoa powder

3 cups well sifted powdered sugar

3/4 cup sifted malted milk powder

1 1/2 teaspoons PURE vanilla extract
1 - 2 TBSP Water
Malted Milk Balls for garnish

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pan(s) with cupcake liners.

- In a small bowl combine milk and Apple Cider Vinegar and allow to stand for a few minutes. This mixture will thicken some.
- With a wire whisk, mix together cake mixes and malted milk powder. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla extract. Gently whisk until smooth then add milk and vinegar mixture. Whisk just until blended. 

- Add one-third of the dry ingredients at a time to the egg mixture and blend just until dry mixture is moist each time. When the batter is completely moist, blend on medium speed for 2 minutes.

- I use an ice cream scooper to fill cupcake liners 2/3rds full.

**Bake STANDARD size cupcakes for 14 minutes then check for doneness.
**Bake KING size cupcakes 16 minutes then check for doneness.
Cupcakes are done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Continue cooking for 1 - 2 minutes if toothpick has a little batter on it.

DO NOT OVERCOOK~!

 

Remove from oven and allow cupcakes to cool for a couple of minutes before removing them from the tin and placing on a rack to cool completely. Allow cupcakes to cool for at least 30 minutes before frosting!

 

FROSTING

- Beat butter and cream cheese for 4 - 5 minutes, scraping down sides of bowl a couple of times.
- Add sifted cocoa powder, powdered sugar, malted milk powder and vanilla. Beat until smooth.
- Gradually add water until desired consistency is reached.

- Pipe or frost cooled cupcakes and store in an airtight container for up to 2 days without refrigeration (refrigerating your cupcakes will dry the cake out).

If you need to keep them longer than a couple of days, freeze ONLY the cupcake without frosting in freezer baggies. To defrost, remove cupcake from freezer and allow them to thaw at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then frost. Freezing will maintain the moisture in the cupcakes, unlike refrigeration.

ENJOY!!

The only thing that could possibly make these more perfect?


Perhaps some whipped cream and a cherry on top!
Maybe next time :o)