Malted Milk Buttercream Recipes

MALTED MILK BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Cream the butter in a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds.
• Stop mixer and add the powdered sugar, Ovaltine, milk, and vanilla; blend on low speed until sugar is incorporated, 1 minute.
• Increase mixer speed to medium and beat until frosting is fluffy and light, 1-2 minutes longer.
• Use as desired.

CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MALTED CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• For the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 8-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper rounds.
• Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the hot coffee and semisweet chocolate. Allow the coffee to melt the chocolate, then cool the mixture to warm, not hot. Stir to blend the chocolate into the coffee. Add the buttermilk and vanilla and stir again. Set aside.
• Whisk together the oil, eggs and egg yolk in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium high, about 1 minute. Reduce the speed to low and add the coffee mixture. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix on low until well blended, about 1 minute. Give the batter a 20-second burst on medium-high speed.
• Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake on the center rack until a toothpick inserted into the centers of the cakes comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Allow to cool for about 30 minutes in the pans, then remove from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack. Carefully double-wrap the cooled cakes in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours or until you are ready to decorate.
• For the buttercream: Place the malted milk balls in a resealable bag and seal. Break the candies into small chunks with the back of a spoon and set aside.
• Beat the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer on medium speed until nice and smooth, about 1 minute. On low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar until fully incorporated. Add the malted milk powder, vanilla and salt. Beat on medium speed until well combined, 2 minutes. (For a firmer buttercream, add a little more confectioners' sugar. For a softer buttercream, add a little water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.) In a small bowl, mix a quarter of the buttercream with the crushed malted milk balls. Store in airtight containers until ready to use.
• To assemble the cake: Remove the plastic wrap from the cakes. Using a long serrated knife, carefully cut off the domed sections of each layer of cake. (Discard the scraps or give to eager family and friends.) Place one layer of the cake on a plate or disposable cardboard cake circle. Using a medium-size offset spatula, spread about a 1/2-inch layer of the buttercream with candy pieces onto the top of the cake layer, leaving about half an inch of space between the buttercream and the edge of the cake. Carefully place the other layer on top of the one with the candy buttercream. Using the plain buttercream (without candy pieces), spread a thin layer of buttercream all the way around the entire cake. Chill the cake for about 30 minutes. This will act as a crumb coat and lock in all of the loose crumbs before adding the final layer of icing. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and, using your spatula, spread another layer of buttercream on the sides and top of the cake. Crush additional malted milk candies and sprinkle on top of the cake.

MALTED MILK PIñATA CAKE

Steps:

• Bake the cake:
• Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease three 18cm (7 inch) cake tins and line with parchment paper.
• Put the butter, sugars, flour, baking powder, malt powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until all the butter is rubbed into the dry mixture and it has a sandy texture. Alternatively, rub the butter into the dry ingredients by hand, as if you were making pastry.
• In a small jug, beat together the milk, eggs and vanilla. Pour the mixture down the side of the bowl into the dry ingredients and beat until everything is mixed together. When all the liquid has been added, beat on a high speed for two minutes until it is well combined and smooth. Alternatively, you could use an electric hand-held whisk.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins and bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. The cake will look slightly darker than you might expect with the added malted milk powder, so be more vigilant in checking that it is ready.
• Make the buttercream:
• Heat the milk and malted milk powder in a small saucepan. Whisk until all the lumps of powder have dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly. Set aside to cool. Beat the butter in a large bowl until smooth, then gradually add the icing sugar and cool malted milk paste. Use an electric hand-held whisk to beat the buttercream for 5-10 minutes until light and fluffy. It should hold its shape but still be fairly soft.
• Assemble the cake:
• To assemble the cake, stack the bottom two layers on top of each other and use a circular 9cm cutter to remove the middle. Press through both layers at once to make sure the holes line up.
• Put the bottom ring on a cake stand and cover the top with a layer of buttercream using a palette knife. Try not to get icing too close to the middle, because moisture on the sweets will cause them to become sticky.
• Put the second ring on top of the first and fill the hole with milk bottle sweets. Make sure it is filled to the same level as the sponge or the top sponge will cave in. Cover the second ring with buttercream then add the final sponge. Thinly cover the whole cake with some of the buttercream to trap any crumbs, then chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
• Cover the cake with the remaining buttercream, placing a large dollop on the top to create a swirl. Decorate using more milk bottle sweets and coloured paper straws.

MALTED MILK & CHOCOLATE TRAYBAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Oil a 20 x 30cm traybake tin and line with baking parchment. Whisk the oil, sugar, eggs and milk together in a large bowl. Sieve over the flour, cocoa, malted milk powder and bicarbonate of soda, then fold the dry ingredients into the wet until well-combined. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 mins until the sponge has risen and springs back when gently pressed - a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean. Set the tin on a wire rack and leave to cool completely.
• While the sponge cools, make the buttercream. Beat the butter, icing sugar, malted milk powder, vanilla and 1 tbsp boiling water from the kettle together using an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Spoon the buttercream over the cooled cake and gently spread to the edges using a spatula or palette knife. Scatter over the bashed chocolate balls, then decorate with the chocolate bunnies and halved chocolate eggs before serving. Will keep in an airtight container for up to three days.