This Chocolate Malt Layer Cake is a dream for all chocolate fans. There are 3 layers of fluffy chocolate cake with a rich malt fudge sauce, a creamy chocolate malt frosting and crunchy malt crumbs in between.
I love this type of cake because you can see all the parts of the cake right away in a naked cake and it is so diverse in taste as well as texture.
Making the entire cake takes some time, but you can plan it well and prepare the components ahead of time and it’s definitely worth it. This cake is always an eye catcher and it works for many different occasions. Whether you bring it as a gift or just make it for yourself at home.
Tools & Equipment
- 2 strips of acetate 50cm/20-inch
- Cake ring 15 cm/6-inch
- Curved spoon
- Fine-mesh strainer
- Large baking sheet
- Large bowl
- Liquid measuring cup
- Medium bowl
- Parchment paper
- Quarter baking sheet
- Silicone spatula
- Stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment
- Whisk
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Cake Flour: You need cake flour for this recipe. If you do not have cake flour at home or cannot find it in the grocery store, you can easily make it from scratch. To do so, mix all-purpose flour (550) and cornstarch in a ratio of 87% flour and 13% cornstarch. Sift into a bowl and repeat the process twice. That’s all!
Plan Ahead: After baking and before further use in this recipe, the cake and also the malt crumbs need to cool completely, therefore I like to make these 2 components the day before. Wrap the cake in plastic, place the crumbs in an airtight container and keep both in the fridge until needed.
Frosting: I make the frosting right before assembling the cake because it’s done in no time. If you prefer, you can prepare the frosting the day before as well and store it in the fridge until ready to use. Make sure to loosen the frosting in a mixer on medium speed for about 3 minutes before using, so it is spreadable.
Ingredients for Chocolate Malt Layer Cake
Directions – How to Make Chocolate Malt Layer Cake
Make the Chocolate Cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350℉. Spray a quarter sheet pan with cooking spray and line with parchment. Place butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, for about 2-3 minutes.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed for 1 minute after each addition. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue beating with the mixer on high speed for about 4 minutes. Combine buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
Add the buttermilk mixture on low speed, this should take about 2-3 minutes. Increase the mixer to medium-high and beat until it is almost white, twice the size and completely homogeneous, for about 4-6 minutes. Combine cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
Add the dry ingredients at low speed and mix until incorporated, for 45-60 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Spread the cake batter in an even layer on the baking sheet.
Bake for 30-35 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway through baking. After 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger, the cake should bounce bake a little and the center should no longer be jiggly. Bake for another 3-5 minutes if it is not there yet. Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
Make the Malt Crumbs
Preheat the oven to 120°C/250°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Combine 25g milk powder, flour, cornstarch, 20g ovaltine, sugar and salt. Melt the butter and add to the dry ingredients. Stir until the mixture begins to combine and form small clusters.
Spread the clusters on the baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely. Break up any crumbs larger than 1,3cm/0,5 inches in diameter and place in a medium bowl. Mix the remaining ovaltine and milk powder, add to the crumbs and mix until evenly distributed.
Melt the white chocolate, pour over the crumbs and toss until the crumbs are coated. Stir every 5 minutes, until the white chocolate hardens and the crumbs are no longer sticky.
Make the Malt Fudge Sauce
Mix chocolate, milk powder and salt. Place glucose, molasses, sugar and heavy cream in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly.
Once boiling, pour into the bowl with the chocolate and let sit for 1 minute. Slowly begin whisking. Continue, increasing the speed of whisking every 30 seconds, until the mixture is glossy and smooth. This will take 2-4 minutes. If there are still lumps in the chocolate mixture, pass it through a fine mesh strainer.
Make the Chocolate Malt Frosting
In the bowl of a stand mixer beat butter, sugar, salt, cocoa powder and ovaltine on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, for about 5-7 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, pour in the milk. Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat until silky smooth and glossy, for about 2-3 minutes.
Assemble the Cake
Run a plastic scraper along the sides of the cake. Place a piece of parchment on your work surface. Invert the cake onto it and peel off the parchment from the bottom of the cake.
Cut out 2 circles from the cake. These will be the top 2 cake layers. The remaining cake scraps will form the bottom layer of the cake. Make the soak by whisking together milk and ovaltine until the ovaltine is completely dissolved.
Clean the cake ring and place it in the center of a baking sheet lined with clean parchment. Use 1 strip of acetate to line the inside of the cake ring. Place the cake scraps inside the ring. Pour half of the ovaltine soak onto the cake layer.
Spread 1/3 of the malt fudge sauce on top of the cake and sprinkle 1/3 of the malt crumbs over the malt fudge sauce. Spread 1/3 of the chocolate malt frosting as evenly as possible over the crumbs.
Carefully tuck in the 2nd acetate strip between the cake ring and the 1st acetate strip. Place a cake ring on top of the frosting and repeat the process as for the 1st layer. Place the remaining cake ring in the frosting. Cover the cake with the rest of the frosting and put the sheet pan in the freezer for at least 12 hours to set.
3 hours before serving, remove the sheet from the freezer and loosen the cake from the cake ring. Carefully peel off the acetate and place the cake on a plate. Decorate with remaining malt crumbs and malt fudge sauce and let it thaw in the fridge.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: You can store the cooled chocolate cake wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 5 days. The malt crumbs can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 week or in the fridge for up to 1 month. Store the malt fudge sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and the chocolate malt frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. The finished cake or leftovers can be stored well wrapped in plastic in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze the malt crumbs in an airtight container for up to 2 months. The finished cake or leftovers can be kept in the freezer for up to 4 weeks. Let the cake thaw in the fridge at least 3 hours before serving.
My Summary for Chocolate Malt Layer Cake
Difficulty: Intermediate.
Taste & Texture: The 2 main components, chocolate and malt, provide an outstanding flavor to this cake. Nevertheless, the malt flavor is not too overpowering, but very pleasant. The malt fudge sauce adds a nice caramel touch to the cake. The result is a 3 layer fluffy chocolate cake with a rich malt fudge sauce, a creamy chocolate malt frosting and crunchy malt crumbs in between.
Time: Plan ahead is important, because there are a few steps necessary before you can assemble the cake. It takes about 1 hour to make the chocolate cake base and the malt crumbs. Baking time for the cake is 30-35 minutes and for the crumbs 20 minutes. After that, the cake and crumbs need to cool completely. For making the malt fudge sauce you should plan about 20 minutes and for the chocolate malt frosting about 15 minutes. Assembling the cake will take about 45 minutes.
More LAYER CAKE Recipes
- Birthday Cake
- Dulce de Leche Layer Cake
- Dulce de Leche Peanut Butter Cake
- Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake
- Vanilla Birthday Cake
