Salty Dawgs – Salted Chocolate Malted Cupcakes

Salted Malted Chocolate Cupcakes // The Sugar Hit

 

Salted malted chocolate cupcakes. Salty Malt Cakes. Salty Dawgs. You see how I got there. The base is a dark, black, light and moist chocolate cake. The topping is a malty swirl of creamy buttercream. Add a drizzle of salted caramel and a crushed malted milk ball and you’ve got yourself the cupcake that all other cupcakes aspire to be. They’re sweet, they’ve got that savoury-roundness of malt, and the salty-bitterness of a good caramel. Le sigh. They are amazing.

 

Salted Malted Chocolate Cupcakes // The Sugar Hit

 

It’s official: I’m back on board with cupcakes. My contrarian nature meant that for a long time we were estranged. Not for me the cooing over chicken-shaped sugar paste-topped cakes. Does anyone actually enjoy that? Candy Melts? Fondant? Really? I definitely admire the artistry, but for me, if something is packing a serious caloric punch, then it’s gotta be worth it in the flavour stakes. Which is why my approach to cupcakes follows more of the American style snack-cake route.

 

Salted Malted Chocolate Cupcakes // The Sugar Hit

 

Have you ever noticed that those snack cakes, and we have them here too, just different brands (a lot of Italian ones, which I’m fine with) – they’re not actually that sweet? They’re fatty, definitely. And they have that artificial vanilla taste. And sometimes an almost-boozy flavour, especially in the ‘chocolate’ ones, which I’m not sure is to evoke a chocolate flavour, or because of some long-term storage fermentation… Either way, they always have more going on that mere sugariness. Which is why I’m taking that tack as I slowly re-appropriate cupcakes.

 

Salted Malted Chocolate Cupcakes // The Sugar Hit

 

A sugary sponge, topped with more sugary buttercream is just a straight up tooth-stripper. When you can feel those grains as you bite into the icing? I can’t stand that. My cupcake’s gotta be creamy. It’s gotta be malty. It’s gotta be salty. It’s gotta be something that I’m happy cramming in my face while I watch Inherent Vice with my boyfriend again and again. I’m so happy to be able to give you that cupcake today. Here it is. Live it. Love it. Enjoy.

 

xx Sarah.

 

Salted Malted Chocolate Cupcakes // The Sugar Hit

 

Salted Malted Chocolate Cupcakes // The Sugar Hit

 

Salty Dawgs - Salted Chocolate Malted Cupcakes
 
Author:
Serves: 12
Ingredients
  • 1 + ¼ cup (190g) plain flour
  • 1 cup (200g) caster sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 + ½ tsp baking powder
  • ⅓ cup (30g) cocoa powder
  • ½ cup (125ml) milk
  • ½ cup (125ml) grapeseed oil (or other flavourless oil)
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract)
  • 1 egg
For the buttercream
  • ¼ cup chocolate malt powder (e.g. Ovaltine)
  • 2 tbsp hot water
  • 3 egg whites
  • ¾ cup (150g) caster sugar
  • 1 stick + 5 tbsp (190g) salted butter, very soft
  • Salted caramel + malted milk balls to decorate
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
  2. Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl.
  3. In a separate jug, whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla and egg. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
  4. Divide evenly between the paper cases, and bake for 17-20 minutes, or until dry and springing back when pressed. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
  5. To make the buttercream, dissolve the malt powder in the hot water in a small bowl and set aside.
  6. Place the egg whites and sugar into a heat proof bowl, over but not touching a saucepan filled with simmering water (aka a bain marie). Whisk gently (not to incorporate any air), until the mixture reaches 65c/145F - or until the mixture feels hot to the touch, when you rub some between your fingers, you can feel no grains of sugar.
  7. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on a medium-high speed, until the mixture is tripled in volume and completely cool. It should look like meringue.
  8. When the mixture is completely cool, begin beating on the butter adding it a tablespoon at a time, with the mixer running still at a medium-high speed.
  9. When all the butter is incorporated, whisk through the vanilla and the dissolved malt powder.
  10. Top the cooled cupcakes with a generous slathering of buttercream, a drizzle of caramel, and a scattering of crushed malt balls.
 

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