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.
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.
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.
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.
- 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
- 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
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a muffin tin with paper cases.
- Sift the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and cocoa powder into a large mixing bowl.
- In a separate jug, whisk together the milk, oil, vanilla and egg. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until combined.
- 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.
- To make the buttercream, dissolve the malt powder in the hot water in a small bowl and set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- When all the butter is incorporated, whisk through the vanilla and the dissolved malt powder.
- Top the cooled cupcakes with a generous slathering of buttercream, a drizzle of caramel, and a scattering of crushed malt balls.
i love swiss meringue buttercream! it’s not crazy sweet, and it’s always so fluffy and whippy and dreamy. and of course, you can never go wrong with salted caramel (you frosted the cupcakes perfectly- they have nooks and crannies for the caramel to pool ?).
Totally with you on the swiss meringue! I love that it’s less sweet than classic buttercream. xx
YES!! all about that Swiss meringue life. I prefer cake> frosting so i like a nice light top.
So with you Patricia! I’m all about that cake. xx
You’ve made my day! I can’t wait to stuff myself with these, I love those Maltesers.. you seem to have a great combo going on here. I’m glad you’re back in love with Cupcakes!
Maltesers are my favourite! Love em!
That caramel drizzle is SPOT ON. These look incredible Sarah!!!!
Haha, thanks Erica!
I am always immediately drawn to desserts that start with salty! Yum!
Kari
They just sound amazing, you can’t go wrong with swiss meringue!
Katie xoxo
Thanks Katie!
Oh god what have you done! These look so good – I love maltesers so much and then the salted caramel and the cakes themselves look so moist and delicious.
Well done on these sarah!
Me too! Maltesers are life.
Malt and chocolate go so well together! Love this flavour!
I know I already made this joke but in my head you are going to be “Salty Dawg” from now on. It’s kind of an amazing nickname and one you should wholeheartedly embrace, perhaps with a signature walk or dance move?
Also, remember like 4 years ago when everyone was convinced the cupcake fad was over and then cupcakes hung on and hung on and now it’s like we’re not even mad at them anymore? Funny the way that works.
Haha – I’m fine with that! Honestly, I feel like my normal walking/dance moves pretty much fit the description anyway. I might just get a hat printed that says ‘Salty’ – job done! And on the cupcakes – who could stay mad at a tiny cake really? It was never going to happen.
Yummmm these sound so good!!!
ooooooooooooh MAMA! These cupcakes are unreal-love love love em!