Malted Chocolate Cake
This wonderfully indulgent chocolate cake from Mary Berry's Absolute Favourites cookbook is flavoured with malt extract and topped with Maltesers for a fun twist.
Introduction
This cake is the perfect family treat and a real crowd-pleaser. The malt extract gives a lovely creaminess to the sponge, while the malted chocolate flavour is echoed in the cake’s topping.
Ingredients
| 30g (1oz) | malted chocolate drink powder |
| 30g (1oz) | cocoa powder |
| 225g (8oz) | butter, softened, plus extra for greasing |
| 225g (8oz) | caster sugar |
| 225g (8oz) | self-raising flour |
| 1 tsp | baking powder |
| 4 | eggs |
| For the icing: | |
| 3 tbsp | malted chocolate drink powder |
| 1½ tbsp | hot milk |
| 125g (4½oz) | butter, softened |
| 250g (9oz) | icing sugar, plus extra for dusting |
| 50g (2oz) | dark chocolate (at least 50 per cent cocoa solids), melted |
| 1 tbsp | boiling water |
| about 20 Maltesers, to decorate |
Essential kit
You will need two 20cm (8in) round sandwich tins.
Method
You will need two 20cm (8in) round sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 and grease the tins with butter and line the bases with baking paper.
Measure the malted chocolate drink powder and cocoa powder into a large bowl, pour over 2 tablespoons of water and mix to a paste. Add the remaining cake ingredients and beat until smooth.
Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake in the oven for 20–25 minutes. Set aside in the tins to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, measure the malted chocolate drink powder into a bowl, add the hot milk and mix until smooth. Add the butter, icing sugar and melted chocolate and mix again until smooth, then add
the boiling water to give a gloss to the icing.
Place one cake on a plate and spread over half the icing. Sandwich with the other cake and spread (or pipe) the remaining icing on top, using the tip of a rounded palette knife to create a swirled effect from the centre to the edge of the cake. Arrange the Maltesers over the top and dust with icing sugar before serving.
