Malted Chocolate Cupcakes

 

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I thought I'd start this week out with something sweet.  This cupcake recipe has been sitting in my "to try" file forever! I finally made them, and they were amazing! I modified the recipe a bit to include malt flavor in both the cupcake and the frosting. I sprinkled crushed malt balls on top as well. 

Malted Chocolate Cupcakes

adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

Makes about 28

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder or reg. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
1 cup milk
1 1/4 cups malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teas vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, both sugars, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until powder is dissolved.

With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sour cream and vanilla, and beat just until combined.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each halfway. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months in airtight containers.


Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
adapted from Martha Stewart Cupcakes

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/4 cup malted milk powder
1/2 teas vanilla extract
Malt balls (Whoppers), crushed

With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium. Add the confectioners' sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down sides of the bowl as needed; after every 2 additions, raise the speed to high and beat 10 seconds to aerate frosting, then return to medium. This process should take about 5 minutes. Frosting will be very pale and fluffy.

Add vanilla, and beat until frosting is smooth.

Top cooled cupcakes with frosting; sprinkle with crushed malt balls.

Enjoy!