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This delicious Malteser Cake recipe, is full of the chocolate malt flavours of the classic treat. It’s surprisingly easy to make, perfect for birthdays, celebrations or... Dessert!
OH HI new favourite cake of mine!
This Malteser Cake (why do I always spell if Malteasers? Just me?) is the stuff dreams are made of. Light, fluffy and with the delicious malty flavour which has lead me to consume my body weight in Malted Milk biscuits over the years. It’s a good ‘un.
I made this last week and it was winking at me from the cake tin all week. It would be rude not to test it five or six or 10 times, RIGHT.
Over the years I’ve used the Nigella Malteser Cake recipe and also the Mary Berry Malteser Cake recipe. This one recipe of mine, is a bit of a hybrid of the two, with my own adjustments; making it larger (obvs) and simplifying slightly.
Here’s why I think you NEEEEED this beauty of a cake in your life:
- Whose day would not be brightened by a slice of this?!
- The cake is really simple to make using basic storecupboard ingredients.
- It’s really moist (sorry anyone who hates that word – it is TRUE!) so keeps well in a tin for up to 4 days.
How to make the Malteser Cake recipe:
Start by creaming your butter (room temperature) with your sugars until light and fluffy.
Combine your cocoa and Ovaltine in another bowl with enough boiling water to form a thick paste.
Then add your eggs and flour, to the butter and sugars, along with the cocoa mixture.
Beat it all together really well until thick and smooth.
Pour evenly into 3 x 7″ baking tins that have been lined and buttered.
Top tip! Make sure that you butter your tins REALLY well. I also line the sides of the tins with baking paper for this cake as the cakes are quite delicate. I also think (maybe?) it makes the edges a bit neater as they are being served naked. No desperate need though if you’re short on time.
Make the icing by combining the butter (again, room temperature) with the icing sugar, and a paste make of the cocoa, Ovaltine and some boiling water.
Keep beating and beating until everything is smooth, thick and light.
Top tip! If the icing is too soft, pop in the fridge for an hour OR add a little more icing sugar. If too solid, add a tiny bit more boiling water.
The cakes are cooked when:
- A skewer comes out of the centre of the cake clean
- The are ‘pulling’ away from the sides of the tin
Allow them to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then take out of the tins and let them cool completely.
If the sponge cakes have a dome top at all, trim off with a sharp bread knife (this is really important so that the tower of cake sits level).
Then sandwich the cakes together, spreading icing across the middle of each layer, and piping dollops of icing around the edge. (I use just a piping bag with the end snipped off.)
Decorate with crushed and whole Maltesers.
Top tip! This Malteser cake will last 4 days stored in a airtight container..if it lasts that long!
What I used to make the Malteser Cake:
- It really helps to use good tins for baking, I use these thick, great quality 7″ cake tins (I have the deep ones so I can use them for cheesecakes too!) they are a great investment.
- Disposable Piping Bags these are a must buy if you’re planning on some cake decorating, they are so easy to use. I know, these are not great for the environment. But using reusable bags takes so much detergent to get them clean, I’m honestly not sure of the best option.
- An an angled palette knife is SO useful for spreading icing, it’s one of my favourite little kitchen tools.
NEED MORE CAKE IN YOUR LIFE?…HAVE A LOOK AT THESE:
- Oreo Layer Cake
- Chocolate & Raspberry Layer Cake
- Nutella Cake
- Chocolate Orange Cake Recipe
- Orange Drizzle Cake
- Caramel Rocky Road Cake
- Pumpkin Spice Loaf Cake
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. I’d love to know how you got on and what you thought of it. Please rate the recipe and leave me a comment below if you do.
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How to make this Malteser Cake recipe:
Malteser Cake
Ingredients
- 150 g Soft brown sugar
- 150 g Caster sugar
- 300 g Unsalted butter, At room temperature
- 6 Medium eggs, (Or 5 Large)
- 240 g Self raising flour
- 30 g Cocoa powder, I used Green & Blacks
- 30 g Malted drink powder, I used Horlicks, Ovaltine would also be fine
- 5 tbsp Boiling water
For the Icing
- 400 g Icing sugar
- 200 g Unsalted butter, At room temperature
- 25 g Cocoa powder, I used Green & Blacks
- 75 g Malted drink powder, I used Horlicks, Ovaltine would also be fine
- Boiling water, (Enough to form a paste - see notes)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C.
- Beat the sugars with the butter until soft and fluffy.
- In another bowl mix the cocoa and malted drink powder with ABOUT 5 tbsp of boiling water. Add it gradually, whisking and mixing until you have a smooth paste. You may need a little more or less depending on the brands you use. Be sure to mix out all lumps.
- Add the eggs, flour and cocoa mixture to the butter mixture. Beat until smooth and totally combined.
- Share the mixture out between three 7" cake tins, well buttered and lined with baking paper. Smooth out the tops and bake in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes.
- Make your icing by combining the butter, icing sugar and a paste made with the cocoa, malted drink powder and JUST enough boiling water to make make the paste. (Be sure to mix out all lumps from the paste). Beat the icing really well, it will be very stiff and powdery at the start.
- When the cakes are cooked, remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Remove from the tins and trim the tops off if needed.
- Sandwich together with the icing and decorate with Maltesers.
Notes
- Make sure that you butter your tins REALLY well. I also line the sides of the tins with baking paper for this cake as the cakes are quite delicate. I also think (maybe?) it makes the edges a bit neater as they are being served naked. No desperate need though if you're short on time.
- The cakes are cooked when: A skewer comes out of the centre of the cake clean and/or the are 'pulling' away from the sides of the tin.
- If the icing is too soft, pop in the fridge for an hour OR add a little more icing sugar. If too solid, add a tiny bit more boiling water.
- Store the cake in an airtight tin, for upto 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this cake for my nephew’s birthday on the day of his birthday, we all thought the sponge was dry and for a few of us we found it a bit too sickly (we don’t really eat chocolate cake because we find it too heavy) but we had leftover and put it in the fridge, oh WOW definitely make this cake a day ahead because the next day it was slightly cool and very moist, I love it!! It’s the first chocolate cake that I can actually eat a whole piece I don’t know what the fridge does to it but it’s not too sweet at all just right, will definitely be keeping this receipe it’s the best
This looks amazing!! Thank you for sharing you’re creativity!!
I am SOOO making this tomorrow!
OOOHHH! Let me know how you get on, I LOVE it!! x
I always spell it Malteaser too! What an incredible looking cake! x
This looks amazing and so pretty too! I’m determined to actual manage to bake a cake that isn’t a disaster at some point, so I might give this a go.
Stevie x
Oooh hope you like it! Let me know how you get on 🙂