These Chocolate Malt Cupcakes are filled with a delightful malt flavor and topped with chocolate malt buttercream frosting for the ultimate chocolate experience!
I’m typically not a huge fan of chocolate, but these cupcakes make me weak in the knees. Not only are they gorgeous and delicious, but they’re deceptively easy to make too!
Upgraded Chocolate Cake Mix Recipe
This super easy cupcake recipe starts with a box of Devil’s Food Cake Mix! In order to give it that delicious and creamy malt flavor you’ll add in a little bit of malt powder. You can find malt powder in the aisle with the hot chocolate mixes.
To make the cupcakes even more moist, you’ll add in some sour cream when mixing the cake batter.
Once the cupcakes are baked and cooled, you’ll quickly whip up some of my yummy Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting!
Super Easy Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting
For this easy frosting I use a basic buttercream recipe, but jazz it up with the addition of chocolate malt powder and cocoa powder. It’s smooth, creamy and filled with that delicious malt flavor!
I use a star tip to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, but what really takes these cupcakes over the top is the ganache!
Two Ingredient Chocolate Ganache
What is ganache? It’s basically just melted down chocolate with heavy cream, which creates an ultra silky chocolate sauce that’s perfect for topping treats.
The standard ratio for making ganache is 1 part chocolate to 1 part heavy cream. Here’s where it can get tricky though. The fats in the heavy cream and the quality of the chocolate can make the difference between a watery sauce and a thick and creamy sauce.
- Use HEAVY whipping cream (you’re looking for 36% or more in milk fat).
- Use QUALITY chocolate.
- Heat the cream till hot, then pour over the chocolate and LET IT SIT for 30 seconds.
- Gently stir JUST UNTIL the chocolate is melted into the cream. Over mixing will break down the fats and result in unhappy ganache.
Top each cupcake with a chocolate malt ball for the prettiest of presentations!
Seriously such an easy dessert, but SO IMPRESSIVE!
One bite and you’ll be hooked!
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Chocolate Malt Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Malt Cupcakes:
- 15.25 oz Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- 3 large eggs
- 1¼ cups water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup chocolate Malted Milk Powder
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 24 Chocolate covered Malt Balls, Whoppers
For the Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3 tbsp Chocolate Malted Milk Powder
- 2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
- 3/4 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
Instructions
For the Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with 24 cupcake liners.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer combine cake mix, eggs, water and oil.
- Beat on low for 30 seconds, be sure to scrape sides of bowl.
- Add chocolate malted milk powder and sour cream, beat on medium high speed for 2 minutes.
- Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
- Cool on wire rack. Once cool pipe on the chocolate malt buttercream frosting{recipe below}. Prepare chocolate ganache{recipe below} and drizzle over the frosted cupcakes. Top with a Whopper. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.
For the Chocolate Malt Buttercream Frosting:
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, use the paddle attachment and cream the butter for 2 minutes till fluffy.
- Slowly add the malted milk powder and cocoa powder with the beater going.
- Again slowly add the heavy cream and beat till incorporated.
- Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until you reach your desired sweetness.
- Place frosting in a piping bag and pipe onto the cooled cupcakes.
For the Chocolate Ganache Frosting:
- Place heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Careful not to let the cream boil over.
- While it’s still hot pour it over the chocolates in another bowl and let sit for 30 seconds.
- Use a whisk to stir until the mixture is smooth and creamy with no lumps.
- Let cool slightly before drizzling over buttercream frosting.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published on 4/25/2012. Updated photos and recipe on 4/19/2018.
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Andrea Fitzgerald
I made these for Father’s Day and we all loved them. They were beautiful baking but fell once I removed them from the oven. They were dense and done and still delish, but wondering if it was the chocolate malt powder I used. I could only find Ovaltine chocolate malt. What chocolate malt is best? Will definitely make them again!!
Coleen R Coffey
The cake was indeed moist and delicious. I think next time I will try 3/4 cup malt powder as I didn’t taste much of the malt flavor in the cake. Also, I would double everything for the frosting. It was very good, I did add a little more malt powder to this but I did not have enough to pipe frosting on all my cupcakes and needed to make more to finish the job. I will make this again with the above changes.
Shawn
So glad you enjoyed it Coleen!
Andrea Fitzgerald
What Malt product did you use?
karrie
I have made these a few times , they are the best I have ever made. I made these last weekend for a 15 year olds B-Day and made vanilla ones also, rave reviews , Thks so much
Shawn
Sweet! So glad you enjoyed the cupcakes! Thanks for your comment Karrie!
Karrie
wow ! ! I made these late last night they are the best cupcakes I ever made, thks so much
email qa
These cupcakes look so good!! Thank you for sharing the recipes!
Alma Vorrei
Nice chocolate cupcake, I love malt so I liked that. The frosting sets up perfectly.
Diana Lopes
I absolutely looooove chocolate, so this looks like an incredible treat to me
Bernard Ber
I hadn’t thought to put malt into chocolate cupcakes. Thanks for this great idea. I will post this innovative recipe on my Reddit Web page tomorrow at:
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskRedditFood/
Shawn
Thanks Bernard!
tanya1234
luv it thankx
christina @ oven adventures
these cupcakes look great. i love, love, love malted milk powder in everything.
Barbara @ Barbara Bakes
These look fantastic! Happy Birthday to your little one.
iwashyoudry
I know my husband loved them- watched him eat 3 whole cupcakes in less than 5 minutes!
Lisa @Snappy Gourmet
Oh my! These are adorable and they sound tasty! My malt lovin' husband would LOVE these!
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iwashyoudry
Thanks Villy! He enjoyed them very much!!
iwashyoudry
Happy birthday to your son too!!
iwashyoudry
Thanks! They do taste great!!
Villy
Happy Birthday to your boy! Great choice of cupcakes 😀
Maureen
Are we all invited to the party to have one of these?!?! ha ha They look amazing! The other moms will be super jealous!
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Liz
Your son sounds like MY sons! My youngest has a birthday this Sunday…and he's requested chocolate as well. Love these 🙂
PS…happy birthday to your sweet boy!
jay
this should be in a museum, and in my fridge! this looks great!
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Averie
These look soooo good! Malt and chocolate and the flavors..mmm, so delish. Gorgeous pics!
iwashyoudry
The more the merrier!! Even my sons teacher who was dieting couldn't resist. And you should never resist chocolate. It's practically unconstitutional.
iwashyoudry
Thanks Jay! That is so sweet of you!