This dark chocolate malt snack cake has a uniform, moist crumb with an impossibly fudgy texture and a swoon-worthy chocolate frosting. Its deep malt flavor is reminiscent of whoppers but elevated with high quality chocolate. As a bowl & whisk recipe, this cake comes together in a flash!
Originally created in 2021, this recipe has since undergone quite a bit of changes to result in a more pronounced malt flavor. And I have to admit, I'm very proud of it. Even as an unassuming snack cake, it boasts a beautiful even, dark crumb with a complex malty flavor profile. Its height and rich frosting makes this a true tall, dark, and handsome cake.
The chocolate malt frosting might just be the most decadent frosting to ever exist. It is loosely based on a chocolate sour cream version, but made with whipped cream folded in at the end to create a luscious frosting that tastes like cake batter! The addition of two types of cocoa powders and melted bittersweet chocolate produce a deep chocolate flavor, while the whipped cream lightens it up into a creamy, spreadable consistency.
Make this chocolate snack cake for any celebratory occasion or just for the craving of something chocolate!
For more chocolate cake recipes, try Chocolate Tiramisu Cake, Ultimate Chocolate Fudge Cake, Fudgy Chocolate Espresso Bundt Cake, and Dairy Free Chocolate Cake.
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Why you'll love this dark chocolate malt cake
- Pronounced Chocolate Malt Flavor: By toasting the malted milk powder in the oven at a low temperature, the malt flavor is intensified and comes through in the cake to create an elevated whopper-like flavor.
- Fudgy Texture: We have to have a fudgy texture in all chocolate desserts! The combination of dutch process and black cocoa powders, as well as the careful dry to wet ingredient ratios, create the fudgiest chocolate cake!
- Rich Chocolate Frosting: I swear this is the frosting to beat all chocolate frostings! It's incredibly rich without being cloyingly sweet and tastes very similar to chocolate cake batter. So if you're like me and you LIVE for the last few licks of batter in the mixing bowl, then you're going to love this recipe.
- Bowl & Whisk Method: Despite being a drop dead gorgeous cake, it requires only a bowl & whisk to make! You should use an electric mixer for the frosting, but if you put in a little elbow grease, you could definitely make it without one😉.
Ingredient Notes
- All-Purpose Flour: Use a high quality unbleached all-purpose flour.
- Cocoa Powder: This recipe calls for a combination of dutch process and black cocoa powder, however if you do not have black cocoa powder, you can use a total of 62g of dutch process for the cake and 42g of dutch process for the chocolate buttercream.
- Chocolate: Since this is a dark chocolate cake, I recommend using bittersweet chocolate, but semi-sweet chocolate will work just fine. My favorite chocolate brands are Guittard and Valrhona.
- Coffee: You'll need freshly brewed coffee to bloom the chocolate and cocoa powders, but alternatively you can use boiling water.
- Malted Milk Powder: I use King Arthur malted milk powder for both the cake and frosting.
- Neutral Oil: Use vegetable, canola, or light-tasting olive oil.
- Unsalted Butter: Use European-style butter for best flavor!
See recipe card for full information on ingredients and individual quantities.
Step by Step Instructions
Here are step by step photos and instructions on how to make this easy chocolate cake recipe! For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card at the end of this post.
STEP 1: Toast the malted milk powder. Spread the malted milk powder onto a parchment lined baking sheet into an even layer. Bake at 200 degrees F for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until evenly golden. To save time, toast enough malted milk powder for both the cake and the frosting.
STEP 2: Combine the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, sift the toasted malted milk powder. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powders, espresso powder, baking powder, and salt, and stir to combine. Set aside.
STEP 3: Whisk together the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
STEP 4: Add the dry ingredients to the wet. Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk until just combined.
STEP 5: Mix in the hot coffee. Lastly, whisk in the hot coffee until fully combined.
STEP 6: Bake. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Wrap the cake strips around the pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
STEP 7: Cool. Allow cake to cool completely in the pan.
STEP 8: Make the frosting. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, cocoa powders, toasted malted milk powder, and salt with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in half of the sifted powdered sugar, and mix until mostly combined. Then add in the remaining half, along with the vanilla, and mix until smooth. Mix in the cooled melted chocolate until fully combined. The frosting will be very thick at this point, but don't panic it will all work out!
STEP 9: Make the whipped cream. In a glass measuring cup, add the cold heavy cream and use an electric mixer to beat until soft peaks form.
STEP 10: Fold the whipped cream into the frosting. Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the frosting until fully combined.
STEP 11: Decorate. Decorate the cooled cake as desired.
STEP 12: Serve: Cut into 16 squares and enjoy!
Expert Baking Tips
- Toast the malted milk powder. To amplify the malt flavor, toast the malted milk powder at a low temperature (200 degrees F) for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Be sure to toast enough for both the cake and the frosting!
- Sift the malted milk powder. Malted milk powder tends to clump up when toasted in the oven. Before using it in the cake batter or frosting, sift it through a fine mesh sieve to bring it back to a super fine powder.
- Use a cake strip to create a flat cake. Soak these wilton cake strips in ice water before starting the cake batter. Just before baking, wrap the cake strips around the pan. The cold temperature on the outside of the cake will prevent the edges from baking faster than the center, resulting in an evenly baked flat cake.
- When making the frosting, trust the process! This is an unusual frosting, as it resembles cookie dough more than frosting up until the whipped cream is folded in. But don't panic because in the end you'll be rewarded with a very rich, creamy chocolate malt frosting!
Recipe FAQs
Malted milk powder is a fine pale yellow powder made from malted barley, wheat flour, and evaporated milk powder. It's typically added to milkshakes to make them extra creamy and give them a malty flavor. It can also be added to baked goods to provide a natural sweetness and maintain their soft texture. When toasted in the oven, the flavor of malted milk powder becomes much more pronounced and shines through in a cake like this one!
Dutch process cocoa powder is THE best cocoa powder for baking. Because it's neutralized with an alkalizing agent, it has a smoother flavor and creates the most fudgy and chocolatey baked goods! Black cocoa powder is similar to dutch process, but richer in flavor and darker in color. It is typically used in small amounts alongside another cocoa powder to enhance the color and flavor of the baked good. It smells like actual chocolate cake and is just magical to bake with! I always buy this King Arthur black cocoa powder.
Yes, however I don't recommend it. Unsweetened cocoa powder won't provide the same level of richness or dark color as dutch process and black cocoa powder.
Cakes may dome in the middle when they bake because the outside bakes faster than the center, so the center has more time to rise. This is not ideal for layer cakes, because it is a pain to have to trim away the top of the cake. The best way to ensure your cake layers bake up flat rather than doming is to use cake strips. Soak the cake strips in cold water before wrapping around the outside of the cake pan. This will ensure that the outside of the cake does not bake faster than the center, resulting in an evenly baked, flat cake.
Yes! This cake stays moist for several days, so you can bake the cake the day before serving if you'd like. Just cover it with plastic wrap and leave it out at room temperature. The frosting must be used the day it's made.
Storage Tips
Room Temperature: Store this cake in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Since there is heavy cream in the frosting it doesn't last beyond this time.
Fridge: Even though storing the cake in the fridge might dry it out slightly, this is the best way to ensure the frosting stays fresh! Stored in an airtight container, this cake should last for about 3-5 days.
Baking in Grams
All of the recipes on this blog are carefully developed with gram measurements so you can easily recreate them in your own kitchen with success. Volume measurements are extremely inaccurate and leave room for significant errors. Not all measuring cups are made equally, so your one cup of flour will be different from my one cup of flour. By providing precise measurements in grams (aside from minor ingredients, which are given in tsp/tbsp), you can make these recipes accurately and with less cleanup! All you need is this kitchen scale.
If this still isn't enough to convince you, I have provided volume measurements in the recipe card. If you are interested in understanding the conversions, this is the best conversion chart.
But trust me, once you try baking in grams you'll never turn back!
Happy baking! x
Other chocolate related recipes to try
If you tried this recipe, I'd love to know how it turned out for you! Leave a star rating & review below and post a picture (or video!) on Instagram and tag me so I can see your bakes! Not ready to make this recipe yet? Click the heart button on the right of your screen to save it for later 🙂
📖 Recipe
Dark Chocolate Malt Snack Cake
Ingredients
For the chocolate malt cake:
- 210 g (1 ½ cups) malted milk powder, toasted
- 240 g (2 cups) all-purpose flour
- 187 g (¾ cup + 3 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 31 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) dutch process cocoa powder
- 31 g (¼ cup + 2 tbsp) black cocoa powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 227 g (1 cup) whole milk, room temp
- 150 g (¾ cup) light tasting olive oil
- 3 large eggs, room temp
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 113 g (½ cup) freshly brewed hot coffee
For the chocolate malt frosting:
- 113 g (8 tablespoon) unsalted butter, room temp
- 21 g (¼ cup) dutch process cocoa powder
- 21 g (¼ cup) black cocoa powder
- 70 g (½ cup) malted milk powder, toasted
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 113 g (1 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 113 g (4 oz) bittersweet chocolate, melted & cooled
- 113 g (½ cup) heavy cream, cold
Instructions
For the chocolate malt cake:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F (90 degrees C) and line a small baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Spread the malted milk powder onto the baking sheet into an even layer. Bake for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until evenly golden. To save time, toast enough malted milk powder for both the cake and the frosting.
- Once the malted milk powder has been toasted, turn the oven up to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Line a 9" square pan with parchment paper.
- Soak cake strips in ice cold water.*
- In a medium bowl, sift the toasted malted milk powder. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powders, baking powder, and salt, and mix to combine. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and whisk until just combined.
- Lastly, whisk in the hot coffee until fully combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared square pan. Wrap the cake strips around the pan and bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool completely in the pan.
For the chocolate malt frosting:
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, cocoa powders, toasted malted milk powder, and salt with an electric mixer until smooth.
- Add in half of the sifted powdered sugar, and mix until mostly combined. Then add in the remaining half, along with the vanilla, and mix until smooth.
- Mix in the cooled melted chocolate until fully combined. The frosting will be very thick at this point, but don't panic it will all work out!
- In a glass measuring cup, add the cold heavy cream and use an electric mixer to beat until soft peaks form.
- Use a rubber spatula to gently fold the whipped cream into the frosting until fully combined.
- Decorate the cooled cake as desired, and enjoy!
Notes
- Toast the malted milk powder. To amplify the malt flavor, toast the malted milk powder at a low temperature (200 degrees F) for about 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes. Be sure to toast enough for both the cake and the frosting!
- Sift the malted milk powder. Malted milk powder tends to clump up when toasted in the oven. Before using it in the cake batter or frosting, sift it through a fine mesh sieve to bring it back to a super fine powder.
- Use a cake strip to create a flat cake. Soak these wilton cake strips in ice water before starting the cake batter. Just before baking, wrap the cake strips around the pan. The cold temperature on the outside of the cake will prevent the edges from baking faster than the center, resulting in an evenly baked flat cake.
- When making the frosting, trust the process! This is an unusual frosting, as it resembles cookie dough more than frosting up until the whipped cream is folded in. But don't panic because in the end you'll be rewarded with a very rich, creamy chocolate malt frosting!
Jae says
* This review is not for the cake
In what appears to be baker's error, the cake didn't come together (I think I over-toasted the malt which caused the cake to be overly dense and not set up correctly in the oven -- it took forever to bake). I intend to try it again so it wouldn't be fair to judge this recipe.
But the frosting! The frosting is PERFECTION!! It may well be my new favorite American buttercream. Normally I don't care for confectioners' sugar based frostings because they are cloyingly sweet and that grit between the molars is murder to get rid of. Not this frosting. Probably because there's only 113g it dissolves beautifully. I'm also not the biggest fan of melted chocolate based frostings because the chocolate gets diluted and ends up lacking intensity. But again, not this frosting. It's powerful and packs a ton of flavor what with the cocoa powders and malted milk powder (such an umami bomb). Lastly, folding whipped cream into the fudgey base makes for a silky, luxurious mouthfeel. Somehow it's light but meaty at the same time (yes, I said meaty).
100/10
Jae says
Hi Sloane. How shelf stable is the frosting? I'm thinking that if left out for too long the whipped cream might weep but if I put it in the fridge the melted chocolate will harden like a rock. If I want to use it for later what's the best thing to do with it??
Thanks!
Sloane says
The frosted cake can be stored at room temp for a couple of days, but will last longer in the fridge. But if you're making the frosting ahead of time, I would store it the fridge. You may need to let it sit out at room temperature for a few minutes before stirring/using to prevent it from splitting.
Jae says
*cue Jerry Maguire*
You had me at grams!!
Seriously, THANK YOU for being one of the only people on Instagram to write recipes using weight and not volume! It's my biggest pet peeve when it comes to baking and basically makes me think that person isn't a real baker.
Anyway, I posted this question on IG but I wanted to make sure you saw it. Your recipe looks very interesting but I admit I'm concerned about the flour:sugar ratio. There is very little sugar in this recipe but quite a lot of flour. Normally when I see percentages like this the cakes come up dry and don't rise well. You also have very little leavener. Just from a cake chemistry point of view, can you tell me why you created your recipe this way?
Thanks a bunch!!
Sloane says
Hi Jae, I can assure you that this recipe was developed very carefully and I have since made it numerous times without issues. It always rises well and has just the right amount of sweetness! If you'd prefer a similar cake with more sugar, try my Dairy Free Chocolate Cake or Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Cupcakes. In this snack cake, the addition of malted milk powder adds sweetness as well as a malted flavor. Regarding the leavening, I am very particular about how much I add, as I try to achieve an even crumb and avoid random large holes from too much leavening. I hope that makes sense and you get the chance to try some of my recipes 🙂
Jae says
Hey Sloane. Thank you for the detailed and thoughtful reply! I appreciate your reasoning and it definitely makes sense. I can't wait to give this recipe a go!
Natalie says
A "small baking sheet" isn't an accurate measurement. I'd love to try this, yet I don't want to guess.
Please specify the pan measurements.
Thank you
Sloane says
Hi Natalie,
The size of the baking sheet is not specified because it does not affect the end result. I believe I used a 9x13 baking sheet to toast the malted milk powder, but you can use whatever you have on hand 🙂
Monce says
Can I toast the malt a day before?
Sloane says
yes, absolutely!
Anne says
Made this cake and it was a hit with the family! It was almost like a brownie, soo fudgy and decadent. I paired it with a chocolate whipped cream frosting for a slightly lighter taste.
Instead of toasting the malt powder in the oven, I opted to toast the powder in a pan over low heat. This was a success, but I advise anyone doing so to do it in 3-4 batches on the lowest heat possible, stirring constantly - or you'll end up with a caramel goo!
Joy says
Hello as a chocolate and cake lover and someone who has a horrible egg allergy I was wondering if I could sub an egg substitute like just egg for eggs in this recipe?
Sloane says
Hi Joy! You can try 3 flax eggs (1 tbsp flax seed meal + 3 tbsp water each), however I have not tested it in this recipe. I typically don't recommend replacing eggs in my recipes, as they provide structure and flavor that can't be replicated by alternatives. But of course an allergy shouldn't stand in the way of you trying recipes! If you do try it with the flax egg, please let me know how it turns out!
Michele Broderick says
oh my word!
I destroyed my kitchen with the super dark cocoa. This is the most amazing, absolutely, death defying chocolate cake ever. you cannot eat a normal piece. 1/4 th of a normal piece us enough to send you to the stratosphere. I highly recommend, very small servings, accompanied by a generous scoop of plain vanilla ice cream ( obviously of the very best calibur.). good heavens.
Leen says
Hi! Is it possible to use a round cake pan for this as I don't have the one you use. If so, which size do you recommend?
Sloane says
Hi! Yes, you can use three 6" inch cake pans and bake them at 350 degrees F for about 30-35 minutes. I think two 9" cake pans would also work well, but I have not tested it myself, so I'm not sure what the exact bake time would be. My guess is around 25-30 minutes. Let me know how it turns out for you!
Dawn says
Is there a way to convert ingredients to US measurements?
Jasmine L Varmall says
Excellent!
John Savage says
This is a delicious and moist, dark chocolate cake. I made this recipe and it turned out great. I weighed all the ingredients, and I used Carnation malt powder. My only disappointment is that I couldn't detect any malt flavor in the cake. Any suggestions on ramping up the malt flavor? I also put some broken up malted milk balls on the frosting.
Sloane says
I'm so glad you liked the recipe! I've heard if you toast the malted milk powder in a small pan over low heat, the flavor is amplified. I have never tried it before, and I'm not sure if it would affect the texture of the cake, but it could be worth a try!
Cara Wahlgren says
Hi, I plan on making this cake over the weekend and I was wondering, should I use original malt powder or chocolate malt powder?
Sloane says
Original malted milk powder! I use Carnation.
Laura says
Beautiful! Gorgeous! Photography is fantastic and the cake looks amazing!
Sloane says
Thank you so much Laura!
Heidi says
Hi, I just made the cake and I love it. It was really easy to make. Instead of malted milk power I used only whole milk.
I just found your site and I love it 😍 so many delicious and ispiring recipies to make. Thank you!
Sloane says
Hi Heidi!
So glad you liked the recipe! Hope you get to try more on the blog 🙂