*Baked Note: White cake, by nature, is delicate. When assembling this cake, the layers should be handled very gently. You might want to wrap the completely cooled cake layers in plastic wrap or foil and freeze them for 1 hour before icing and frosting the cake. I did not do this, but that’s only because I didn’t see this note in the book! I think it would have been much easier to trim the layers if I had done this, but the cake turned out beautifully nevertheless.
For The Malt Cake Layers:
2 1/4 cups cake flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup malted milk powder
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups ice cold water
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
For The Milk Chocolate Frosting:
8 ounces (1 cup) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped (I just used chips)
8 ounces (1 cup) milk chocolate, finely chopped (I just used chips)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
For Assembly:
Malted milk balls, for decoration (Whoppers, Maltesers, etc.)
1. First, make the malt cake layers. Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Cut out parchment circles for 3 8-inch rounds (see photos above) by placing the pans on parchment, then using a knife to cut out a circle in their exact size. Place this parchment circle inside of your pan, then spray with non-stick spray or lightly butter. Dust the bottoms of the pans with flour, then knock out any excess flour. This will keep your cake from sticking to the pan.
2. Sift together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Whisk in the malted milk powder and set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer and using the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and shortening on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat on medium speed until fluffy, at least 3 minutes. Add in the flour mixture, alternating with the ice water, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary, and mix until just combined.
4. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. I had to do this in my mixer, so I emptied the flour and water mixture into a large bowl, rinsed out my mixing bowl, and put my four eggs whites in there. Do not overbeat the whites. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter.
5. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 35-40 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking time, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, and the cakes are lightly golden and set. Transfer the cakes to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.
6. Now make the milk chocolate frosting. Place both of the chocolates in the bowl of an electric mixer. In a small saucepan, bring the cream and corn syrup to a boil, then remove from the heat and immediately pour the mixture over the chocolate. Let stand for 2-3 minutes. Whisk the chocolate mixture with the heavy cream mixture until smooth. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
7. With the electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, on medium speed gradually add the cubed butter pieces and mix until throughly incorporated. The frosting should be completely smooth and have a silky look. Place in the fridge to firm up for about 5 minutes, until it is firm enough to use and can just hold its shape (remember, this is not a frosting made with powdered sugar, so it will not be as thick).
8. Place one cake layer on a serving platter. Trip the top of the cake to create a flat surface and evenly spread about 1 cup of frosting on the top. Top with the next layer, trim and frost the top, then add the third layer and trim so that it is flat. You are going to crumb coat the cake now, which is to add a very thin layer around the entire cake so that when it is frosted for the final time, no crumbs will show through the frosting. Crumb coat the cake and place in the fridge for about 15 minutes, to firm up. After the cake has been chilled, frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Garnish the cake with the malted milk balls and refrigerate. Bring the cake out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you plan to serve it.
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