After my less than successful strawberry fairy cakes, the next recipe to catch my eye in my not-so-new-now Peyton and Byrne, was this malty chocolate cake. It wasn’t the picture that entrapped me this time – there was no picture, but the word malty. Malt conjures up so many childhood treats. I loved malt extract, except when it was used as a method to hide cod liver oil – yuck! A cup of horlicks was always welcome as was the jar that I would pinch the odd teaspoon out of when no one was looking. And my mother still makes a mean malt loaf. Anyway, I sort of guessed this was going to be a really good cake and thankfully it was. This is what I did:
- Melted 50g 85% dark chocolate with vanilla in a bowl over hot water.
- Creamed 70g dark muscavado sugar and 110g light muscavado with 125g unsalted butter until pale and well incorporated.
- Beat in 1 duck egg.
- Sifted in 140g flour (100g wholemeal, 20g quinoa, 20g white), scant tsp baking powder, 1 heaped tbsp Horlicks and a pinch of salt.
- Stirred this in, followed by the chocolate.
- Mixed in 110ml milk
- Stirred in 65g milk chocolate drops (40%).
- Spooned into a 900g loaf mould and baked at 170C for 35 mins in the first instance. The book said 35-40 mins, but my cake needed another 15 minutes and was still slightly underdone.
- Left to cool, then turned out onto a rack to cool completely.
Unfortunately my loaf mould was a cheap one from Baked and Delicious so it didn’t hold its shape very well and the pictures I took are dire! This cake was so delicious: whilst dense it melted in the mouth and was very moreish. And to top it all, there was the additional treat of chocolate bits in nearly every bite. It wasn’t quite as malty as I’d have liked at first, but as it aged the malt developed. Amazingly we managed to keep this going for a whole week and it kept really well. We could quite easily have demolished the whole lot in one sitting, but we were trying not to be too piggy!
wow looks fantastic gonna try make this with my son xx
This looks lovely, looking to try more recipes like this. Going to have to give this a go.
Baking Addict – so glad it proved to be a success.
Just posted my version inspired by your post – I’ve added a link back to your site. This cake is divine. Everyone is asking for more!
WoW! that looks absolutely delicious.=D
CityHippy – he he, we’re not always as restrained as that, but sometimes we can manage it. This would be interesting to make with malt extract for a purer form – might just have to try that one day.
MaryMoh – you’ve got the right idea 😉
BVG – I’m going to have to find Nigella’s Malteser Cake now. I’m quite good on the whole about not eating junk, but I do have a weakness for maltesers.
I love Nigella’s Malteser Cake and can only imagine that this is even better – can’t wait to try it!
With chocolate, I can eat it any time….mmm.
I haven’t had Horlicks for many many moons. In a cake with chocolate, and muscavado to jump start it- sounds lovely!
Not sure I would have lasted a whole week though.
Dom – hang on in there.
Angie – malt in bread and crackers sounds mighty fine.
Xinmei – you’re right, ultimately, it’s the taste that counts, but it does help if it looks good too :-S
WLM – do try it, it’s all that you say.
Spiceandmore – indeed.
CC – good idea, next time I shall try it with maltesers too, mmmmm!
I can see from your photo how rich and sticky that cake looks – lovely! I’ve never baked with malt – other than maltesers and I’m not sure they count – so this is really interesting
Hmm…chocolate and malt in a cake…what’s not to love?!
Delicious, I love malt cake. I havent ever made it but it looks so good and warm chocolate and malt …mmm… makes me think of those chocolate malt milkshakes you get in hamburger joints in the US
Hey, it does’t matter if the shape turns out bad, as long as it tastes good, which I’m sure it did! 🙂 I love malt too 🙂
I actually have a large tin of malt in the kitchen, but hardly use it, except in baking bread and crackers. The chocolate cake looks very moist and light in texture.
Chocolate Malt Cake! Three words that I now, thanks to you, cannot live without!! Oh I need my new kitchen NOW!!!
Ah C, now you’ve got me thinking of bagels and it’s breakfast time and I’ll just have to make do with toast 🙁 Sounds really interesting poaching them in malt, haven’t heard of that before, but then again I haven’t made bagels before.
Karen – if you love horlicks, you’ll love this cake for sure.
Johanna – Perhaps you could try substituting the syrup for the powder. It’s interesting how food can evoke so many memories.
Baking Addict – ha ha, not always, but I have to try :-S
Jac – it really is a good combination and a virtual slice probably tastes even better!
Chele – well of course 😉
Kate – it’s a lovely book isn’t it. Just popping over to your site to see which ones you’ve made so far.
Sonia – not much point having cake if it can’t be a little bit decedent 🙂
A Trifle Rushed – a giant malteser? Now you’re talking!
Janice – not quite the same, but I’m sure you’d like it.
Phil – it’s never too late to kick a habit – or to start one up 😉
Gloria – thank you.
This look fantastic I love chocolate cake!! gloria
I really hated malt drinks as a kid – it put me off malt flavours for decades. I’m now convinced that I was wrong, though. This recipe might even convince me to buy some Horlicks for the first time in my life.
Those little Soreen malt loaves are a great favourite with me. If this is anything like that it will be delicious!
Malt and chocolate=Made in Heaven!!! Just sounds soooo delicious, like a giant malteser!!!
I’m definitely giving this a try!
Looks decadent! My kind of cake!
I was given this book for my birthday and am slowly working my way through all the lovely recipes- but this particular recipe has, following your review, definitely leaped up a few notches and will be my next bake!
There is only one things that could ever improve a malt cake and that would have to be the addition of chocolate. Good call ;0)
Malt and chocolate sound like a good combination to me and as ever I want to reach in a greab a slice.
I love malt as well. My peyton & byrne book is still very much untouched – I really must find some time soon. Shame about the loaf mould but it still looks good. I can’t believe you managed to keep it for a week – you have more self-restrain than me! 🙂
I have barley malt syrup but no malt powder. Malt always sounds good to me because my dad was so passionate about malted milk when I was little – so I am sure I would love this cake
That looks SO moist and tasty, I LOVE horlicks too! I may try that….I am still testing my Rose and Chocolate creations in the kitchen, will post them soon!
Karen @ Lavender and Lovage
Hmm, I wonder if I have a jar of malt somewhere. It’s not something I’ve ever really tasted I don’t think, apart from Soreen malt loaf, which I love. And the only time I’ve used it to bake with is when poaching bagels prior to baking. Perhaps it’s time to branch out! Oh, now you’ve made me think of bagels and I want one!