Chocolate Malt Cupcakes with Vanilla Malt Buttercream

I think just about everyone has seen the original recipe for this floating around the Internet.  Head over to Taste and Tell to have a look at Deborah's other fantastic recipes.  I have been wanting to make them for a couple of weeks and this week made sure I had the ingredients in the cupboard.  I however buggered up and got Malt Extract not Malted Milk powder. 

I am standing in the kitchen staring at this liquid that is similar to Treacle but smells of Malt and think .... I wonder if this will substitute for the powder??  I did look at my watch and wonder if I could be bothered making a dash to the supermarket, however decided against it.

Well it did work out and while we were out this afternoon dropping the kid off at the movies with his bestie, made the other half go to the supermarket (his most hated place in the world) for the Malted Milk Powder for the buttercream.

Happy Birthday Gail!

Cupcakes.

2 1/4 cups plain flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1/2 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons bi carb soda

1 cup milk

1 1/4 cup malted milk powder

1 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Buttercream.

250 gm unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup malted milk powder

2 1/2 cup icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In your mixer bowl combine the milk and malt powder, mix until combined and the powder is dissolved.  Beat in the eggs and oil until combined.

In another bowl combine your dry ingredients flour, sugars, cocoa and bi carb soda.  Mix with a whisk to combine.

Slowly add your dry to your wet ingredients, when all dry ingredients added then add the sour cream and vanilla.

Scoop into your cupcake liners, fill 2/3 of the way full or your cupcakes will overflow while cooking.  Bake at 180C for 20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.  Allow to cool completely before icing.

Buttercream:  Whip the butter until light and fluffy.  Beat the malt powder into the butter for 2 minutes.  Beat in the icing sugar one cup at a time until combined, add the vanilla extract and then whip on high for 5 minutes. 

Pipe your buttercream as desired and top with Maltesers.