Chocolate Malt Cupcakes with Vanilla Malt Buttercream

These are dangerous. Trust me when I say that you do not want these sitting in your kitchen all weekend. Make these, keep 1 (or maybe 2 or 3) for yourself and give the rest away, QUICKLY! Otherwise you will keep going back to the kitchen for more (and more and more).

The cupcake recipe is adapted from America's Test Kitchen cookbook (my new favorite!) with the addition of some malt powder and a little milk. This is a damn good cupcake. I'm not the biggest fan of chocolate usually. I'm . I'll take the lemon, berry, pumpkin, ginger, apple, or peanut butter dessert before chocolate most days. But every once in a while the chocolate craving sneaks up and this cupcake satisfied!


I had problems with the middle sinking for some reason (yes, they were cooked all the way. no, i didn't open the oven in the middle of cooking) but I didn't care too much because they tasted amazing. And besides it gave me more room to load on the icing... and trust me this is an icing that you will want every last drop of. The icing is definitely worthy of a "WOW!" It is definitely the star of this cupcake. The Vanilla Malt Buttercream is nothing short of addicting.

Chocolate Malt Cupcakes
Recipe (Adapted from America's Test Kitchen)
Makes: 24 cupcakes (I made 20 cupcakes and about 12 mini cupcakes)
Ingredients:

• 16 TBSP unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup dutch process cocoa
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup of malted milk powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 4 large eggs (room temp)
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp table salt
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/3 cup milk
  

Directions:

1. Adjust oven to lower-middle position; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard size muffin pan (cups have 1/2 cup capacity) with baking-cup liners.
2. Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted and whisk until smooth and fully combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to touch.
3. Whisk flour, malt powder, baking soda, and baking powder in small bowl to combine.
4. Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt and whisk until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of the flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogenous and thick.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. (12 minutes for minis)
   
6. Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing, about 30 minutes.

Vanilla Malt Buttercream
Recipe
Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter (room temperature)
• 6 tablespoons malt powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup milk
• 6 - 8 cups confectioners sugar

Directions:

1. Beat butter on low speed
2. Add in malt powder, vanilla extract, milk, and 4 cups of sugar. Beat on low speed for 1 minute.
3. Add in remaining sugar 1 cup at a time and beat on medium speed for a few minutes.