{sms} chocolate malted layer cake

This week's SMS recipe, chosen by Nicole of Sweet Tooth, is Chocolate Malted Layer Cake.  I was excited about this cake, because I love malted milk shakes and I have never incorporated malt flavoring into baking.  I first was introduced to that idea through Baked, a cookbook which I love but have yet to feature in this blog. The malt flavor here, however, is only in the icing, not the cake. 

There's quite a bit of chocolate involved- 6 oz. unsweetened, 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for the cake, and then a pound of milk chocolate for the frosting.

I used the dregs of the Ghiradelli cocoa powder canister, which was not enough.  Out came the Valrhona.  Can you guess which one is which?

I was forewarned the batter would be "loose."  THAT it was.

The frosting was quite runny as well, though nothing that a spell in the refrigerator couldn't fix.

A trim,

a frost,

and accessorized with a few Whoppers and candles... Happy Birthday Cake!  The cake was wonderfully moist and the malted frosting different and delicious.


What to do with all the trimmings?  I was inspired, for once, NOT to eat it all, and instead make these little cakes.

The Sweet Daughter, upon seeing the cute cakes, declared, "Genius!"  I was personally thinking "Frugal!" but her comment made me smile nevertheless.