A Celebration Cake: Double Chocolate Malt Layer Cake

The Southern Fried Husband's 40th birthday celebration was this week. His 10 days older wife (haha), along with his family, honored his wishes for no birthday party, no surprise party and had a family birthday dinner at his parents' home. For his gift wish list, he requests as always, doing a good deed for another person would be the perfect gift for him. We will be celebrating the spirit of reaching both our 40th milestones later this month on a trip to the Caribbean where he will be attending a dermatology conference. 

I baked my "Double Chocolate Malt Cake" for one and then my traditional chocolate cake for his family dinner.  Double Chocolate Malt Cake is a chocolate malt layer cake with chocolate malt whipped frosting, served with his favorite gelato in caramel cookie crunch. With the Valentine's Day holiday coming before you know it, this chocolate creation is a fun take on a classic treat. "Double Chocolate Malt Layer Cake" is a chocolate malt cake with chocolate malt whipped frosting, chocolate cookie crumb trim and topped with a chocolate ganache drizzle. Malted milk powder is the main ingredient is ice cream malts. It is a natural sweetener made from barley malt, wheat and milk. You can usually find it in the grocery store in the drink mix section by the instant breakfast powder. Ovaltine is my favorite brand and I tell people that might be the Little Orphan Annie fan in me. 

Double Chocolate Malt Layer Cake

2 1/4 cups flour 
1 cup sugar 
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
2 teaspoons baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
1/4 teaspoon salt 
1 cup milk 

  1 cup Ovaltine malted milk powder 
  1 cup oil 
  3 large eggs  
  1 cup sour cream 
  1 teaspoon vanilla extract                                                                                                                                  

chocolate malt frosting (recipe below)                

Optional: chocolate ganache topping

                cookie crumb trim ( 8 crushed chocolate cookies)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat two 9-inch baking pans with butter or cooking spray and dust of flour. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine milk and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add milk mixture to dry flour mixture. Add oil and eggs to mixture and beat with mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla, beating just until combined. Pour batter evenly into pans and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let cool completely on racks. Frost cake. If desired, add crushed cookie trim. Seal 8 chocolate cookies in plastic sandwich bag and roll over with rolling pin to crush. Take cookie crumbs by the handful and gently press into bottom 1/4 of cake around length of cake. If desired, pour or drizzle ganache topping on frosted cake. If you use ganache on cake, refrigerate the cake for at least an hour so ganache can set. Enjoy!

Chocolate Malt Frosting

1 stick butter, softened  
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream 
3/4 cup Ovaltine malted milk powder 
7  cups powdered sugar 

In large bowl, beat butter and cocoa powder with mixer at medium speed until creamy. Set aside. In separate bowl, combine cream and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add cream mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed to combine. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating in between additions, until smooth. 

Chocolate Ganache Topping                                                                                                                    

1 1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream   

Place the chopped chocolate into a medium-sized bowl. Heat the heavy cream in a microwavable container and microwave for 2 to 3 minutes on high, or until it just begins to simmer; be careful not to allow cream to boil over. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let stand for 30 seconds or so. Using an electric mixer, beat on low until chocolate mixture is smooth. Use as is for glazing on top of cake or place in plastic condiment-size squeeze bottle to make drizzle lines over cake. 

For my husband's 40th birthday milestone, I want to share this musical slideshow tribute that played at our Oklahoma wedding in June 2011 as guests gathered at the church for our ceremony. It captures the spirit of the way I illustrate the love I have in my heart for my husband and he, likewise, for me. You'll also see some of our family members, living and passed on, who are among those who mean the world to us. This storybook themed slideshow ends with the beginning page of a new chapter in our lives and I have enjoyed every single day of that chapter continuing to fill with new pages in our lives.

Post by The Southern Fried Bride.