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Chocolate Peppermint Malt Cake

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Rich chocolate peppermint cake frosted in a peppermint malt buttercream, decorated with candy cane hearts and topped with malted chocolate spheres!
Servings 12 slices

Ingredients

Chocolate Peppermint Malt Cake Layers

  • 2/3 cup sour cream room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk room temperature
  • 3 whole eggs room temperature
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract You an add a full teaspoon if you're a diehard peppermint fan, but I think it tends to get strong, so it's up to you!
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup malt powder, or chocolate malt powder (Ovaltine works well here)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 15.25oz Chocolate Fudge, or Dark Chocolate Cake Mix I prefer the taste and texture of Duncan Hines brand, but other brands should be similar

Chocolate Peppermint Malt Buttercream

  • 1 1/2 cup (or three sticks) unsalted butter Left out at room temperature for 10 minutes to slightly soften
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 1 Tablespoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract Again, you can add the full teaspoon, but it's totally up to how much peppermint yall can handle in your cake!
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
  • 1/2 cup malt powder, or chocolate malt powder (like Ovaltine)
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 7-8 cups powdered sugar

Extras

  • mini candy canes
  • crushed candy canes (or just pulse some of the candy canes in a food processor for this one)
  • Whoppers, or chocolate malt spheres

Instructions

Chocolate Peppermint Malt Cake Layers

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees (for convection ovens. If you have a traditional oven (convention) just leave the cake rounds in an extra couple minutes!). Prep three 6" cake rounds with a swipe of shortening and dust of flour. Set aside.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together all the wet ingredients. Sift in the malt powder, cocoa powder, and cake mix gently until incorporated. Split the cake batter evenly between the prepared cake rounds. Bake for 25-27 minutes, or until the centers of the cake are finished baking. Let cool on a wire rack, wrap up in plastic wrap, then freeze until assembly.

Chocolate Peppermint Malt Buttercream

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it's light and fluffy. Add in the salt, vanilla, peppermint extract, and heavy cream - mix up again. Add in the malt powder, cocoa powder, and then the powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time. Add in a little more heavy cream if needed (about 1 Tablespoon at a time) to thin out the buttercream.
  • Flip the mixer on high speed and let the buttercream whip up for a lighter, more fluffy, texture.

Assembly

  • Stack and crumb coat the cake layers using a cake scraper, cake turntable, angled icing spatula, and a straight icing spatula. Freeze the crumb coat for 2 minutes.
  • Using a wooden spoon or spatula, hand beat the air bubbles out of the buttercream. When it's smooth, spread it all over the cake in a final layer, using a cake scraper for clean sides - leave the top unfinished for a more rustic look.
  • Hand place on the candy canes in a heart pattern on the side of the cake and gently press on some of the crushed candy canes in the centers of the hearts.
  • Top the cake with the malt spheres (whoppers). And enjoy!