Name: Malted Milk Cupcakes (whopper cupcakes)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 38 min
Ingredients: 6 tablespoons butter, room temp (85 g); 6 tablespoons brown sugar (83 g); 6 tablespoons sugar (75g); 3 large eggs, room temp; 1/4 cup sour cream, room temp (60 g); 1 2/3 cup flour (200g); 2 tablespoons cocoa powder (20g); 3/4 teaspoons salt; 1 cup buttermilk, room temp (240 g); 6 tablespoons malt powder (35 g); 3/4 tablespoon white vinegar; 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda; 1 1/2 cups butter (340 g); 4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar, sifted; 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract; 1 cup (95 g) malt powder; 1/3 cup heavy cream (77 g); Whoppers or malt balls, for decorating, if desired

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Growing up, every Sunday we had hand-spun malt milkshakes for dessert. I made these malt milkshake cupcakes inspired by that. It was a tradition in my dad’s family to make malt milkshakes every Sunday as well. You make them with the TINIEST amount of milk. By the time you’re done mixing your arm is tired from mixing so hard AND you’ve burned off the calories of the malt you’ll eat. JK but kinda not JK. You’re left with a finished product that is so thick you can turn the cup upside down and neither the spoon nor the ice-cream will fall out of the cup. I love this tradition, and while I don’t make them with my family every Sunday like mine did growing up (hello, I love baking and can’t just make the same thing every week!), We definitely make these at least once a month.

I think that may be the longest story I’ve shared on my blog on a food post, but all that to say– these malt milkshake cupcakes cupcakes remind me of my dad and I made them with him in mind. I live 5,000 miles away from my family and I can’t wait till I can make these for him in person. I think he’s going to love them and I think you’re going to love them too.

If you’ve never had a hand spun malt milkshake, please try to make that too. Maybe I’ll do an instagram live of me making one sometime so you can see the process. If you’d like that, please leave a comment that you would like to learn.

If you are looking for another cupcake besides these malt milkshake cupcakes recipe or frosting try my favorite and perfected chocolate cupcakes or my favorite peanut butter frosting.

Malted Milk Cupcakes (whopper cupcakes)

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The most delicious and tender chocolate and malted milk cake topped with addicting malted milk vanilla frosting. A malt milkshake in cake form.

Author: Brianna
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 38 minutes
Yield: about 20-24 cupcakes 1x

Ingredients

Scale

Cupcakes-

6 tablespoons butter, room temp (85 g)

6 tablespoons brown sugar (83 g)

6 tablespoons sugar (75g)

3 large eggs, room temp

1/4 cup sour cream, room temp (60 g)

1 2/3 cup flour (200g)

2 tablespoons cocoa powder (20g)

3/4 teaspoons salt

1 cup buttermilk, room temp (240 g)

6 tablespoons malt powder (35 g)

3/4 tablespoon white vinegar

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting-

1 1/2 cups butter (340 g)

4 cups (500 g) powdered sugar, sifted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup (95 g) malt powder

1/3 cup heavy cream (77 g)

Whoppers or malt balls, for decorating, if desired

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Instructions

Cupcakes-

Preheat oven to 350 F and line 2 cupcake tins with cupcake wrappers.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl using an electric hand mixer) mix the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together till creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl several times. Add the eggs, mixing well after each addition. Add in the sour cream and mix well. It may look a bit curdled after this, but don’t worry.

In a medium bowl combine the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.

In a small bowl combine the buttermilk and malt powder till well mixed.

Pour the bowl of the flour mixture in and mix till just incorporated, then pour in the milk mixture and mix till just incorporated.

In a medium bowl combine the white vinegar and baking soda. This will fizz up so don’t put it in too small of a bowl. Pour this into the mixture and mix till incorporated, scraping the sides once.

Fill each muffin tin about 2/3-3/4 full and bake for 18-22 minutes till a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let cool in tin for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to finish cooling. Completely cool before frosting.

Frosting-

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip the butter till light and creamy, scraping the sides as needed. Whip at least 3 minutes or so.

Add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla and mix well. In a small bowl combine the heavy cream and the malt powder till well mixed. Pour the cream mixture into the bowl and whip really well, at least 5 minutes, scraping the sides several times.

Pipe the frosting on each cupcake and top with whole or crushed malted milk balls (like whoppers).

Notes

If you are not going to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, you could probably ½ the frosting recipe or you’ll have lots leftover.

If you want to try a vanilla cake base instead of chocolate replace the cocoa powder with more flour and add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract when you add the sour cream to the cake batter.

I store these cupcakes in the fridge because I like cold cake. But you can also save them in a covered container on the counter too.