Chocolate Lover's Chocolate Malt Cake

This cake is amazing!!! It wasn't hard to make and it was so yummy!! Was quite rich, so you couldn't eat too big of a piece, (especially if you're like me and taste the batter, the frosting and the ganache!) I was on such a sugar rush the rest of the day!! :o) Anyway, this was yummo and I made it for my Dad's 84 birthday! It served at least 12 adults. I got the recipe from one of my favorite blogs (can't remember which one exactly) but I cut the frosting recipes down just a tad cuz I had way too much frosting left over (I'e posted my downsized versions). Enjoy!!

Chocolate Malt Cake

2- 1/4 cups flour
1-1/4 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup malted milk powder (can be found by the nestles quick or instant breakfasts)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Chocolate Malt Buttercream icing (recipe to follow)
Chocolate Ganache (recipe to follow
Malted Milk Balls (Whoppers)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 2 -9 inch round cake pans with a nonstick cooking spray, and sprinkle lightly with flour (I only have 8 inch cake pans, so I used my two 13x9 brownie pans that I sprayed with Pam and lined with parchement paper for easy cake removal) this makes a lot of batter so if using the 9 inch baking pans, you might need to make a cupcake or two.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a small bowl, combine milk, and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add milk mixture, oil and eggs to flour mixture, beating at a medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla, beating just until combines. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cake springs back when touched in the center (or you can do the toothpick test) Let cake cool on cooling racks for about 10 minutes. Remove cake from pans (this is why I lined my pans with parchement paper, I leave a couple of inches hanging over the sides and you can lift cake right out of your pans) Let cool completely on cooling racks.

When cake is cool, Frost cakes with the Butter cream icing, I cut my rectangle cakes in half, and put a spoonful of butter cream in between each layer (If using round cake pans, slice through the middle of each layer and frost in between, either way, you should have 4 layers.)

Then frost the outside with a layer of buttercream all around and on top.Chill in fridge while making the chocolate Ganache. Then pour the ganache over the entire cake, it will run down the sides and pool on the pan you have your cake on, don't worry, just chill cake for about 15 minutes, then I took the cake out of fridge and with a spatula scooped up the ganache and spread around the sides of my cake. Then I let chill for about another 45 minutes. Then with the leftover buttercream that I put in a cake decorator bag, I did a trim around the bottom, and did big stars on the top and stuck my whoppers on each one. Decorate however you desire. Serve with icecream! yumm!!!

Chocolate Malt Buttercream
1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup malted milk powder
5 to 5 1/2 cups powdered sugar (approx. may need just a tad more)
In a large bowl, beat butter and cocoa powder at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. In a small bowl, combie cream and malted milk powder, stirring to dissovel Add cream mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed to combine. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until frosting is a smooth creamy, spreadable consistancy. Beat for a couple of minutes to make a fluffy frosting. (You might need to add just a spoonful or so more powdered sugar)

Chocolate Ganache
8 oz. bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate (can use chocolate chips or the bakers chocolate squares, chopped)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

Place the chopped chocolate into a medium-sized bowl. Heat teh heavy cream in a microwavable container and microwave for a couple of 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. Use a whisk, and stir until chocolate mixture is smooth. (If too think you can add a bit more cream) Use as is for glaze over cake.