Chocolate Malted "Speckled Egg" Easter Cake

Chocolate Malted “Speckled Egg” Easter Cake

Adapted from a Betty Crocker recipe.

Cake:

1 box Devil’s Food cake mix

½ cup malted milk powder

½ cup half and half

¾ cup water

1/3 cup melted butter, cooled

3 eggs

Frosting:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 teaspoon malted milk powder

1 box powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of salt

Pale blue food color

Heavy cream

Speckling Chocolate:

1 tablespoon Nestle’s Quick chocolate milk mix

4 teaspoons vanilla

Decorations:

Small candy-coated malted milk egg candies

Heat the oven to 350° F and spray 2 (8-inch round) cake pans with baking spray.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the cake mix and malted milk powder.  Add the remaining cake ingredients and beat on low speed until well combined.  Divide batter evenly among pans.  Bake 26 to 31 minutes or until the cakes spring back when touched lightly in the center.  Turn cakes out onto cooling racks and let cool completely. 

To make the Frosting, in a large bowl, beat the softened butter, malted milk powder and powdered sugar with electric mixer on low speed until the butter is evenly distributed.  Add the vanilla, salt and blue food color (one drop at a time until desired color is achieved) and beat on high speed until the frosting becomes spreadable.  Add a little heavy cream if necessary to thin it out.   Fill and frost the cooled cake.  Let sit for an hour or so until the frosting begins to dry out a bit, before applying the “speckle”. 

In a small condiment bowl, combine the Nestle’s Quick and vanilla until smooth.  Load a new (unused) still bristle paint brush with the speckle mixture and, using finger, flick the loaded bristles toward the cake creating a splatter pattern.  Re-load brush as needed until entire cake is speckled.  Let sit awhile until the speckles are dry then decorate the cake with the candy eggs. 

This was a pretty cake and good, but didn’t really taste “malty” at all.  Still, cute for Easter (2016)!