It is lovely Georgia-in-Paris’s birthday very soon. Today her Dad and her Not-Dad are travelling to France to deliver her cake! Really! 😉 Well not exactly. That’s not the actual reason for the journey to be honest. But it seemed a good opportunity/excuse to make cake. I did in fact make this recipe a couple of years ago for Georgia so I hope she still likes it. It is an adaptation of a great recipe in The Best of Better Baking.com.
The original recipe is called Moist and Mellow Yellow Birthday Cake or Cupcakes, and I have made it as is and it was very good. This version was inspired by Maltesers. Apparently in the US they are called Whoppers. The flavour is malted chocolate. I really love this flavour. Last time I was in New York we went to a great luncheonette – Lexington Candy Shop – and I had a chocolate malted milk shake which was The Best! If you are ever in this neighbourhood make sure you check this place out – it is so cool!
The recipe turns out a moist cake with a good texture, light but not too fluffy. I think this is partly the milk, and partly the addition of cornflour.
Recipe (my version):
Ingredients
1 3/4 cups caster sugar
3/4 cup (6 oz or 170g) softened butter
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup (125 ml) warm water
1/2 cup (125 ml) warm milk
2 tbsp malt extract, stirred into the milk/water mixture
2 1/4 cups plain flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
Method (my way!)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees or Gas Mark 4. Get your tins ready – 2 x 8” or 9” pans; or a 9” x 13” pan; or 2 dozen muffin cups; or a combination. Grease or line with baking parchment or paper muffin liners, or whatever you usually do to stop the cake sticking in the pan.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each.
In a jug combine the milk, water, malt extract and vanilla.
Mix the wet ingredients into the creamed mixture.
In another bowl sieve together all the dry ingredients.
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet, stirring until mixed together really well.
Put the cake batter into whatever tins and pans etc you are using.
Bake for: round cakes 25-35 minutes; large cake 35-45 minutes; cupcakes for 18-25 minutes. The tops should spring back when gently pressed.
Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes. When cool ice with your chosen icing/ frosting. For these cupcakes I used a simple chocolate ganache – a bar of dark chocolate (180g) chopped and melted into 3/4 cup or about 200ml of double cream brought to a simmer and removed from the heat. Stir until melted, leave to cool then whisk. When it’s spreading consistency use to cover the tops of the cakes. And finally – decorate with Maltesers!
Happy Early Birthday Georgia!
I sprinkled these with a few gold flakes.
If you try this recipe I would love to know how it turned out. Either the original vanilla or the chocolate or maybe something else! It’s going to be another stormy weekend in the UK – stay in and bake!
Eat Cake And Run 