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Malted Vanilla Cake

Malted Vanilla Cake (Soft, Fluffy!)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 2 reviews
  • Author: Laura Kasavan
  • Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 40 minutes
  • Yield: 1 8-inch cake
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Bake
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Malted vanilla cake is perfect for spring! You’ll love this soft and fluffy layer cake topped with malted frosting and Cadbury mini eggs. Recipe makes one 8-inch layer cake.


Ingredients

Vanilla Cake

  • 2 1/2 cups cake flour (see note below)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 cup malted milk powder
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 cup low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt, at room temperature

Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1/2 cup malted milk powder, sifted
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
  • Cadbury mini eggs, for decorating the cake
  • sprinkles, for decorating the cake

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F and spray two 8-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of the cake pans with parchment paper.
  2. Make cake: Whisk together cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
  3. Beat butter and sugar in a large mixer bowl at medium speed until light and fluffy; beat in vanilla and malted milk powder. Add eggs one at a time and beat until combined. Combine buttermilk and Greek yogurt in a small bowl. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk mixture (begin and end with flour mixture).
  4. Divide batter evenly between cake pans and smooth with an offset spatula. Tap pans sharply to reduce air bubbles.
  5. Bake cake layers for 24 to 25 minutes, until the top and edges are golden, cakes spring back to the touch, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool cakes for 15 minutes in pans on a wire rack before inverting onto wire racks to cool completely.
  6. Make frosting: Beat butter and salt in a large mixer bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Mix in cocoa and malted milk powder on low speed until incorporated. Mix in powdered sugar on low speed 1 cup at a time until incorporated, scraping down bowl as needed. Add milk and mix in on low speed until smooth. Increase speed to medium-high and beat frosting for 1 minute, until light and airy.
  7. Assemble cake: Place one cake layer on a rotating cake stand. Use an offset spatula to spread frosting generously over the layer. Add second cake layer.
  8. Use offset spatula to apply a layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake while you rotate the cake stand, then use a bench scraper to gently smooth the edges of the cake and remove any excess frosting. If desired, pipe remaining frosting decoratively on the top cake layer. Top cake with Cadbury mini eggs and sprinkles. Chill the frosted cake for 20 minutes before serving.
  9. Store leftover cake at room temperature overnight, loosely covered with plastic wrap, or covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.


Notes

To make your own cake flour: For every 1 cup of cake flour, place 2 tablespoons cornstarch in an empty 1-cup measure, then top up with all-purpose flour. Sift the mixture several times to evenly distribute the cornstarch.

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