This recipe for malted chocolate cake has been extracted from Mary Berry’s Absolute Favourites by Mary Berry (BBC Books, hardback £25) and kindly donated to London Mums by BBC Books. This cake is the perfect family treat, and a real crowd-pleaser. The malt extract gives a lovely creaminess to the sponge, while the malted chocolate flavour is echoed in the cake’s topping.
SERVES 8–10
PREPARE AHEAD
The filling will remain soft and ready to use in a bowl covered with cling film for 2–3 days. The finished cake can be kept in an airtight container for up to a day.
FREEZE
Freeze the cake and icing separately, then defrost at room temperature and assemble when ready to serve.
Ingredients
30g (1oz) malted chocolate drink powder
30g (1oz) cocoa powder
225g (8oz) butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
225g (8oz) caster sugar
225g (8oz) self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
FOR THE ICING
3 tbsp malted chocolate drink powder
1½ tbsp hot milk
125g (4½oz) butter, softened
250g (9oz) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting
50g (2oz) dark chocolate (at least
50 per cent cocoa solids), melted
1 tbsp boiling water
about 20 Maltesers, to decorate
Method
1 You will need two 20cm (8in) round sandwich tins. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/Gas 4 and grease the tins with butter and line the bases with baking paper.
2 Measure the malted chocolate drink powder and cocoa powder into a large bowl, pour over 2 tablespoons of water and mix to a paste. Add the remaining cake ingredients and beat until smooth.
3 Divide evenly between the prepared tins and bake in the oven for
20–25 minutes. Set aside in the tins to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
4 To make the icing, measure the malted chocolate drink powder into
a bowl, add the hot milk and mix until smooth. Add the butter, icing sugar and melted chocolate and mix again until smooth, then add
the boiling water to give a gloss to the icing.
5 Place one cake on a plate and spread over half the icing. Sandwich with the other cake and spread (or pipe) the remaining icing on top, using the tip of a rounded palette knife to create a swirled effect from the centre to the edge of the cake. Arrange the Maltesers over the top and dust with icing sugar before serving.
