Malteser Drip Cake!
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A three layer malt chocolate cake with malt buttercream frosting, a chocolate drip and lots of Maltesers!
Malteser drip cake
So Malteser Buttons are now a thing, and I finally managed to find them in the shops after way too much time… and now they’re everywhere. I honestly couldn’t find them for so much time, and now they’re in every local supermarket. Including giant sharing bags in Sainsburys! But anyway… I wanted to include them in a bake. I was also craving a massive slice of cake, so a Malteser cake seemed appropriate.
Ages ago I posted my Malteser cake, and its definitely one of my favourites. The sponges that I use in the Malteser cake are different to this one for a reason. I like posting recipes and such, but I wanted to show a way to make the actual cake part of a Malteser related cake easier for some, as not everyone wants to go through the effort of my other Malteser cake. I still adore both types of sponges, but this one is definitely an easier one, and probably more stable for a drip cake!
Malt buttercream frosting
One thing I definitely couldn’t change between this recipe, my Malteser cake, and my Malteser cupcakes is the malt buttercream frosting. This part does confuse people slightly sometimes, but its a lot easier to make and source than people might think. All it is is a regular buttercream frosting, but with a Horlicks/Ovaltine type drinking powder mixed in. When you’re in the hot chocolate section of the supermarket, you’ll see them.
They do quite a few different ones, and sometimes they even sell Malteser hot chocolate or similar, but the most Malteser biscuit type flavour comes from the Horlicks/Ovaltine type powders. This bit is completely optional, you can just use a regular buttercream frosting it you want, but I like to stick with a theme in a bake. For example, in my honeycomb crunchie cake recipes, I use a honey buttercream frosting.
Semi naked cake
For this particular one, I thought I would go for a bit more of semi-naked style cake. Partly because I couldn’t be bothered to do the buttercream in the fully covered way, and partly because I really actually like the look of it! It’s not to everyones taste, but I love it. My Easter piñata cake is basically the same, but with the different buttercream flavour.
You can easily make this cake into a Malteser version of the Easter piñata cake, by following the same methods in the Easter piñata cake post, but filling with Maltesers. I didn’t actually have enough Maltesers on the day of baking this as I might have munched on a few too many, but you get the idea. Whichever way you decide to do this cake, it will be delicious.
Sponge
You can see from the slices of the cake that its super chocolatey, and I love that. I use the malt powder in the cake as well to get a hint of the flavour, but you can easily leave it out if you want. I know that Victoria sponge style cakes have 400g of dry ingredients (flour and/or cocoa powder), and technically this one does… apart from the Malt Powder. Adding this in after this makes the cake mix denser, but it makes it more madeira like.
If you bake the cakes the day before you decorate, its best to store them at room temperature (definitely not the fridge) and they will be super moist and fudgey the next day. Or, even if you decorate on the day of baking, it’ll be lovely. I love any type of chocolate cake to be honest, but when the sponge is deliciously chocolatey, then slathered with buttercream frosting, Malteser spread and then even more delicious you can’t beat it. HEAVENLY.
Tips & tricks
- You obviously don’t have to make straight edged buttercream if you don’t want to, but I just like the look of it! You can slather it on, and it’ll still taste damn delicious.
- However, if you do want to make it like this, I seriously recommend using a metal scraper for the decoration of the buttercream, and the disposable piping bags.. I wouldn’t be anywhere without them!
- All of the decorations are completely optional – but I love this style of cake! To make a smaller version of the cake, use:
- Two 8″cake tins
- 300g butter
- 300g sugar
- 255g flour
- 35g cocoa powder
- 75g malt powder
- 6 medium eggs
- And it might take an extra 5-10 minutes to bake and use 2/3 of the decoration recipes!
- This cake will last in an airtight container/cake box for 3 days!
Malteser Drip Cake!
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 400 g unsalted butter
- 400 g light brown sugar
- 8 medium eggs
- 350 g self raising flour
- 50 g cocoa powder
- 100 g malt powder (Horlicks/Ovaltine)
Buttercream Ingredients
- 350 g unsalted butter (room temp)
- 650 g icing sugar
- 100 g malt powder
- 2-4 tbsp boiling water
Decoration
- 100 g dark chocolate
- 2 tsp sunflower oil
- leftover buttercream frosting
- Maltesers
- Malteser Buttons
Instructions
For the Cake
- Heat the oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan and line three 20cm/8inch cake tins with baking parchment – leave to the side.
- In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and light brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the flour, cocoa powder, malt powder and eggs and beat again briefly until combined – try not to over beat the mixture!
- Divide the mixture between the three tins and smooth it over – bake for 25-30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean when poked, and when the cake springs back.
- Once baked, leave the cake to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, and then remove and leave to cool fully on a wire rack. If the cake has domed slightly, leave the cake to cool upside down to flatten it slightly.
For the Buttercream
- In a stand mixer, beat the room temperature butter with an electric mixer until it is smooth and loose and then beat in the icing sugar 1/3 at a time until its fully combined.
- Keep beating the buttercream for a few minutes so it starts to get fluffier and lighter.
- Add in the malt powder and beat again, adding 1tbsp of boiling water at a time until you get the buttercream you want. When its hot summer weather, I usually only add 1 tbsp.
For the Decoration
- Once the cakes are cooled, put the first layer on the serving plate - spread one or tablespoons of the buttercream onto the top of the first layer
- Add the second cake on top, and then top again with some of buttercream, and then add the final sponge layer.
- Spread a thin layer or the buttercream around the edges of the cake to fill in any gaps and form a 'Crumb Coat'. Leave this to set in the fridge for 10 minutes, or on the side for 30 minutes until the Buttercream crusts over.
- I then spread another layer round, but kept it quite thin as I wanted a naked cake style. However, if you want to fully cover the cake, add more on, and scrape it round until its smooth.
- I use a large metal scraper to do the smoothing. It's easier to roughly spread some around all the edges of the cake, and then smooth it all.
- Once finished, melt the dark chocolate in a heat proof bowl. Add in 2tsp of oil and beat until smooth. Using disposable piping bags, pipe it round the edge of the cake, edging over slight bits to create the drip.
- Leave it to set for about 10 minutes, and then add some more malteser spread on top. Alternatively, add the malteser spread on the top first, and then drip around the edges.
- Leave the chocolate/spread to set for about 10 minutes or so, and then pipe the rest of the buttercream on top, and add on some Maltesers, crushed Maltesers, and Malteser Buttons.
Notes
- You obviously don’t have to make straight edged buttercream if you don’t want to, but I just like the look of it! You can slather it on, and it’ll still taste damn delicious.
- However, if you do want to make it like this, I seriously recommend using a metal scraper for the decoration of the buttercream, and the disposable piping bags.. I wouldn’t be anywhere without them!
- All of the decorations are completely optional – but I love this style of cake! To make a smaller version of the cake, use:
- Two 8″cake tins
- 300g butter
- 300g sugar
- 255g flour
- 35g cocoa powder
- 75g malt powder
- 6 medium eggs
- And it might take an extra 5-10 minutes to bake and use 2/3 of the decoration recipes!
- This cake will last in an airtight container/cake box for 3 days
- You can freeze this cake for 3+ months
- If you can find and buy malteser spread, this is great to add between the layers of cake and buttercream
I haven’t made this cake yet but I will be soon for my mums 50th birthday.
But every time I make your cakes and follow the recipe for the buttercream is always a pain to squeeze through the piping bag, to the point the piping bag nearly busts. It’s too stiff the buttercream and doesn’t flow out I have to use a lot of force to squeeze it out. That is using unsalted butter at room temperature. How can I make it flow out better?
Thanks
Do you leave it in the bag for a while before piping or store it in the fridge until using? When making buttercream if its left for too long it can solidify slightly which can cause the problem! But if you do make it straight away and use it straight away, it may just need 1-2tbsp boiling water in it!
This recipe is absolutely 10/10. I made it for the second time last week and still dreaming about it now. Its totally fool proof recipe, went perfect both times (which is rather rare for me!)
The comments i got both times were amazing, and it did turn out just like the picture and tasted 100x more incredible than you can imagine.
Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
If you’re wondering whether to make this or not, just do it!
Hi Jane.
If you were to make this with a chocolate buttercream instead, what measurements/ingredients would you use please?
Thanks,
Grace
Replace the malt powder with cocoa powder! x
Hi Jane, looking forward to making this, all of your recipes are amazing, and your blog is my go to for ideas! Just wondered what size/shape nozzle you use for your decoration? Thank you!
It will have either been a 1M, or a 2D – I use medium sized ones!
Hi Jane,
I want to make this cake, it looks amazing!! But would prefer to leave out the malt powder and just decorate with the Maltesers. What do I substitute the malt powder for – is it flour or cocoa powder?
Thank you x
For the sponge you can just leave it out – or add 25g more cocoa powder – and for the buttercream I would use 50g more icing sugar x
I love the taste of this cake but both times I’ve made it the ssponge comes out looking amazing and then sinks. It is much lower than the one on the picture x
Hiya! If a cake sinks, this usually means it is under baked! Hope this helps! x
Hello!
Love trying your recipes, they’re all amazing!!
I was hoping you might be able to give me some advice on where I can find Malteser spread please?
I’m going to make this cake for my brother in laws 40th and would love to use the right spread.
Thanks.
I just buy it from the supermarkets – it is sold in basically all UK supermarkets, but it has been harder to find recently!
Hi could i use crunchie spread instead of the malteser i have made this cake a few times using malteser spread and it was delicious just wondered what it would be like with the crunchie thanks
Yes definitely!
Hi Jane, I have made 2 of your drip cakes so far and the melted chocolate with oil has gone bubbly after it has dried, am I doing something wrong? I have used a glass dish over a saucepan of simmering water to melt the dark chocolate, I have tried to use different brands of dark chocolate too. Any ideas please?
Thanks!
Do you mean it just looks like it’s got bubbles on it, or it’s lumpy? If it just looks it, it sounds like the chocolate is blooming slightly? It may be worth trying a different ganache method (my mini egg drip cake) and seeing if that works better for you!
Hi Jane!!
I’m going to make this tomorrow for my cousins birthday, he is mad about Malteser!
I can’t get the malt powder recommended in time! Is there any other brand or malt powder to use? I can get things like Ovaltine or malt drink powder from Tesco’s really easily! Thank you x
Yeah I use Ovaltine or holicks and both work well! xx
Hey Jane Xx
I have watched your recipes on YouTube and l was thinking of making this Maltese cake but was wondering if you can taste the malt in the cake and what it’s for as I’m not a fan of malt
Thanks xxx
Hiya – so yes it’s designed to taste like maltesers! If you don’t want the flavour, it may be better to look at my chocolate fudge cake post as the malt flavour is strong in this one! xx
Hi Jane,
I’ve made this before, strictly adhering to your guidelines, but I’d like to split this recipe over 2 x 8″ tins rather than 3 as I prefer a deeper cake. Do you have any idea how long it should bake for? I’d cook it at 140′ fan as they’re deeper so will need a slower bake, but am unsure as to timings and don’t want to test too early and have it drop, or to have it dry out either!
Thanks!
Hey! Ahh yay! Okay so if I was splitting this mix between two, and baking at 160c, it would probably take 45-55 minutes – so at 140, I would imagine about 80-90 minutes? That is a guess – but at 140 they do take quite a while!! x
Hi Jane,
I only have 2 tins. Can I do the full recipe and then cut the sponges into two so it’s 4 layer? What time would you cook it if so?
Also, I don’t have sunflower oil but have ripe seed. Will that work?
Thanks x
Hey! Yes you can – I would reduce the temp a bit to 170C/150CFan, and bake for about 50-55 minutes! And I’m not a fan of using rapeseed in this as it can be quite flavourful – so I would recommend doing a classic ganache with cream (look at my mini egg drip cake recipe!) x
Hi Jane,
I love all your recipes!! I have bought all the ingredients to bake this tomorrow but I can’t get the malteser spread anywhere, any advice on alternatives other than leaving it out completely please?
Thanks!
Hayley
Hey! Ahh thank you! There isn’t really a good subsitute for it as it’s so unique – but any other spread will work there will just be a different flavour! x
Hi Jane,
I’ve never done a drip cake before. Could I use Milk Chocolate instead of Dark for the drip?
Would I still use the oil?
Hey! So it’s not a straight swap – milk chocolate is thinner and would probably be better with only a teaspoon of oil, or maybe not any at all! You could also try the cream style ganache which is 2:1 chocolate to cream!
Hi Jane,
I’m looking into making this for my housemates lockdown birthday (it’s a week tomorrow). I was wondering what you could substitute the sunflower oil for if you don’t have any (which I don’t). What would you recommend?
Hey! You can leave it out, or use a classic ganache drip – have a look at my mini egg drip cake!! x