Birthday Cake

Last month, I posted inspiration recipes for Kalyn’s birthday cake. I decided to set my goals high and make a tall layer cake; after all, you only turn 24 once! Chocolate malts are one of K’s favorites and I happened to stumble upon a layer cake recipe that used chocolate malt frosting… the search ended there. Malted chocolate toasted marshmallow cake.

birthday-cake

I wish I would’ve had a bit more energy to photograph this delicious cake. I was under the weather with the stomach flu last weekend and didn’t get much accomplished. I did manage to snap a quick photo of Kalyn’s slice with my phone before he devoured it. The interior is every bit as impressive as the outside appearance.

slice

I used Sweetapolita’s ingenious cake recipe, with a few adaptations of my own. It is a little lengthy, but super easy (I promise):

INGREDIENTS:

Chocolate Cake:
2 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3 cups granulated sugar
1 cup + 1 tablespoon premium cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups buttermilk, room temperature
1 1/2 cups strong black coffee, hot
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting:
2 cups butter (4 sticks), at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3/4 cup Ovaltine Classic
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
8 oz quality chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled
1/2 cup whipping cream

Toasted Marshmallow Frosting:
16 large white marshmallows
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 cup butter (2 sticks), at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 jar marshmallow cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the Chocolate Layer Cake:
Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare three 8″ round cake pans- butter and dust with flour. In bowl of electric mixer, sift all dry ingredients. Combine eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla in a measuring cup and beat lightly with a fork. Add milk mixture to the dry ingredients mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Batter will be thin. Measure batter evenly into 5 or 6 (depending on how many layers you want) containers. Pour each contained amount of batter into prepared cake pans. I only had two cake pans, so I had to repeat the baking process. Bake for 20 minutes, then rotate pans in oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick comes out almost clean, about 12 additional minutes. Cool on wire racks for 20 minutes then gently invert onto racks until completely cool.

For the Malted Belgian Chocolate Frosting:
In a bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the icing sugar and butter and beat on low speed for about 1 minute. Add malt powder, vanilla and salt, and beat on low until well combined. Add the melted chocolate and beat on medium speed until smooth (about 2 minutes). Add whipping cream and beat on med-high speed for another minute. The frosting should be very silky.

For the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting:
Place marshmallows on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place on lower rack of oven, and broil marshmallows until nice and brown on top, between 30-60 seconds. Remove pan from oven and gently turn the marshmallows over, and repeat the toasting process. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine butter and powdered sugar on low until blended, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix on med-high for about 3 minutes. Add marshmallow cream and toasted marshmallows, and mix on lowest setting for about 1 minute.

Assembly of the Campfire Cake:
On an 8″inch round cake board (or cake plate), put a small dollop of frosting. Place your first layer face-up on the board and cover with an even layer of the malted frosting, leaving about 1/2″ around the edge. Place another cake layer face-up and repeat with marshmallow frosting. Repeat until you come to your final layer, which you will place face-down. If you find the cake too soft and unstable, put in refrigerator for a few moments to firm it up, then resume. Frost entire outside of cake with remaining malted frosting.

Take my word for it- this is a cake worth baking, especially for an occasion! Kalyn definitely enjoyed his birthday dessert, especially the malt frosting. Cheers to 24!

Sources: Recipe from Sweetapolita

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