Malteser Cupcakes!
*This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my disclosure for more details!*
Chocolate malt cupcakes with malt buttercream frosting… The perfect Malteser cupcakes for any occasion!
Malteser cupcakes
Chocolate malt cupcakes with malt buttercream frosting… honestly, the perfect Malteser cupcakes for any occasion. They’re that ideal mix of nostalgic hot-chocolate-malt flavour and rich chocolate cupcake, and the combo just works. I’ve made more batches of these than I care to admit, and somehow they always disappear ridiculously fast.
Some of my favourite bakes (or rather… non-bakes) has been my No-Bake Chocolate Malteser Cheesecake and Malteser Tiffin. I’d been craving a malt-style cupcake or cake for SO LONG and finally gave in. Also, full confession… I randomly fancied Horlicks one evening, bought a tub, had one drink and then went “nope”, so it simply had to go into a bake instead.
I always say this, but if there’s ever leftover ingredients in my cupboard, I bake with them. It’s like an unwritten rule in my kitchen at this point. More than once I’ve justified buying chocolate “for a recipe” when really it just fell into my basket by accident.
The chocolate malt sponge
For the sponge, I decided to make these more chocolatey with a hint of malt, rather than full-on malt. I wasn’t too keen on the idea of malt sponge AND malt buttercream, so this way you get the best of both worlds. It feels a lot more Malteser-like, which I am always here for.
I used my standard style chocolatey cupcake that I use on many bakes such as my Honeycomb Crunchie Cupcakes and my Rolo Cupcakes as it’s just so delicious. The addition of the malt powder worked better than expected – I used less cocoa powder, so that I had 40g total of cocoa powder + malt powder as I thought this would be best… and it so worked. The Cupcakes stayed nice and light, and weren’t heavy at all.
When all of the ingredients are mixed together, it looked slightly lighter than a normal chocolate cupcake mixture, but don’t panic, that’s the malt working its magic. The cupcakes bake up beautifully domed and fluffy. I usually “eyeball” around two-thirds full when filling the cases, but a level ice-cream scoop works wonders if you like things neat.
Buttercream
The malt buttercream is honestly the star of the show. I start with a standard buttercream… butter and icing sugar and then mix in about 25g of malt powder. Any more than that and it can go a bit grainy, so this amount keeps the texture silky while still packing flavour.
It brings that classic Malteser taste through without overpowering the sweetness of the frosting. It’s creamy, nostalgic and dangerously moreish. I’ve definitely “taste-tested” this buttercream more times than I should have… and once ate a spoonful straight from the bowl. Oops.
If you want the buttercream slightly softer, you can add a splash of whole milk. I tend to eyeball it and add about a tablespoon at a time until it’s pipeable. I always use real block unsalted butter, spreads and margarines can make buttercream too soft, especially if your kitchen is warm and lack the signature buttercream flavour that real butter brings to the table.
Decoration
You can easily use any sort of malt sweet/biscuit/anything to top the cupcakes with, such as malted milk biscuits, but I just love Maltesers. I’m slightly shocked at myself that I didn’t drizzle these in chocolate, but I had actually run out… but I like them either way!
I honestly think that if you love Maltesers then you will also love these because they’re damn delicious. You can easily not have malt buttercream frosting, or not have malt flavoured Cupcakes, but thats up to you. I love them as they are but feel free to experiment, drizzle chocolate, cover in chocolate shavings… go crazy!
Tips & tricks
- You can buy the utterly gorgeous cupcake cases from here.
- I used Horlicks powder as thats what I had in my cupboard – most malt powders (which need milk added to them) will work fine such as Ovaltine.
- If you want an extra chocolatey fix, you can add in 100g of chocolate chips to the cupcake mix.
- If you are loosening the cupcake mixture or the buttercream with milk, it’s important to use whole milk because of the fat content, using semi-skimmed might make it split.
- These cupcakes will last in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature.
- These can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Malteser Cupcakes!
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 150 g unsalted butter (you can use baking spread)
- 150 g light brown sugar
- 3 Medium eggs
- 140 g self raising flour
- 15 g cocoa powder
- 25 g malt powder (I use Horlicks or Ovaltine)
- 1-3 tbsp whole milk
Malt Buttercream
- 150 g unsalted butter (not baking spread)
- 375 g icing sugar
- 25 g malt powder (I use Horlicks or Ovaltine)
- 1-3 tbsp whole milk
Decoration
- Maltesers
- crushed Maltesers
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180ºc/160ºc fan, and prep your 12 cupcake cases. I used baking cups so just put them on a flat tray.
- Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, and then add in the self raising flour, cocoa powder, malt powder and eggs.
- Beat again until smooth, if needed, add the milk to smooth the mixture.
- Split the mix evenly between the cases. I use an ice cream/cookie scoop to get them all equal.
- Bake in the oven for 18-22 minutes, or until baked. Cool Completely.
- Beat the unsalted butter (best at room temp), for a couple of minutes until smooth.
- Add in half of the icing sugar and beat, and then the other half and beat.
- Add in the malt powder again, and beat!
- If its too thick, add in 1tbsp of whole milk at a time till it becomes pipeable.
- Pipe on the buttercream – Add some maltesers, and then sprinkle on some crushed maltesers as well! Enjoy!
Notes
- You can buy the utterly gorgeous cupcake cases from here!
- I used Horlicks powder as thats what I had in my cupboard – most malt powders (which need milk added to them) will work fine such as Ovaltine!
- If you want an extra chocolatey fix, you can add in 100g of chocolate chips to the cupcake mix!
- If you are loosening the cupcake mixture or the buttercream with milk, it's important to use whole milk because of the fat content, using semi-skimmed might make it split.
- These cupcakes will last in an airtight container for 3 days at room temperature!
- These can be frozen for up to 3 months
Hi Jane,
Can I use almond molk? X
You can but you can also just leave it out x
I’m having trouble finding Malt, is it the Horlicks drinking malt?
Yes – horlicks or Ovaltine! x
Hi Jane!
Can’t wait to try these. Just want to know if I can use semi-skimmed milk in place of the whole milk? I don’t have whole milk.
Thanks
I would just leave the milk out x
Nice easy bake. Didn’t make the malt buttercream this time as was short on time so covered the top with malteser choc spread. Firm favourite with my 3 year old. Lovely soft and light cakes. Will make again and try with your malt buttercream. Thank you.
Hii
Can I use corn oil instead of 175 g butter in the cupcake?
Hi Jane! Can I use normal cupcake tins not as big as these. But the ones that are easily available and are of standard size.
Hiya! I’m not 100% sure what you mean but cupcake tins? Do you mean cases? For me, these are the same size as cupcake cases.
Hi Jane, love your recipes. Can I ask if it is ok to use cooled boiled water instead of milk?
Yes you can!
Hi Jane,
Do you reckon these would work if I copied the dairy milk idea by cutting out the middle and adding in some Malteser spread?!
Thanks, xx
Hey! Yes definitely!! x
Perfect thank you Jane! I’m making these for my little nephew on Sunday as it’s the first time I’m seeing him since lock down … going to make his day lol xx
Hi, I dont have any malt powder, can i just leave it out? Will they still be nice? TIA
The Malteser flavour comes from the horlicks/ovaltine so they won’t be as Malteser like! But it would work without!
Can you use dark brown sugar instead of light? Is there a difference? Thanks
The only real difference is the taste – dark brown is a darker more toffee/caramel flavour!
Ahh thank you for replying. I took the plunge and they turned out perfect anyway 🙂
Hi Jane
Discovered your blog during lock down and making all the cakes has kept me sane, Absolutely love this site. I’ve made a few batches of cupcakes and these quantities seem larger than the others one. I’m worried the recipe will be overflowing in my cakes as all the others seem to fit perfect. Would it work if I was using 150g mixtures of the cake ingredients? or is there a reason some cupcakes are 175g of the ingredients?
The differences are based on egg sizes – large egg recipes are 175g, medium egg recipes are 150g! The 175g mixes still fit my cupcake cases well!