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
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
Hi Jane Im wanting to do the 2 layer but in 6inch pans would I half the ingredients so 150 of everything instead of 300
Many thanks
Hiya! yes I would recommend about 150g – baking time will obviously be less so make sure not to over bake! x
LOVE this recipe.
I made this cake as a birthday cake for my sister and it turned out so well! I was really proud of it, and it was pretty easy to make following all of the instructions.
I watched the video and followed the ganache recipe from the Easter cake to make the drip. And I used Nutella instead of malteser spread but could probably have left it out as you couldn’t taste it. The only change I’d make next time is to make a bit more icing as I did full coverage so the layers in between the cake were quite thin.
Everyone commented on how amazing it was so I’d defs make it again. Thank you!
hi jane, i really wanted to try a malteser cake but can’t decide between this one and the drip cake, which is better in your opinion? this one looks more fudgey would i be able do this one but decorate it like the drip cake?
This one, the drip cake, is more like a standard cake, whereas the other malteser cake is more fudgey. You can decorate the other one like this, but it’s generally harder to do as the sponge are alot softer! X
Hi Jane,
I’ve used lots of your recipes and think they’re amazing. I was thinking of using this recipe but I wanted to go for a pink ombre effect with the buttercream on the outside. Would the malt powder affect the colour or do you think it would be ok?
Thanks
Yes – it sort of makes it a pale beige/brown colour, so might be best to leave it out for the colour!
Hello!
I’m just wondering whether this recipe would be massively affected if I make it ahead and freeze? Itll only be frozen for around 4 days. What do you think?
To be honest I never think cakes are worth freezing for that amount of time – but almost every cake can be frozen. As long as you wrap it correctly and store it in the freezer correctly so it doesn’t suffer from freeze burn it’ll be fine!
Hi Jane,
I’m looking to make this cake for my husband’s birthday – but hoping to make 1 X 9″ cake and 1 X 7″ cake, both of the tins are 5″ tall and then slice both of them to create the layers? Is this possible? How would I adjust the measurements and the baking time?
Hey! Oh gosh… I’m really not too sure I’m afraid. In general a 9″ cake would be 1.3x the recipe, and a 7″ would be 0.8″ the recipe. However, I don’t often bake deeper cakes as I prefer layers, so I’m not 100% sure not the timing I’m afraid! I would however bake a deeper cake at 140C fan, and bake them for longer, as it helps them stay more moist and flat!