Special Note for Malted Milk Frosted Cupcakes: A friend of mine recently had a problem with the frosting for the cupcakes. As we explored the problem it came down to the malt powder that was being used. I had used Carnation Original Malted Milk powder with no problem. However, when Janet couldn't get the Hoosier Malted Milk powder she always uses, she ordered the 40 ounce (not the 13 ounce bottle I had used) and after, two attempts the frosting failed. It became loose and runny no matter what she did. A little research found a huge difference between the three bottles. Almost all the comments on Amazon referring to the 40 ounce container of Carnation were negative, very negative. However the comments for the 13 ounce bottle were positive. Everyone loved the Hoosier.
To make things more confusing, when the ingredient list was compared, there was a huge difference between the two which explained the problem.
Carnation ingredients in order: Wheat Flour and Malted barley extracts, dry whole milk, salt, sodium bicarbonate.
As you can see barley malt is the first ingredient in Hoosier, but only an extact is used in Carnation with wheat flour being the first ingredient listed.
Malted Milk Frosted Cupcakes
I have never outgrown my love for malts and these Malted Milk Frosted Cupcakes are a natural extension since I grew up making malts in my father’s drugstore. The more malt powder the merrier as far as I was concerned. Frosting for these cupcakes packs a powerful punch of malt.
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You will never see an easier cupcake to make than these. One batter becomes two by adding a bit of cocoa to half of the white batter. The black and white batters are dropped one on top of the other and mix while baking.
When making Malted Milk Frosted Cupcakes I wanted to see the difference between baking the cupcakes in papers or just the bare pan. I was amazed by the contrast between the two in looks. As you can see the one in the paper was much better formed than the one that was baked in a sprayed tin with no paper. When it rose to the top of the pan, it flattened out and went horizontal instead of vertical. So for the best looking cupcakes use a paper liner. If you don’t want to serve them in the papers, it is best to freeze them, then remove the papers. The cupcake has a better look since the paper doesn’t remove any of the cake as it can when they are at room temperature.
You can make these Malted Milk Frosted Cupcakes any size you want from minis to regular size to Texas-size by adjusting the time and amount of batter one way or the other.
Malted Milk Frosted Cupcakes
2 ¼ cups all purpose flour (315 grams or 11 ounces)
1 ⅔ cups sugar (330 grams or 11 ½ ounces)
3 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
⅔ cup butter (140 grams, 5 ounces or 10 tablespoons)
1 ¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
5 egg whites (160 grams or 5 ⅔ grams)
¼ cup dutch cocoa or black cocoa (30 grams or 1 ounce)
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the muffin tins with paper. Set aside.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, milk, and vanilla in a mixing bowl. 
Beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Raise the speed to high and, scraping the bowl occasionally, beat for 2 minutes. Add the egg whites and beat on high for 2 minutes, scraping from time to time.
Divide the batter in half (about 615 grams or 21 ½ ounces in each bowl). Stir the cocoa into one half. 
With a number 40 disher/scooper, drop the white batter in the bottom of the cups. 
Wash the disher/scooper and drop the cocoa batter on top.
Alternatively, drop about 1 ½ tablespoons of batter into the bottom of the paper liner and again into the top. The cups will be about ¾ full.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool.
Malted Milk Buttercream
This buttercream takes a lot of liquid because the malted milk powder soaks it up. It is also necessary to have enough liquid and beat it long enough to make sure it is smooth and not gritty from the malted milk powder.
2 sticks butter, softened (225 grams or 8 ounces)
3 ½ cups powdered sugar (400 grams or 14 ounces)
2 cups malted milk powder (280 grams or 10 ounces)
¾ to ⅞ cup heavy or 40% cream
Combine the butter, sugar and malted milk powder in the bowl of a mixer. Add ½ cup cream. Beat on low to combine. Raise the speed of the mixer to medium and beat until smooth and lighter. Add additional cream as necessary to pipe or spread.
After the cupcakes have cooled, pipe the buttercream with a ½” open star, or spread with the buttercream.
The Malted Milk Frosted Cupcakes may be stored for several days at room temperature or frozen for several months, well wrapped. Thaw at room temperature.
Yield: About 28 regular size cupcakes.
Rosa Rassi says
Hello Hellen, I just want to be sure that the 31/2 Tablespoons are correct? I looks excessive for 1.5 cups of flour. Thanks
hfletcher says
I agree but that is correct.
RobL says
Great formula, thanks.
I've always thought a paper liner gives a better finished 'look' to a cupcake as well. At one of the bakeries, we used silicone liners, but the cakes always dried out if they sat too long before they went to a catering event, or were sold. Paper liners also keep munchkin's fingers cleaner, just a little bit longer. They also tend to stay just a wee bit more sanitary at an event, it is an issue. Never, never, never liked 'naked' cup-cakes.
hfletcher says
I agree Rob. The paper cups just make a better presentation all around.
Debbie says
These look so good! I love that you only use egg whites in the batter - I make a lot of things that use yolks, so I have leftover egg whites all the time. This seems like a brilliant way of using them.
Of course I'm looking at this and thinking - what if I leave the cupcakes all white and add the cocoa to the frosting? Chocolate malt was always my favorite...
Thanks Helen!
hfletcher says
Hi Debbie - They also have chocolate malted milk powder but I think you still need to add more chocolate or cocoa to the frosting. You're a woman after my own heart!
Rocky says
Hi Helen,
I found your comments about the differences in paper liner vs no liner very interesting.
When I used to bake for a particular (also peculiar) caterer in NY they never wanted liners on muffins or cupcakes. Yes, the liner would pull part of the cake off but they didn't want them because people would pull them off and leave them around. Which meant a server would have to go around and collect them. Can you believe that? I couldn't.
It was always more work for me because they wanted really large tall muffins with crumbs and no matter what, some of them would stick to the pans.
One time I found a baking spray at a commercial supply house that worked really well but then it was hard to locate and expensive. To me it had an odd taste too.
What do you think of those tall ones made with parchment paper? Or are they just a fad?
Rocky
hfletcher says
Hi Rocky - Knowing what I do now, I would bake the cupcakes in the papers, freeze them, remove the paper then finish them. That way, the caterer got what they wanted, but the cupcakes still looked their best. I think the tall ones are interesting but I am one of the people who likes the frosting, so the smaller the cake the better for me.
Molly F. C. says
Hello. Is there a preferred brand of malted milk powder that you use?
hfletcher says
Hi Molly - I use Carnation plain malted milk powder. They also make a chocolate version. The big reason I use Carnation is that it is the only one available here.