Vanilla Malt Cake with Mocha Buttercream - Recipe

Vanilla Malt Cake with Mocha Buttercream
  • 160g plain flour
  • 2 tbsp cornflour
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 185ml milk, at room temperature
  • 4 egg whites
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 3 tbsp horlicks
  • 285g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 135g unsalted butter, at room temperature

  1. Grease two 18cm cake tins and pre-heat oven to 180°C.
  2. Sift together the flour, cornflour and baking powder at least 3 times so everything is very well mixed. This is important to keep the cake light. Set aside.
  3. Whisk together the milk, eggs whites and vanilla lightly in a jug then set aside.
  4. In a large mixing bowl, or an electric mixer set onto a slow speed, beat together the flour mixture, horlicks, sugar and salt.
  5. Add the butter and continue beating at a slow speed until the mixture looks like wet sand (If you’re doing this by hand, sift the dry ingredients together and rub in the butter).
  6. Add ¾ of milk mixture and beat at medium speed until just incorporated. Add the remaining milk mixture and beat until just incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl if necessary. Do not overmix.
  7. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake tins then bake for 20-25 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
  8. Let the cakes cool in the tins for 15 mins before removing. Leave to cool completely before frosting.

Basic French Buttercream:
  • 8 large egg yolks
  • Pinch of salt
  • 340g unsalted butter, room temperature, cooled
  • 225g caster sugar
  • 4 tbsp water
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract

For the Mocha Buttercream:
  • 80g milk chocolate
  • 100g dark chocolate
  • 1 tbsp instant coffee mixed into 2 tbsp boiling water

For the Malted Buttercream:
  • 3 tbsp Horlicks

  1. Add the yolks and pinch of salt to the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk on high speed using the whisk attachment until pale and thick.
  2. Then make a sugar syrup by combining the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over a gentle heat. When the syrup reaches the softball stage, about 114°C, remove from heat.
  3. Immediately pour the sugar syrup into the egg yolks, mixing on a low speed.
  4. Once all the syrup has been incorporated, beat on high speed until the mixture has cooled to room temperature and has thickened.
  5. When the mixture and the bowl are at room temperature, switch to the paddle attachment and beat on a slow speed. You can now start adding the butter, one cube at a time. Towards the end of adding the butter the mixture may start to look slightly curdled, don’t worry this will happen but by the time all the butter has been added the buttercream will have come back together.
  6. Once all the butter has been added and the mixture is a thick smooth buttercream consistency add the vanilla extract.
  7. Remove ⅓ of the buttercream and place in a separate bowl, this will become the malted buttercream, the remaining ⅔ will become the mocha buttercream.
  8. Melt 250g of milk chocolate in 2 tablespoons of hot coffee. Stir to combine and cool to room temperature. Add to the ⅔ portion of the buttercream and beat well.
  9. To the ⅓ portion of the buttercream, add the Horlicks and beat well.
  10. Use the mocha buttercream for the crumb coat, the middle of the cake and the sides. Use the malted buttercream for piping roses on top of the cake.