Chocolate Malt Cake

Told my boys since the beginning of this week that we will bake a cake for their Daddy's birthday. And it will be a Chocolate Cake, and they are to keep it a s-e-c-r-e-t! Otherwise, "... no cake for you!!" (Ahem. Mother of all Threats. Always works!)

It's been 5 days since I last shared the 'plan' with them. So far so good. They have not breathed a single word to Man. ... Or maybe they did (?)... and Man in turn made them promised not to tell me that they have told him. So now father and sons are all to pretend that sons haven't told father, and so father doesn't yet know, otherwise, "won't share MY cake with you!!"... *Gasp*

Oh too complicated. Such plot is far too complex for a 3y/o toddler -- Son2. ... Or maybe not... ?

Regardless, I must focus. I pray hope this plot will succeed, as with all my other earlier 'assignments'. I have bought all the ingredients and so, here we go! Now it's to plan the big question WHEN to bake, and HOW to hide. (It's easy to hide ingredients, but not the real thing. Pant.)

It was meant to be a really simple single layer cake. With simple frosting and Maltesers. But I don't have two 20cm round pans, and I didn't think I want to slice them in halves. So I thought I will split the batter into 3 different sizes and dah dah!

See those prying fingers!

3-Tier Chocolate Malt Cake is birthed.

The colors -- Red, Green, Blue, Yellow and Brown were literally my first-born's idea. Coincidentally, I had already decorated with these colors (rather sparingly though) before he shared with me his idea for his daddy's cake. Great minds really.

Verdict: I didn't enjoy the cake. But hey! I enjoyed making it - every single bit of it. It was a breeze. There's no need to worry about cake not rising, egg white not stiff, and all that jazz. This cake is really easy peasy. Most of all, I enjoyed decorating it though I'm not good at frosting it (yet!), as evident in the photos (Look at those uneven layering of the frost). So, why didn't I like the cake? I find it really too sweet for my liking, and the combination of cocoa and horlicks is a killer to my throat. Lethal. Too 'heaty' I feel. Not to mention the calories. Hence a tiny slice for me will do. *Hee*

Next assignment: My dad's birthday. Pant. (Not forgetting Mother's Day this weekend. Oh my!)

Here's what you'd need:

Cake
* 225gm unsalted butter
* 225gm castor sugar (I used only 200gm. Still thought it's too sweet)
* 80gm malted milk powder (Horlicks, sifted))
* 50gm cocoa powder (I used Hershey unsweetened, sifted)
* 4 eggs
* 200gm self-raising flour (sifted)
* 4 tbsp milk

Icing
* 250gm icing sugar
* 1tsp cocoa powder
* 45gm malted milk powder
* 125gm unsalted butter
* 2 tbsp boiling water
* Maltesers for decoration

This is what I did:

1. Grease and line the base of cake tins (I used 22cm, 17cm, and 8cm)

2. Cream the butter and sugar till fluffy and light. Add the dry ingredients - malted milk powder, cocoa powder and flour. Mix till blended.

3. Add egg one at a time. Mixing well after each addition.

4. Add milk and beat together till smooth and creamy.

5. Divide batter evenly between prepared tins. Bake in preheated oven at 180degC for about 25-30mins till cake has risen and is firm. Check doneness with toothpick.

6. Cool in tins for a short while before turning cakes out onto wire rack to cool completely.

7. When ready to frost, prepare boiling water and mix in malted milk powder and cocoa powder. Stir and set aside to cool

8. Cream butter and half of icing sugar till light and fluffy. Add in remaining sugar and cocoa mixture. Mix till well blended.

9. Starting with the base layer, spread the icing on. Place 2nd layer, frost. And finally the 3rd layer, frost. Decorate as you wish.

10. Chill and enjoy!

NB: The next time I do this (if I ever, I will do away with the Maltesers. And perhaps try a different frosting :)

Recipe from Ju