This is the cake I made for Anthony's birthday this year and I'm tellin' you, it was yummy! It's definitely a must try. It was another of those recipes that I've been meaning to make for several years now but never built up enough courage to actually try it. Layer cakes were too complicated, or so I thought.
But I discovered that they really aren't that complicated.
The only thing I would change is I would pull it out of the fridge earlier than I did. I made the cake the day before we would be eating it and because of the sour cream in the cake itself and the frosting, I put it in the fridge. Only a few hours before devouring it did I pull it out. It was still very good but after it had sat out for even a few hours after that, it tasted a hundred thousand times better! It seemed drier when it was still slightly chilled. Once it came completely to room temperature, it was super moist and delicious! Trust me on this, eat it at room temperature!!
Cake:
1 c. baking cocoa
1 c. boiling water
1 c. butter, softened
2 1/2 c. sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. cake flour** (see notes below)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream
Boil water and dissolve cocoa in it. Let stand to cool.
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in a large bowl. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat after addition of each egg. Add vanilla.
In separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add a small amount to creamed mixture, add small amount of sour cream... alternating until dry mixture and sour cream are all incorporated. Beat well. Add cooled cocoa mixture and beat well.
Pour batter into three greased and floured round baking pans (9 inch). Bake at 350' for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool for 10 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
**Note: If you do not have cake flour on hand, you may substitute with all-purpose flour. For every cup of cake flour called for in a recipe, measure one cup all-purpose flour minus two tablespoons. (Or 3/4 cup plus two tablespoons.)
Frosting:
2 c. (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 c. butter
1 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
4 1/2 - 5 c. powdered sugar
Melt chocolate chips and butter over low heat in heavy saucepan. Stir until smooth. Remove from heat and cool for five minutes. Place in mixing bowl and add sour cream and vanilla. Beat until blended. Now add powdered sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Spread between layers by putting large amount in the center of each layer and spreading outward to the edges. Then frost the top and sides.
Store in the refrigerator (but remember to pull it out EARLY!)
Recipe Source: The Taste of Home Cookbook
A couple of years ago I was watching a show called The Ultimate Recipe Showdown on The Food Network. On the show was a lady who made these Malt-Shop Cupcakes that I thought sounded so wonderful! They even won her the show!
Immediately after the show aired, I ran to my computer to look up and print the recipe. Unfortunately, the recipe sat in my blue recipe folder for two whole years, along with about a gazillion others, before I finally got around to making them for the first time. The folder was so unorganized and the recipes in it came from here, there, and everywhere. I hardly ever ventured into the folder to find one I'd like to try.
Since then, I have cleaned up the folder, in fact it is no longer..., and all the recipes are now in a binder, organized. OH HAPPY DAY!
After reading some of the reviews on the original recipe, I have adapted it slightly to fit my liking. I'm tellin' you, they are worth the effort. Everyone that tried them really loved them.
And although I am trying to be good with my clean eating, I have not yet figured out how to clean up a sugary treat that tastes so divine as is. I promise to post more clean recipes very soon.
Here is the link to the original recipe.
And here's my slightly adapted version:
Malt Shop Cupcakes with Cherry Buttercream
1 1/2 c. flour
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 c. sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
2/3 c. whole milk
1 1/4 c. malted milk powder** (see notes below)
2/3 c. canola oil
2 eggs
2/3 c. sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine first six ingredients in a large bowl.
In a separate bowl, whisk milk and malted milk powder together. Add oil and eggs, whisk. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Now add the sour cream and vanilla, beat until well incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
Line 2 cupcake tins (12 cups each) with paper or silicone liners. Spray with non-stick spray. Fill each liner about halfway to 2/3 full. Bake for 15-17 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
** Malted milk powder was hard for me to find. I thought it would be by the powdered milks and such but it wasn't. We ended up finding it by the hot chocolates. Hopefully you won't have a hard time.
**Another note about the malt... the original recipe only calls for 2/3 c. but after reading the reviews, many people were upset that they couldn't taste the malt at all. I upped it to 1 1/4 cup and the malt flavor is just barely noticeable. I liked it a lot, but feel free to use even more if you prefer.
**The original recipe also says it only makes 18 cupcakes. I was able to get 24 and still have enough batter left for a couple more.
Cherry Buttercream
4 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1 T vanilla
3-4 T heavy whipping cream
2/3 c. cherry preserves** (see notes below)
After the cupcakes have cooled completely, frost with buttercream. Garnish with Whoppers candy if desired.
** The original recipe calls for tart cherry preserves. I was unable to find it so I went with regular cherry preserves. Tasted great to me!
**As you can tell from the picture, I frosted with a knife. I don't have any fancy schmancy decorating tips with a bag. I was also out of zipper bags when I made these, otherwise I would have put the frosting in there, cut a hole in the corner of the bag and piped it that way. It would have been prettier but I made do with what I had... a knife.
**These cupcakes were got better the second and third day. They were moist and delicious!!
Well, there you have it. Let me know if you try these and how they turned out for you.
Next recipe: Chocolate Sour Cream Cake!
