Malted Milkshake Cupcakes

Dark chocolate cupcakes topped with the creamiest malt frosting ever.  Like a malted milkshake minus the cup!

I have an addiction to chocolate malts.  Not chocolate shakes, just malts.  The creamy, chocolatey kind that you drink through a striped straw at the pool.  My mom makes the best chocolate malts ever.  They are really simple to make, but there’s just something about her leaning out of the patio door and asking, “Anyone want a malt?” that makes me smile.  It’s one of our summer traditions.

{Her easy recipe? Ice cream, malt powder, cocoa and milk~ a blender full of ice cream plus cocoa and malt to taste, and milk to desired consistency}

I wanted to make a frosting that tastes like a malt.  It took me a couple of tries, but I finally hit the mark.  It’s wonderfully creamy and smooth.  It is also a very soft whipped icing that must be kept refrigerated because it has milk in it, and because it will not keep a pretty piped finish if it gets warm.

Believe me, the flavor and texture are worth it!

Here’s how to make these yummy cupcakes! (printable recipe)

INGREDIENTS:

• One boxed dark chocolate cake mix (plus water, eggs and oil to make according to box)
• 4 packets of Dream Whip
• 1 1/2 cups of cold milk
• 6 Tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 6 Tablespoons of malt powder
• 1/2 -1 cup of powdered sugar (to desired consistency)

DIRECTIONS

• Make cake mix according to box and bake in 24 cupcake liners placed in muffin tins.
• Cool cupcakes completely.
• Put Dream Whip, milk, cocoa powder, malt powder and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl and blend together.
• Using a mixer, beat until stiff peaks form (3-4 minutes) 
• Add extra powdered sugar if needed, to desired consistency.  This is a soft whipped frosting, so it won’t be the consistency of a stiff buttercream~ even with lots of powdered sugar.  (believe me, I tried!)
• Spoon frosting into a zip-top bag fitted with a decorating tip and pipe frosting on cupcakes.
• Refrigerate until serving and just before serving add a malted milk ball and sprinkle with cocoa powder if desired for garnish.

ENJOY!!!

My thoughts:  these are *almost* as good as my moms malts.  This frosting is really yummy.  It would be a great filling for a layer cake too~ or even a filling for cupcakes.  You could fill chocolate cupcakes with this and then just spoon some chocolate ganache over the top.  Oh the possibilities!  Hope you get to try these and enjoy them as much as we did!  ~r

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