I have a colleague who one day lamented the lack of Maltesers candy in Norway. Luckily, they are available in Sweden, so I decided to bring her some.

Giving it some thought, though, I realized that while I had seen Maltesers, which are basically the same as Whoppers candy (to those in the US unfamiliar with malted-milk candy Maltesers), the idea of malt/malted milk is not particularly common here. I did a search and did not manage to find malted milk powder in Norway or Sweden (I ended up ordering some online from the UK).

It was imperative that I make some chocolate malted milk cupcakes! Impossible without malted milk powder.

Chocolate Malted Milk Cupcakes with Crushed Maltesers Candy
(Made about 48 cupcakes)

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
2¼ cups flour
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa
½ cup sugar
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1½ cups malted milk powder
1 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup chocolate-covered malt balls, chopped/crushed (such as Maltesers or Whoppers)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together flour, cocoa, both sugars, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together milk and malted milk powder until powder is dissolved.

On medium-high speed, beat flour mixture, milk mixture and oil until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add sour cream and vanilla, and beat just until combined. Fold in crushed malted milk balls.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each halfway. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.

Chocolate malt buttercream frosting
2 cups butter, at room temperature
½ cup malted milk powder
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
3 tablespoons milk
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

*Use Maltesers or Whoppers as decoration

In a large mixer bowl, whip the butter for several minutes until very light and fluffy. Sprinkle in malted milk powder, espresso powder and cocoa powder. Whip for 1 minute. Slowly add the powdered sugar a few spoonful at a time, letting it incorporate until the frosting becomes thicker and stiff. Add milk, one tablespoon at a time and whip until combined.

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