For cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup whole milk
2/3 cup malted milk powder (recommended: Carnation brand)
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
2/3 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 regular 12-cup cupcake tins with paper liners.
In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk until well blended.In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, malted milk powder, and espresso powder. Add the canola oil and eggs; whisk to blend. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and beat until smooth. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until well combined. Stir in the miniature chocolate chips.
Divide the batter among the prepared cupcake tins, filling only halfway full. Bake the cupcakes for 15 to 17 minutes, until they spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
Malted Milk Buttercream:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons malted milk powder (the author of Sweetnicks used chocolate syrup instead)
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until fluffy, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and add the confectioner’s sugar, malted milk powder, milk and vanilla. Blend with the mixer on low speed until the sugar is incorporated, 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 minute more.
I added a big malt ball to the tops after seeing cupcakes in the target bakery decorated with the malt balls on top. I used the wilton 1M icing tip to create the classic cupcake icing swirl!
The recipe for the cupcakes was my own spin on a recipe a friend of mine gave to me (I have no idea where she got it from), the recipe for the buttercream came from the cookbook, Cupcakes!, which is available on amazon.com.
