A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍
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Food and Life

Malted Milk Ball Cupcakes

April 23, 2009 · Narrative

Malted Milk Ball Cupcakes
Today an old acquaintance from high school mentioned cupcakes, and I immediately perked up. Not just at the mere mention of cupcakes, but she went on to tell me about a store that’s about 30 minutes from here that is a “sprinkle selection paradise.” A store specializing in everything a baker or candymaker would need?  Dangerous waters for me indeed. Every time I go to a food store, I always take a quick peek at their baking aisle to see if there are any special sprinkles or odd items I might not find elsewhere. And now to find out that there’s an entire store dedicated to such things? Mark my words, I’ll be making a trip there very soon.

Now speaking of cupcakes, I’ve got another one to introduce you to … Malted Milk Ball Cupcakes. This is the second recipe I’ve tried from Anne Byrn’s book, Cupcakes!, and although I loved the Orange Marmalade Ricotta cupcakes I made a few weeks back, one bite into this one, and those memories were quickly erased. OMG good. Know this: I’m very careful with deeming a finished recipe OMG-worthy.  If there’s too many, you might not trust me, you know?  And I want you to trust me.  At least when it comes to food.  Out of the nearly thousand recipes I’ve written about here, the list of OMG recipes is still quite short, so you know I take it seriously.

I had to ration myself one of these little malted milk ball babies a day, and quickly gave away half the batch to resist any further temptation. Like Anne’s other recipes, this one is quick and easy and you probably have most of the ingredients on hand already. The addition of the sour cream makes these cupcakes crazymoist, and I daresay this might be my new go-to recipe when it comes to needing to make cupcakes.

Her recipes tend to be a bit lengthy, but only in the wordy sense, not in time expended.  She just goes into a little more detail than most when it comes to the recipes’ instructions, so while it may look long, I promise you, it’s worth it to jump in.  Honestly, it didn’t take more than 10-15 minutes to get the cupcakes in the oven, and that seems about perfect when the results are this good.  I mean, seriously, did you see that picture? Dig in!

Malted Milk Ball Cupcakes
Recipe courtesy of Cupcakes!

24 cupcake liners
1 package (18.25 oz) plain yellow cake mix
1 box (3.8 oz) instant chocolate pudding mix
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup milk chocolate chips (I totally forgot to add these, and would forget on purpose next time)
Malted Mill Buttercream (see recipe below)
40 malted milk balls, coarsely crushed, for garnish

Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350.  Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners.  Set the pans aside.

Place cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, water, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with mixer on low speed for 30 seconds until the ingredients are well blended, then stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.  Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes more, scraping down the sides again if needed.  The batter should look smooth and thickened.  Fold in the chocolate chips, making sure they are well distributed throughout the batter.  Spoon or scoop 1/3 cup batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it three quarters of the way full.  (You will get between 22-24 cupcakes; remove the empty liners, if any.)  Place the pans in the oven.

Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 18-20 minutes.  Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.  Run a dinner knife around the edges of the cupcake liners.  Lift the cupcakes from the bottoms of the cups using the end of a knife, and pick them out of the cups carefully with your fingertips.  (I left mine in their cups).  Place them on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes before frosting.

Meanwhile, prepare the Malted Milk Buttercream.  Place a heaping tablespoon of frosting on each cupcake and swirl to spread it out with a short metal spatula or a spoon, taking care to cover the tops completely.  Garnish with crushed malted milk balls.

Malted Milk Buttercream

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, at room temperature
3-1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons malted milk powder (I used chocolate syrup … shhh; no sense in buying a whole container of Ovaltine when the recipe only needs five tablespoons and the chocolate syrup worked well)
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.

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Posted In: Narrative · Tagged: Anne Byrn, Cake Mix Doctor, Cupcakes!, Malted Milk Ball Cupcakes

Comments

  1. Sarah Caron says

    April 23, 2009 at 11:07 pm

    That picture is absolutely mouthwatering! Mmm. And what an interesting ingredients list. I’d never think to put sour cream in cupcakes.

    Sarah Carons last blog post..Caramelized Bananas for French Toast

    Reply
  2. Kristen says

    April 23, 2009 at 11:27 pm

    Seriously? I am drooling!! That looks and sounds so good. I love malt!
    Lovely picture :)

    Kristens last blog post..A Bit of History (Recipe: Grandmother’s Lemon Pound Cake)

    Reply
  3. maris says

    April 23, 2009 at 11:49 pm

    I wish I had one of these right now; I’m having an obscene craving for chocolate (what else is new) and none in the house (That IS new!)

    Sarah – sour cream adds great texture to cake – it makes it super moist and a little denser than most cakes. I’d never heard of it either until I noticed it in one of my grandmother’s old recipes – apparently, she swore by it!

    mariss last blog post..Mom’s Banana Muffins (Low-Fat)

    Reply
  4. sharon says

    April 23, 2009 at 11:49 pm

    These are certainly omg worthy! I love malt balls, but this is just so much better.

    sharons last blog post..Good Ol’ Tuna Noodle Casserole

    Reply
  5. Claire says

    April 23, 2009 at 11:53 pm

    Yum! Looks great. The recipe for the cupcakes reminds me of my mom’s chocolate chip pound cake recipe minus the chocolate chips and some oil. I bet they are good and moist.

    Claires last blog post..Stuffed to the Gills! :-)

    Reply
  6. Elyse says

    April 24, 2009 at 2:58 am

    These cupcakes totally look OMG-worthy. Wow, talk about a stunning picture. I would like nothing more than to have one of these amazing-looking cupcakes right now. Delicious!

    Elyses last blog post..Eureka! And other synonymous exclamations…

    Reply
  7. Debbie says

    April 24, 2009 at 7:13 am

    They look great! They’d go over big in my house. Thanks for the recipe!

    Debbies last blog post..Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

    Reply
  8. Natasha - 5 Star Foodie says

    April 24, 2009 at 10:13 am

    Wow, those sure do sound wonderful! I would love love love to have some right now!

    Natasha – 5 Star Foodies last blog post..Exploring Ancient England and Traditional Indian Cuisine

    Reply
  9. Barbara says

    April 24, 2009 at 10:59 am

    I don’t know how you were able to eat just one a day. They look amazing!

    Barbaras last blog post..Pumped Up Krispy Treats

    Reply
  10. lisaiscooking says

    April 24, 2009 at 11:09 am

    These look delicious! And, malted milk buttercream? Sounds so great.

    lisaiscookings last blog post..Soup of Wild Greens with Gnocchi and Prosciutto or Pesto

    Reply
  11. Wendy says

    April 24, 2009 at 2:23 pm

    Man! Those do look and sound OMG worthy. Thanks for sharing!

    Wendys last blog post..Cherry Almond Granola

    Reply
  12. Magda says

    April 24, 2009 at 7:18 pm

    I can’t stop thinking about this…I’m on my way to the store right now…..GREAT! I’ll gain 5 pounds by Monday.

    Reply
  13. Joanne says

    April 25, 2009 at 8:37 am

    I can totally see why these are OMG worthy. I will be making these for the family this summer!

    Joannes last blog post..Curry Pumpkin Hummus

    Reply
  14. RecipeGirl says

    April 25, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    Ya know, I came here thinking I was going to see updated pics of your little one that is growing up so fast, and you give me Malted Milk Cupcakes!! You know what happens now? …I’m gonna have to make ’em. I made Malted Milk Ball Cookies several weeks ago that were soooo good (Malt fan here), and these cupcakes are just callin’ my name!!

    RecipeGirls last blog post..How to Make Homemade Cannoli

    Reply
  15. Heather says

    April 25, 2009 at 3:25 pm

    wow! those look amazing!

    Heathers last blog post..Miracle Fruit Tasting Party

    Reply
  16. Donna says

    April 25, 2009 at 10:32 pm

    These look absolutely delicious. I can not wait to go look at your OMG list. I am relatively new to your blog, so I am glad you mentioned it!

    Donnas last blog post..Grilled Sausage Ring with Parsley and Provolone over Pepperonata

    Reply
  17. Magda says

    April 26, 2009 at 7:19 pm

    I made these this morning. They are not only OMG worthy…for me, being a huge malt lover, they are OMFG (freaking, of course) worthy. In the frosting I used Carnation Malted milk..no chocolate like ovaltime and I did use the chips. I had to hand these out to neighbors to get rid of them. Yep, that good. So good, I had to get rid of them. OMFG

    Reply
  18. southern hostess says

    April 26, 2009 at 8:30 pm

    These look so yummy! I love malted milk balls! Thanks for stopping by my blog last week!

    southern hostesss last blog post..Hope Springs

    Reply
  19. Bridgett says

    April 27, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    Oh wow, these look amazing!! They definitely would not last long in my home.

    Bridgetts last blog post..Mustard Roasted Sole

    Reply
  20. ttfn300 says

    April 27, 2009 at 9:02 pm

    holy moly, i’ll take one :) Hope maddie is feeling better soon!!!

    ttfn300s last blog post..PB Crackers

    Reply
  21. Magda says

    March 17, 2010 at 12:10 am

    I just made these again for my son’s 6th birthday. What a hit they are…again! Thanks for posting these incredible cupcakes!!

    Reply
  22. Cheese says

    April 4, 2010 at 7:21 pm

    Hello. These look super wonderful. I was wondering what you did to the malted milk balls, they look melted almost.

    Cheers

    Reply
  23. Cate says

    April 4, 2010 at 7:24 pm

    Cheese – they *do* look a bit melted, don’t they? But did nothing except for a rough chop. :)

    Reply
  24. Cheese says

    April 6, 2010 at 8:34 pm

    Oh thank you! Hehe I’m very excited to try the recipe now. I think I’ll use the powdered carnation malted milk stuff for the frosting because it’s so good, and then I can make malts :) win win!

    Reply

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A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻

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A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if A friend was taking a trip to Ireland and asked if I wanted her to bring me back anything. Would you believe me if I told you I asked for salt? I love picking up different varieties, whether we’re traveling or I’m just visiting a new shop. Maddie grabbed me a super cute one from her trip to Paris last year, and the Magic Unicorn Salt I get locally is another favorite. What’s yours?
One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a One of us hops like a bunny down the steps, has a serious case of FOMO on the daily, gets hiccups more than anyone we know and has perpetual bed head. She’s quite the unique roommate but may be exactly what our home needed. 💛
I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw th I haven’t had a bagel in ages, but when I saw that @njdotcom had picked six bagel shops at the “best in the state,” and one was reasonably local, all the sudden I needed one. I was never one to fall prey to peer pressure, but I’m very definitely a marketer’s dream. 😂 Alfa Bagels is on Route 10 in Randolph and has a good assortment of bagels, including all the usual suspects, but with a few others like rainbow, Asiago and French Toast throw in for good measure. Their bagels always seem to have a nice chew, which I appreciate and I love their sesame one. My go-to order lately is a double toasted flagel with lox spread and tomato. Their lox spread is a little ho hum, but the bagel is delish. Check them out next time you’ve got a craving (or get motivated by a local news story 😝). What’s your bagel order?
✌🏻 ✌🏻
When you really really really want to be best frie When you really really really want to be best friends. 💛
When a stressful week with deadlines ends with Nat When a stressful week with deadlines ends with National Cheese Lovers Day, how could I not partake? Tbh, I wasn’t especially hungry, and the appetizers are always the best section of any menu, so the queso blanco from El Mejicano in town wasn’t too hard a choice. It’s smoky and cheesy and I could have licked the bowl clean, but a girl’s gotta have some boundaries. Happy weekend, friends! ✨
A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her A friend saw this placard and said it reminded her of me and dropped it off in our mailbox, which really touched me. 💛 Life is too freaking short not to make conscious decisions to do more of what makes you happy, and to cut out the things that don’t. Rainbow Rowell said it best, “So, what if, instead of thinking about solving you whole life, you just think about adding additional good things. One at a time. Just let your pile of good things grow.”
The face and the daily hiccups… 😍 The face and the daily hiccups… 😍

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