Milk Bar Chocolate Malt Cake

Ingredients

Fudge Sauce

• 1 ounce bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

Chocolate Cake

• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup grapeseed oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 cup Fudge Sauce
• 1 1/4 cups (155 grams) cake flour
• 1/2 cup (70 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

Malt Fudge Sauce

• 2 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cup (80 grams) malt-flavored Ovaltine
• 1 teaspoon molasses
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/4 cup (50 grams) sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream

Malted Milk Crumb

• 3/4 cup (60 grams) milk powder, divided
• 1/4 cup (40 grams) flour
• 2 tablespoons  (12 grams) cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons (25 grams) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 6 ounces white chocolate, chopped, divided
• 3/4 cup (60 grams) malt-flavored Ovaltine

Ovaltine Soak

• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons malt-flavored Ovaltine

Charred Marshmallows

• 2 3/4 cups (150 grams) mini marshmallows

Instructions

Make the fudge sauce:

1. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the chopped chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt. Bring the corn syrup, sugar, and heavy cream to a boil over high heat, stirring periodically. Pour over the chocolate right away and set aside for 1 minute.
2. Whisk the ingredients together on low speed with the whisk attachment. Whisk at a medium speed until the sauce is glossy and smooth. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container; do not freeze (the remaining sauce is delicious – warm or cold – over everything you can think of).

Make the malt fudge sauce:

1. In the bowl of your mixer, combine the chopped chocolate, Ovaltine, molasses, and salt. Bring the corn syrup, sugar, and heavy cream to a boil over high heat, stirring periodically. Pour over the chocolate right away and set aside for 1 minute.
2. Whisk the ingredients together on low speed with the whisk attachment. Whisk at a medium speed until the sauce is glossy and smooth. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container; do not freeze.
3. The mixer bowl should be cleaned and dried.

Make the chocolate cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Using a nonstick frying spray, coat a quarter sheet pan (such as Pam). Place parchment paper on a baking sheet and put aside.
2. Combine butter and sugar in the bowl of your mixer. Beat on medium-high for 2-3 minutes with the paddle attachment. Scrape down the sides, add the eggs, and beat for 2-3 minutes on medium-high. Scrape the sides of the container.
3. Add the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla to the mixer on low speed. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to beat for another 3-5 minutes. Scrape the sides of the container. Mix in the fudge sauce on low speed until it is completely absorbed. Scrape the sides of the container.
4. Combine cake flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Beat for approximately a minute on low speed, scrape down the sides, then beat for another minute.
5. Using a little angled spatula, spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
6. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly pushed and the middle is no longer jiggly.
7. On a wire rack, cool the cake in the pan. Remove from pan and use right away, or wrap in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
8. Clean and dry the whisk attachment and mixing bowl.

Make the malted milk crumb:

1. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Set aside a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup (40 g) milk powder, flour, cornstarch, sugar, and salt. Toss to combine. Toss in the melted butter until it begins to come together and form little clusters.
3. Bake for 20 minutes after spreading clusters on your prepared baking sheet. Allow to cool fully.
4. Place any clusters bigger than 1/2 inch in diameter in a medium dish to crumble. Toss in the remaining 1/4 cup (20 g.) milk powder until well distributed.
5. In a saucepan placed over gently simmering water, melt 3 ounces white chocolate. Toss the clusters in the crumbs until they are fully covered. Toss the clusters every 5 minutes until the white chocolate has hardened and they are no longer sticky.
6. Toss in the Ovaltine until it is uniformly covered. Melt the remaining 3 ounces white chocolate and drizzle over the crumbs, stirring to cover well. Toss the clusters every 5 minutes until the white chocolate has hardened and they are no longer sticky. Refrigerate or freeze for up to 1 month in an airtight container.

Make the Ovaltine soak:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and Ovaltine until the Ovaltine is fully dissolved.

Make the charred marshmallows:

1. Prepare your broiler by preheating it. Place the marshmallows in a single layer on a baking sheet that hasn’t been lined. Broil until the tops of the potatoes are browned but the bottoms are still white (you can also use a kitchen torch or wand lighter). Place the marshmallows in the freezer for about 10 minutes to stiffen them up and make them simpler to deal with. Use right away or keep for up to a week in an airtight jar at room temperature.

Assemble the cake:

1. On your counter, place a sheet of parchment paper (or a Silpat). Remove the parchment from the bottom of the cake by inverting it over it.
2. “Stamp” two circles out of the cake using the cake ring. DO NOT THROW THE SCRAPS AWAY!

Layer 1:

1. Clean the cake ring and set it on a parchment-lined baking sheet. One of the acetate strips should be used to line the inside of the box. Use the back of your hand to press all of the cake “scraps” into an equal layer in the ring. Soak half of the Ovaltine soak into the cake with a pastry brush.
2. Spread one-fifth of the malt fudge sauce evenly over the cake using the back of a spoon (if you warm up the sauce it will be easier to spread).
3. Over the malt fudge sauce, equally distribute half of the malted milk crumbs and one-third of the burned marshmallows. To keep them in place, use the back of your palm.
4. Spread one-fifth of the malt fudge sauce evenly over the crumbs and marshmallows using the back of a spoon.

Layer 2:

1. Gently insert the second acetate strip in between the cake ring and the top 1/4″ of the first strip, creating a 5″ tall acetate ring. Place one cake round (the least attractive of the two) gently on top of the icing. Repeat the soak/malt fudge sauce/crumb/marshmallow/malt fudge sauce steps from layer #1.

Layer 3:

1. On top of the sauce, place the remaining cake round. Apply the saved fudge sauce to the cake’s top. Finish with the leftover burnt marshmallows as a garnish. Place the cake in the freezer, still on the sheet pan, for at least 12 hours (or up to 2 weeks).

Serve

• Remove the cake from the freezer at least 3 hours before serving and pop it out of the ring with your fingers and thumbs. Place the acetate in the fridge after gently peeling it off. Wrap thoroughly in plastic and store in the fridge for up to 5 days if not serving immediately.

Source: Sheri Silver

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