Last call to enter my 1 year blog-iversary giveaway! Ends Thursday, January 30th at 11:59 pm.
While we’re talking about happy things: cupcakes. I had a chocolate malt cake for my dad’s or my sister’s birthday in 2010 or 2011. I thought about it almost every day until Josh’s birthday, 2012 when I made a chocolate malt cake. Over a year after that, I’ve been LONG due for a chocolate malt cake. Neither of my previous experiences with this cake have been terribly healthy, and I don’t think that cupcakes should always be 100% healthy. Have to live a little, right? Calories don’t count on birthdays, holidays, or Fridays. Everybody knows that. So, I split the difference and made this half healthy.
Half healthy? What’s half healthy? Umm.. Well. I used some whole wheat flour? I also subbed out a good portion of the oil, opted for natural sweeteners as much as possible, and used a Great Depression-era trick for omitting eggs. If you twisted my arm, I’d tell you it’s because I didn’t have enough all purpose flour, oil, sugar, or eggs to make a super indulgent cake. That’s the life when you try to bake healthy — you never have enough of the less-healthy stuff around to splurge. I shouldn’t say that though, because the results still tasted like a splurge. I let my lady friends taste them before we out for manis, gifted one to a hungover friend in need, and sacrificed the rest to my friend’s birthday gathering after an amazing hibachi dinner — no one ever suspected that these were anything less than terrible for them. My healthier chocolate malt cupcakes were a success!
I have a strong desire to eat malt powder directly from the jar. In fact, it’s on my top 5 things I’d cry over daily if I became a vegan. However, vegans can rejoice. If you love and miss malts, try barley malt powder in this recipe. You can buy online or check out your local homebrew store — they usually have it! And it’s pretty inexpensive. It tastes exactly like malted milk powder, minus the milk powder (which really adds no flavor). Start with a little less than the recipe calls for, taste, and increase as desired. If you don’t want to mess with the malt powder, they’re still good chocolate cupcakes on their own!
Tagged with: Chocolate • Cupcake • Dairy Free • Egg Free • Nut Free • Soy Free • Vegan • Vegetarian
[…] for Josh’s birthday, I have him request whatever kind of cake he wants. One year, it was chocolate malt cake. Another year, it was a simple chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. It always results in a […]
[…] are a little more indulgent than I normally make on here but just like with my chocolate malt cupcakes, I feel like you have to live a little and splurge on baked goods now and then. Even though […]
they look yummy!
Love that you used applesauce in these!! They look amazing!
love the barley twist to these cupcakes
Thanks, Cheri. Barley malt tastes JUST like malted milk, it’s a great vegan swap to know about!
Half healthy? Ful healthy? Don’t matter…chocolate!!
I love that this uses apple sauce and thanks for your malt suggestion! These look killer.
These look freakin spectacular!
Thanks, Em! I hate a few more than I’m proud of, but SO worth it.
omgosh SOOOOO yummmehhhhh!
I had no idea something like barley malt powder exhisted. What else would you use it in? Shakes? I hear you on the half healthy thing. A life without chocolate is not one I want to live 🙂 Happy 1 year. I love reading your blog. Sorry my traveling lately has left my commenting limited. I’m def reading!
Barley malt (and wheat malt) are in malted milk — the flavor is exactly the same and delicious. Most people use malt in shakes. I LOVE malt powder, so I malt flavor a lot of things (like oatmeal).