½ - ¾ c malted milk powder, to taste (vegans, use barley malt powder as described in the post)
¼ c unsweetened applesauce
½ c vegetable oil
scant ¾ c agave nectar, honey, or maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 c water
2 tbsp. white or apple cider vinegar
Your favorite chocolate frosting (enough for 24 cupcakes, packaged frosting is fine)
⅔ c malted milk powder (vegans, use barley malt powder)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and prepare 2 cupcake tins with liners.
Whisk together flours, sugar, salt, baking soda, cocoa powder, and ½ - ¾ c malt powder.
In a separate bowl, combine applesauce, oil, agave, and vanilla extract. In a third bowl, combine water and vinegar.
Pour the applesauce mixture and water into the dry ingredients at the same time. Beat with a mixer for 1 - 2 minutes, scraping sides if necessary, until well combined.
Fill cupcake wells approximately ⅔ of the way full. There will be a little over enough batter for 24 cupcakes, but don't overfill.
Bake for 18 - 20 minutes, until the tops spring back when touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Once cool enough to touch, move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Combine your favorite chocolate frosting (from a jar or homemade are both fine) with the malted milk powder. Add a very small splash of any type of milk if you find it difficult to stir. Frost and serve. Note that the frosting may be less firm than you are used to with these additions and wont pipe on and stay pretty -- you'll see mine smoothed out. The top of the frosting will firm up after sitting.
Notes
Nutritional estimate will vary based on the exact nutritional content of your chocolate frosting -- I'm not the best at making frosting, so I didn't want to include a specific recipe for it here. If you taste the batter, it will have a strange mouth feel -- what you feel is the reaction of the baking soda and vinegar, this will not carry through to the baked final product.