Vanilla Malt Layer Cake with Cashews and Salted Caramel
Rich vanilla malt cake, filled and frosted with silky Swiss meringue buttercream and drizzled with homemade salted caramel sauce. Roasted cashews are the crunchy crowning touch!
Remember this cake from my last post?
Lets talk a little bit about how it came to be.
You might remember that my husband and I enjoyed a fabulous long weekend in Seattle recently. It was a great time and you should definitely check out the post, if you haven’t read it already. Such a cool city, I only wish I could have experienced more of it!
While I was off gallivanting around like a young chippy without a care in the world, my mom was slaving away here in Philly, looking after our two kids here at my house. That is no small feat, my friends. These kids are non-stop, bouncing off the walls, energy in motion from the minute they wake up (7am) until they crash, hard, at around 9:30.
Case in point:
And she did it all alone. (My dad passed away 6 years ago.)
That takes brass ones.
Also, it was her birthday weekend.
I know.
I might be a bad daughter.
I hope this makes up for it! It’s another one of her favorite flavor combos.
The cake itself is vanilla malt. Like the milkshake!
I used my favorite vanilla cupcake recipe, but with Greek yogurt in place of the milk (I like a thicker batter, and the tang from the yogurt was a nice contrast to all the sweet), and a few tablespoons of malted milk powder. A half recipe filled a 6-inch diameter x 3-inch high round cake pan perfectly.
It poofs way up in the oven, but then it sinks back down a little as it cools.
*EDIT- This recipe has been updated for ease of use, and to yield a better result. See recipe notes below.*
After the cake cools completely and then spends a night in the fridge, split it horizontally into three layers, and fill and frost it with vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream.
Can you see those little black specks? Those are vanilla seeds. This vanilla bean paste is loaded with them, and the flavor is so heavenly!!!
Simply perfect salted caramel sauce gets drizzled all over the top of the cake, and it drips and slips down the sides in the most gratuitous way…
Roasted cashews are Mom’s favorite nut (I mean legume ;)), and they are the perfect crowning touch.
Now who’s a bad daughter???
You are going to love this flavor combination. The malted milk powder brings out the most incredible richness, and that silky buttercream is just so ethereal! The buttery complexity from the caramel brings it all together, and the cashews give the most satisfying crunch!
I’m so lucky to have a mom with such a generous heart. She stepped in and took over like a boss. I know it was hard for her, but she did it because she loves me and my crazy kiddos. I could never properly repay her, but hopefully the cake comes close!
Thanks for all you do, mom, and happy belated! Tomorrow will be a proper celebration, I promise!
*This post was featured on Simply Gloria’s Show Stopper Saturdays Link Party*
***This post was featured on Made From Pinterest’s Share It Sunday Link Party***
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Vanilla Malt Layer Cake with Cashews and Salted Caramel
Ingredients
For the Vanilla Malt Cake
- 1 1/2 cups (187.5 g) cake flour
- 3/4 cup (93.75 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon malted milk powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, (scant)
- 3/4 cup (170.25 g) unsalted butter, (1 1/2 sticks), softened
- 3 eggs, (large)
- 2/3 cup (157.73 ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (100 g) plain Greek yogurt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste, (extract may be substituted)
For the Frosting and Toppings
- 3 egg whites, (large)
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened but still cool
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste, (extract may be substituted)
- 1/3 cup (78.86 ml) salted caramel sauce
- 1/2 cup (68.5 g) whole roasted cashews
Instructions
To Make the Vanilla Malt Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F, and mist three 6-inch diameter x 3-inch deep cake pans with non-stick spray.
- Cut three circles from parchment paper, and place them in the bottoms of each pan.
- Place the flours, sugar, malted milk powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the butter, and mix on medium-low speed, until the mixture resembles damp sand.
- Stir in the eggs, one at a time, until fully incorporated, stopping to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula after each addition.
- Add the milk, yogurt, and vanilla, and beat on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, to aerate the batter and strengthen the cake's structure.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pans, and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool for twenty minutes, then unmold and place on wire racks to cool completely.
To Make the Frosting and Assemble the Cake:
- Place the egg whites and sugar in a large metal mixing bowl and whisk together.
- Set the bowl over a small pot of simmering water, and heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture becomes translucent and no longer feels gritty when rubbed between the thumb and forefinger.
- Remove from heat and whip on high speed until the meringue becomes glossy and thick.
- Cool completely (there should be no hint of warmth when the hand is place on the side of the bowl. Place in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes, if necessary.)
- Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, while whipping on medium-high. When all the butter has been added, fold in the vanilla.
- Place one of the cooled cake rounds on a serving platter. Top with a layer of vanilla buttercream, smoothing to a thickness of about 1/2-inch.
- Place another cake layer on top, and repeat.
- Top with the final layer of cake, and frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
- Drizzle the caramel sauce about an inch in from the outside edge of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.
- Top with cashews.
Notes
- This recipe has been updated, for ease of use and to yield a better result, as of 10.12.2015.
- Do NOT use warm caramel sauce. It will melt the frosting! If your caramel sauce is too thick, thin it with a little water (an eighth teaspoon at a time), until the proper consistency is reached.
Wait… when does the 1 1/2 sticks of butter go in?? I see it listed in the ingredients, but not in the cake directions. I just pulled them out of the oven too. 🙁
Hey Kate! You’ll want to add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix just until it resembles damp sand. Then the eggs can go in, and then the liquid ingredients. It’s known as the reverse creaming method and I love it because it allows everything to happen in one bowl, and you don’t have to worry as much about over-mixing. Hope that helps!
I was wondering… How do you measure your cake flour? I weigh most of my stuff (especially flour, since it’s so annoying to measure properly), and I found that when I weigh the cake flour, then 150g (which is supposed to be 1.5 cups specifically cake flour) come out to like… 1 1/4 cups when I put it in dry measuring cups. That’s quite a notable difference! o_O; I used the 150g measurement since it’s technically correct, and the cakes are in the oven now, but I’m nervous. So before I make the second batch, I’m going to wait and see how these come out. Have you ever weighed the flour and noticed a difference? Or do you have any experience between dry-cup measuring and weighing with this recipe?
I definitely agree- weighing is much more precise and it’s certainly preferred by professionals. When I worked as a pastry chef, everything was weighed. But I’ve found that most of my readers like to use old-fashioned measuring cups, so that is what I do. I just fluff up the flour a little bit with a spoon, then lightly spoon it into the cup until it’s overflowing. Then I use the back of a knife to level. If you google “how to measure ingredients properly,” you’ll see that this is a pretty standard way of doing it. 😉
Hey! I was wondering if you ever doubled this recipe? Or… does it really work if you use larger pans? Like 8inch? I’d like to make it for about a crowd of 30ish, so… I wanted maybe… four 6 inch layers (other desserts will be around; it’s a big Thanksgiving-type gathering) split in two and two, or… I don’t know. I don’t have 6 6 inch pans. haha. But do you think the batch would work doubled? Or split into 8 or 9 inch pans? I’m nervous! Thanks!
Gosh Kate I’m really not sure? I’ve only ever done it this way. Sometimes I refer to this chart– maybe you’ll find it helpful too. It’s worth a try! Good luck and let me know how you make out!
I’m too nervous to risk making it in the larger pan! Haha. I’m just going to do the 6 inch and do it twice for this event… But if you ever decide to ever play with the recipe again, I’m officially placing a formal request for a test with an 8 inch cake pan! 😀
Thanks for the quick reply! ^_^
Will do, Kate! Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
I’m curious whether you’ve ever made this cake in an 8 inch tin instead and how long you cooked it for? I’m thinking of doubling the recipe and making 2 x 8 inch cakes and splitting each in half for a larger crowd.
Hi there! If you want to bake it in an 8-inch pan, it should work just fine. I’d start by checking the cake at the 30-minute mark. If a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, or with a few moist crumbs, then it’s done! If not, give it 5 more minutes and then check it again. Hope that helps! Good luck and enjoy!
So I doubled the recipe and split into 2 x 8 inch tins. Took about 38 mins to cook through. I checked at the 30 min mark and it was still gooey in the centre. I thought I was onto a winner but NO the cakes both puffed up well but dropped about 1/2 inch each. This is the second time I made the cake. I know I din’t overbeat, cooked till it was well-cooked, and used new baking powder so I am guessing I have a flop of an oven. Do you cook this on fan-bake? I’m sure it will taste fine but given it’s for a birthday cake tomorrow and I’m going to do the buttercream tonight I’m worried it will be too dense. Appreciate your thoughts. Should I coerce my husband into buying me a new oven?
It sounds like you want a new oven, lol! I just got one myself and it sure is nice to have a new toy 🙂 To be perfectly honest, this particular cake recipe is a little on the more dense, pound-cake-like side. I posted it almost three years ago now, and since then I have been tinkering around with it. I think I have a few improvements I can suggest, so I will go ahead and update the recipe. If you get a chance to try it again, hopefully you’ll have better luck with these updates. Thanks so much T, and I hope your husband agrees to giving you the oven of your dreams!
Hi, I just wanted to check whether you used a 6X2 pan or a 6X3. Also, in the directions it mentions only one 6″ pan but elsewhere in your post you mentioned cutting the recipe in half. The full recipe will use only one 6″ pan, correct? I’d love to make it; it looks delicious!
Hi there! I baked this cake in a 6×3 pan with a parchment “collar.” You could do it that way, or if you have three shallower pans, you could use those and just cut the bake time accordingly. Good luck and I hope you enjoy! 🙂
I baked this cake as per the instructions, and it did not come out as a 3″ high cake in a 6X3 round pan, and the middle fell under the top crust. This cake has a very weird texture. I haven’t completed the frosting and carmel sauce yet, but I’m curious if anyone else has had the same problems and how they resolved it.
I would like to use milk instead of the yogurt in this recipe. How much milk would you use for this recipe?
I would substitute in equal measure, JoAnna. Let me know if that works for you! And thanks for reading. 🙂
Hi, My hubby and I are bakers and our daughter saw this recipe. He held onto it for a bit, then today was the day. Followed except for the overnight. First attempt the cake fell a quarter from the height after coming from the oven. We went out for a few runs, returned, attempted again, boom same thing. Was not able to get the frosting to the called consistency. HELP!!!!! Any suggestions! He is so disappointed that it is his first cake that bombed.
Oh gosh! I’m so sorry to hear this, Barbara! The number one cause of a fallen cake is underbaking. I’d try baking it a little longer next time just to be sure that the structure is really well-set before pulling it out of the oven. Also an oven thermometer is a baker’s best friend. Most ovens are incorrectly calibrated and that can cause all sorts of problems with cakes and cupcakes. Finally, make sure your baking powder is fresh! There should be an expiration date on the package. As for the frosting, if it seems a bit runny it’s probably because the meringue was too warm when the butter went in. There should be no hint of warmth when you touch the side of the bowl. The good news is, it’s easily salvaged! Just pop the bowl in the fridge for about 15-20 minutes and then re-whip; it should come right together. Hope that helps; better luck next time!
A 6″ cake, yes! May I know how tall this cake was? 🙂 Anywhere near three inches?
Hello! The cake was definitely taller than three inches~ I’d say more like 6 or 9 even! Thanks for reading!
Why do you refrigerate the cake over night? Does it not make it denser?
Hi Elizabeth! You don’t have to refrigerate it overnight, but I often do that just to make it easier to split into layers. Yes, it does make it a bit denser so feel free to omit that step if you prefer. Just be sure that the cake is 100% cool before frosting. Thanks so much for reading and thanks for the excellent question! 😀
What a beautiful cake! Cashews are my favorite nut too!
Aren’t they so good? And they pair so well with that luscious caramel sauce too. This cake was a real treat! Thanks for the sweet comment, Laura!
This looks outstanding! I don’t bake with cashews enough, and I love anything dealing with salted caramel!
Oh my gosh, me too! I cannot get enough of the stuff! I keep a couple jars in my cupboard at all times! I’m so happy you liked the post, Erin! Thanks for the sweet comment 😀
SO GOOD.
I love this cake!
The sauce and frosting are amazing.
So I tried making it at about 4am Christmas morning (or in my case, night). I thought I’d bought vanilla paste, but nope. I thought I had cake flour, but nope. I DID pick up malt powder at Walmart, and remember holding it in line but somehow it didn’t make it home, as I found it wasn’t even on the receipt.
So I looked up substitutes for cake flour (apparently adding cornstartch to all purpose), vanilla extract for the vanilla bean paste, anndd I had chocolate malt powder, so… I used that instead… I was pretty deflated at all the substitutes, and really worried it’d just suck. But nope. It was still delicious. I’m totally going to try it again with all the proper ingredients.
Since the cake, which I split into two 6 inch cake pans (I guess the cake flour substitute didn’t work), didn’t puff up… I made two more, so I had a 4 layer cake. It was on the dense side, but still really moist and good. It looks somewhat dense in the photos though, so I’m not sure how far off it was?
Anyway, even with all the subs, it was delicious. And I LOVE the frosting. Mine didn’t come our nearly as pretty though. The frosting was normal looking instead of smooth, and the caramel just sort of seeped in and got everywhere. The drips weren’t even close to being as pretty. But it tasted good, so that’s all that really matters. haha
I’m curious though… why so small? Why a 6 inch pan? Is there an issue with an 8 or 9 inch cake pan?
Thanks so much for reading my blog, Kat, and for trying one of my recipes! I’m so happy it turned out well for you, in spite of all the substitutions. And yes, my cake was quite dense too. Dense but moist, a lot like a pound cake. You could probably bake it in 8-inch pans too, but you’d probably only get 2 layers so it would be wider and flatter. I just like the look of a smaller, taller cake 😉
It’s so good! I actually took some and rolled them into balls and dipped them in some melted chocolate And rolled them in honey roasted cashews. Amazing. I wasn’t sure how chocolate would work, but it was so good. Now I want to do some legit cake balls with it (cake and frosting mixed together first) and maybe try dipping in the caramel and then nuts, but also maybe mixing the caramel in and then dipping in chocolate. I bought the correct ingredients. Haha. However, I’ve read you’re not supposed to double or triple cake batter recipes because it messes them up? I don’t understand why this would be, but I was wondering if this has been true for you or if you’ve tried it on this recipe? I’d hate to make batches seperately, but even more hate tripling it and then throwing it all away because it didn’t work right. Any experience with this?
Hey Kat I’m so glad you liked it! Your cake ball idea sounds fabulous… 😀 No I don’t have a whole lot of experience with doubling/tripling cake recipes, only because my mixer’s not really big enough to handle that much batter in the bowl, lol! I’m thinking the reason why not to do it is probably something to do with that, but also maybe because a bigger cake might not rise or bake in the same way…? But if you’re still using the same size pans then that prob wouldn’t be an issue. Thanks again for reading and trying out my recipe; and for the awesome feedback! Hope your new year is off to a great start!