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.
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!
I want to make this! It looks amazing. However, I’m confused about the cake pan. I see a regular 6 inch cake pan… but just one. Then the cake needs to be cut into 3 horizontal one inch slices. And it looks almost like a 3 layered cake in itsel3f. I’m so confused! Does this cake puff up like crazy or… how does that work?
Hey Kat! It puffs up like crazy! That is why you’ll need the collar of parchment around the perimeter of the pan. And then you cut it horizontally into 3 layers, fill, and frost it. Good luck! I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Hi again, Kat! I was just thinking, if you have 3 six-inch cake pans, you could probably go ahead and do it that way too. Maybe that would be easier for you than slicing the layers? If so, you’ll want to adjust the bake time. I’m not exactly sure how long it would bake, so you’ll want to check it with a toothpick when it starts looking just a little golden around the edges. Poke it in the center, and if it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s done. 🙂
Thanks!
But if I have three 6-inch cake pans and use them… won’t the cake still be super puffy? Or do you mean to just split the batter between the 3 evenly so they each have just a little, instead of pouring it all into one and then building up the sides with parchment?
You got it! Split the batter evenly, you’ll have 3 thin layers, and then adjust the bake time. Careful not to overbake or it’ll be dry! Good luck and let me know how it all works out, k? 🙂
Thanks! ^_^ I’ll try my best to remember to let you know. I have a horrible memory though, so feel free to leave another comment after Thanksgiving so that I can update you if you’re curious. haha. This looks amazing though! Oh… the caramel sauce, do you have any idea if it can be made like a day or two ahead of time? Does it keep its consistency okay? Same with the frosting… can it be made a day before and stored in the fridge? If you’re not sure that’s okay. I was just wondering if you’d experimented with that. Trying to make stuff in advance, if possible!
Definitely you can make the caramel in advance! It holds up great for weeks and doesn’t need to be refrigerated. The frosting can be made ahead too, keep it in the fridge, bring it to room temperature when you’re ready to use it, and then fluff it up in the mixer before spreading it on the cake. Good luck!
Hi there, visitin from the Family Fun Spot blog hop, what can I say about this ? SIMPLY DELICIOUS!
I LOVE ANYTHING THAT HAS CARMEL IN IT!
Me too, Patricia! Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m so happy you like the cake. Hope to see you here again soon! 🙂
You and me both, Patricia! Thanks so much for stopping by and I’m so happy you like the recipe 🙂
Oh my! I think this is the most gorgeous and yummy dessert I have ever seen! Good job! I invite you to link this recipe to out first link party and blog hop! you might get featured! Have a wonderful day and thanks for sharing. If I attempt to make this I’ll let you know how mine turned out 😉
http://www.thefamilyfunspot.com/2013/11/bloggers-unidas-1.html
Hi Vivian! Thanks so much for the sweet compliment! I’d love to link up at your party. I’ll head right over. Thanks for the invitation!
G’day Allie! Love stories behind foods and recipes too!
Mums always rock, but some times we might not appreciate them and LOVE your photo today, true!
Cheers! Joanne
Viewed as part of Cathy’s Bloggers Showcase: Thanksgiving (Fall) Recipe RoundUp
Thank you, Joanne! Yes, my mom totally rocks! My kids adore her and the feeling is mutual! I love that they love each other so much. Thanks so much for reading and for the sweet comment!
Hi Allie, I am looking forward to making this scrumptious looking cake! I do have one question, though: you made reference to eggs in the instructions for the cake, but I do not see eggs in the ingredients list. How many should I use? Thanks!
Hi Cindy! There are two eggs in the cake recipe. It’s listed right between the butter and the greek yogurt. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the cake!
This looks absolutely amazing!!!!! PINNED! I would love it if you could share it on my link party Serenity Saturday
Natasha @ Serenity You
I would be happy to! Thanks so much for inviting me, Natasha, and for the sweet compliment!
Hi Allie! I just wanted to say, I’ve baked quite a few of your recipes and it’s rare that my recipes come out as perfect as yours did on the first try. Thanks for sharing these fantastic recipes!
I had a question about your cake: can I use this recipe in cupcakes?
Hi Andrea! I’m so sorry to hear that you are having difficulty with my recipes! I wish I could help you somehow. I will continue to try my best to give detailed instructions but if you ever have a specific question, please do not hesitate to ask!
Yes, you can use this recipe for cupcakes. You may have noticed within the post that it was originally a cupcake recipe. If you click the link I provided, it will take you directly to the cupcake post.
Best of luck and thanks so much for reading!
Oh man. I was just clicking away from Foodgawker when i saw this cake. Bravo! It looks gorgeous and I totally wish I’d made it. Maybe I will make it. Yum!
Thank you, Marni! I’m so happy you clicked over… and yes, you should totally make it! It’s pretty simple and the flavors are amazing! Hope to see you here again soon!
This cake looks delicious! And you did such a gorgeous job decorating it!
Thank you so much, Ali! The flavors really complement each other so well, and as for the decorating, that part was easy! Drizzly caramel and a handful of cashews; doesn’t get much simpler than that! Thanks for reading and for the sweet comment 😉
Your mom is a total rock star. She did it cause she loves you guys and I’m sure this cake starts to make up for it. Talk about a stunner – you did a fabulous decorating job with the cake, Allie! I wish I could frost a cake that beautifully. Everything about this is perfection.
Thank you, but the truth is, drippy caramel hides a multitude of sins, lol! Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Nancy!
Allie this cake looks absolutely gorgeous, beautiful photos. And way to go mom on taking care of the kiddos! I only have one little guy and I’m exhausted by the end of the day! 🙂
They sure do tire ya out, am I right? I don’t know how my mom did it but I sure am grateful! I don’t know if I can ever make it up to her but I’m sure glad she likes cake, lol! Thanks for reading, Krista, and I hope you’re having a great weekend!
moms are the best. <3
and this cake is STUNNING and I am drooling over the vanilla bean flecks and salted caramel, your mom is a lucky lady!
Lol, she loved it! I brought it to her office so she could have a little celebration with her friends. It was a big hit! Thanks so much for reading, Kayle, and for the sweet comment!