So I have this little obsession with malt lately.  There is just something about it that I crave.  I love the thick texture it adds to milkshakes and I adore the taste it leaves in my mouth.  It also makes me think of the 50’s when people would get together at diners, soda jerks were prevalent, big puffy skirts flounced everywhere, and malts were the weekend treat of choice. If I could visit any decade, I’m pretty sure I would be the happiest in the 50’s.  Anyway, I digress….basically I drive over a half hour anytime I want a good malt because I can’t find one in my town and I decided it was about time I found some malt to make my own milkshakes at home.  Then, my next thought, naturally, was I needed to make malt cupcakes!  That is when this recipe was born.  These chocolate malt cupcakes leave that same lovely after taste in your mouth and come complete with a striped straw on top.

Also, just like all my cupcakes, they are super easy to make and use a cake mix as the base.  To prepare ingredients for this recipe all you have to do is crush your Whopper candies in advance.  Sure, you can use another chocolate covered malt candy, I just happen to like Whoppers and know I can find them just about anywhere.  I like to put mine in a tough freezer ziplock bag and whack them with something like a metal ice-cream scoop to crush them.  Yup, I do it old-school.  Using a food processor would be totally cool too.

As for finding malted milk powder, did you know they stock it at most big name grocery stores?  I didn’t!  I searched for malt for FOREVER before I finally found it.  In the isle I wasn’t expecting.  Its in the isle with the coffee, hot coco, and tea.  Who knew?  You can also find brands of chocolate malt powder that don’t have the dehydrated milk in it too.  These ones work great and I actually prefer them because they are maltier.  Either way, you’d be just fine.

To bake these you first preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. Next, in a large bowl mix together cake mix, whole milk, eggs, vegetable oil, crushed Whopper candies, malted milk powder, and plain greek yogurt. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Scoop into cupcake liners about 2/3 full and bake for 14-16 minutes until toothpick comes up clean from the center.

After cupcakes have cooled make the frosting. Cream together the butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. (Take your time beating.) Then add the coco powder and malted milk powder and gradually mix in the powdered sugar and crushed Whopper candies until desired consistency.

Pipe or spread frosting on cupcakes and garnish with extra Whopper candy and 1/3 of a paper straw if desired.  I totally would though, because they look so darn cute.  These cupcakes make me want to get all dressed up and throw a 50’s themed party.  Maybe I will one of these days….