This Maltesers Cake is absolute Maltesers heaven! It's got two layers of chocolate malt sponge, then it's filled with Maltesers Spread and a malt buttercream that tastes exactly like the inside of a Malteser!! On top are plenty of Maltesers of course, and if you're a Maltesers fan I know you're going to love this cake!
Ingredient Tips & Equipment Information
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
- I used a mix of sugars for the sponge. You can use all caster sugar or all light brown soft sugar if you prefer.
- I used Horlicks instant malt powder for the cake and buttercream.
- The Maltesers spread is optional, if you can't get hold of it just make the cake without it. I've seen it in Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys and also places like B&M and pound shops before. You can also buy it via the Amazon link below
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
How to make Maltesers Cake
To make the sponge, mix together the butter and sugars. Then whisk in eggs and milk.
Gently whisk in the self raising flour, malt powder, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Divide the mixture between the cake tins and bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
To make the buttercream, mix together the butter, icing sugar, malt powder, vanilla extract and milk until smooth. Put the first sponge on your serving plate and spread half of the Maltesers Spread over it, then pipe buttercream on top of the spread. Add the second sponge, spread the rest of the Maltesers Spread over it and pipe more buttercream over that. Decorate with Maltesers, both whole and crushed.
For the full recipe with measurements, head to the recipe card at the end of this post.
Can this cake be made in different sized tins?
If you would like to make this cake in different sized tins, please check my Conversion Guide to find out how to adjust the recipe.
How long does this cake last for and can you freeze it?
The cake will keep in an airtight container for 3 days in a cool place. You can freeze the sponges either alone, or decorated. Once the sponges are fully cool, wrap them well with cling film or put them in an airtight container with some baking paper between them. You can freeze the buttercream on it's own in a tub, or you can decorate the cake and freeze it fully assembled. To do this and avoid damage to the decoration, freeze it either in an airtight container. Or let it freeze solid on a cake board or plate, then wrap in cling film. Remove the cling film when you take it out to defrost it, if you don't it could damage the appearance of the decoration as it defrosts and softens. You can also freeze slices of the cake, again well wrapped in cling film or in airtight containers.
Can you make this cake with plain or all purpose flour?
Self raising flour, which is very commonly used in the UK where I am based, already contains a raising agent and a little salt too. Therefore if you want to swap it for plain or all purpose flour, you will need to add some additional baking powder and also a little salt if you like. Some people like to add salt to cake recipes and some don't, so I'll leave that up to you as it won't affect the bake. The general advice is to add 2 teaspoons baking powder (a measuring teaspoon, not the kind you stir your coffee with) per every 200g plain or all purpose flour. So for this recipe you'd need to add 3 teaspoons baking powder. Please note, I have not tested this recipe using plain or all purpose flour.
Can this cake be made gluten or dairy free?
Although you can make this cake gluten free, because Maltesers and malt powder are not gluten free, they will end up being chocolate cupcakes with a vanilla buttercream. So this changes the recipe quite a lot into something totally different! If you still want to go ahead, you will need to replace the malt powder with the same amount of self raising flour. In turn, the self raising flour will need to be replaced with a gluten free self raising flour blend. If you only have a gluten free plain flour blend, you will need to add baking powder. The general advice is to add 2 tsp baking powder per 200g flour, so for this recipe you'd need to add 4 teaspoons baking powder. You may also like to add ½ tsp xanthan gum for better texture. As Maltesers are also not gluten free, you can use another chocolate. Or there are some gluten free Maltesers called Delishios by a brand called Schar, which you can get from Asda. For the buttercream, replace the malt powder with icing sugar. For a dairy free version, use a dairy free baking spread and dairy free milk for the cake. For the buttercream, use a dairy free block butter and dairy free milk. You will also need to use vegan Horlicks that is dairy free, and a dairy free alternative to Maltesers. Please do check the labels of everything you use if serving to someone with an allergy or intolerance.
Do you need an electric mixer to make this recipe?
While you can absolutely make this recipe with a wooden spoon and some elbow grease, I do recommend using an electric mixer for the best results. The cupcakes will be lighter and fluffier when made with an electric mixer. The buttercream will also be smoother. You don't have to use an expensive stand mixer either, you can get electric hand whisks for as little as £10!
Can this recipe be made into cupcakes?
Yes! Check out my Maltesers Cupcakes recipe for details.
More tips for making the Maltesers Cake:
- I used an Ateco 848 piping nozzle to pipe the buttercream onto the cake.
- You can spread the buttercream onto the cakes with a spoon or palette knife if you don’t want to pipe it.
Troubleshooting
If you have any questions about this recipe, or if something went wrong and you need help, please use the comment form below and I will get back to you. You can also get in touch with me on my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I'd love to hear from you!
Recommended equipment & ingredients*
- Mixing bowls
- Cooling rack
- 8" cake tins
- Round cake tin liners
- Cake tester
- Kitchen scales
- Electric hand mixer
- Piping bags
- Maltesers
- Maltesers Spread
*I earn a small amount of money if you buy the products after clicking on the links. You will not be charged anything extra for this. Thank you for supporting The Baking Explorer!
More Maltesers recipes...
Maltesers Cake
Ingredients
For the cake
- 350 g Butter or baking spread
- 200 g Light brown soft sugar
- 150 g Caster sugar
- 6 Eggs large
- 3 tbsp Milk
- 300 g Self raising flour
- 30 g Cocoa powder
- 75 g Malt powder I used Horlicks
- ½ tsp Baking powder
- ½ tsp Bicarbonate of soda
For the buttercream
- 250 g Butter unsalted, softened
- 400 g Icing sugar
- 100 g Malt powder I used Horlicks
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp Milk
For decoration
- 350 g Maltesers spread optional
- 75 g Maltesers
Instructions
- Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and grease and line two 8" cake tins that are at least 2" deep
- To make the sponge, start by mixing the butter, light brown sugar and caster sugar together in a large bowl, ideally using an electric mixer
- Add the eggs and milk, and whisk until fully incorporated
- Add the self raising flour, cocoa powder, malt powder, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder and whisk or fold in gently
- Divide the mixture between the tins, use scales for accuracy if you like
- Bake them for 35-40 minutes or until a thin skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave them to fully cool either in the tins or remove from the tins and place on cooling racks
- To make the buttercream mix the butter on its own for a few minutes. Add the malt powder, icing sugar, milk and vanilla extract, and mix until smooth. For best results use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. If the buttercream is too stiff then you can add a little more milk
- If the cakes have domed on top, level them off with a cake leveller or a serrated knife
- Put one of the sponges on your plate or cake stand and spread half of the Maltesers spread onto it
- Then pipe buttercream over the Maltesers spread
- Add the second sponge and spread the remaining Maltesers spread over it, followed by more buttercream
- Decorate with whole and crushed Maltesers
- Serve immediately, store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 3 days
Notes
- Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the butter and eggs) are at room temperature before you start baking.
- I used a baking spread for the cake and unsalted butter for the buttercream.
- I used a mix of sugars for the sponge. You can use all caster sugar or all light brown soft sugar if you prefer.
- I used Horlicks instant malt powder for the cake and buttercream.
- The Maltesers spread is optional, if you can't get hold of it just make the cake without it. I've seen it in Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys and also places like B&M and pound shops before. You can also buy it via the Amazon link below
- Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales*. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
- For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons* and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.
Nutrition
If you like this, check out more of my Cake recipes!
NB. This post is in no way sponsored by Maltesers – I just love their product!
Chloe
Looks fit! Maltesers are my favourite!
Jacqueline
Hi I made this cake but came out a bit stoggy?
thebakingexplorer
Hi Jacqueline, is there any chance you used plain flour instead of self raising? Besides that, stodgyness can be cause by under mixing, over mixing, mis-measuring ingredients and out of date ingredients (particularly raising agents). I hope that helps to figure out what might have happened!
Molly
Hello,
I just wanted to say this cake is awesome in taste. I had a query..I used baking spread (stork) like you mentioned. I used it straight from the fridge. Does it need to be room temperature? My cakes sunk after taking them out of the oven and am not sure if it was bcos of over mixing or right temperature of butter? The taste however was unbeatable and no one knew it sunk as such ...
thebakingexplorer
Hi Molly, I always use Stork straight from the fridge. The most common reason cakes sink is because of underbaking, so it's likely that your cakes needed longer in the oven. I'm glad they were tasty and eaten up!
Eb Gargano | Easy Peasy Foodie
WOW! I have 2 kids I know would LOVE this! Eb 🙂
Cat | Curly's Cooking
What a fantastic looking cake. My nephew is a Maltesers fiend so would be all over this!
Shyla Rajwadha
Absolutely delicious recipe and so easy to follow (as I’m a pretty new baker, started only during first lockdown).
We love all your recipes, we have tried your red velvet cake, reindeer cupcakes, chocolate orange cake, biscoff cake and the yummy hidden heart chocolate loaf, funfetti cupcakes and the maltesers cake. My boys and I LOVE your recipes, your creations. Thank you for always posting such scrumptious recipes.
Glynnis
Made this for my friends birthday! Lovely recipe and lovely cake 🙂
Polly
The malty flavour of maltesers really comes through in this delicious soft cake!!
Emi
I made this for my brother’s birthday and it was a big hit! The buttercream is absolutely amazing and tastes exactly like the inside of a Malteser. I followed the recipe but found the sponge dry and it had a strange aftertaste, maybe it was the malt powder in the sponge? Or I did something wrong in the recipe. Everyone else loved it so that’s the important thing! If I make it again I’ll leave out the malt powder in the sponge
thebakingexplorer
Hi Emi, I'm so pleased it was a big hit! And yes the buttercream is tasty stuff I agree 😀 I've not experienced the after taste you mentioned, can you answer a few questions for me so I can try and figure it out for you? Firstly, did you use plain flour and baking powder instead of self raising flour? Using too much baking powder can cause a bitter after taste. If not, can you describe the taste at all? Second, how long did you bake the cake for? Dry cakes are only caused by over baking. I always recommend baking times based on how long they take in my oven, but all ovens are different, so even 5 minutes of over baking can dry out a sponge. Hopefully we can figure out the issues together 🙂
Patricia
Made this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday and it was a total success!
It was just a bit too sweet for my taste so I would reduce the amount of sugar next time, but other than that it had a really nice malt flavour to it. I didn’t have Maltersers spread at hand so I added crushed Maltesers over the buttercream instead.
Thank you for the great recipe!
thebakingexplorer
I'm so happy to hear this Patricia, thank you for the lovely feedback! Do be careful reducing sugar, as sugar does not just contribute sweetness to baked goods, it also helps with texture and moisture 😀
Rachael Carrick
Hi
How much do I need to add ingredients for a third layer please as would like a 3 layer cake
thebakingexplorer
Hi Rachael, if you half the ingredients for the cake it will give you the amounts for one layer. So you can then times that by three. Let me know if you need any further help!
Helen
Hi, I'm currently making this cake for a friend's 18th. The buttercream has 100g malt powder in the ingredients list, but says cocoa powder in the method. Which one should I be using? Thanks
thebakingexplorer
Sorry for the confusion! I've updated the recipe now. Thanks so much for letting me know about this.