The Ultimate Milo (Chocolate Malt) Cake

I've been a very selfish baker recently. Rather than trying to diversify and come up with something new and unique, I just want to keep baking the same things I've been craving like crazy; cookies and things filled with Milo. I made so many batches of salted chocolate chip cookies that I had to offload them to friends and family to save my poor, expanding arse. And then I made this cake, which is basically a layered cake version of my Milo Cupcakes with Condensed Milk Icing. Because I'm kinda selfish and I wanted to eat it, even if it was similar to things I've posted on this blog before.

This cake nearly used up an entire tin of Milo. I wanted it to be bursting with Milo flavour, it's so strong this time that the room fills with a chocolate-malty aroma as soon as you bring the cake out. I know not all my readers will know what Milo is, but if you like chocolate and malt flavoured things, you will love this. I adapted my Double Rainbow Malt Cake so that it had about double the amount of Milo and way less sugar, making it the perfect cake to layer with tons of the Condensed Milk Icing from my Milo Cupcakes. And just to make it that much more Milo-y, I made a dark chocolate ganache with lots of Milo mixed in and swirled it all over the top of the cake in that sexy+lazy Nigella Lawson style of decorating.

This is one sexy, sexy cake. The ganache is SO EFFING GOOD. Something about the malt in the Milo just takes the ganache to the next level of addictiveness. I could sit here and eat the ganache on its own with a spoon. For those of you unable to get hold of Milo, you might be able to substitute it with cocoa powder and malted milk powder, but I'm not entirely sure it will be the same.

For those of you who have yet to experience the moreishness of condensed milk icing, you are really missing out! Adding condensed milk to a regular butter icing mixture makes it extra smooth and fluffy and is so good spread all over thin layers of the crumbly chocolate malted cake.

I was a little worried about the changes that I made to the original malt cake recipe, but I think it turned out pretty well. The cake is quite a dense, crumbly cake, but it is perfect for layering, and I like the fact that it makes a cake that's big enough to be cut into three, rather than having to bake separate cakes for each layer.

I know ganache can be tricky for people, if you look at my method photos you should be able to tell that I had a few issues - I got impatient and tried to pour my ganache over the top of the cake before it had cooled enough, so it dribbled right off the edge of the cake and ran all over the place. My advice is to be patient with your ganache. Chill it a few minutes at a time, giving it a bit of a whisk, until it gets to that perfect, lava-like texture and it will set not long after you spread it over your cake. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a cup of tea and a slice of Milo cake waiting for me...

Milo Cake with Condensed Milk Icing & Milo Ganache
(makes one 20cm diameter cake, adapted from my Double Rainbow Malt Cake)
125g butter, room temperature
50g (about 1/4 cup) caster sugar
195g (about 1 1/4 cups) plain flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
150g (about 1 1/4 cups) Milo powder (you could also use Ovaltine or Malted Milk Powder + Cocoa)
3 eggs
120ml (1/2 cup) buttermilk

For the condensed milk icing:
150g butter
350g icing sugar
2/3 cups condensed milk

For the ganache:
300ml pouring cream (min. 35% milk fat pure cream)
400g dark chocolate
1/2 cup Milo powder

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and line a 20cm round springform tin. Cream butter and sugar together until smooth and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift flour, baking powder and Milo together and then gradually add to the rest of the mixture with the mixer on low speed. With the mixer still on low, add buttermilk until just combined. Pour into cake tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove and cool in tin for 10 minutes, then place on a wire rack to cool completely.

To prepare condensed milk icing, remove butter from fridge at least 30 mins before starting. Place butter in a large mixing bowl and beat on high with an electric mixer until fluffy, add icing sugar and condensed milk and beat until smooth and fluffy. Cut cooled cake into three equal slices, sandwich condensed milk icing in between layers of cake. Prepare the milo ganache; break chocolate up into small pieces and place in a large mixing bowl with the milo. (I found the milo formed small clumps, so it might be better to try adding milo to the cream in the saucepan first) Heat cream gently in a medium saucepan until it just reaches the boil. Pour hot cream into mixing bowl and set aside for 10 minutes to allow chocolate to melt. Using a whisk, stir until mixture is smooth and glossy. Set aside to cool to room temperature, until mixture is thick and only just pourable. (If you are impatient, you can chill in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes)

Pour ganache over the top of the sandwiched cake. If the ganache runs right off the edge of the cake, it is not cool enough, scrape the excess ganache back into the bowl and chill for longer. When it is ready, the ganache will lighten and be slightly less shiny, and then you can use a spatula to cover the top and sides of the cake, swirling the surface using the spatula. Leave ganache to set for about half an hour before serving. Can be stored in the fridge overnight. Serve at room temperature.

Edit: To anyone who tried to comment in the first 24 hours, Blogger's comment box is completely messed up and it didn't register your comment. So unfortunately I didn't get to read any of them :( But hopefully it should be working now, please let me know if there are still problems. I'm hoping Blogger sort out their shit soon.