Chocolate Malt Cake

Name: Chocolate malt cake recipe
Yield: Serves 10
Ingredients: 1 box (18.25 oz.) Devil’s food cake mix; ⅓ cup original malted milk powder, plus ¼ cup for frosting; 1 container (16 oz.) chocolate frosting; 1 ½ cups coarsely crushed malted milk balls

Make an easy 10-serving chocolate malt cake with malted milk powder and crushed malt balls, plus the fun 1920s history behind this soda-fountain favorite.

Bake: 30–35 min
Serves: 10

By D.J. Wilson March 27, 2025 · 2 min read

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Some history

Chocolate malt drinks are associated with the 1950s as popular drinks among teens. But malt beverages have been around even longer - since the 1920s. Per Movie Cultists, these frothy treats became famous when an employee at a Chicago Walgreens, Ivar “Pop” Coulson, felt inspired to add two scoops of ice cream to malted milk (a drink containing milk, chocolate syrup, and malt). If you long to indulge in the chocolate malt flavor reminiscent of an old-fashioned creamy shake, give this cake a try!

Recipe

Chocolate malt cake recipe

Bake: 30–35 min
Serves: 10

Ingredients

Serves 10 4 ingredients

Tick items off as you cook.

1 box (18.25 oz.) Devil’s food cake mix
⅓ cup original malted milk powder, plus ¼ cup for frosting
1 container chocolate frosting (16 oz)
1½ cups coarsely crushed malted milk balls

Method

9 steps

Tap a step’s number when it’s done.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Prepare the cake mix per package directions.
Add ⅓ cup of malted milk powder to the batter and mix well to incorporate.
Pour batter into a greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
Bake cake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool cake completely.
In a bowl, stir frosting and ¼ cup malted milk powder.
Spread frosting over cooled cake.
Top with crushed malted milk balls.