MALTED CAKE RECIPES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 8-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with parchment paper; butter paper. Flour pans; set aside.
• In a 1-cup measuring cup stir together milk and vanilla bean paste; set aside. In a large mixing bowl stir together the cake flour, vanilla sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add butter and milk mixture; beat on low speed with an electric mixer until combined. Increase speed to medium; beat for 1 minute.
• Add two of the egg whites; beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Add the remaining three egg whites; beat for 30 seconds.
• Divide batter between prepared pans; spread evenly. Bake about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pans; remove parchment. Cool completely on wire racks.
• Place one cake layer, top side up, on a serving plate. Spread with some of the frosting. Top with the remaining cake layer. Frost top and sides with additional frosting (you may have extra frosting; use it for piping or for spreading onto cupcakes or Easter cookies). Decorate as desired with cotton candy and Easter egg candies just before serving.

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; set aside.
• In large bowl, stir together cake mix and malted milk powder with whisk. Add remaining Cake ingredients; beat with electric mixer on low speed until well combined. Divide batter evenly among pans.
• Bake 22 to 28 minutes or until cakes spring back when touched lightly in center. Cool cakes in pans on cooling racks 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto cooling racks; cool completely, about 30 minutes. Level cakes using large serrated knife or cake leveler, if needed.
• To make Frosting, in large bowl, beat softened butter and powdered sugar with electric mixer on low speed until incorporated; beat on high speed 3 minutes. Add vanilla and salt; beat 1 minute longer. Add blue food color 1 drop at a time, beating until a light blue color is achieved.
• Fill and frost cooled cake. Refrigerate frosted cake 1 hour or until frosting is dry to the touch.
• In small condiment bowl, mix baking cocoa and vanilla. Load unused (new) stiff-bristle paint brush with cocoa mixture. Using fingers, flick loaded brush bristles toward cake creating a splatter pattern. Re-load brush; cover entire cake with chocolate speckles. Refrigerate cake 30 minutes.
• To make Phyllo Nest, heat oven to 375°F. Butter 1 muffin cup in regular-size muffin pan. Tear off 1/3 cup portion of kataifi; place in muffin cup in a circular nest shape. Gently brush phyllo nest with melted butter. Bake 15 minutes or until phyllo is golden brown around edge. Gently remove nest with fork; cool on cooling rack. Attach cooled nest to cake with dot of frosting. Place 3 speckled egg candies inside nest.
• Before serving, bring cake to room temperature. Store cake loosely covered with plastic wrap.