My go-to flavor is always vanilla. If I’m feeling adventurous, maybe I’ll try strawberry or some other flavor, but there’s just something about a good vanilla that cannot be beaten. There’s this little ice cream shop in Santa Cruz called Marianne’s, and not only do they have the best ice cream ever, but they also have an entire wall of flavors, ranging from lavender to Horchata. It is seriously heaven for anyone who tries multiple flavors but always ends up with the usual, which in my case is vanilla. Call me boring, bland or weird, I don’t care. The truth is, I judge bakeries and ice cream shops on how well they can make a simple, vanilla cupcake or ice cream flavor. And to me, the only thing better than vanilla is vanilla bean so when I found this recipe for a vanilla bean malt cake, I knew I had to try it. Topped with a vanilla malt glaze, this cake is light, moist and absolutely delicious. Served cold or warm, it is sure to be an absolute hit.
RECIPE (adapted from Pastry Affair)
VANILLA BEAN MALT CAKE
8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cups (280 grams) granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup (120 grams) sour cream (or plain, non-fat yogurt)
1/3 cup (75 grams) vegetable oil
Seeds from 1 vanilla bean (or 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/3 cups (265) cake flour (2 cups cake flour = 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup cornstarch)
1/3 cup malt powder (I used Carnation Malted Milk powder)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) milk
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream, vegetable oil, vanilla bean seeds and vanilla extract. Gradually add in the cake flour, malt powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix in the milk, stirring until batter is uniform and smooth.
Add batter to prepared pan and bake for 45-55 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature before glazing.
VANILLA MALT GLAZE
1 1/2 cups (187 grams) powdered sugar
2 tablespoons malt powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk
In a small bowl, mix together all ingredients until smooth. If the glaze is too thick, slowly add a small amount of milk. Likewise, if it is too thin, add more powdered sugar.
To assemble, turn out bundt cake onto a serving platter. Carefully pour the glaze over the top and allow to set for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Source: http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/vanilla-bean-malt-cake.htm