So we've established that I don't like peanut butter and chocolate confections, but in fact I'm not big on most candy. I do have a soft spot once in a long while for Werther's, Raisinets, or Whoppers. My friend Charmie laughingly says, "That's old people candy!" Maybe, but these Chocolate Malt Cupcakes don't look like something Grandma would have whipped up.
I first spied them on The Culinary Chronicles, and they were so cute I had to make them. When we decided to lighten up a humdrum Sunday night of work last week by throwing an Oscars potluck party, I thought these were perfect. I know I enjoy crunching on Whoppers while watching a movie.
I left the Whoppers out of the cupcake recipe because I wanted a uniform cake crumb. I also tweaked the frosting recipe because I have a personal dislike of shortening. Use a high-quality cocoa powder; I used Guittard. The malt flavoring is a bit subdued in the cupcake, but all there in the frosting.
