Ingredients

• makes 1 (6-inch) layer cake, 5 to 6 inches tall. serves 8-12
• ½ recipe malted milk crumb (recipe below)
• 1 recipe chocolate cake (recipe below)
• 1 recipe malt fudge sauce, warm (recipe below)
• 1 recipe ovaltine soak (recipe below)
cake assembly instructions
• 1. put a piece of parchment or a silpat on the counter. invert the cake onto it and peel off the parchment or silpat from the bottom of the cake. use the cake ring to stamp out 2 circles from the cake. these are your top 2 cake layers. the remaining cake “scrap” will come together to make the bottom layer of the cake.
• layer 1, the bottom
• 2. clean the cake ring and place it in the center of a sheet pan lined with clean parchment or a silpat. use 1 strip of acetate to line the inside of the cake ring.
• 3. put the cake scraps together inside the ring and use the back of your hand to tamp the scraps together into a flat even layer.
• 4. dunk a pastry brush in the ovaltine soak and give the layer of cake a good, healthy bath of half of the oil.
• 5. use the back of a spoon to spread one-fifth of the malt fudge sauce in an even layer over the cake. (helpful hint: the warmer the fudge sauce, the easier it is to spread.)
• 6. sprinkle one-third of the malted milk crumbs evenly over the malt fudge sauce. use the back of your hand to anchor them in place.
• 7. use the back of a spoon to spread another fifth of the malt fudge sauce as evenly as possible over the crumbs.
• layer 2, the middle
• 8. with your index finger, gently tuck the second strip of acetate between the cake ring and the top ¼ inch of the first strip of acetate, so that you have a clear ring of acetate 5 to 6 inches tall – high enough to support the height of the finished cake. set a cake round on top of the frosting, and repeat the process for layer 1 (if 1 of your 2 cake rounds is jankier than the other, use it here in the middle and save the prettier one for the top).
• layer 3, the top
• 9. nestle the remaining cake round into the fudge. cover the top of the cake with the remaining fudge sauce. since it’s a sauce, not a frosting, here you have no choice to make a shiny, perfectly flat top. garnish with the remaining crumble.
• 10. transfer the sheet pan to the freezer and freeze for a minimum of 12 hours to set the cake and filling. the cake will keep in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
• 11. at least 3 hours before you are ready to serve the cake, pull the sheet pan out of the freezer and, using your fingers and thumbs, pop the cake out of the cake ring. gently peel off the acetate, and transfer the cake to a platter or cake stand. let it defrost in the fridge for a minimum of 3 hours (wrapped well in plastic, the cake can be refrigerated for up to 5 days).
• 12. slice the cake into wedges and serve.
• special equipment
• 1 (6-inch) cake ring
• 2 strips acetate, each 3 inches wide and 20 inches long
chocolate cake
• makes 1 quarter sheet pan cake
• 110 g butter, at room temperature (1 stick)
• 300 g granulated sugar (1 1/2 cups)
• 3 eggs
• 110 g buttermilk (1/2 cup)
• 40 g grapeseed oil (1/4 cup)
• 4 g vanilla extract 1 teaspoon
• 1/4 recipe fudge sauce (recipe below) (3 tablespoons)
• 155 g cake flour (1 1/4 cups)
• 70 g cocoa powder (1/2 cup)
• 6 g baking powder (1 1/2 teaspoons)
• 6 g kosher salt (1 1/2 teaspoons)
fudge sauce (for chocolate cake)
• 30 g 72% chocolate chopped (1 ounce)
• 18 g cocoa powder (2 tablespoons)
• .5 g kosher salt (1/8 teaspoon)
• 100 g glucose (1/4 cup)
• 25 g sugar (2 tablespoons)
• 55 g heavy cream (1/4 cup)
chocolate malt cake soak
• makes enough for 1 recipe of the chocolate cake
• 55 g milk (1/4 cup)
• 10 g ovaltine powder (2 tablespoons)
• whisk together the milk and ovaltine in a small bowl.
chocolate crumb
• makes about 350 g (2 ½ cups)
• 105 g flour (2/3 cup)
• 4 g cornstarch (1 teaspoon)
• 100 g sugar (½ cup)
• 65 g cocoa powder, preferably Valrhona (2/3 cup)
• 4 g kosher salt (1 teaspoon)
• 85 g butter, melted (6 tablespoons)
liquid cheesecake
• makes about 325 g (1 ½ cups)
• 225 g cream cheese (8 ounces)
• 150 g sugar (¾ cup)
• 6 g cornstarch (½ teaspoon)
• 2 g kosher salt (½ teaspoon)
• 25 g milk (2 tablespoons)
• 1 egg
cookies and cream frosting
• makes about 473 g
• 250 g powdered sugar (1 ½ cups)
• 95 g Crisco shortening (½ cup)
• 62 g light corn syrup (3 tablespoons)
• 13 g clear vanilla extract (3 teaspoons)
• 25 g cornstarch (2 tablespoons)
• 1 g salt (¼ teaspoon)
• 40 g chocolate crumbs (½ cup)

Instructions

Chocolate Cake
1. 1. heat the oven to 350°f.
2. 2. combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs, and mix on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. scrape down the sides of the bowl once more.
3. 3. on low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil, fudge sauce, and vanilla. increase the mixer speed to medium-high and paddle for 4 to 6 minutes, until the mixture is practically twice the size of your original fluffy butter-and-sugar mixture, and completely homogenous. don’t rush the process. you’re basically forcing too much liquid into an already fatty mixture that doesn’t want to make room for that liquid. there should be no streaks of fat or liquid. stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
4. 4. on very low speed, add the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and the cocoa powder. mix for 45 to 60 seconds, just until your batter comes together. scrape down the sides of the bowl.
5. 5. pam-spray a quarter sheet pan and line it with parchment, or just line the pan with a silpat. using a spatula, spread the cake batter in an even layer in the pan.
6. 6. bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes. the cake will rise and puff, doubling in size, but will remain slightly buttery and dense. at 30 minutes, gently poke the edge of the cake with your finger: the cake should bounce back slightly and the center should no longer be jiggly. leave the cake in the oven for an extra 3 to 5 minutes if it doesn’t pass these tests.
7. 7. take the cake out of the oven and cool on a wire rack or, in a pinch, in the fridge or freezer (don’t worry, it’s not cheating). the cooled cake can be stored in the fridge, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.
fudge for cake
8. 1. combine the chocolate, cocoa powder, and salt in medium bowl.
9. 2. combine the glucose, sugar, and heavy cream in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and stir intermittently while bringing to a boil over high heat. the moment it boils, pour it into the bowl holding the chocolate. let sit for 1 full minute.
10. 3. slowly, slowly begin to whisk the mixture. then continue, increasingly the vigor of your whisking every 30 seconds, until the mixture is glossy and silky-smooth. this will take 2 to 4 minutes, depending on your speed and strength. you can use this sauce at this point or store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks; do not freeze.
Chocolate Crumb
11. Heat the oven to 300°F.
12. Combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until mixed.
13. Add the butter and paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.
14. Spread the clusters on a parchment-or Silpat-lined sheet pan. Bake for 20 minutes, breaking them up occasionally. The crumbs should still be slightly moist to the touch at that point; they will dry and harden as they cool.
15. Let the crumbs cool completely before using; place 40g aside for the liquid cheesecake.
Liquid Cheesecake
16. Heat the oven to 300°F.
17. Put the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. Add the sugar and mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar has been completely incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
18. Whisk together the cornstarch and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk in the milk in a slow, steady stream, then whisk in the egg until the slurry is homogenous.
19. With the mixer on medium-low speed, stream in the egg slurry. Paddle for 3 to 4 minutes, until the mixture is smooth and loose. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
20. Line the bottom and sides of a 6 x 6-inch baking pan with plastic wrap. Pour the cheesecake batter into the pan, put the pan in the oven, and bake for 15 minutes. Gently shake the pan. The cheesecake should be firmer and more set toward the outer boundaries of the baking pan but still be jiggly and loose in the dead center. If the cheesecake is jiggly all over, give it 5 minutes more. And 5 minutes more if it needs it, but it’s never taken me more than 25 minutes to underbake one. If the cheesecake rises more than a ¼ inch or begins to brown, take it out of the oven immediately.
21. Cool the cheesecake completely, to finish the baking process and allow the cheesecake to set. The final product will resemble a cheesecake, but it will be pipeable and pliable enough to easily spread or smear, while still having body and volume.
22. Mix in the mint extract and green color, with a spatula or in a stand mixer. Once cool, the cheesecake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up 1 week.
Cookies and Cream Frosting
23. In a stand mixer mix together all ingredients except for the chocolate crumbs until incorporated.
24. With a spatula fold in chocolate crumbs.
25. The frosting is ready to use immediately, or can stay for up to one week in refrigeration.