Deep Chocolate Cake With Double-Malt Topping

Grease three 8 x 8 x 2-inch baking pans; lightly dust each pan with 1 teaspoon of the cocoa powder.

Stir together the flour, remaining cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium mixing bowl; set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl; beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar; beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Beat in chocolate and vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to the chocolate mixture, beating on low speed until thoroughly combined.

Divide batter into prepared pans; spread evenly. Bake in the preheated oven for 17 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Transfer cakes to wire racks; cool completely.

To assemble cake, spread 3/4 cup of the chocolate malt frosting on two of the cake layers and stack them. Add top layer; frost the top and sides of the cake, reserving some frosting for the piping. Place the reserved frosting in a decorating bag fitted with a medium round tip. Starting from the bottom, pipe a zigzag pattern on sides and top edge of cake. Decorate the cake with malted milk balls. (If desired, coarsely chop or halve some of the malted milk balls.) Loosely cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

CHOCOLATE MALT FROSTING: In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring whipping cream just to boiling; remove from heat. Stir in malt powder. Add chocolate pieces (do not stir). Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

Stir until smooth; mixture will be thin. Transfer to a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate 3 hours or until frosting is thoroughly chilled.

After chilling, set the bowl of frosting in a larger bowl of ice water and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes or until fluffy and of spreading consistency. (The frosting will turn light brown with beating.)