Milo Cupcakes with Condensed Milk Buttercream Frosting

My mum gives me Milo to go, and go, and go - I remember my daughters returning from a trip to Australia and singing this slogan for a popular Milo commercial upon their return.  I grew up in Australia drinking Milo, so I thought it was kind of cute that my American-raised daughters would be singing along to such and iconic Australian product - Aussie accents and all.

Milo is a chocolate and malt powder that can be mixed into milk or water (either hot or cold) to make a delicious drink, although my favorite use for it as a kid was to sprinkle it over vanilla ice cream. It is quite granular and does not completely dissolve if mixed with a cold liquid, which gives you these little crunchy bits in your drink.  It was developed in Australia in the 1930's to help combat childhood dietary deficiencies during the depression, and remains popular today.

My favorite Milo - with extra malt.

I don't know about your pantry, but mine always seems to be overflowing with items that I purchased for a recipe and either forgot about, or didn't use completely.  Hoarding also became something of a habit whilst living in Guam because I never knew when the next shipment of an item would arrive, so I tended to purchase multiples of everything.  Anyway, I noticed the tin of Milo in the back of a cupboard and thought that it would be great in a cupcake.  Well, actually I made myself a glass of milk and Milo first, and then thought about the cupcakes. A search for a recipe led me to Raspberri Cupcakes, and the idea grew from there. I had a favorite chocolate cake already, but I loved the idea of condensed milk buttercream frosting.

These really are delicious cupcakes and I loved them even without the frosting.  The Milo adds a really nice chocolate-malt flavor to the cupcakes, and I loved the crunch on the top of the frosting.  I realize that Milo is not readily available in the US, although you can buy it on Amazon, so I would suggest Ovaltine as a substitute.

Milo Cupcakes with Condensed Milk Frosting 

Milo Cupcakes with Condensed Milk Buttercream Frosting
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients
Cupcakes ~

• ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
• ¾ cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1¼ teaspoons coarse salt
• ⅓ cup Milo
• 1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
• ½ cup milo, additional

Frosting ~

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened 
• 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 5 tablespoon condensed milk
• ¼ cup Milo

Preparation
Cake ~

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.
2. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. 
3. Whisk together cocoa, espresso powder, and hot water until smooth. 
4. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ⅓ cup Milo.
5. Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine.
6. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl.
7. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes.
8. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. 
9. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.
10. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three-quarters full. 
11. Sprinkle the additional ½ cup Milo evenly over the cupcakes.
12. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes.
13. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely before frosting them. 

Frosting ~

1. Beat butter for a few minutes with a mixer with the paddle attachment on medium speed.
2. Add condensed milk and mix to combine.
3. Reduce speed to low and add powdered sugar one cup at a time, stopping mixer after each addition to scrape down the side of the bowl. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
4. After cupcakes are fully cool, frost and sprinkle with Milo.

Recipe adapted from Raspberri Cupcakes.

All That's Left Are The Crumbs