This rich and chocolatey Malteser tray bake is full of soft sponge, creamy frosting, and crunchy Maltesers on top. It’s made with melted dark chocolate, malt powder, and a hint of coffee for depth. Perfect for parties, birthdays, or when you just want something sweet and comforting.

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Ingredients Needed:

Cake Ingredients:

250 g dark chocolate
250 g unsalted butter
2 tsp coffee granules
125 g malt powder
200 g plain flour
35 g cocoa powder
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
250 g golden caster sugar
250 g light brown sugar
4 medium eggs
100 ml buttermilk

Decoration Ingredients:

200 g unsalted butter
400 g icing sugar
75 g malt powder
2-4 tbsp boiling water
200 g Maltesers

How To Make Malteser Tray Bake Recipe?

Preheat the oven and prepare the tin: heat your oven to 160C and line a 9×13″ tin with baking paper.
Melt chocolate and butter: place the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts until melted and smooth.
Make the malt coffee mix: in a small bowl, mix coffee granules and malt powder with 150ml boiling water. Whisk until dissolved, then stir into the chocolate mixture.
Mix dry ingredients: in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, golden caster sugar, and light brown sugar.
Mix eggs and buttermilk: in another bowl, whisk the eggs with buttermilk until smooth.
Combine everything: pour the chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until fully mixed—don’t overmix.
Bake the cake: pour the batter into the tin and bake for 50–60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting: beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add icing sugar in two parts, beating well each time. Mix in the malt powder, then add 1 tbsp boiling water at a time until it’s thick and spreadable.
Decorate the cake: once cool, spread the frosting over the cake and top with whole and crushed Maltesers.

Recipe Tips:

Use good quality dark chocolate: this is the base of your cake’s flavor, so pick one that tastes rich and smooth. Avoid cheap chocolate—it can make the cake taste flat.
Mix gently, not too much: after adding the wet and dry ingredients together, stir just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make the cake heavy instead of soft and fluffy.
Check your oven temp with a thermometer: some ovens run hotter or cooler than what they say. Using an oven thermometer helps make sure your cake bakes evenly and doesn’t burn or stay raw in the middle.
Make sure the cake is fully cool before frosting: if the cake is warm, the frosting will melt and slide off. Wait until it’s completely cool for the best results.
Crush some Maltesers and leave some whole: this gives a nice mix of texture on top—some crunch, some pop, and it just looks extra fun and tempting.

How To Store Leftovers?

Refrigerate: First, let the leftover Malteser tray bake and cool down to room temperature. Once it’s cool, place it in an airtight container or cover the tray well, then store it in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Freeze: Let the cake cool completely before freezing. Wrap the unfrosted cake tightly in cling film and foil. Freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 520 kcal
Total Fat: 30 g
Saturated Fat: 18 g
Cholesterol: 105 mg
Sodium: 180 mg
Potassium: 210 mg
Total Carbohydrate: 58 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g
Sugars: 41 g
Protein: 6 g

Try More Nigella Lawson Recipes:

Nigella Lemon And Blueberry Cake Recipe
Nigella Red Velvet Cupcakes Recipe

Nigella Malteser Tray Bake Recipe

Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

hour

Calories

520

kcal

Ingredients

Cake Ingredients:
250 g dark chocolate
250 g unsalted butter
2 tsp coffee granules
125 g malt powder
200 g plain flour
35 g cocoa powder
1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
250 g golden caster sugar
250 g light brown sugar
4 medium eggs
100 ml buttermilk
Decoration Ingredients:
200 g unsalted butter
400 g icing sugar
75 g malt powder
2-4 tbsp boiling water
200 g Maltesers

Directions

Preheat the oven and prepare the tin: heat your oven to 160C and line a 9×13″ tin with baking paper.
Melt chocolate and butter: place the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30-second bursts until melted and smooth.
Make the malt coffee mix: in a small bowl, mix coffee granules and malt powder with 150ml boiling water. Whisk until dissolved, then stir into the chocolate mixture.
Mix dry ingredients: in a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, golden caster sugar, and light brown sugar.
Mix eggs and buttermilk: in another bowl, whisk the eggs with buttermilk until smooth.
Combine everything: pour the chocolate mixture and egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until fully mixed—don’t overmix.
Bake the cake: pour the batter into the tin and bake for 50–60 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let it cool in the tin for 10–15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the frosting: beat the softened butter with an electric mixer until smooth. Add icing sugar in two parts, beating well each time. Mix in the malt powder, then add 1 tbsp boiling water at a time until it’s thick and spreadable.
Decorate the cake: once cool, spread the frosting over the cake and top with whole and crushed Maltesers.

Notes

Use good quality dark chocolate: this is the base of your cake’s flavor, so pick one that tastes rich and smooth. Avoid cheap chocolate—it can make the cake taste flat.
Mix gently, not too much: after adding the wet and dry ingredients together, stir just until everything is combined. Overmixing can make the cake heavy instead of soft and fluffy.
Check your oven temp with a thermometer: some ovens run hotter or cooler than what they say. Using an oven thermometer helps make sure your cake bakes evenly and doesn’t burn or stay raw in the middle.
Make sure the cake is fully cool before frosting: if the cake is warm, the frosting will melt and slide off. Wait until it’s completely cool for the best results.
Crush some Maltesers and leave some whole: this gives a nice mix of texture on top—some crunch, some pop, and it just looks extra fun and tempting.