Fluffy red velvet and white chocolate cake bars slathered with a Malted Milk biscuit flavoured cream cheese frosting and showered with crushed Maltesers

If you’re looking for something naughty and indulgent that is going to leave you smacking your lips then these babies will not disappoint. The recipe ingredients call for an entire block of butter, two types of sugar, nostalgic childhood flavours and plenty of pure unadulterated joy. Whether you’ve been tasked with making a red velvet birthday cake for a children’s birthday party, or looking to find your way to that special someone’s heart through their stomach, these sweet, sweet cake bars will have anybody wrapped around your little finger in no time.

Traditionally, a red velvet recipe of any kind (cake, cookies, pancakes, churros…) is accompanied by a classic cream cheese frosting. Ah, fond memories of the red velvet waffles I ate at Beauty & Essex when I was last in New York……. and back in the room. In my own kitchen though, I went for a bit of red velvet rebellion and laced my frosting with a secret ingredient to give it the flavour of my all-time favourite biscuit – the humble Malted Milk. I hope you love it as much as I do.

The ingredients you’re going to need to get your red velvet cake freak on:

(Makes 9 generous pieces)

For the cake bars:

200g unsalted butter – softened
150g brown sugar
115g caster sugar
2 large eggs – room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cocoa
1 tbsp red food colouring
150g plain/all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
175g white chocolate chunks/chips

For the toppings:

250g cream cheese
55g unsalted butter – softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
150g icing sugar (or to taste)
50g Horlicks powder
37g crushed Maltesers

Here’s how to make your red velvet cake bars with cream cheese frosting at home:

For the topping:

Beat your softened butter and cream cheese together in a bowl.
Beat in the vanilla extract and icing sugar.
Stir through the Horlicks powder well.
Set aside in the fridge until the later.

For the red velvet cake:

Preheat your oven to 180° (fan).
Line a large(ish) baking tray with foil and grease with coconut oil or butter.
Beat the softened butter, brown sugar and caster sugar together until combined.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time (don’t worry if it looks a little ‘curdled’ at this point).
Mix in the vanilla extract, cocoa powder and food colouring.
Mix in the flour and baking powder until well combined (it should be starting to look like a smooth batter now).
Stir in the white chocolate chips.
Pour into your baking tray and cook for 25-35 minutes – check after 25. A knife should come out clean from the centre but don’t worry if it still seems bouncy.
Leave to cool fully before frosting.
Once cool, slice off the rough edges and cut into 9 even squares.
Ice each square with plenty of frosting, smash your Maltesters to smithereens and sprinkle them over the top.

(If you have frosting left over, it’s goes GREAT on pancakes!!)

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Fancy some more dessert-based filth?

If you like these fluffy red velvet cake bars then you’re going to lurrrrrrve my gooey Biscoff & Banana Blondies with edible cookie dough base and milk chocolate drizzle.