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South African Dessert You’ve Probably Never Tried - Malva Pudding Made Easy

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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8 servings

Ingredients
  

  • For the pudding:
  • 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp apricot jam
  • 1 1/4 cups (150 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) whole milk
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • For the sauce:
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick/113 g) unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) hot water or milk
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt
  • To serve (optional): Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Instructions
 

  • Preheat and prep: Heat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9-inch (23 cm) square or similar baking dish.
  • Whisk the wet base: In a bowl, whisk sugar and eggs until pale and slightly fluffy, about 1–2 minutes. Whisk in apricot jam until smooth.
  • Combine dry ingredients: In another bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • Mix it up: Stir vinegar into milk. Add half the dry ingredients to the egg mixture, then half the milk, and repeat. Stir in melted butter and vanilla. Batter will be loose and glossy.
  • Bake: Pour batter into the dish and bake 30–35 minutes, until the top is deep golden and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs.
  • Make the sauce: While the pudding bakes, melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add cream, sugar, water (or milk), vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Warm gently, stirring, until sugar dissolves and the sauce is smooth. Do not boil hard.
  • Poke and soak: Remove the hot pudding and poke holes all over with a skewer or fork. Slowly pour the warm sauce over the top, letting it soak in. Use all the sauce.
  • Rest and serve: Let sit 10–15 minutes to absorb. Serve warm with ice cream or whipped cream.