Malva pudding
Malvapoeding
Afrikaner apricot-jam sponge pudding soaked while hot in a cream, butter and sugar sauce until it turns to sticky caramel.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen. Native name preserved: Malvapoeding.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 1 hr
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Malva pudding is a light sponge made with apricot jam and a spoon of vinegar, baked until deep brown, then drenched straight from the oven with a hot sauce of cream, butter, sugar and water. The sponge drinks it all and turns dense, wet and caramelised at the edges. The batter is thin and the sugar is high; that is what gives the dark, almost toffee crust. It is served warm with custard or vanilla ice cream, usually both. This is a one-bowl pudding and hard to get wrong, as long as the sauce goes on while everything is hot.
What you'll need
14 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
- Sponge
- Sauce
Ingredients
Sponge
- Wheat flour, plain150 g
- Sugar200 g
- Egg1
- Apricot jam15 ml
- Butter, melted15 ml
- Vinegar4.9 ml
- Milk125 ml
- Baking soda4.9 ml
- Salt1.2 ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Heat the oven to 180 °C and butter a 20 cm square or 1.5-litre oval dish.
3 min180°C
Step 2
Beat the sugar and egg until pale and thick, 3 minutes. Beat in the jam, melted butter and vinegar.
5 min
Step 3
Sift the flour, baking soda and salt. Fold into the egg mixture alternately with the milk until just smooth. The batter is thin; that is correct.
3 min
Step 4
Pour into the dish and bake until deep brown on top and a skewer comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. It will look darker than you expect.
45 min180°C
Tip: If it browns fast in the first 25 minutes, lay foil loosely over the top.
Step 5
While it bakes, warm the cream, butter, sugar, water and vanilla in a saucepan, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Keep hot.
5 min
Step 6
Take the pudding out and prick it all over with a skewer. Pour the hot sauce slowly over the whole surface. Wait 10 minutes for it to soak in before serving with custard or ice cream.
12 min
Watch: Pour while both are hot. A cold sponge will not absorb the sauce.
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 425 kcal
- Protein
- 4 g
- Carbs
- 53.7 g
- Fat
- 22.1 g
- Saturated fat
- 13.7 g
- Fibre
- 0.6 g
- Sugar
- 39.3 g
- Sodium
- 91 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Wheat
- Milk
- Eggs
- Vegetarian
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Apricot jam → Smooth peach or plum jam
The jam is for colour and a faint tang, so any smooth stone-fruit jam works.
Tips
- It reheats well: cover and warm at 160 °C for 15 minutes. The sauce re-liquefies.
- Some cooks add a tablespoon of brandy to the sauce. It is a sound idea.
History & culture
Malva pudding is the dessert at Afrikaans Sunday lunch and on every South African restaurant menu that claims to be traditional. It appears at Christmas and at church bazaars, in foil trays, and is a point of pride for grandmothers. Tourists are fed it on purpose.
A Cape Dutch pudding whose name is argued over: possibly from the Malvasia wine once served with it, possibly from a woman called Malva. Written recipes date to the twentieth century. Its cousin is the Cape brandy pudding (tipsy tart); the apricot jam marks it as South African.
Traditional
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Malva pudding take?
1 hr all in — 15 min prep, 45 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 8 portions. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Wheat, Milk, Eggs. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Vegetarian, Nut-free.
10 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Mixing bowl, Oven, Baking tray, Saucepan.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at ¼ tsp.
How much sugar?
200 g of Sugar.
How much vinegar?
1 tsp of Vinegar.
How much sugar?
100 g of Sugar.
What can I use instead?
Apricot jam → Smooth peach or plum jam. The jam is for colour and a faint tang, so any smooth stone-fruit jam works.
What should I watch for?
Pour while both are hot. A cold sponge will not absorb the sauce.
Any tips from this recipe?
It reheats well: cover and warm at 160 °C for 15 minutes. The sauce re-liquefies. Some cooks add a tablespoon of brandy to the sauce. It is a sound idea.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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