Malva Pudding
Indulge in the warm, comforting goodness of Malva pudding, a South African classic that’s as easy to whip up as it is to devour! This delightful dessert features a rich blend of apricot jam and a touch of baking soda for that perfect fluffy texture, all drenched in a luscious cream sauce. Get ready to impress your friends and family with this sweet treat that’s sure to steal the show!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 2 tablespoons of butter (28 g)
- 3 tablespoons of butter (42 g)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of milk (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder (5 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda (5 ml)
- 2 cups of flour (250 g)
- 1 cup of sugar (200 g)
- 3 tablespoons of sugar (45 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar (15 ml)
📦Other(2)
- 2 tablespoons of apricot jam (30 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of caramel essence (5 ml)optionalcan use vanilla instead
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
721
Protein
14g
Carbs
120g
Fat
21g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, add the apricot jam, eggs, butter, and caramel essence. Whisk together.
- 2
Add the sugar and whisk again, then add the vinegar.
- 3
Mix in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda until combined.
- 4
Transfer the mixture to a baking tray and bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes.
- 5
In a saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and butter. Let it simmer for 3 minutes.
- 6
Pour the sauce over the hot Malva pudding and serve with custard.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Add vinegar (1 tablespoon) after creaming butter and sugar, not before mixing flour, because the acid reacts with baking soda to generate CO₂ immediately—delaying addition until after dry ingredients are incorporated prevents premature gas release and ensures even crumb structure.technique1 tablespoon vinegar, add after creaming stage
- ✓Bake at 180°C for exactly 20 minutes before checking—Malva's dense crumb requires slower heat penetration than typical cakes, and opening the oven door before 18 minutes causes a 15-20% volume loss due to steam collapse in the alkaline (baking soda) batter.timing180°C, minimum 18 minutes before opening oven door
- ✓Prepare the milk sauce (1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons butter) while the pudding bakes so it reaches 82-85°C when poured over the 180°C hot pudding, creating optimal absorption—cooler sauce (below 75°C) won't penetrate the crumb's starch matrix effectively and results in a dry cake with separated sauce.timingSauce temperature 82-85°C when poured onto 180°C pudding
- ✓Use room-temperature eggs and ensure they're fully incorporated into the apricot jam mixture before adding sugar, because the emulsifying proteins in egg yolk require 1-2 minutes of whisking to create a stable fat-water suspension—this prevents curdling when acidic vinegar and baking soda are added later.ingredientRoom temperature eggs, whisk 1-2 minutes into jam base
- ✓Combine baking powder and baking soda in a 1:1 ratio (1 teaspoon each) because the acid from vinegar (1 tablespoon) neutralizes only ~60% of baking soda; the remaining soda requires baking powder's acid for complete CO₂ generation and prevents metallic aftertaste from residual sodium bicarbonate.ingredient1:1 ratio baking soda to baking powder; acid-base ratio 1 tbsp vinegar to 1 tsp baking soda
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
beginner
Share this recipe
Malva Pudding
Indulge in the warm, comforting goodness of Malva pudding, a South African classic that’s as easy to whip up as it is to devour! This delightful dessert features a rich blend of apricot jam and a touch of baking soda for that perfect fluffy texture, all drenched in a luscious cream sauce. Get ready to impress your friends and family with this sweet treat that’s sure to steal the show!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥛Dairy & Eggs(4)
- 2 tablespoons of butter (28 g)
- 3 tablespoons of butter (42 g)
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup of milk (240 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(5)
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder (5 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda (5 ml)
- 2 cups of flour (250 g)
- 1 cup of sugar (200 g)
- 3 tablespoons of sugar (45 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar (15 ml)
📦Other(2)
- 2 tablespoons of apricot jam (30 ml)
- 1 teaspoon of caramel essence (5 ml)optionalcan use vanilla instead
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
721
Protein
14g
Carbs
120g
Fat
21g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
In a bowl, add the apricot jam, eggs, butter, and caramel essence. Whisk together.
- 2
Add the sugar and whisk again, then add the vinegar.
- 3
Mix in the flour, baking powder, and baking soda until combined.
- 4
Transfer the mixture to a baking tray and bake at 180°C for 20-30 minutes.
- 5
In a saucepan, combine the milk, sugar, and butter. Let it simmer for 3 minutes.
- 6
Pour the sauce over the hot Malva pudding and serve with custard.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Add vinegar (1 tablespoon) after creaming butter and sugar, not before mixing flour, because the acid reacts with baking soda to generate CO₂ immediately—delaying addition until after dry ingredients are incorporated prevents premature gas release and ensures even crumb structure.technique1 tablespoon vinegar, add after creaming stage
- ✓Bake at 180°C for exactly 20 minutes before checking—Malva's dense crumb requires slower heat penetration than typical cakes, and opening the oven door before 18 minutes causes a 15-20% volume loss due to steam collapse in the alkaline (baking soda) batter.timing180°C, minimum 18 minutes before opening oven door
- ✓Prepare the milk sauce (1 cup milk, 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons butter) while the pudding bakes so it reaches 82-85°C when poured over the 180°C hot pudding, creating optimal absorption—cooler sauce (below 75°C) won't penetrate the crumb's starch matrix effectively and results in a dry cake with separated sauce.timingSauce temperature 82-85°C when poured onto 180°C pudding
- ✓Use room-temperature eggs and ensure they're fully incorporated into the apricot jam mixture before adding sugar, because the emulsifying proteins in egg yolk require 1-2 minutes of whisking to create a stable fat-water suspension—this prevents curdling when acidic vinegar and baking soda are added later.ingredientRoom temperature eggs, whisk 1-2 minutes into jam base
- ✓Combine baking powder and baking soda in a 1:1 ratio (1 teaspoon each) because the acid from vinegar (1 tablespoon) neutralizes only ~60% of baking soda; the remaining soda requires baking powder's acid for complete CO₂ generation and prevents metallic aftertaste from residual sodium bicarbonate.ingredient1:1 ratio baking soda to baking powder; acid-base ratio 1 tbsp vinegar to 1 tsp baking soda