Traditional Christmas Malva Pudding Recipe: Warm & Delicious - Blend of Bites (2024)

African cuisine has always been important, being one of the oldest cuisines. It is said that you can determine a cuisine by the quality of the desserts. If that’s so, then it is clear that this Malva pudding recipe makes an excellent case for African cuisine.

Originating from South Africa, the Malva pudding recipe is an old one, passed from generation to generation. It makes the best of apricots, which are produced locally. Although it is classified as a pudding, it resembles a cake as well, so don’t get confused by the name and just enjoy it. You might be familiar with the British sticky toffee. Well, Malva pudding has a similar look and taste.

It is said that this classical dessert was held in high regard by both natives and European settlers, transcending the barriers of race and ethnicity and bringing people from different backgrounds together. After all, isn’t that what makes food so special?

Ingredients

Pudding ingredients

• Butter — 2 tbsp.
• Apricot jam — 3 tbsp. strained
• Brown sugar — ½ cup
• All-purpose flour — 1 ½ cups
• White vinegar — 1 tsp.
• Whole milk — ¾ cup
• Eggs — 2
• Baking soda — 1 tsp.
• Baking powder — 2 tsp.
• Salt — ½ tsp.

Sauce ingredients

• Sugar — ½ cup
• Unsalted butter — ½ cup
• Salt — ¼ tsp.
• Whole milk — ½ cup
• Heavy cream — ½ cup

Instructions

1. Set your oven to 350°F degrees and lightly grease a baking pan.

2. Combine the milk, brown sugar, eggs, apricot jam, vinegar, and butter in a mixing bowl.

3. Mix until combined.

4. Then, combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder in another mixing bowl.

5. Mix until combined.

6. Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients. Stir well.

7. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes.

8. In the meantime, melt some butter in a saucepan.

9. Add the sugar, salt, heavy cream, and milk.

10. Cook until the sugar is dissolved.

11. Remove the pudding from the oven and create holes in the surface by inserting a toothpick or skewer.

12. Pour the hot sauce over the pudding.

13. Let the pudding rest for 30 minutes before serving.

Substitutions

• White vinegar — Most traditional Malva pudding recipes call for white vinegar. The problem with using white vinegar in baking recipes is that it tends to overpower the flavor of your dish due to its strong nature. If that would be a problem for you, use apple cider vinegar instead. It provides everything you’d expect from vinegar and is milder in taste. You could also use lemon juice, though you’ll miss out on the complex flavor of vinegar.

• Whole milk — If you are not short on whole milk or following a vegan diet, there is no need to substitute whole milk. However, if that’s not an option, you can always use non-dairy milk. Oat, almond, and coconut milk are ideal substitutes for whole milk.

• Heavy cream — Heavy cream comes with many calories, which could be a dealbreaker for some. You can replace heavy cream with sour cream, which is considerably lighter in calories, without any problems. Admittedly, your dessert will lack the smooth and creamy texture, though.

Variations

• Serving — This Malva pudding recipe is simple but elegant. It can be enjoyed on its own, but you can always enrich the flavors with a few tricks. Most people enjoy having this treat with some ice cream on the side. The warm pudding makes a great pair with vanilla ice cream, but if ice cream isn’t your thing, you can always go with vanilla custard.

Equipment

• Measuring cups and spoons

• Mixing bowls

• Saucepan

• Baking pan

• Oven

• Skewer

Storage

• Allow the leftover Malva pudding to cool completely before storing it. Wrap the cake with aluminum foil and store it in your fridge.

• You can also transfer the leftover cake to an airtight container before storing it in your fridge. Once stored in your fridge, the leftover cake will last for four days.

Pro Tips

• Use a whisk — While you can use a spoon to mix things up, it is recommended to use a whisk instead. The mixture of eggs, dairy, and the rest will include some unwanted lumps, and using a whisk would be a better way to prevent this from happening.

• Not thick enough? — If you suspect that there is something wrong with the consistency of your pudding, you can always use cornstarch or simply more flour to thicken your dessert.

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