Best Malva Pudding Ever

This soft, smooth easy homemade malva pudding is flavoured with apricot jam and drenched in a rich cream sauce while it is still hot. Serve it with custard, cream, or ice cream!

Malva pudding is a quintessential sweet, comforting South African pudding. Every family and every South African cookbook has a Malva Pudding recipe. But let me tell you, once you have tried this recipe you will never look back. This easy malva pudding recipe is hands down the best you will ever make. I have this on record from friends and family.

You can walk into any supermarket in South Africa and buy a ready-made version, and this dessert can be found on menus in restaurants across the country. I won’t lie. I do miss popping into my local Woolies, picking up a meal, a malva pudding, some fresh custard, and a bottle of wine. But honestly, this recipe is worth it!

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Jump to:

• Where did Malva Pudding originate?
• What you need for this recipe
• Making the Best Ever Malva Pudding
• Pro Tips for this Recipe
• Substitutions / Variations
• Storage
• Malva Pudding FAQ
• 📖 Recipe

Where did Malva Pudding originate?

There are a few origin stories regarding this pudding. The first being that it comes from the Afrikaans word malvalekker which means “marshmallow”. The similarities between the texture and resemblance of the pudding to that of a marshmallow. I mean – the pudding is soft and spongy and sweet but I don’t personally see the resemblance.

The second theory is Malva is Afrikaans for geranium. The leaves of the geranium may have been used to flavour the pudding batter.

A third theory is that the sauce for the original pudding was made using Malvasia (malmsey) wine which may have then been replaced with brandy and sherry years later. Or, the pudding was just paired with Malvasia wine.

What you need for this recipe

Equipment

This pudding needs a large glass or ceramic dish for baking, approximately 30cm x 20cm in size.

Ingredients:

Malva Sponge

• White/caster sugar/granulated sugar: this is key to the flavour profile of the Malva pudding sponge which needs to be delicate and flavoured with the apricot jam.
• Apricot jam: traditional flavour profile for the Malva sponge, however, if you need a substitute for the apricot jam - I have used honey or maple syrup in a jam (pun intended) with great results.
• Eggs: the two eggs in this recipe keep the sponge fluffy and soft.
• Butter: this recipe calls for butter, but if you only have margarine on hand, it will work just fine.
• Milk: regular whole milk is called for in this recipe. And is made acidic with the addition of vinegar.
• Vinegar: the use of vinegar will result in the curdling of the milk. But adds to the flavour profile.
• Baking soda: the preferred leavening agent because vinegar is used. If you do not have baking soda, replace it with 3 teaspoon of baking powder and leave out the vinegar.

Pudding Sauce

• Evaporated milk (Ideal Milk) lends the sauce a slight caramel flavour that is enhanced with the addition of brown sugar. However, you can substitute out with half cream and half milk.
• Brown sugar gives the sauce a delicious caramel flavour.
• Butter adds a richness that just can’t be matched with margarine. But if you have to, it’s okay, I won’t tell anyone.
• Water helps thin out the sauce so that it can reach every nook and cranny of the sponge. If you are feeling a little naughty, you can replace the water with either brandy or sherry.

Making the Best Ever Malva Pudding

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 190°C. Grease a large glass or ceramic ovenproof dish.

Step 2 - Place the sugar, apricot jam, and eggs in a bowl and beat until light and fluffy. This can be done either with an electric whisk, by hand, or even using a stand mixer (about 3 to 4 minutes).

Step 3 - Sieve the flour, baking soda, and salt into the egg mixture. Mix until just combined.

Step 4 - Either in a small saucepan, or a microwave-proof bowl or jug, heat together the milk, butter, and vinegar, mixing until combined. The mixture will curdle. This is fine.

Step 5 - Add the butter mixture and whisk until a smooth batter forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and make sure everything is well combined.

Step 6 - Place the batter into the glass or ceramic dish. Cover with the dish's lid or with tin foil. Bake for 20 minutes before removing the lid or tin foil cover.

Step 7 - Bake the sponge for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until a cake tester, skewer, or toothpick comes out clean. Bake the sponge for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, or until a cake tester, skewer, or toothpick comes out clean.

Step 8 - During the last 10 minutes of the sponge baking, combine all ingredients in a saucepan. Stir the ingredients over medium heat until the butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, and the sauce is heated through.

Step 9 - When the pudding is cooked, remove it from the oven. Pour all the sauce over the hot pudding. At first, it will look like there is too much sauce, but it will be rapidly absorbed into the sponge.

Pro Tips for this Recipe

The malva pudding sponge must be covered either with tinfoil or a lid in the first 20 minutes of baking. This makes sure that the top of the pudding does not brown too quickly, which will impede the rising of the batter.

The sauce must be poured over a warm pudding straight from the oven. At first, it will look like there is too much sauce, but trust me, it will quickly be absorbed by the sponge.

The temperatures stated are for conventional ovens. For convection, fan-forced, fan-assisted, or air-fryers, the temperature must be reduced by 20°C/25°F.

For baking, make sure the oven is fully preheated, and that the rack is in the middle of the oven. Open the oven as little as possible. For best baking results use an oven thermometer.

Remember that all ovens work slightly differently and bake times may need to be adjusted for your specific oven.

Substitutions / Variations

Apricot jam: traditional flavour profile for the Malva sponge, however, if you need a substitute for the apricot jam - I have used honey or maple syrup in a jam (pun intended) with great results.

Baking soda: the preferred leavening agent because vinegar is used. If you do not have baking soda, replace it with 3 teaspoon of baking powder and leave out the vinegar.

Evaporated Milk can be substituted with cream.

Water can be substituted (or part of the water, depending on how boozy you want the sauce) with brandy or sherry.

Storage

This pudding can be stored covered in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. However, I doubt this pudding will last that long.

Malva Pudding FAQ

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📖 Recipe