South African Malva Pudding

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: This Malva Pudding Cake offers the irresistible charm of a beloved South African dessert, captivating taste buds worldwide with its rich flavors and comforting texture.

• Distinctive flavor profile: Similar to tres leches cake, this dessert features a soft sponge infused with apricot jam and caramel notes, moistened by a creamy syrup bath when warm.
• Cultural fusion: Originating in South Africa, Malva pudding combines Dutch influences like buttery sauce and apricot jam with Cape Malay flavors, creating a cultural favorite celebrated globally.
• Easy to make: With simple steps and ingredients, this pudding is both delicious and quick to prepare, ready in under an hour for a delightful dessert.

We love the whole world of desserts at Bigger Bolder Baking, but nothing is as soul-comforting and satisfying as a lovely pudding or cake straight from the oven. In addition to South African Malva Pudding, bake up Chocolate Bread and Butter Pudding, Traditional Irish Spice Cake, and Maple Gooey Butter Cake.

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 7/13/2024, to include a new STEP-BY-STEP tutorial video, explanations of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips. 

Table of Contents

• What is South African Malva Pudding?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make South African Malva Pudding
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead & Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More International Recipes

What is South African Malva Pudding?

• South African Malva Pudding is a dessert featuring a spongy cake base infused with apricot jam, baked until caramelized.

  • Flavor: A sweet spongy cake base is infused with fruity apricot jam and toasty caramel notes.
  • Texture: The cake is baked until caramelized with a soft interior and exterior which gets even tenderer when the sauce is poured on.
  • Special Soaking: The post-baking syrup soaking added moisture and richness.
• Don’t confuse malva pudding with a typical American custard-like pudding. It’s more like the puddings you find in Ireland and the UK, a cakey base cooked with or covered in a sauce or custard. Our Brownie Bread Pudding, Sticky Toffee Pudding, and Traditional Irish Bread and Butter Pudding are other yummy examples.
• The name malva pudding (also known as malva pudding cake) is somewhat of a mystery. It is such a fluffy, moist cake that some people claim its name, “malva,” comes from the Afrikaans word for marshmallow! Other theories are that it’s named for malvasia wine that could have been used in early versions of the recipe, or it could be named for someone named Malva who first made this luscious confection!

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Kitchen scale
• Whisk
• 8-inch (20cm) square baking dish
• Skewers
• Saucepan

Make it Bolder!

Top malva pudding with our homemade vanilla ice cream!

Key Ingredients and Why

Whole milk

• Whole milk moistens the cake base, contributing to the delicate crumb.
• I always use whole milk in my recipes because it gives the best flavor.

Dark brown sugar

• Dark brown sugar sweetens the malva pudding and adds a rich molasses flavor.
• Importantly, dark brown sugar adds moisture to the cake.
• Make your own brown sugar with our easy recipe.

Eggs

• Structure: Eggs bind the ingredients together.
• Moisture: Eggs keep the pudding moist.
• Texture: Eggs help achieve a light and fluffy consistency.
• Flavor and Color: Eggs add richness and a golden hue to the pudding.
• Use large eggs at room temperature for the best results. Here’s how to get eggs to room temperature.
• Alternatively, you can use silken tofu or mashed banana instead of the egg. For more details, look at our Best Egg Substitutes Chart.

Apricot jam

• Apricot jam adds a sweet-tart, bright flavor to the dessert.
• The jam also gives the cake moisture.

Butter

• In the cake, the fat in butter coats the flour, inhibiting gluten formation and giving the cake a fluffy crumb.
• Melted butter contributes to the cake’s moisture and tenderness.
• In the sauce, butter is a binder to create a uniformly silky mixture.

Apple cider vinegar

• Vinegar reacts with the baking soda to make the pudding cake rise.

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour has a protein content of 9-11%, which makes a cake that has enough gluten development to create a necessary structure but has a tender crumb.

Baking powder

• Baking powder contributes to the rise of the cake and helps give it a fluffy texture.
• It’s easy to make your own baking powder and baking soda?

Baking soda

• Baking soda is a leavening agent that reacts with acid to create air bubbles to make the cake rise.
• In this recipe, baking soda reacts with the acid from the vinegar.

Heavy cream

• Heavy whipping cream is natural fresh cream skimmed from milk, with a fat content of around 36%. Its high-fat content gives the sauce a velvety texture and lush flavor.
• Heavy cream stabilizes the sauce, keeping it from splitting. Due to its low-fat content, light cream will not work in this recipe.

Whole milk

• Using whole milk and heavy cream in the sauce gives it a rich but thin enough consistency to be pourable and soak into the cake well.

Granulated sugar

• Granulated sugar sweetens the sauce and adds subtle caramel notes.
• The dissolved sugar gives the sauce a glossy sheen.

Salt

• Salt keeps the sauce from being overly sweet and enhances the flavors.

How to Make South African Malva Pudding

1. Prepare to bake.

   • Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C) and butter an 8-inch (20cm) square baking dish.

2. Make the cake batter.

   • In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, brown sugar, eggs, apricot jam, melted butter, and vinegar until they are thoroughly combined.
   • In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
   • Combine the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

3. Bake the cake

   • Pour the mixture into the greased baking dish.
   • Bake for 30-40 minutes until you can insert a knife and it comes out clean.

4. Make the sauce.

   • While the pudding is nearly finished baking, make your sauce: in a saucepan over medium heat, combine the cream, milk, butter, sugar, and salt.
   • Heat until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.

5. Finish the pudding and serve.

   • Once the pudding is finished, poke holes all over the hot pudding with a skewer, and then pour the warm sauce over the pudding.
   • Let the pudding rest for at least 30 minutes before serving warm.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Add sauce immediately. Be sure to pour the sauce over the pudding while it is still hot so it can properly absorb all that delicious liquid!
• Make individual cakes instead! You can bake this pudding in 10 individual small ramekins to make a pretty presentation while serving. If you choose to use ramekins, they need less time to bake. Start checking for doneness after about 20 minutes.
• Brighten the flavor with orange. Add a taste of citrus by using a tablespoon of orange juice in the sauce.
• Spike the sauce. For an adult version, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of dark rum to the sauce before pouring it over the pudding.
• Use fruit for a different texture. Try a fruity version of malva pudding by folding two chopped poached pears into the batter before baking.

Make Ahead & Storage Instructions

• Malva Pudding is best served the day it is made, but you can make the cake and sauce ahead of time, store them separately, and add the sauce to the cake when you’re ready to serve it. To make this South African Malva Pudding Recipe in advance:
  • Bake the cake up to 1 days in advance.
    • Let the cake cool to room temperature and wrap it well. Store at room temperature for up to one day.
    • For longer storage, you can wrap the cake well and store it in the fridge for up to three days.
  • Make the sauce up to two days in advance.
    • Let the sauce cool to room temperature and place in an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to two days.
  • Reheat the cake by warming it in the oven at 300°F (150°C) until just heated through.
  • Reheat the sauce over low heat or gently in the microwave. Take care to just warm the sauce, and don’t let it boil.
  • Poke holes all over the cake and pour the sauce over. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
• To store leftover Malva Pudding: 
  • Put any leftover malva pudding in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
  • Before serving, reheat it in a 300°F (150°C) oven or the microwave.

FAQs

• Can I make this malva pudding cake gluten-free?

  • Yes, you can make this malva pudding cake gluten-free.
    • Substitute a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend or our Easy Almond FlourBaking Mix for the all-purpose flour.
    • Apricot jam is generally gluten-free, but check that the brand you use is labeled as such. Some brands could contain ingredients with gluten, or there could be cross-contamination.

• How do I make sure my cake has the perfect light, fluffy texture?

  • Check the expiration dates on your baking soda and baking powder so you get the perfect rise.
  • Mix the batter until just combined, as over-mixing can make the cake dense.
  • Take care not to bake the cake for too long. Bake just until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

• Can I make malva pudding without egg?

  • Yes, you can use silken tofu or mashed banana instead of the egg. Check out our Best Egg Substitutes Chart for other alternatives.

More International Recipes

• Swedish Cardamom Buns
• Melt-in-Your-Mouth South American Alfajores
• Caramel Apple Tarte Tatin
• Italian Ricotta Cake with Crumbs
• Canadian Butter Tarts

Full (and printable) recipe below!

IMPORTANT NOTE: This recipe was improved and updated on 7/13/2024, to include a new new STEP-BY-STEP tutorial video, explanations of key ingredients, answers to the most frequently asked questions, and Pro Chef Tips.

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