Malva Pudding for People Who’ve Had a Week

A sweet, sticky follow-up to bobotie - or whatever existential crisis you’re currently navigating.

Welcome to recipe number two in what I’m now calling my extremely inconsistent but well-intentioned attempt at being a domestic god.

Originally, I thought these would be midweek posts - a little Wednesday treat, something to break up the week. But much like my gym attendance and my plans to organise the spice rack, reality had other ideas. So now, they’re going out with the Sunday post. Because if there’s ever a day for baking something warm, sticky, and a bit boozy, it’s Sunday.

Photo by Becca on Unsplash (I don’t have any good photos of my own of Malva puddings I’ve made, so you’ll have to make do with a picture of a bear - sorry!)

This week’s recipe? Malva pudding. Rich, nostalgic, unapologetically indulgent.

It’s the perfect dessert to serve after a bobotie, or frankly, just to eat standing in your kitchen with a spoon. And while I’ve added my own (mildly heretical) twist - yes, there’s brandy, and yes, it works - it still holds that familiar, squishy comfort you want from a proper South African pudding.

As ever, I make no promises about precision or elegance. But I do promise it’ll taste bloody lovely.

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EQUIPMENT:

🥣 Mixing Bowls: You’re going to need a couple of these. If they match, congratulations, you’ve got your life more together than I do.

🥄 Whisk: Electric or elbow, doesn’t really matter, I’m not dogmatic.

🥘 Baking Dish: 20 x 20 cm or thereabouts.

🥄 Saucepan: For the sauce, obviously. No, a microwave won’t cut it, so don’t even think about it.

INGREDIENTS:

For the Pudding:

🍬 180g Molasses¹ – Trust me, richer with a slight bitter taste.

🥚 2 eggs – Room temperature. Beat them well.

🍑 1 tbsp apricot jam – The secret ingredient that keeps it moist; try for one that’s just a touch tart.

🌾 190g flour – Standard all-purpose flour will do here.

🥄 1 tsp baking soda

🧂 Pinch of salt – Be generous!

🧈 15g butter – melt before hand. Also, margarine will also work in this case.

🍋 15ml vinegar – Adds a bit of acidity to balance the sweetness.

🥛 120ml cow milk – Full-fat, obviously.

🥃 40ml brandy² – This is where I commit a crime against Malva puddings everywhere, but, the brandy will give the pudding depth and a warm, lingering finish.

For the Sauce:

🍬 100g brown sugar – Brown is definitely a good idea here!

🧈 120g butter – I would recommend salted.

🥛 120ml double cream

🥃 60ml brandy

🍦 1 tsp vanilla extract

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INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Mix the Pudding Batter: Beat the molasses and eggs together until well combined. Stir in the apricot jam and mix well. While you’re doing that, preheat your oven to 180 Celsius.

2. Add the Dry Ingredients: Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together. Add this to the egg mixture, alternating with the melted butter, vinegar, milk, and finally, the brandy. Mix until just combined – don’t overdo it.

3. Bake: Pour the batter into your baking dish and pop it into the preheated oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

4. Make the Sauce³: While the pudding is baking, prepare the sauce. Combine the sugar, butter, cream, and brandy in a saucepan over low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is smooth and glossy. Do not let it boil – you want a velvety texture, not a split mess.

5. Soak the Pudding: Once the pudding is out of the oven, poke it all over with a skewer and pour the warm sauce over it. The pudding will soak up the sauce like a sponge, making it incredibly moist.

6. Serve: Serve warm, with extra sauce on the side, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream (totally optional though, but does add that proverbial cherry on top).

Storage: Not that you’ll have any leftovers, but if you do, this pudding actually gets better with time. Store it in the fridge and reheat gently in the oven. It’s even better the next day, if that’s possible.

1. If you feel this is a bit much, you can use normal sugar, but make it 200g sugar and adjust the flour down slightly.

2. You can use any brandy you like, but a decent quality one will make a difference.

3. The Sauce: If you want an extra boozy kick, feel free to add a splash more brandy to the sauce just before serving. But don’t overdo it – you want to taste the pudding, not just the alcohol.