Malva pudding is a classic South African dessert spongy in texture, sticky, and irresistible. These easy mini cakes are made with apricot jam that gives them a delicious caramelized texture, and the sweet, buttery cream sauce makes them deliciously gooey.
Who doesn't love a warm, gooey cake à la mode? Malva pudding is perfect for when you want to indulge and satisfy your sweet tooth.
Traditionally, the pudding is baked in one pan, making it even easier to make. I love the individual mini cakes because it makes for mess-free serving and easy portion control.
Truth be told, the latter doesn't work as intended - these malva pudding cakes are super addictive, and it's so hard to stop at just one!
What is Malva pudding?
Malva pudding (malvapoeding) is a popular South African dessert of Cape Dutch origin. The unique flavor combination of apricot jam and butter-cream sauce creates an appetizing sweetness with caramelized exterior and spongy interior that you'll find only here!
Malva pudding is as ingrained in South African culture as melktert or crunchies.
The cake is poured with cream sauce while it's hot, making the pudding delightfully sticky. It is usually served with ice cream or custard, and sometimes both. Or you can also simply dust it with powdered sugar.
🛒 Ingredients and Notes
For malva pudding
This super simple recipe just needs some staples from your fridge and pantry. Traditional malva pudding ingredients are apricot jam and vinegar (you read that right!)
Mixing vinegar with baking soda creates a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide, which makes for rising with a perfectly fluffy texture. You won't taste the vinegar after baking.
For the cream sauce
When you have a cake like this that makes you melt into your chair, you'll want to indulge all you want (and you can). The mini cakes are poured with cream sauce as soon as they come out of the oven. Talk about decadent!
🔪 Instructions
Make the Pudding Cakes
- Make the batter: Beat the butter and sugar together; add the eggs. Mix in apricot jam, flour, salt, and soda dissolved in milk; stir in the vinegar.
- Bake the cakes: Pour into the prepared muffin pan and bake until the cakes turn golden brown on the edges.
Make the Cream Sauce
- Make the sauce: In a saucepan, add all the ingredients and heat over medium heat until butter melts, and everything is well combined.
- Assemble: Take out the cakes from the oven and poke holes with a toothpick. Pour the sauce over the hot baked pudding cakes.
- To avoid lumps of apricot jam and ensure even spreading in the pudding, warm the jam with a splash of water (about ½ teaspoon) until it liquefies. You can also use apricot preserves.
- You want to make sure you pour the sauce over your pudding while it's still hot so that all those delicious flavors can sink in.
- It is best to serve the pudding when the sauce is fully absorbed; let the cakes rest for 10-15 minutes.
- The butter sauce will separate a bit when simmering, but don't worry! Just scoop out any milk solids before pouring it over your cake. You'll have an even cleaner look with no pesky bits sticking up all over the place.
- If you choose to bake the pudding in one pan instead in a muffin tin or ramekins, you will need to bake it longer, about 30-40 minutes.
- You can serve the malva pudding warm or cold.
Malva pudding variations:
This South African sticky dessert is something you can experiment with a little:
- Try using ginger in the pudding mix for a little bit of spice or switching some of the ingredients for the cream sauce.
- You can include brandy, sherry, or dark rum into the sauce before pouring it over the pudding for a more adult version.
- I've heard of people using sweetened condensed milk instead of cream, and some like to add almond extract in addition to the vanilla extract.
- Serve the pudding cakes warm or cold as they are, or you can dust them with powdered sugar or top them with ice cream.
- You can make malva pudding as one big cake or use a muffin pan to create single servings. For this recipe, I decided to use a large, 6-cup muffin pan to create those perfect little portions because I love dessert and have minimal self-control.
Whatever your preference is, I guarantee these little pudding cakes will steal your heart!
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
You can use guava or strawberry jam or try orange marmalade, each creating a different flavor of malva pudding.
Refrigerate leftover malva pudding in an airtight container for up to three days. You can eat it cold or reheat it in a microwave or oven to 300 F.
Yes, you can freeze the mini cakes—Thaw before reheating or eating cold.
Serve hot or cold, dusted with powdered sugar, or top with custard, ice cream, or whipped cream.
Other South African recipes you'll love:
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South African Malva Pudding Cakes
EQUIPMENT
- 6 large muffins muffin pan or a 7" baking pan
- small saucepan
Ingredients
Pudding Cakes
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon apricot jam
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
Cream Sauce
- 1 stick unsalted butter, (8 tablespoons)
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ¼ cup hot water
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Pudding Cakes
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a 6-cup muffin pan or a 7-inch round or square baking dish.
- With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together until creamy. Add the eggs and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add in the jam and mix through.
- Dissolve the baking soda in the milk.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the flour and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet mix alternating with milk. Stir in the vinegar. Combine everything together.
- Pour into the prepared muffin pan and bake until the cakes turn golden brown on the edges about 30-45 minutes (about 60 minutes if you're not using a muffin pan).
Cream Sauce
- In a saucepan, add all the ingredients and heat over medium heat until butter is melted and everything is well combined.
Assemble
- Take out the cakes from the oven and poke holes with a toothpick all over them. Pour the sauce over the hot baked pudding cakes.
- Let the cakes stand for about 20-30 minutes for the sauce to completely soak in.
Notes
- To avoid lumps of apricot jam and ensure even spreading in the pudding, warm the jam with a splash of water (about ½ teaspoon) until it liquefies. You can also use apricot preserves.
- You want to make sure you pour the sauce over your pudding while it's still hot so that all those delicious flavors can sink in.
- It is best to serve the pudding when the sauce is fully absorbed; let the cakes rest for 10-15 minutes.
- The butter sauce will separate a bit when simmering, but don't worry! Just scoop out any milk solids before pouring it over your cake. You'll have an even cleaner look with no pesky bits sticking up all over the place.
- If you choose to bake the pudding in one pan instead in a muffin tin or ramekins, you will need to bake it longer, about 30-40 minutes.
- You can serve the malva pudding warm or cold.
- Check the post for variations and FAQs.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Michey says
I made this for potluck at church and it was a hit
Jas says
I'm so glad everyone at church liked it. Thank you for coming back to let us know!
Jill Edwards says
A close friend of my mom's gave me this recipe in a handwritten cookbook for a wedding gift. I have made it so many times, I lost count. My parents, kids, mother-in-law, husband & friends have absolutely loved it. It is not real sweet but just right!!
Jas says
Awe, that's a great story! So happy you all enjoy it.