Malva Pudding is one of my favorite sweet and decadent South African desserts. With a caramelized exterior and spongy interior soaked in tasty warm butter, it’s an absolute delight to dive into.
Maybe you need a dessert to serve for your African-themed party. Or perhaps you want to indulge in a decadent and sinfully delicious dessert. In any case, this Malva pudding cake will satisfy both your needs and desires.
So, what is Malva pudding? It is a baked sweet pudding cake from South Africa with a caramelized exterior and spongy interior. We soak it in a warm butter sauce as soon as it comes out of the oven. Then, we serve it with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.
Malva Pudding: a Classic African Dessert
I first made this cake during my home economics class. Back then, any cake was a good cake because, in Africa, it’s not an everyday occurrence. We save cakes for special occasions. But this one was all the rage in our class.
I’ll never forget that warm, buttery taste the first time I took a bite of this moist and decadent dessert. When I found a great recipe in Marcus Samuelsson’s cookbook, “The Soul of a New Cuisine,” I knew I had to recreate this heavenly treat. And after tweaking it a little, it tasted like the one we made, but even better.
Recipe Ingredients
- Basic Cake – The usual cake ingredients for a Malva pudding are flour, butter, eggs, sugar, baking soda, salt, vinegar, and milk.
- Fruity Ingredients – Apricot jam and orange zest deliver bright, citrusy notes that vibe insanely well with the rich butter sauce. 🤯
- Butter Sauce – Butter, evaporated milk, granulated and brown sugar, and almond and vanilla extract create a delectable butter sauce. 😵
How to Make Malva Pudding
Make the Cake
- Liquid Ingredients – In a large bowl, beat eggs, orange zest, sugar, butter, and apricot jam until light and fluffy. Then, add the vinegar and milk to the egg mixture. (Photo 1)
- Dry Ingredients – Sift flour, baking soda, and salt in another mixing bowl. (Photo 2)
- Make Batter – Gradually fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. The mixture might be runny, and that’s ok. Pour the pudding cake batter into a greased pan. (Photos 3-5)
- Bake the cake at 350℉ (175℃) until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. It should take about 25-30 minutes. (Photo 6)
- Butter Sauce – While the cake bakes, heat the evaporated milk, butter, sugar, and almond and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Remove the sauce from the heat. (Photos 7-8)
Assemble the Pudding
- Prep Cake – Using a skewer, poke holes in the baked cake all the way to the bottom.
- Serve – Then, pour the butter sauce on the cake. Serve immediately. Or let it cool and store it in the fridge if you plan on serving it later. Enjoy! (Photos 9-10)
Recipe Variations
- Go gluten-free! Your favorite all-purpose gluten-free flour blend will work fine for Malva pudding.
- Swap up the extracts. Vanilla and almond extract delivers a decadent aroma, but feel free to get creative. Hazelnut extract, an almond-flavored liqueur, or warm spices like cinnamon are all good. 🤎
- Fruity trade. Use lemon or lime zest instead of the orange, and replace apricot jam with any jam that provides an overall harmonious flavor.
Tips and Tricks
- Grease your cake pan generously to keep the cake from sticking to the pan when it’s fully baked.
- Pour the butter sauce over the cake slowly and evenly so it has time to absorb.
- Get creative by garnishing your Malva pudding with fresh berries and mint leaves, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or a dusting of powdered sugar. 😍
Make-Ahead Instructions
Feel free to make this a day or two ahead of time. Keep it covered in the fridge until ready to serve it.
You can also freeze Malva pudding as a whole cake or as individual slices. Wrap it in plastic wrap and freeze it in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Thaw Malva pudding in the fridge the day before serving.
Serving and Storage Instructions
I love serving it warm, so enjoy a freshly baked slice (or two) while it’s still hot.
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container. Some prefer heating it up a few seconds in the microwave, and others enjoy it chilled.
FAQs
It’s traditional for a more authentic malva pudding recipe, but feel free to experiment with other flavors. Peach jam would be a great replacement.
It will rise and have a golden brown top. Also, a cake tester inserted into the center will come out clean. It should have a moist, sponge-like texture.
The texture is similar to tres leches. The taste is also similar but with apricot and sticky toffee undertones. 🫶
What Goes With Malva Pudding
Malva pudding goes amazingly with different toppings. Fresh fruit, grilled pineapple, caramel sauce, chocolate sauce, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream all take the experience over the top. And a hot cup of ginger tea pairs well with the apricot flavor. 🤩
More Amazing African Desserts to Try
Conclusion
One bite of Malva pudding, and you’ll be packing your bags and buying yourself a one-way ticket to South Africa! Well, maybe not a one-way ticket, but you’ll definitely want to add this to your dessert recipe collection. Let me know what you served it with below!
Watch How to Make It
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This blog post was originally published in May 2014 and has been updated with additional tips, new photos, and a video.
Malva Pudding
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Ingredients
The Cake
- 4 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons grated orange zest
- 1½ cups (300g) sugar
- ¾ cup (180g) unsalted butter at room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) apricot jam
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (10g) baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (7g) salt
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) vinegar
- 1½ cups (360ml) milk
The Sauce
- 2 cups (240ml) evaporated milk
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (105g) brown sugar
- 1 cup (240g) butter
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) almond extract
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) vanilla extract
Instructions
The Cake
- In a large bowl, beat eggs, orange zest, sugar, butter, and apricot jam until light and fluffy. Then, add the vinegar and milk to the egg mixture.
- In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Gradually, fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture. The mixture might be runny, but that's OK.
- Pour batter into a greased cake pan. Bake at 350℉ (180℃) until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 25–30 minutes.
The Sauce
- While the cake is baking, heat the evaporated milk, butter, sugar, almond extract, and vanilla extract in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Remove from heat
- Heat the evaporated milk, butter, sugar, almond and vanilla extract, in a saucepan over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the butter has melted. Remove from heat
- Using a skewer, poke holes in the cake all the way to the bottom.
- Pour the butter sauce on the cake. Serve immediately or set aside in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
Tips & Notes:
- Grease your cake pan generously to keep the cake from sticking to the pan when it’s fully baked.
- Pour the butter sauce over the cake slowly and evenly so it has time to absorb.
- Get creative by garnishing your Malva pudding with fresh berries and mint leaves, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, or a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.
Jenny says
Should all the butter used in the recipe be unsalted butter? Can’t wait to try this, it sounds so delicious!
Florence says
I am not from SA but my husband is , made this twice already and my husband said taste authentic SA..I do cook and bake some of your recipe..I love them thank you..
Adrienne McMillan says
This is a delicious cake! I made it for Juneteenth 2020 and 2021. Regarding the flour, I used one cup the first time and the second time I used 5 ounces using a food scale. The one cup is the way to go. Although 8oz equals a cup it doesn’t really work out that way for some reason. So stir your flour, spoon it into a 1 cup dry measuring cup and sweep off the top to make it even, do not pack down. I made this version and your chocolate version. We all like the original the best. Thanks for sharing!
Immaculate Bites says
Aww! Thank you for sharing this, Adrienne! 🙂
Penny says
I want to make this for a Mother’s day function for 14 people so plan on using double quantity. Can I bake in Pyrex,….
Immaculate Bites says
Hello Penny! I haven’t tried it but you may adjust your temperature and baking time. Goodluck! Please let me know how it goes and I hope your guests enjoy the meal that you’ll prepare 🙂
Angee says
The first time I made malva pudding I used a highly rated recipe I found online. It was entirely too sweet and dense and I didn’t like it. I decided to try again with your recipe and omg. I just tried a piece and it is fantastic! Just perfect. Thank you so much. I love your recipes!
Margot says
Hello. I’ve made this dessert several times, and while it is delicious, it always sags in the middle. How do I fix this? I use an 8 X 8″ Corningware dish and I don’t open the oven door until I’m ready to take it out. Help!
Angee says
The same thing happens to me when I try to bake a cake in a Corningware pan. The problem is they take longer to heat up than metal. I used an 8×8 metal pan for this and it was perfect.
Dana says
One of your comments said to use malt vinegar. I don’t have that at home and am unable to get to the store. What other vinegars would work well? So, why is vinegar an important ingredient in this recipe?
Thanks!
Dana
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Dana,
Malt vinegar is a traditional ingredient. However, white vinegar works just as well.
Philip Shon Thomas says
I fear I know the answer to this but I am going to ask anyway. Is they any substitute to the Apricot Jam. With shopping being what it is I don’t want to pop to into the store just for Apricot Jam, the rest I have on file. Would maybe Strawberry work or maybe some other sub?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Philip. I totally understand where you are coming from. Unfortunately, in order to have the authentic Malva pudding, Apricot Jam is the way to go. But guess what, I do not think strawberry would ruin your pudding… sure the color and taste would be different, but I bet it will still taste great. Think of this as a trial run, until when you are able to get Apricot Jam. Happy baking and stay safe.
Chris says
I have used rasberry marmalade as a substitute and it was still an amazing desert.
Julie says
Hi. I’m making this for a Christmas party and I’m using your recipe as the representative recipe from an African country. (Theme is Christmas Around the world). I have a question, is it possible to bake the cake first and then wait several hours (upwards of 12 hours) before applying the sauce, or is better to apply sauce when cake is fresh from oven, and then refrigerate it for 24 hours until needed?
imma africanbites says
Hi, Julie. I usually apply the sauce after the cake is baked and set it aside in the fridge until ready to serve.
Family5 says
Thank you for the recipe!! My family was excited to try a new dessert. I grated oranges peels since I couldn’t find orange zest locally. This cake was delicious. So, much better than my mother’s traditional pound cake.
imma africanbites says
I’m so happy you love this! Truly a decadent treat! Thanks for stopping by!
natalie says
what pan size do you use?
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Natalie,
I used 2 quarts casserole pan,about 8 inch baking pan.
Dothea Galloway says
Hi
What type of vinegar do you use?
ImmaculateBites says
Hello,I used malt vinegar.
Dottie Galloway says
Hi,
We a having a party for about 60 to75 senior citizens… the party is called “An African Safari,”
Since many of the residents said that if they were younger and had the money they would love to go to Africa and go on an African Safari to see all the beautiful animals and the land…So since they cant got to Africa to go on a Safari…I and some of my volunteers and going to try to bring the African Safari as well as we can to them…All that said, I am going to make several African dishes and I needed a dessert so I’ve decided to try to make Malva pudding..I’ve looked at several different recipes and have decided to try your…but i need to get some clarification on what kind of vinegar to use….white, red wine, malted, balsamic, rice vinegar, or apple cider? The next thing I would like to know is, can I use heavy whipping cream or do I need to use evaporated milk in the sauce? Just one more question…how pans of the Malva pudding would be enough for about 35 to40 people?.I had a quest to make a sweet potato pone so I’ll have two different desserts…i want to Thank you in advance for taking the time in answering my questions…I cant wait to try making and tasting you Malva pudding, I just hope I can and will do your recipe justice and will make us both proud…
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Dottie,
SO sweet of guys to transport these Senior Citizens to Africa with their tastebuds.
Heavy cream would work if evaporated milk is not available. In regards to your other question , 3-4 pans of Malva pudding would work. since you are making cassava pone.
Wishing you all the best,
Happy Baking.
Joey G. says
Hi Imma!
I purchased Marcus’s book, Discovery of a Continent, thanks to you. Wanted to try out both Malva pudding recipes and see which one will become the fave. I like your addition of orange zest, almond extract and brown sugar. Did you try it a few different ways before your final recipe? What did you think of the original one from the book? Can’t wait to make both! Take care!
ImmaculateBites says
Hi Joey!
The original pudding is good- texture wise . However, my tastebuds always want want more… do not like bland food .Brown sugar adds some depth to it -together with the orange zest. I have also tried it without the almond extract. By the way, if you like chocolate I have another recipe for chocolate Malva pudding here https://www.africanbites.com/malva-pudding-chocolate/
Can’t wait to hear how they both work out for you.
Happy Cooking !!!
Meghan says
My daughter was assigned the country of South Africa to study in school. She needed to make a dish from her country. I’m SO happy I stumbled upon this recipe. It is AMAZING. I now make it regularly, and everyone always loves it!
imma africanbites says
It’s one of my fave pudding recipe, Meghan. Glad you love it as much as I do.