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Malva pudding, a comforting South African dessert

March 31, 2014 2 Comments Filed Under: Baking, Desserts and sweets, Food, Recipes, Travel

While travelling in South Africa reporting on Cape fruit farmers, I grew to love Malva Pudding. The unctuousness and comfort of this dessert is almost on an English school pud level; it’s stodgy but also light, warm, spongy and sweet, reminiscent of Sticky Toffee Pudding.

During my trip I visited La Plaisante Estate, the house of fruit farmer Nic Dicey and his English wife Natasha. While the others gorged on thick ropey steaks three foot long, slung extravagantly on the ‘braai’ (a South African barbecue), I sweltered in the kitchen, cooking a vegetarian meal. The vegetarian braai was met with some incredulity by the South African farmers. This is a country that is overwhelmingly protein focused, so my vegetables struggled to be accepted at the dinner table.

Nevertheless, I enjoyed cooking with Nic and Natasha’s smiling housekeeper Jeanette, who has cooked for the former since he was a child. Nic’s mother Antoinette taught this Malva Pudding recipe to Jeanette, and it has been a firm family favourite ever since. South Africans often have Malva Pudding as a Christmas treat.

Jeanette making Malva pudding
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Malva Pudding

This recipe makes enough for 6-8 people (double the quantities of every ingredient for more), and doesn't require any fancy ingredients... just flour, sugar, butter, eggs, bicarb, milk, a little vanilla, and golden syrup. Oh, and some double cream, sugar and butter for the delicious sauce. Make it yourself!
I had several stabs at making my own Malva Pudding, and think this is the best recipe of the bunch. Give it a go yourself! It’s delicious the next day, too.
Course Dessert, Pudding
Cuisine South African
Keyword Malva pudding
Serves 6

Ingredients

For the pudding:

  • 250 g self-raising flour
  • 150 g brown or dark sugar
  • 30 g butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 10 g bicarb of soda
  • 250 ml whole milk
  • 5 ml vanilla essence
  • 30 g golden syrup

For the sauce

  • 250 ml double cream
  • 100 g butter
  • 100 g caster sugar
  • 100 ml water

Instructions

  • Mix all the pudding ingredients to form a thin batter.
  • Bake in a greased oven dish (with lid or foil covering so that it doesn’t burn on top) for 30-40 min on 160 degrees Celsius.
  • Meanwhile, put all the sauce ingredients into a medium saucepan and heat on medium to low heat until all the ingredients are melted.
  • Pour the sauce over the pudding as soon as it emerges from the oven and allow it to seep into the sponge. Prick with a fork if necessary to aid absorption.
  • Serve with ice cream, cream or custard!

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Comments

  1. Annie Green

    April 1, 2014 at 11:35 pm

    That sounds delicious. I had something that looked similar to this at a restaurant last week. I don't remember what it was called, but I loved it. If this is anything like it, it sounds delicious. I will have to try making it for sure. http://www.ptgeneralcontractor.ca

    Reply
  2. Maria Grobler

    July 14, 2021 at 11:48 am

    Looking for a Malvapoeding with creamy sause. 13 July Frans Kook Bok Radio.

    Reply

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