Malva Pudding
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
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.
what pan size do you use?
Hi Natalie,
I used 2 quarts casserole pan,about 8 inch baking pan.
Hi
What type of vinegar do you use?
Hello,I used malt vinegar.
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…
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.
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!
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 !!!
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!
It’s one of my fave pudding recipe, Meghan. Glad you love it as much as I do.
I just made two of these cakes for a Girl Scout International night. The girls loved them. One comment though, You did not say what size pan to use. I ended up using one 8×8 and one 9×9. Will make again.
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback Pamela.
I just came back from South Africa and had Malva pudding almost every night after dinner. I’m can’t wait to make it now at home. Thank you for sharing your receipt
Hi Lynn! You are going to love making it at home. It’s so easy to make too.
We too just got back from South Africa. Had malva pudding for the first time …. and of course LOVED it. Will try your recipe for sure. It will be a real treat for us Canadians !!! Thanks.
I hope you enjoyed it every bit as much, Carole. Hope you’re staying warm in Canada!
I made this last year for a vacation in Destin florida. I had some coconut cream with shavings and just threw it in to the sauce because I didn’t want to waste it. After the cake cooled it was packaged and traveled the five hours to florida from Georgia. We didn’t consume the cake till the 3rd or 4th day of our vacation. This is one of the easiest and decadent cakes I have ever made. I ended up cutting the evaporated milk in half and putting the equivalent of the coconut cream. My whole family loved this cake, and it inspired me to use more of your recipes. Thank you for taking the time to inspire us with your recipes.
My pleasure! Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts and variation with us Kathrina. Happy Cooking !!!
Is this a dish they would make in Chad?
Not really!!!! It’s more of a South African dessert.
Hi,
I would like to try your recipe. One question about amount of flour. Is it 1 cup or is it 5 oz ? 5 oz is only a little more than half a cup.
Thanks,
It’s one cup- scoop and sweep. Based on measurement 1 cup equals 5 ounce.
Could you double the recipe and bake it in a 9×13 inch pan? I’m making this for a dinner party with my neighbors and need more than 6 servings. One of my neighbors is from South Africa, so I wanted to surprise her with this dessert.
You sure can. Happy Cooking!!!
im looking forward to baking this tonight!
Let me know how it works out Candace!!!
Heather, so happy this cake was unforgettable and glad you took the time to let us know . Thanks!
this cake is unbelievable, it is unique and totally addictive. i’ve never had anything like it. i want everyone to experience it.
OMG! This is absolutely wonderful. I might add pecans or almonds next time. Thanks for this moist, rich recipe. My husband topped his with a little whipped cream. It might seem like a little pan, but you don’t need a large piece because it is so rich. Great for guests.
Just wondering what size pan you used. This really looks great! Am trying your baked chicken legs tonight. Now wish I had seen this before I went to the grocery store.
Don’t sweat it, you will get it on your next shopping trip. My cake pan is close to 8 inch . I have had it for so long – can’t read the exact specifications. An 8 inch would do just fine. Let me know how you like the chicken legs and when you make the malva cake.Thanks for stopping by!
Hi Immaculate, I just made this absolutely delicious, unique cake. My husband and my mom loved it too! We love to try different ethnic foods but typically I am making savory dishes. This was a welcome, sweet change!
Stacie,I am so happy it was a hit with you and your family . Thanks for taking the time to provide some feed back – I really appreciate it!
I’ve never heard of this cake but it sounds very flavorful. Back in Guyana we didn’t eat a lot of sweets either and cakes were for special occasions also. However the cakes were definitely worthy of a special occasion.
Jehan, this one is a favorite during the christmas season. Thanks for taking the time to comment.
it looks delicious!
This seems similar to a tres leches cake only then you pour just milk over the top. It is also creamy and custardy. Nice cake!
Abbe, that is so true! They are both drenched in creamy goodness. Thanks for stopping by!
I’ve been really anxious to make a malva pudding! I can’t wait to use your recipe!
Chelsea, let me know how it works for you!