Malva Pudding – the original

I can happily claim responsibility for the resurgence and subsequent popularity of Malva Pudding.  In the late 1970’s I asked my friend Maggie Pepler who had the original recipe to come and work at Boschendal Restaurant for which I was responsible while our head chef was on holiday.

I asked Maggie to teach us how to make this delicious traditional hot pudding and it has appeared on the buffet at Boschendal Restaurant every day ever since – that’s 34 years.  There are many versions of this recipe as people have added a variety of other ingredients such as banana, apple and even caramelised condensed milk!

This is the benchmark Malva Pudding Recipe.  The ingredients are given in the measures in which Maggie originally gave me the recipe.

Maggie Pepler’s Malva Pudding

You’ll need:
1 cup flour, 125g
1 Tbs bicarbonate of soda
1 cup sugar 250g
1 egg
1 Tbs apricot jam
1 Tbs vinegar
1 Tbs melted butter
1 cup milk 250ml

For the sauce:
½ cup cream 125ml
½ cup milk 125ml
1 cup sugar 250g
½ cup hot water 125ml
½ cup butter 125g

Method:
Set oven at 180°C. Grease, with butter, an ovenproof glass or porcelain container approximately 30cm X 20cm X 5cm. Do not use an aluminium, enamel or any metal container.  Cut a piece of aluminium foil to cover it while the pudding is in the oven and grease it well with butter on one side.  Sift the flour and the bicarb into a bowl and stir in the sugar.  In another bowl beat the egg very well and add the remaining ingredients [excluding those for the sauce] one by one, beating well between each addition.  Using a wooden spoon beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.  Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, cover with the foil, greased side down and bake for 45 minutes in the present oven until well risen and brown and for a further five minutes without the foil if not sufficiently brown.  If not sufficiently baked the dessert will not take up all the sauce making it stodgy inside.  When the pudding is almost done, heat the ingredients for the sauce, ensuring that you melt all the sugar and butter.  When the pudding is done, remove from the oven, take off the foil and pour over the sauce.  The pudding will take up all the sauce.  Serve hot, warm or at room temperature, though warm is best, with a little thin cream or a vanilla custard.

Serves 6

Maggie Pepler died at the ripe old age of 87 in late September 2013, she was such a humble lady, I don’t think was ever aware of the fame she created for this iconic South African dessert.