Brandied Malva Pudding
The ultimate South African comfort pudding, given extra depth with dates, nuts and brandy. Sticky, warm, soaked through with sauce. Serve with whipped cream or custard and don't hold back.
Malva pudding is as South African as it gets. The name likely comes from the Afrikaans word for mallow, or possibly from a Cape hostess called Malva who made it famous at her table, depending on who you ask. Either way, it has been a fixture at South African dinner tables since the Cape Dutch era, and it is one of those puddings that people get genuinely emotional about. This version crosses it with Cape Brandy Tart by adding dates and nuts to the batter, making it even richer and stickier. In the UAE, swap the brandy for fresh cream if needed. It will still hit the spot on a winter evening in Dubai.
Ingredients
- 120 g pitted dates, roughly chopped
- 125 ml boiling water
- 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
- 30 ml butter, melted
- 125 ml full cream milk, warmed
- 250 ml plain flour
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (sub: 3 tsp baking powder if bicarb unavailable, though bicarb is stocked at Spinneys and Carrefour)
- 250 ml sugar
- 30 ml smooth apricot jam
- 5 ml white wine vinegar
- 60 ml walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
- 125 ml brandy (sub: 125 ml fresh cream for a non-alcoholic version)
- 125 ml smooth apricot jam
- 60 ml water
Method
- Pour boiling water over the dates and leave to soak for 10 minutes. Reserve 60 ml of the soaking liquid.
- Preheat the oven to 170°C, rack in the middle position. Butter a 26 x 16 cm ovenproof dish generously.
- Beat the eggs and melted butter together on high speed until well blended. Add the warmed milk and beat briefly.
- Stir in the apricot jam and vinegar.
- Sift in the flour, bicarb and sugar and fold until just combined.
- Add the soaked dates and nuts. Fold in gently by hand until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter will be soft and runny.
- Scrape into the prepared dish and shake lightly to level.
- Bake for 35 minutes.
- Five minutes before the pudding comes out, warm the apricot jam and water together in a small saucepan with the reserved date soaking liquid, stirring until smooth.
- Remove the pudding from the oven, prick all over with a fork and cut into portions.
- Add the brandy (or fresh cream) to the warm glaze. Pour over the hot pudding immediately.
- Keep spooning any sauce pooling in the corners back over the top to help it soak in.
- Leave to stand for 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature with whipped cream or custard.
Notes
Method
- Soak the dates in boiling water for 10 minutes. Reserve 60 ml of the liquid.
- Preheat oven to 170°C, middle rack. Butter a 26 x 16 cm ovenproof dish well.
- Beat eggs and melted butter on high until blended. Add warm milk and beat briefly.
- Stir in apricot jam and vinegar.
- Sift in flour, bicarb and sugar. Fold until just combined.
- Add dates and nuts. Fold gently by hand until just combined. Do not overmix. Batter will be runny.
- Pour into dish, shake to level. Bake for 35 minutes.
- Five minutes before it comes out, warm the apricot jam, water and reserved date liquid in a small saucepan until smooth.
- Remove pudding from oven, prick all over with a fork, cut into portions.
- Add brandy or fresh cream to the warm glaze. Pour over the hot pudding immediately.
- Spoon any sauce pooling in the corners back over the top. Leave to soak for 15 minutes.
- Serve warm with whipped cream or custard.
No brandy? Replace with fresh cream for an equally delicious non-alcoholic version.