Malva Pudding with Toffee Sauce
South African comfort classic: a tender, crumbly cake soaked in warm toffee sauce. Rich, sweet, and irresistible—baked in one pan and served warm with sauce poured over.
- Total time
- 45 min
- Servings
- 6
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 4g

Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- 2 whole eggs
- ¼ cup apricot jam
- 1.5 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- 1
Set the oven to 350°F and wait until the indicator light signals it has finished heating, about 10 minutes. Butter an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan or 8-inch square baking dish so the batter will not stick.
- 2
In a small bowl, combine the apricot jam with 0.25 cup of water and stir until smooth and pourable, breaking up any large lumps. Set aside.
- 3
In a large mixing bowl, combine 1.5 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1.5 tsp baking powder, and 0.25 tsp salt. Whisk them together for 10 seconds until evenly mixed.
- 4
Add 0.25 cup softened butter and 2 eggs to the dry mixture. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula for 1 minute until the batter is smooth and thick, with no white streaks of flour visible.
- 5
Pour the jam-and-water mixture into the batter and stir gently for 15 seconds until just combined and still slightly lumpy. The batter should look wet and loose.
- 6
Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it level with a spatula so it fills the bottom evenly.
- 7
Transfer the pan to the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- 8
While the cake bakes, combine 0.5 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling, about 3 minutes.
- 9
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour in 1 cup heavy cream slowly while stirring constantly until smooth and combined, about 30 seconds. The sauce will be thick and glossy.
- 10
Remove the cake from the oven. It will still be hot and may look slightly underbaked in the center—this is correct.
- 11
Poke the entire surface of the warm cake 20 to 30 times with a fork or skewer, creating small holes so the sauce will soak in.
- 12
Pour the warm toffee sauce slowly and evenly over the cake, allowing it to soak in through the fork holes. Use all of the sauce.
- 13
Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes. The pudding will absorb the remaining sauce and come together.
- 14
Spoon the cake and sauce together into bowls and serve warm, while the pudding is still soft and steaming.
Tools you’ll need
- 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan or 8-inch square baking dish
- large mixing bowl
- medium saucepan
- small bowl
- whisk
- rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- fork or wooden skewer
- oven
- toothpick
- spoon for serving
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