Christmas malva pudding

In South Africa, everybody has ‘the best recipe’ for malva pudding – like chocolate cake, or milk tart, it’s one of those recipes that we all have and ours is always better than any other.

Well, mine really is better than yours, because it has the addition of cherries, nuts and Amarula – all the things we love about Christmas. I love the tradition of Christmas food but it comes with a lot of European customs and recipes that we as South Africans don’t really identify with. This recipe is my way of still keeping a little tradition, but adding a lot of South African flavour to it!

Christmas malva pudding

Serves 6-8

For the Malva:

½ cup castor sugar

1 egg

1 ½ tbsp apricot jam

1 cup self-raising flour, sifted

Pinch of salt

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 cup of milk

½ cup cherries chopped

100g pecan nuts, chopped

1/2 cup fruit cake mix soaked in 1/4 cup brandy overnight

zest of 1 orange

For the sauce:

¼ cup Stork Bake margarine

1 cup castor sugar

½ cup boiling water

1/2 cup evaporated milk

½ cup Amarula

Pinch of salt

Beat together the sugar, eggs and jam until creamy. Sift together the flour, salt and bicarbonate of soda. Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, alternating with the milk. Stir in the cherries, pecans, fruit cake mix and orange zest. Pour the batter into a greased baking dish or individual cups and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes, until dark golden brown and risen. You know that the puddings are ready when a skewer is inserted in the middle and it comes out clean. Make the sauce by placing all the ingredients into a pot and bringing to the boil. Pour the sauce onto the cooked puddings as soon as they come out the oven and serve with Amarula custard or ice cream.