Chocolate Malva Pudding

Christmas is never truly complete in an African or Caribbean household without the familiar aroma of beloved traditional dishes. While each culture adds its own unique flavours and customs, one thing remains the same: the season is best celebrated with a vibrant spread of holiday foods shared with loved ones over joyful conversations, music and dancing.

Across Africa, festive favourites might include classics like jollof rice, Liberian chicken gravy, Cameroonian-style grilled chicken with spicy tomato sauce, or a warm South African malva pudding. In Caribbean homes, Christmas tables often feature glazed ham, ackee and saltfish, curried goat, oxtail, gungo peas and rice, and the famous Jamaican fruit cake.

This year, we’ve chosen a delicious chocolate malva pudding for you to try as part of your Christmas celebrations. We hope it adds a sweet, comforting touch to your festive table! Chocolate malva pudding is a classic South African dessert often enjoyed during the Christmas season. Rich, moist and beautifully spongy, it’s the perfect warm treat to share with loved ones.

Serves: 8
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes
Total: 55 minutes


Ingredients

  • Cooking oil spray

  • 2 large eggs

  • 180g sugar

  • 1½ teaspoons grated orange zest

  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

  • 4 tablespoons apricot jam

  • 1 teaspoon vinegar

  • 180ml milk

  • 140g all-purpose flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

  • ½ teaspoon salt


Chocolate Sauce

  • 200ml single cream

  • 50g brown sugar

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 60g chocolate

  • ½ teaspoon almond extract

  • 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Grease an 8-inch cake pan generously with cooking oil spray and set aside.

  2. n a large bowl, beat the eggs, sugar, orange zest, butter and apricot jam until light & fluffy. Then mix in the vinegar and milk.

  3. Add the flour, baking soda and salt into another bowl.

  4. Gradually add the flour mix into the egg mixture (the mixture is likely to be slightly runny).

  5. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30-35 minutes or until the cake is brown and risen

  6. While the cake is baking, mix the ingredients for the chocolate sauce in a pan and melt over medium heat.

  7. Pour it over the pudding as soon as it comes out of the oven and let it soak for a few minutes.

Serve while warm or chill in the fridge until ready to enjoy.

 
Tips & Notes:

  • Light evaporated milk can be used instead of single cream

  • Grease the pan generously to keep the pudding from sticking

  • Pour the chocolate sauce slowly over the cake so it can be absorbed evenly

 Image courtesy of: https://www.africanbites.com/malva-pudding-chocolate/