Best Chocolate Malva Pudding

A rich Kalahari twist on a beloved South African classic — soft, warm, chocolate-infused malva pudding soaked in a decadent cocoa cream sauce with a hint of coffee liqueur. The kind of dessert that belongs at the end of long winter evenings, shared around firelight, when the air is still and the stars feel close enough to touch.

Ingredients

For the batter:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter (softened)
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• 1 large egg
• 4 Tablespoons raspberry jam
• 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 cup cake flour (slightly rounded)
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder (use the best quality)
• 1 pinch salt
• ½ cup full-cream milk
• 4 teaspoons white vinegar

For the sauce:

• ¾ cup fresh cream
• ½ cup sugar
• ⅓ cup unsalted butter
• 3 Tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 Tablespoon coffee liqueur

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a beautiful ovenproof dish, or opt for large muffin tins to bake individual puddings
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the egg and raspberry jam and beat until light and well combined.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, bicarbonate of soda, and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk, stirring until smooth.
6. Stir in the vinegar and mix well.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
8. While the pudding bakes, combine cream, sugar, butter, cocoa powder, salt, and coffee liqueur in a saucepan.
   Bring to a gentle boil, stirring continuously until smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened
9. As soon as the pudding comes out of the oven, remove individual servings from muffin tin. Pour the hot sauce over immediately so it soaks in deeply.
   

Serve warm with clotted cream or vanilla ice cream.

Freezes very well.

What you see before you, my friend, is the result of a lifetime of chocolate.
― Katharine Hepburn