Malva Pudding with Amarula Cream

In South Africa, I tried quite a few versions of Malva Pudding.  It's a sweet, spongy cake made with apricot jam and soaked in a caramel sauce.  Before traveling to Johannesburg and Cape Town, I'd had Malva Pudding at Charlottesville's South African restaurant, Shebeen.  But the Malva Pudding at Gramadoelas and Hussar Grill were to die for.  Although I'd always rather be eating Malva Pudding in the proximity of the Newtown Market Theatre, I knew I'd have to try my hand at this dessert when I got back to Virginia.

To make my own version, I combined elements from a New York Times recipe and a few different South African cooking blogs.  Usually, Malva Pudding is served with ice cream or a creme anglaise.  I thought I'd try something just a little bit different, and I made a whipped cream flavored with Amarula.  If you haven't tried it before, Amarula is a South African cream liqueur that tastes a little like Bailey's, but it's made with the South African Marula fruit.  It'll go fantastically with your Malva Pudding.

By now, I'm sure you've heard of the documentary Searching for Sugar Man.  It tells the (truly) unbelievable tale of a South African record store owner's search for Rodriguez, a Detroit-based musician from the late 1960s/early 1970s.  Rodriguez recorded two albums in America and never found popularity here, yet unbeknownst to him, his music had become the soundtrack for Apartheid-era resistance in South Africa.  Here's Rodriguez performing "Sugar Man."

Ingredients
For the pudding:
--1 c. granulated sugar
--2 large eggs
--2 tbsp. apricot jam
--1 tbsp. melted butter, unsalted
--2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
--1 c. half & half
--1 c. flour
--1 tsp. baking soda
--pinch of salt

For the sauce:
--1 c. granulated sugar
--1/4 c. water
--1 tbsp. butter
--1/2 c. heavy whipping cream
--1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:
--1 c. heavy whipping cream
--1/2 c. Amarula liqueur
--1/4 c. packed dark brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, beat the wet ingredients for the pudding (including the jam) until combined.  In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually beat it into the wet mixture until combined.  Pour the batter into a 9x12" buttered baking dish, and bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  Allow the cake to cool down until it's just warm.

For the sauce, heat the granulated sugar and water over medium heat in a saucepan until the sugar is incorporated and the mixture begins to turn a light brown (but not burned!).  Add the butter until melted, whisking constantly (the mixture will begin bubbling when you add the butter).  Standing a bit away from the pan (you don't want to get splashed!), add the heavy cream and vanilla.  Continue to whisk constantly until the cream has incorporated and you've got a delicious caramel syrup.

Pour the syrup over the cake evenly.  The cake will soak it up like a sweet sponge.  Allow it to sit for approximately 1-2 hours, or until the syrup has hardened a bit, caramelizing the edges of the Malva Pudding.

Now for the whipped cream.  In a medium-sized bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream, Amarula, and brown sugar until the mixture forms stiff peaks (about 5 minutes, depending on your speed).  Serve on top of the warm Malva Pudding, and enjoy!