Make Madiba’s most-loved malva pudding

Nelson Mandela loved children, traditional Xhosa music and rugby.

He had an affinity for reading, writing and poetry. And, when not tucking into samp, beans and tripe, he loved nothing more than good old-fashioned eggy malva pudding.

In fact, eggs featured frequently on Madiba’s menu. According to food writer and gastro-detective, Fiona Ross, Mandela enjoyed fishcakes and poached eggs, and bacon, scrambled eggs and toast, after recuperating from an operation.

Mandela would have been 103 this year, on July 18.

Malva – that gorgeously sticky sweet eggy sponge pud flavoured with apricot jam, butter and cream – is as South African as it comes. Although the earliest version of the dish is believed to have originated in the Netherlands and was brought to SA by Dutch colonists in the mid-1600s, we have claimed the decadent dessert, as it’s made today, firmly as our own.

For years it has been a staple on Cape families’ dinner tables, a regular feature on restaurant menus, and has now made its way to supermarket fridges as a quintessential sweet treat alongside long-time local faves like milk tart and koeksisters.

There’s no doubt about it, malva pudding has wriggled its way into the hearts of all South Africans as a national treasure.

Making malva is pretty easy, and essentially involves making a thick sponge batter that is baked and then topped with a sugary, creamy butter sauce.

Although apricot jam and butter are credited with giving malva its flavour, it is the three large eggs that give it its distinctive moist, sponge-like custard texture.

Malva can be served hot with vanilla ice-cream or, for a real winter warmer, with heated vanilla custard. For homemade custard just combine cream, vanilla and sugar with those all-important egg yolks.

Xoliswa Ndoyiya, Madiba’s personal chef, once said that ‘one of his favourite (desserts) was malva pudding’, adding that when she made it, he would ‘just eat it up’.

Malva pudding
Serves 6 – 8
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 60 minutes + additional cooling/soaking time 20 minutes
Total time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
For the batter:
• 250g sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon (15ml) lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons (10ml) bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tablespoons (30g) apricot jam
• 300g cake flour, sifted
• 125ml milk, warm
• 60g butter, melted in the milk
For the malva sauce
• 125ml boiling water
• 125g sugar
• 250ml cream
• 125g butter
• 1 teaspoon (5ml) vanilla essence
Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
For the batter:
2. Grease 12 ramekins or a 23cm oven dish.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a mixing bowl beat the sugar with the eggs, adding the eggs one by one until well combined and creamy in colour.
4. Add in the lemon juice, bicarbonate of soda and apricot jam and beat together.
5. Stir in the flour alternating with the milk and butter mixture, to create a thick batter.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and bake at 180°C for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. If using ramekins, they will need less time, check by inserting a skewer in the centre of the puddings and checking that it comes out clean.
NB: Cover with aluminum foil halfway through cooking time if the top is getting too brown.
For the sauce:
7. Pour the boiling water into a saucepan and add the sugar, cream, butter and vanilla essence. Heat on low until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for five minutes.
8. Pour the syrup over the hot pudding as it comes out of the oven and allow to soak for 20 minutes.
Serve with cream, ice cream or custard.
(Information: The South African Poultry Association).