Malva Pudding

On Christmas Eve my sister in law brought dessert, malva pudding.  Yummmm.  I'd had it once before at her house, but I didn't know what it was called.  Now I know and my dessert world may never be the same.  It is a pudding in the British sense of the word, a very moist dense cake-like dessert.  This one is extremely rich with a nice crust on top, especially in the corners.  It is baked half way then you pour a mixture of cream, sugar, and butter over it and continue to bake.  The cream mixture bakes into carmel.  It's like a cake saturated in carmel sauce and crisped up on top like a toasted marshmallow.  Are you drooling yet?  I needed vanilla ice cream to cut the richness.  My husband smiled and said don't ever make that again as he ate every last crumb.   I didn't take any pictures.  It doesn't look very exciting, rather plain and brown, but it is really really good.  Just don't count the calories.
Here is the recipe I used.  There are many others online.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon apricot jam (or preserves, chopped very finely)
• 5 ounces all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter (a generous tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
• 1/3 cup milk

• 3/4 cup fresh cream
• 3 1/2 ounces butter
• 5 ounces sugar
• 1/3 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat or whip the sugar and eggs, preferably in a food processor, until thick and lemon colored. Then, add the apricot jelly (or jam) and mix thoroughly.

Sieve together the flour, soda and salt. Melt the butter (do not boil!) and add the vinegar. Add this mixture, as well as the milk, to the egg mixture in the processor, alternately with the flour. Beat well.

Pour into an oven-proof dish, (8 x 8 inch square) and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. In a pot, melt together the ingredients for the sauce. When the cake is halfway baked, take it out of oven. Make holes in cake and pour the sauce over the pudding. Return to the oven.