Malva Pudding with Toffee Sauce

Step 1

Set the oven to 350°F and wait until the indicator light signals it has finished heating, about 10 minutes. Butter an 8-inch or 9-inch round cake pan or 8-inch square baking dish so the batter will not stick.

Step 2

In a small bowl, combine the apricot jam with 0.25 cup of water and stir until smooth and pourable, breaking up any large lumps. Set aside.

Step 3

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1.5 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1.5 tsp baking powder, and 0.25 tsp salt. Whisk them together for 10 seconds until evenly mixed.

Step 4

Add 0.25 cup softened butter and 2 eggs to the dry mixture. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula for 1 minute until the batter is smooth and thick, with no white streaks of flour visible.

Step 5

Pour the jam-and-water mixture into the batter and stir gently for 15 seconds until just combined and still slightly lumpy. The batter should look wet and loose.

Step 6

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it level with a spatula so it fills the bottom evenly.

Step 7

Transfer the pan to the center rack of the preheated oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Step 8

While the cake bakes, combine 0.5 cup butter and 1 cup brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is bubbling, about 3 minutes.

Step 9

Remove the saucepan from the heat. Pour in 1 cup heavy cream slowly while stirring constantly until smooth and combined, about 30 seconds. The sauce will be thick and glossy.

Step 10

Remove the cake from the oven. It will still be hot and may look slightly underbaked in the center—this is correct.

Step 11

Poke the entire surface of the warm cake 20 to 30 times with a fork or skewer, creating small holes so the sauce will soak in.

Step 12

Pour the warm toffee sauce slowly and evenly over the cake, allowing it to soak in through the fork holes. Use all of the sauce.

Step 13

Let the cake rest in the pan for 10 minutes. The pudding will absorb the remaining sauce and come together.

Step 14

Spoon the cake and sauce together into bowls and serve warm, while the pudding is still soft and steaming.