Malva Pudding

1. Crank your oven to 350°F (180°C) and generously grease a 9×9-inch baking dish with butter.
2. Sift together the flour and baking soda in a bowl—seriously, don’t skip the sifting or you’ll get lumpy spots.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar and egg together until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes with a hand mixer.
4. Add the apricot jam and melted butter to the sugar mixture and beat until smooth and glossy.

5. Mix the vinegar and milk together in a measuring cup (it’ll curdle slightly—this is perfect).
6. Gradually add the flour mixture and milk mixture to the sugar mixture, alternating between the two and starting and ending with flour. Stir gently until just combined—don’t overmix.

7. Pour the batter into your prepared dish and slide it into the oven for 35-40 minutes. Check at 32 minutes with a skewer—it should come out with moist crumbs, not wet batter.

8. About 10 minutes before your pudding is done, make the sauce: combine cream, butter, and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the butter melts and sugar dissolves completely.
9. Add the hot water to the sauce and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes until it slightly thickens but stays pourable.

10. The moment your pudding comes out of the oven, pour that hot sauce all over the hot pudding—yes, all of it! Let it soak in for at least 15 minutes before serving (if you can wait that long).

11. Serve warm with a dollop of whipped cream or vanilla ice cream and watch it disappear.