It’s malva pudding, but elevated! Cosy and comforting, this ginger and date pudding features a tang of orange for that citrus twist. Whether you’re enjoying it on a chilly evening or serving it at a gathering, use SELATI Sugar to make this delicious dessert – it’s sure to become your go-to sweet treat for any occasion!

Ginger & date pudding 

Makes 6  

Ingredients 

For the toffee orange sauce 

1 cup (250ml) orange juice, pulp removed
1 cup (200g) SELATI Golden Brown Sugar
½ cup (125ml) cream
½ cup (125g) butter
Pinch of coarse sea salt 

For the pudding 

⅓ cup (70g) SELATI Golden Brown Sugar
⅓ cup (65g) SELATI Muscovado Sugar
½ cup (125g) butter, room temperature 
1 tsp vanilla essence 
2 large eggs
1 cup (200g) pitted semi-dried dates, chopped
1 cup (250ml) boiling water
Pinch of salt
1 cup (200g) flour
2 tsp (10ml) baking powder
1 tsp (5ml) bicarbonate of soda
½ tsp (3ml) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5ml) ground ginger
Ice cream, to serve 

Method 

1. For the toffee sauce, add juice and sugar to a pot over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar completely. 
2. Bring to a boil and reduce until it turns a dark amber colour, about 10-12 minutes. (The mixture will change from a rapid boil to a slow bubble, becoming syrupy). 
3. Add the cream and stir, then add the butter and salt. Remove and set aside. 
4. Preheat oven to 180°C. 
5. For the pudding, cream together sugar, butter and vanilla until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, incorporating them well. 
6. Add dates and boiling water to a pot and bring to a simmer for 1-2 minutes, stirring to soften dates. Mash lightly with a fork until chunky. 
7. Stir the dates through the batter. 
8. Sift together the salt, flour, baking powder, bicarb and spices, then fold through the batter. 
9. Pour into eight 6cm round ramekins, filling ¾ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cakes are puffed up and a skewer inserted comes out clean. 
10. Immediately poke lots of holes into each pudding, all the way to the base. 
11. Heat the toffee sauce until runny, then drizzle over pudding. Set aside to soak. 
12. Unmould puddings, if you like. Serve topped with ice cream and extra toffee sauce. 

Cook’s note: We baked our cake in a 10cm mini Bundt tin for 25 minutes, but these can also be made in a jumbo muffin tin. 

Recipe & styling: Sjaan van der Ploeg

Photography: Zhann Solomons