steps

• 1. Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C. Butter a baking dish and set it aside.
  
• Dissolve the bicarb: Dissolve the 5 milliliters bicarbonate of soda in the 125 milliliters milk and set aside briefly.
• Mix the batter: In a large bowl, mix together the 375 milliliters flour, 125 milliliters sugar, 2 large eggs, 30 milliliters apricot jam, 25 milliliters soft margarine, and 1 milliliters salt until well combined.
• Bring it together: Add the milk and bicarb mixture to the batter and mix until smooth.
• Bake: Pour the batter into the buttered baking dish and bake until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
• Make the syrup: While the pudding bakes, place the 250 milliliters water (for the sauce), 250 milliliters cream (for the sauce), 250 milliliters butter (for the sauce), 250 milliliters sugar (for the sauce), and 5 milliliters vanilla essence in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to the boil.
• Soak and serve: As soon as the pudding comes out of the oven, pour the hot syrup all over it — it should soak in and pool at the edges. Serve warm with custard.

Notes

Pour the syrup over the pudding while both are still hot — this is the secret to getting that deep soak-through texture. Leftovers (if you have any) reheat beautifully in the microwave, syrup and all.