South African Telephone Pudding - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Batter
1 1 cup superfine sugar or 1 cup caster sugar
4 ounces butter
2 tablespoons apricot jam, smooth
1 large egg, largest size, beaten lightly
1 teaspoon baking soda or 5 ml bicarbonate of soda
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon salt
Syrup
1 cup sugar
2 cups water, boiling
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 deg F/180 deg Celsius For convection/fan ovens the heat can be a little lower.
Cream butter and sugar well. (Use castor sugar/superfine sugar to make it easier).
Add the jam and lightly beaten egg to the creamed mixture.
Mix the flour, ginger and salt together.
Mix the baking soda/bicarbonate of soda* into the cup of milk in a roomy bowl.
Whisk the creamed mixture alternately with the dry ingredients into the milk, to form a smooth batter.
To make the syrup, boil the water (using your electric kettle is fastest, then measure into a small pot). Add the sugar, and stir until sugar melts. Add vanilla.
Pour this syrup into an oven dish -- not shallow! Then pour the pudding batter into the boiling syrup.
Bake pudding for about 30 - 45 mins until brown on top and baked through. (Sorry, aunt's recipe is a bit vague on this point).
* Baking soda is better known as bicarbonate of soda in South Africa.