South African Mauve Pudding

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. In a small saucepan over low heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter together with the vinegar and milk. Remove from heat and set aside. Meanwhile, sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt into a separate bowl.
Beat the sugar and eggs with an electric mixer at high speed until very creamy and light in color, approximately 5 minutes. Gradually mix in the apricot jam. Use a spatula to add the dry ingredients alternately with the milk. Pour the dough into a refractory form of 1 liter capacity.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
For the syrup, add the cream, sugar, butter and water in a saucepan and stir over moderate heat until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Do not let the mixture boil.
Remove the pudding from the oven, prick several times with a toothpick or fork and pour the syrup over it. Serve hot or cold.