• Cooking Time: 35
• Servings: 8
• Preparation Time: 20
• 250g unsalted butter
• 250g best dark chocolate
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 340g caster sugar
• 150g plain flour
• 1 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Line 20x30cm pan or 25cm round Springform tin with baking paper.
3. Melt butter and chocolate together in a pan. Leave to cool a bit.
4. Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla for a minute with a whisk or electric mixer.
5. Add cooled chocolate, than flour and salt. Very lightly mix together.
6. Scrape out of the saucepan into the lined pan.
7. Bake for 25 minutes, no longer, otherwise you’ll get dry brownies.
8. When it’s ready, the top should be dry, but the middle still dark and gooey (soft).
9. Let it cool in a pan and then refrigerate, in order to cut them easily.

There is no reason on earth why this, adapted from Nigela’s Domestic Goddess Cookbook, has to be a birthday cake. But since I always make my own birthday cake to share with friends, that’s how I think of it. And brownies are much quicker to make than any other cake. Cut them, pile them up high and spike with birthday candles.