150 g butter
100 ml (about 80 g) sugar
2 tsp vanillin sugar or vanilla sugar
2 eggs
200 ml flour
1 tsp baking powder
80 ml cocoa powder
2 tbsp milk or freshly brewed strong coffee, preferably espresso

1 portion of cocoa and coffee icing

Beat the softened butter with the sugar and vanillin sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat in thoroughly. Combine the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder and add to the batter through a sieve. Stir gently to mix.

Line the bottom of a shallow, rectangular cake pan  —  about 20 × 28 centimetres in size  —  with lightly buttered parchment paper. Spoon the batter in the pan, spreading it evenly in all four corners. Smooth the surface gently with a spatula.

Bake at 175 °C for about 15 - 22 minutes or until the batter has set and a cake tester/toothpick inserted in the middle of it comes out clean.

Gently lift the cake from the pan or unmould it and place on a wire rack to cool. When slightly cooled, cut the cake in small squares and serve with tea, coffee or fresh, ice-cold milk.

If you like, before cutting the cake sheet, you can cover it with cocoa and coffee icing. Leave it to set before cutting the cake.

Picture above: chocolate squares covered with cocoa and coffee icing.

Recipe source: adapted from "Suklaaneliöt", Koskimies, Helmi, and Eva Somersalo (1980) Keittotaito. Porvoo: WSOY.