Ingredients

1.5 sticks/340 grams butter

1 cup cocoa (my preferred brand is van houten)

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp rum* (optional)

1 cup flour

1 cup chocolate chips/walnuts/pecans/raisin** (anything that strikes your fancy)

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven at 180C, grease 1 25x25cm baking pan (or you can use non-stick baking pan with cooking sheet at the bottom)

  2. Melt butter in a saucepan when it’s all liquidified, mix in the cocoa powder, stir well and wait until it boils, switch off the fire immediately

  3. In a big mixing bowl enter sugar. Mix the cocoa-butter liquid together with the sugar using an electric mixer at speed-1

  4. Enter the eggs one by one, mix well using the electric mixer at speed-3

  5. Mix in vanilla and rum*

  6. Bring the speed down to speed-1, mix in the flour

  7. Finally using a wooden spoon, mix in the filling of your choice**.

  8. Set the dough in the greased baking pan

  9. Bake at 180C for 35-40 minutes or until the skewer comes out clean

  10. Ready to serve