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. If you are using coffee, let it cool down. Pour the milk or coffee in the batter and 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.

Let the cake cool slightly, and when firm enough, gently lift it 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.