From Nigella Lawson’s “How To Be a Domestic Goddess”

(Best.  Baking cookbook.  Ever.)

"This cake is the essence of all that is desirable in chocolate: its dark intensity isn’t toyed with, nor upstaged by any culinary elaboration."

1 cup soft unsalted butter
1 2/3 cup dark brown sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 ounces best bittersweet chocolate, melted
1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp boiling water
9 x 5-inch loaf pan

Preheat the oven to 375 F & put in a baking sheet in case of sticky drips later. Grease & line the loaf pan, trimming off any excess paper. The lining is important as this is a very damp cake; use parchment or one of those loaf-pan-shaped paper liners.

Cream the butter & sugar, then add eggs & vanilla, beating in well. Next, fold in the melted & now slightly cooled chocolate, taking care not to overbeat. You want the ingredients combined: you don’t want a light, airy mass. Then gently add the flour, to which you’ve added the baking soda, alternately spoon by spoon, with the boiling water until you have a smooth and very liquid batter.  Pour into the lined loaf pan and bake for 30 minutes.  Turn down the oven & continue to cook for another 15 minutes.  The cake will come out a bit squidgy on the inside, so an inserted cake tester or skewer won’t come out completely clean.

Place the loaf pan on a rack & leave to cool completely before turning it out. (Nigella says that she often leaves it for a day or so; like gingerbread, it improves.  I’m not that patient, but still urge the reader to wait until the cake is entirely cool before removing from the pan or slicing into it.)  Don’t worry if the cake sinks in the middle indeed it will do so because it’s such a dense damp cake.  Makes 8 to 10 slices.