Swedish Kladdkaka: One-Bowl Gooey Chocolate Cake That Keeps All Week for Lunchboxes

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter an 8-inch round cake tin and line the base with parchment.

Serves 10

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/4 cups (250g) granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup (45g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup (95g) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 3.5 oz (100g) dark chocolate, finely chopped (optional, for extra fudge)
• Powdered sugar, for dusting
• Fresh raspberries and whipped cream, to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter an 8-inch round cake tin and line the base with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together until glossy. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, until the mixture is smooth and slightly thickened.
3. Sift the cocoa, flour and salt over the bowl and fold in gently with a spatula just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix. Fold in the chopped chocolate if using.
4. Scrape the thick batter into the tin and smooth the top. It will look like a shallow layer, which is correct.
5. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. The edges should be set and the top crackly, but the center must still wobble when you nudge the tin. Underbaking is the whole point.
6. Cool completely in the tin, then chill for at least 1 hour for the cleanest slices. The center will set to a dense, fudgy, brownie-like texture.
7. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with raspberries and whipped cream for dessert, or cut into small squares to tuck into lunchboxes. Kladdkaka keeps, covered, in the fridge for up to 6 days and even freezes well.
8. Kladdkaka literally means sticky cake in Swedish, and it is the country's most-baked cake for good reason: one bowl, no mixer, ten minutes of effort and a result that every Swede recognizes from fika breaks at school, work and home. It appeared in cookbooks in the 1970s and quickly outpaced fancier layer cakes because it is nearly impossible to get wrong. The only rule is to pull it from the oven before it looks done, so the middle stays deliciously gooey.

Nutrition (estimated, per serving)

• Calories: 310 kcal
• Protein: 4g
• Fat: 15g
• Carbohydrates: 42g
• Fiber: 3g
• Sugar: 31g
• Sodium: 135mg