BFF Brownie Cake

Ingredients

• 16 tablespoons (8 oz/226 g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 8 oz (226 g) semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• ¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon fleur de sel or ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ cup (68 g) all-purpose flour
• Cocoa powder or confectioners’ sugar, for finishing (optional)
• Whipped cream, crème fraîche, or ice cream, for serving (optional)

Instructions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325°F (165°C). Butter a 9-inch round cake pan with sides at least 2 inches high. Dust the interior with cocoa powder, or coat with baking spray and dust with cocoa; tap out the excess.
2. Gently melt the butter and chopped chocolate together in a saucepan over very low heat, in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, or in short microwave bursts at low power. Stir until smooth, then remove from the heat.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, and salt on medium-high speed until pale, creamy, and tripled in volume, about 5 minutes. The mixture should fall back into the bowl in a dissolving ribbon.
4. With the mixer on low, pour in the melted chocolate mixture and mix until homogeneous. Remove the bowl from the mixer, sift the flour over the batter, and fold gently but thoroughly with a flexible spatula, checking the bottom of the bowl for hidden flour.
5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and level the top. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, until the top looks dry and feels set but a tester inserted in the center comes out with moist chocolate smears.
6. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then run a thin knife around the edge and unmold onto a rack. Cool to room temperature before serving, or chill for a firmer, denser texture. Dust with cocoa or confectioners’ sugar and add a creamy topping if desired.