What I know as Crazy Cake, found in old books by Peg Bracken and Elsie Masterton, is a wonderful, delicious no-brainer of a cake. It is related to Amanda's mother's dump-it cake (see today's article), but much simpler. We love it!

These are the best brownies I have ever had, and have gotten rid of all my other recipes.

Prescription-Strength Fudge Brownies- CT

Yields 1 dozen 2-inch brownies
12 Tbs. (6 oz.) unsalted butter, cut in big pieces
3/4 cup (2 1/4 oz.) unsweetened cocoa powder (natural or Dutched), sifted if lumpy
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. table salt
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3/4-cup (3 1/2 oz.) a-p flour
1/2 cup topping (optional): semisweet, peanut butter, or white chocolate chips, coarsely chopped nuts, chopped peppermint candies; you can also stir in another 1/2 cup chips into the batter
1. Position rack on middle rung and heat oven to 350. Lightly grease sides and bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish.
2. Put the butter in a medium sauces and set over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Slide the pan from the heat and add the cocoa; whisk until smooth. Add the sugar and salt,; whisk until blended. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition until blended. Whisk in the vanilla with the second egg. Sprinkle the flour over the top and stir with a rubber spatula just until blended.
3. Scrape the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Scatter the topping evenly over the top if use. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with small, gooey clumps of brownie sticking to it, about 32 minutes. Don't over bake of the brownies won't be fudgy. Transfer dish to a rack to cool. Use a bench scraper to cut the cooled brownie into 3 equal strips and then cut each strip into four equal pieces. (Or freeze uncut: after cooling for about 20 minutes, invert onto a rack, let cool completely, and wrap tightly; freeze for up to 1 month).

Enjoy!!

One of my favorite chocolate cakes from "In the Sweet Kitchen"
http://3peasinthepod.blogspot.com/2005/09/in-sweet-kitchen.html
I sometimes add chocolate chips.
It's very easy and vegan to boot. I never make the frosting - sometimes just use a chocolate glaze.

SmittenKitchen has a great recipe that I've tried to great success several times. My coworkers raved about it when I brought it in.
http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/best-cocoa-brownies/

Thanks everybody for your thoughtful answers. Will try each over time!

we love this one and make it often: http://www.food52.com/recipes/3057_fudgy_chocolate_cake

Ooops, I failed to edit that thoroughly. (I copied the text from a PDF, which results in a lot of formatting errors. I have scanned all of my old family favorites and hundreds of clippings over the years for quick digital access.)

It should be 1/8 teaspoon salt. Sorry about that. ;o)

My mother's "Disappearing Chocolate Cake" uses cocoa and not bakers' chocolate. This is a recipe she found or was given sometime in the 1960's. It's outstanding. The name says it all:

Disappearing Chocolate Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream until fluffy:

1 1/2 c. butter

2 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Blend in: 2 eggs

Combine:

3/4 c. cocoa

1 3/4 c. unsifted flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. baking soda 118 tsp. salt

Add flour mixture alternately with

1 3/4 c. milk

Bake in greased and floured 9" pans for 30-35 minutes.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before turning out onto racks.

;o)

my family's favorite recipe is the one on the back of the hershey's cocoa can...i think the recipe is perfectly chocolate chocolate cake, and there is also an icing recipe. comes out fantastic every time.

very easy to do and it come out extremely well, my wife tried many brownies recipes but this one of the best http://www.flickr.com/photos/keralacookery/4729542254/

Defintely try Alice Medrich's cocoa brownie recipe. They are great and have a very rich chocolate flavor. http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Best-Cocoa-Brownies-108346