Ingredients:

  • 125g all-purpose flour
  • 150g coconut sugar or unrefined cane sugar
  • 30g dark Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 10g baking powder
  • 2g fine sea salt
  • 120ml whole milk
  • 30g unsalted butter, melted
  • 5ml pure vanilla extract
  • 100g light brown sugar, packed
  • 30g dark Dutch-process cocoa powder (for topping)
  • 300ml boiling water

Instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large mixing bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, coconut sugar, 30g dark cocoa powder, baking powder, and sea salt. Whisk to ensure no clumps remain.
  2. Add the whole milk, melted butter, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Stir with a silicone spatula until the batter is thick, smooth, and satiny. Spread the batter evenly into an ungreased 9x9-inch ceramic or glass baking dish.
  3. In a small separate bowl, stir together the light brown sugar and the remaining 30g of dark cocoa powder. Sprinkle this mixture uniformly over the raw cake batter in the dish. Do not stir it in.
  4. Gently pour the 300ml of boiling water over the back of a spoon onto the sugar/cocoa layer to avoid disturbing the batter. Bake for 35 minutes until the cake top is firm and the sauce is bubbling beneath. Serve warm.