Preheat your oven to 350°F. This step is crucial as it ensures that your cake bakes evenly and achieves that perfect texture.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder. Stir these ingredients together until well mixed; this ensures that the leavening agent is evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients.
Next, stir in the milk and vanilla extract. Mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix as it can lead to a dense cake.
Spread the batter evenly in an ungreased 9-inch square pan. Make sure it’s spread evenly to ensure even baking.
In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder with the brown sugar and hot water. Carefully pour this mixture over the batter in the pan. DO NOT stir the mixture into the batter; the magic happens during baking, leading to that delicious fudge layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when the top is set, and the edges pull slightly away from the sides of the pan.
Once baked, remove from the oven and let it cool slightly. Serve warm, ideally with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, allowing the warm fudge to melt into the ice cream.
