Hot Fudge Cake Recipe--GF and dairy free version

This is one of our most favorite dessert recipes and it is so easy.  We've had to tweak it some with our daughter's food intolerances, but since this has few items we have to alter it makes a good dessert recipe for all of us to enjoy.

Hot Fudge Cake
from Taste of Home magazine.

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour  (we have used GF All-purpose flour, WonderFlour***, brown rice flour, and Sweet Sorghum Flour all with good results)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 6 tablespoons baking cocoa, divided
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup 2% milk (have substituted with both soy and coconut milk)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1-3/4 cups hot water
• Ice cream or whipped cream, optional (Don't use for those with dairy issues, or use dairy free substitute)

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk milk, oil and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.
• Transfer to an ungreased 9-in.-square baking pan. In a small bowl, mix brown sugar and remaining cocoa; sprinkle over batter. Pour hot water over all; do not stir.
• Bake 35-40 minutes. Serve warm. If desired, top with ice cream. 
• Yield: 9 servings.

Nutritional Facts1 piece (calculatd without whipped cream and ice cream) equals 253 calories, 4 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 2 mg cholesterol, 171 mg sodium, 54 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.

Originally published as Hot Fudge Cake in Taste of Home April/May 1994, p37

NOTE:
***WonderFlour is not GF, only wheat free, but it can be made on your own by combining equal parts spelt, brown rice, and barley.  I mix it all up together in a large bowl and then run it thru my electric grinder.  You can order the flour online, but it is super easy to do by yourself.