Hot Fudge Pudding Cake

1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 8-inch square baking dish. Stir coffee into water and set aside to dissolve. Combine 1⁄3 cup cocoa, brown sugar, and 1⁄3 cup granulated sugar in small bowl, breaking up large clumps with fingers; set aside.
2. Melt butter, remaining 1⁄3 cup cocoa, and chocolate in small heatproof bowl set over saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water; whisk until smooth and set aside to cool slightly. Whisk flour and baking powder in small bowl to combine; set aside. Whisk remaining 2⁄3 cup granulated sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt in medium bowl until combined; whisk in egg yolk. Add chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Add flour mixture and whisk until batter is evenly moistened.
3. Pour batter into prepared baking dish and spread to sides and corners. Sprinkle cocoa-sugar mixture evenly over batter (cocoa mixture should cover entire surface of batter); pour coffee mixture gently over cocoa mixture. Bake cake until puffed and bubbling and just beginning to pull away from sides of baking dish, about 45 minutes. (Do not overbake.) Let cake cool in dish on wire rack for about 25 minutes before serving. (Cake can be reheated, covered with plastic wrap, in microwave oven.)

If you have cold, brewed coffee on hand, it can be used in place of the instant coffee and water, but to make sure it isn’t too strong, use 1 cup of cold coffee mixed with 1⁄2 cup of water. Serve the cake warm with vanilla or coffee ice cream.

INDIVIDUAL HOT FUDGE PUDDING CAKES
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease eight 6- to 8-ounce ramekins with vegetable oil spray and set on rimmed baking sheet. Prepare batter as directed, then divide batter evenly among ramekins (about 1⁄4 cup per ramekin) and level with back of spoon. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons cocoa-sugar mixture over batter in each ramekin, then pour 3 tablespoons coffee mixture over cocoa-sugar mixture in each ramekin. Bake cakes until puffed and bubbling, about 20 minutes. (Do not overbake.) Let cakes cool for about 15 minutes before serving (cakes will fall).