Applesauce-Cocoa Squares

These cocoa squares pull a magic trick in the oven. You pour a brown sugar and cocoa sauce directly over the raw batter before baking, and during 40 minutes in the heat, the cake rises through the sauce. You end up with a fudgy chocolate cake on top and a gooey, pudding-like layer on the bottom.

No butter, no oil, no eggs. Applesauce handles all the moisture, and skim milk keeps the batter pourable. The result is surprisingly rich for something with virtually zero fat. The half cup of cocoa powder split between the batter and the sauce delivers a deep chocolate flavor that doesn’t taste like it’s missing anything.

The hot water mixed with the brown sugar and cocoa is what creates the self-saucing effect. As the batter bakes, it floats up and the liquid sinks down, thickening into a glossy chocolate pudding underneath. Don’t stir after pouring. Let the oven do the work.

Chef Tips

• Use hot water for the sauce topping, not warm or cold. Hot water dissolves the brown sugar and cocoa fully, preventing grainy pockets in the finished sauce layer.
• Don’t overbake. Pull them at 40 minutes even if the top looks slightly underdone. The sauce layer beneath should be gooey, not set.
• Serve these warm, scooped rather than sliced. The bottom pudding layer is part of the dessert, not a mistake.

Variations

• Add a teaspoon of instant espresso to the brown sugar sauce for a mocha pudding layer.
• Stir ¼ cup of mini chocolate chips into the batter for melty pockets throughout the cake layer.
• Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a hot-and-cold contrast.