Preheat oven to 350 F. Heat a pot of water on the stove to just under a simmer.

In medium bowl, combine ¾ cup of the granulated sugar, ¼ cup of the cocoa, flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir in milk, melted butter and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Pour batter into an lightly greased 9-inch square glass baking dish and spread evenly.

In a small bowl, stir together the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ cup cocoa, and brown sugar and mix well. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in your dish. Pour the hot water over top, but do not stir!

Bake 35-40 minutes – or until the center is almost set. Remove your dish from the oven and allow it to stand for 15 minutes. Standing is a crucial step to allow the fudgey "lava" to set.

Spoon the lava cake into bowls – making sure to get the fudgey sauce from the bottom of the pan. Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired and serve.