• Preheat your oven to 375F. Place a 2 quart baker on top of a baking sheet and set aside.

to make the sauce

• First make the butterscotch sauce by adding the 1 cup dark brown sugar, 1/4 tsp salt, and 2 tablespoons of water to a medium saucepan (make sure it is is a saucepan with high sides because the brown sugar mixture will bubble up as it cooks).
• Cook over low/medium heat until the brown sugar has melted and starts to bubble, do not stir. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture burn.
• Remove from the heat and allow to cool briefly before slowly adding 1 cup of water to the pan (be careful it will sputter.) The sugar mixture will seize up a bit, but that's fine. Return to low/medium heat and stir until the sugar has dissolved and you have a smooth syrup. Remove and set aside to cool while you make the cake batter.

to make the cake

• In a medium mixing bowl, combine the 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed, 1 Tbsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Whisk to combine, making sure any lumps of brown sugar are broken up.
• Add the 6 Tbsp butter, browned and partially cooled* (it can be warm, but make sure it is not hot), 1 cup whole milk, 2 large eggs, and 2 tsp vanilla extract. Whisk well until everything is combined, but don't over mix.
• Pour the batter into your baking dish. Pour the butterscotch syrup over top (it should be warm, but not hot), and place the baking dish (with the baking sheet underneath) into the oven.
• Bake for about 35-40 minutes until the cake layer is a rich golden brown, and the center is just slightly jiggly.
• Remove from the oven and serve warm, with vanilla ice cream.