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Preheat the oven to 180°C (gas mark 4) on a conventional setting. Grease a 22–24 cm round cake tin and dust it with flour or cocoa powder; optionally line the base with baking paper.
In a large bowl, sift together the plain flour, caster sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder and a pinch of salt until well combined.
In another bowl, whisk the large eggs with the whole milk, sunflower oil and vanilla extract until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk gently until just combined.
Stir in the very hot water until fully incorporated; the batter will be quite runny, which is normal.
Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30–35 minutes at 180°C (gas mark 4). Check it’s done by inserting a skewer into the centre; if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Turn out carefully onto a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.