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I saw "stout" in the title and thought it must be either a w-i-d-e cake or else one that makes you gain weight.
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But no. . . . . . "Stout" refers to the beer you add, as in Guinness Extra Stout . . . . . . You Have My Attention!
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This is from a website:
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https://www.worldwidechocolate.com/chocolate-stout-cake.html
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Chocolate stout cake. What might be conjured up in your mind (or taste buds) of what a rich chocolate cake that you add 2 cups of stout Guinness would be like? If you said “mouth-water” I think you got it right. This recipe is from TheBittenWord.com with the photo from them as well.






Author: The Bitten Word
Recipe type: Cake
Serves: 12

Ingredients:

• Cake
• 2 cups stout (such as Guinness)
• 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter
• 1½ cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
• 4 cups all purpose flour
• 4 cups sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking soda
• 1½ teaspoons salt        <-----[I'd think half as much would be sufficient, 3/4 tsp.]
• 4 large eggs
• 1⅓ cups sour cream

Icing

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped

Instructions:
For cake:

• Preheat oven to 350蚌. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
• Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1½ teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely.

For icing:

• Bring cream to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours.
• Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread ⅔ cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread ⅔ cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.

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My question is, since this recipe is found on a website where Compound Coating Brune (French for dark brown - img below) is the topic of concern, in which part of this recipe would you use the brune? It seems to me that it would be in the icing, where a pound of chopped semi-sweet chocolate is mixed with 2 cups of hot whipping cream, so the brune could easily take the place of the chopped chocolate, and would mix with whipping cream almost instantly. You would simply have to measure the one pound of brune, which comes in a 5 kg tub (11 lbs).
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As for the cake itself, Brune could be substituted for the 1-1/2 cups of cocoa powder, however, perhaps the amount of butter should be reduced from 2 cups (4 sticks ~ one pound) by 25%, making it only one and a half cups (1-1/2 sticks ~ 3/4 pound), since this brune contains mostly sugar and vegetable fat from coconut and/or palm kernel, then 18% cocoa powder, so the content of vegetable oil is already over 18%, perhaps 20 or 25%.
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Where this recipe calls for salt, I think that's too much. I'd use 3/4 tsp instead of 1-1/2 tsp, that is, half as much.
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[color=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.870588)]Chocolate Wacky Cake
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• 1 1/2 cups. all-purpose flour.
• 1 cup. granulated sugar.
• 1/4 cup. unsweetened cocoa powder.
• 1 teaspoon. baking soda.
• 1/2 teaspoon. salt.
• 1 cup. cooled coffee or milk, regular or dairy-free.
• 1 tablespoon. apple cider or distilled white vinegar.
• 1 teaspoon.

[color][size][font][color]
Feb 20, 2018[/color]
One-Bowl Chocolate Wacky Cake | Kitchn
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Feedback
About this result

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I checked the source website and found this, for the uncomplicated recipe (apparently things are not always quite as simple as they might seem):
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What Is Crazy (or Wacky) Cake?
This cake, which seems to date from the late '30s or early '40s and also goes by the name "wacky cake," doesn't use eggs or dairy. And you'd never know it.

It bakes up moist and tender, thanks to a combination of baking soda and vinegar, without any of the heaviness that often occurs in egg-free cakes. The texture reminds me of the classic comfort of boxed cake mix in the best possible way.

It's a perfect dessert to make for last-minute guests or for those times when you crave a slice of cake, but don't want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen.

How to Make the Best Crazy Cake  [a.k.a. wacky cake]

Crazy cake is always going to be easy to make. That's its nature, but there are a few ways to ensure it's spectacular.

1. Mix the batter in a bowl, not in the cake pan.  [So much for the "One-Bowl" recipe]

Here's where I depart from the classic preparation a bit. The original recipe directs you to combine the ingredients in the cake pan and stir. I have a few problems with this.
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• It's messy. Mixing together a cake batter in a cake pan takes more work than it's worth.
• The cake sticks to the pan.

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To solve these two problems, mix the batter in a bowl. Yes, it dirties an extra bowl, but it's worth it. And mix the batter with a whisk or fork; there's really no need to use an electric mixer. However, if that's more comfortable for you, go for it.
2. Use the best cocoa powder (here's how to tell!)
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There's only a 1/4 cup of cocoa powder — Dutch or natural, both work — in the recipe. To make sure the cake has a nice chocolate kick, use a high-quality cocoa powder.
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Pro tip: An easy way to tell the quality of a cocoa powder is by checking the fat content listed in the nutritional label. The higher the fat, the better the flavor. You want at least one gram of fat for each five-gram serving.
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Read more: This Is Why Your Recipe Uses Cocoa Powder Instead of Chocolate
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3. Coffee will make the chocolate more intense.
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In baked goods, coffee has the magical ability to make chocolate taste more intense. For this recipe, use a cup of cooled coffee. If you don't want to use coffee, use milk (a dairy-free milk is fine). The original recipe for crazy [wacky] cake uses water, not coffee or milk, but water leads to a flat-tasting cake.  [Looks like, goodbye original wacky cake recipe!]

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4. Mix in no more than 1/2 cup of chocolate chips or dried fruit (or both!).
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Sprinkle a handful of chocolate chips or dried fruit into the batter (dark chocolate chips and dried cherries are an especially nice combination). Use no more than a half cup of chocolate chips or dried fruit (or both combined). More than that and the cake doesn't rise well.
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5. The best topping takes only two seconds.
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Most of the time, I don't frost this cake. Once it's cooled, I sift some powdered sugar over the top and call it a day. Just put a little powdered sugar in a sifter or a mesh sieve and tap over the top. It takes two seconds and is pretty, fancy, and tasty.
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Of course, there are the times when life just needs a little frosting and the extra time is worth it. Top this cake with your favorite frosting when you need to. Chocolate, vanilla, and cream cheese frostings all taste great.
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Chocolate Wacky Cake  [Hereinafter referred to as "crazy cake"]
Serves 8

• .
  
• Cooking spray
  
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1 cup granulated sugar
  
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 1 cup cooled coffee or milk, regular or dairy-free
  
• 1 tablespoon apple cider or distilled white vinegar
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips or dried fruit, or a combination
  
• Powdered sugar for dusting, or 2 cups frosting (optional)
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Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 350°F. Lightly coat an 8x8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
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Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Add the coffee or milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Stir until the batter is smooth; it will be thin. Add the chocolate chips and dried fruit if using and stir to combine. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
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Bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the pan comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Place the pan on a wire rack and cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar or finish with your favorite frosting if desired.
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Recipe Notes
Storage: Leftover cake can be stored tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Adapted from The Wooden Spoon by Marilyn M. Moore.
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So my original question in the OP remains unanswered:  How can you substitute Brune for the chocolate or cocoa powder in this recipe?
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Hi Neil,
I was about to correct that when I was disturbed by a minor catastrophe. Thanks for taking over. Good job!

Hi Neil,
I was about to correct that when I was disturbed by a minor catastrophe. Thanks for taking over. Good job!

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Thanks. Matthew changed the time limit for modifying a post to 15 minutes but now it's still not long enough sometimes! 
Especially when you have a "minor catastrophe" to deal with! I hope your souffle didn't fall down!

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Sometimes I don't want to click on a link in an article because it too often takes me to a site where all the ADS make my computer freeze up.
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In the above article on Wacky Cake, there is a tantalizing link where you might have wondered about where it leads but didn't click on it. 
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Here, I'll save you the trouble -- I clicked on it, it froze my computer, then after the popups were tired, I copied the page. It's interesting.
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https://www.thekitchn.com/this-is-why-your-recipe-uses-cocoa-powder-instead-of-chocolate-228955
From deep, rich cakes and cookies, to brownies and other treats, the ingredient that brings some of your favorite chocolate desserts to life might not be what you would expect. Instead of chocolate, these sweets often start with a hearty dose of cocoa powder. But do you know why?
Cocoa Powder Versus Chocolate
While cocoa powder and chocolate originate from the same source, the cacao bean, processing results in the bean taking on two different forms.
Unsweetened chocolate is made up of two ingredients: cocoa solids and cocoa butter. Both natural and Dutch cocoa powder, on the other hand, are primarily composed of cocoa solids, and contain relatively little fat. Because of the lower cocoa butter content, this results in cocoa powder having a more concentrated flavor.
Read More: What's the Difference Between Natural and Dutch Cocoa Powder?
Cocoa Powder Affects Flavor and Texture
Since cocoa powder is a near-pure ingredient, largely made up of cocoa solids with little fat content, it has a more concentrated flavor, and ounce for ounce brings more chocolate flavor to your recipe. So it's no surprise that baked goods boasting an intense and rich chocolate flavor typically contain cocoa powder in the ingredient list.
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In addition to having an effect on flavor, cocoa powder also has an effect on a recipe's texture. While some desserts (like pudding, custard, mousse, and ganache) benefit from whole chocolate, others are best made with cocoa powder — especially when the extra fat or moisture isn't required.
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Because of its low fat content, cocoa powder isn't temperature-sensitive the way unsweetened chocolate is. This plays out in the texture of the crumb in baked goods like muffins, quick breads, and some cakes. While cocoa butter in chocolate firms up at room temperature, creating a more firm, dense, and sometimes dry texture, cocoa powder — along with oil and/or butter — continues to stay moist and tender.
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Cocoa Powder Recipes from The Kitchn
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Notice, the website that wants you to believe what it contains has a name where they demonstrate they can't spell Kitchen correctly!
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What a world!
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Notice too, they're proclaiming that cocoa powder inherently has less fat content (consequently fewer calories and less fattening) than chocolate.
     PLUS it is this less fat content that is desirable for texture when you want your cakes or brownies to be MOIST and TENDER.
     PLUS the fact that there is far less cocoa butter in the powder makes your baked goods less susceptible to stiffening when cool.
     PLUS the intense, rich chocolate flavor of goods using cocoa powder comes from the concentration of the "pure ingredient" of cocoa powder.
     PLUS the "other" form of chocolate, containing cocoa butter, has LESS intense chocolate flavor, even though it has more fat (calories).
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All of these tidbits apply toward answering my questions about Brune.
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Because Brune has less cocoa butter (being 18% cocoa powder) however, it also has large proportion of vegetable fat, which makes it temperature sensitive. It liquefies when warm, much like chocolate does, which is why it's used for dipping strawberries to make them chocolate-coated. If you do that with regular chocolate, biting into the chocolate-coated strawberry makes the coating split off and fall all over your white finery necessitating another trip to the cleaners. But when you dip your strawberries in warmed-up Brune, your teeth go right through it, and chocolate chunks do not fall off the strawberry. This is what fast food restaurants use for dipping soft-serve ice cream cones in, too. So the whole chocolate coating doesn't fall off when you bite the top of the ice cream cone. 
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Therefore, Brune probably would be an ineffective replacement for cocoa powder in Wacky Cake because it would make it stiffen up when cold, and get mushy when warm. I think. I don't really know. Haven't tried it yet..................


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What would you do if you were dipping soft-serve ice cream cones in warm Brune, holding the ice cream cone upside-down, .............
                 .... and the ice cream falls off the cone into the warm pot of chocolate Brune? 
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I just had to know the answer to this, so I asked a worker at a Dairy Queen if that has ever happened to him. He said, "Yes, it can happen."
"So then what do you do?" I asked. 
He replied, "I just get another cone, and start over." 
"But what about the ice cream that fell into the chocolate?" I inquired.
His answer was surprising: "I just let it melt, and stir it all up, and keep on going."
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Now you don't have to wonder why the chocolate coating on a dipped cone tastes vaguely like ice cream. Because it IS. 

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OH NO! I hate it when that happens. (...actually I have no idea...) I hope you're okay. I didn't know that variocse varicose veins could do that!

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Maybe it's time for your dear husband to get some "delicious festive whole grain brown rice treats" from Maria Regina's recipe!
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I didn't know either that such a thing could happen.
The ambo said that happened with another patient who instead of getting his leg above the level of his heart, went into a hot shower, which did not have a good result. It only caused more blood loss. 
My husband swears by brown rice but this is how he lives it done:
1 cup brown rice
3 cups of water
1 teaspoon of powdered chicken stock
1 teaspoon of powdered beef stock
cayenne pepper
1/3 teaspoon of my mix of Italian herbs
When I cook brown I use only 2 cups of water for 1 of rice. I bring it to the boil then turn it off. We have a solid metal hotplate which holds the heat. I never take of the lid for at least an hour. I have found that the outer layer of the brown rice is broken in the boiling and the rice then absorbs all water without using any more power. I was very surprised by this discovery because I always understood that brown rice takes 40 minutes of cooking.
Of course you need to start earlier. I sometimes start immediately after the previous meal and a have the basis of another meal ready.