Penny Wolfe Cake and its’ lore have been around since way before I married into the Cole family. The story goes that my father in law, who doesn’t profess cake as his favorite sweet, first tasted this cake at a church pot luck supper. He was so smitten that he shamelessly stood up, whistled and yelled for all the room to hear, “Who made this cake? I have to get the recipe!” Apparently Penny Wolfe was more than happy to oblige. And while I have no idea where she is or who she is, her name lives on in our family as the Penny Wolf Cake has been a part of countless Cole birthdays and celebrations. It is a super rich dark moist cake that is hard to resist!
Because I love this cake, and because baking gluten free is essential in our family these days, I was so so happy to come across theloopywhisk.com, a wonderful site filled with baked goods for people with food sensitivities. Kat’s Ultimate Gluten Free Chocolate Cake is very close to our beloved Penny Wolfe Cake, and inspired me to make some adaptations and create this gluten free version of the cake so Penny Wolfe can live on!
Before starting any cake recipe it’s a good idea to prep the baking pans. Taking the time to grease the pans and line them with parchment paper sometimes seems tedious, but you’ll be patting yourself on the back when your lovely baked cake pops out of your pan with ease!
Recently, and especially with gluten free baking, I have been diligent about weighing dry ingredients. This is always the more accurate process, but until now I’ve resisted, I think in part because I just love the process of scooping things into measuring cups and leveling them off and I didn’t want to say good bye to that ritual of baking. However, I now own a super slick scale (Thank you Steve!) and am working on embracing my inner scientist.
This cake comes together super easily. Once all the dry ingredients are mixed together, add in the egg, oil and milk. Whether you’re using a mixer or simply a whisk and a bowl, the important point is to gently stir it together until the batter is smooth and free from lumpiness. The final step is to add the boiling water. At this point the batter may seem super strange because it will be very runny. But have no fear, the result will be super rich moist sponge cake!
The cake should bake about 40 minutes. Allow it to cool completely before adorning it with icing or frosting or whatever treatments your heart desires. I usually opt for a cream cheese or chocolate buttercream frosting.
Dark Chocolate Gluten Free Cake (AKA Penny Wolfe Cake)
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cups gluten free flour with xanthum gum* (294 grams)
- 1 cup cocoa powder (85 grams)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil or coconut oil, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup milk, room temperature
- 1 cup water, boiling
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare two 8” cake pans by greasing them and lining the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and baking soda
- Add the granulated sugar and salt, whisk together.
- Add the eggs, oil, vanilla and warmed milk. Whisk together until the batter is smooth and without lumps.
- Add the boiling water and mix together until batter is completely incorporated. It will be extremely runny!
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking pans distributing it evenly between the two. Bake the cakes in the center of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until top springs back when gently touched or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cakes to cool before frosting.