Since becoming a mom, I have been opened up to a whole new world. One of the bad things that has come with that world is food allergies. When my youngest son was tested, we found out that he had allergies to some of our favorite foods: milk, wheat, eggs, and tree nuts. As a baker, it was my worst nightmare! How could I make him a birthday cake?! But, as a mother (and with the help of some great friends), I knew I would find a solution. And I did! As it turns out, there a ton of allergen free recipes to use, lots of substitutions you can make, and a lot of ways to make really good cake!
Egg-Free, Nut-Free Raven Cake
Here are some examples of the substitutions I use: for eggs, replace with 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce per egg required. You can also you other fruit purees; for example, I made an egg-less strawberry cake and I used pureed strawberries instead of applesauce or eggs. Milk is the easy substitution because you can just use plain water. The cake won’t be as rich, but it will still have a great flavor. For gluten-free cakes, I often just use all-purpose gluten free flour that’s already mixed and packaged.
Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Dairy-Free Teacher Cake
Really, finding the recipes is the easy part of providing allergen-free creations. The hard part is making sure there is no cross contamination. Before I make anything allergen-free, I clean my entire kitchen and put away everything (this is really typical of any time I bake though). I have 3 different mixers: one for all cakes (peanut butter included), one for use with no eggs and no nuts, and one for use with no eggs, no nuts, no milk. Everything I use is stainless steel because it is a non-porous material so it won’t absorb anything that’s put in it. I have separate, color-coded utensils to use with each mixer as well. This way I know what I can and can’t use for the cake I’m making.
It’s a lot of work, but I think it’s worth it to have everyone included at a party. And to make sure that every kid (and kid at heart) can have a birthday cake!
Egg-Free, Nut-Free Angry Bird Cupcakes
Cakes by Penny 