Wedding cake ideas for a bride with multiple allergies

[alligande]

I have been approached by a bride who is allergic to wheat, butter and eggs. I can handle the wheat allergy, but I am stumped by the other two. Looking for suggestions for the cake and for the fillings. The cake will be enrobed in fondant so that works. She also wants the whole cake (for 80) to be allergy proof so what ever is left she can eat.

As every one should be able to enjoy cake any suggestions

Thanks Karen

[lorinda]

I have been approached by a bride who is allergic to wheat, butter and eggs. I can handle the wheat allergy, but I am stumped by the other two. Looking for suggestions for the cake and for the fillings. The cake will be enrobed in fondant so that works. She also wants the whole cake (for 80) to be allergy proof so what ever is left she can eat.

As every one should be able to enjoy cake  any suggestions

Thanks Karen

←

Perhaps you could find a recipe where the fat is an oil, which would result in a nice moist cake. Or use butter-flavoured shortening.

Can't help with the eggs I'm afraid, there is a product called ener-G egg replacer which is potato flour and other vegan leaveners, never tried it.

I came across a delicious sounding filling recently - raspberry mousse, which contains a high proportion of pureed raspberries, sugar, gelatine and cream - although if the bride is allergic to butter, can she eat cream?

You could consider asian type fillings - lotus seed or red bean paste.

[jgm]

My only suggestion is to look for a Seventh Day Adventist church in your area. SDAs are vegans, and they would likely have recipes or suggestions. And if there are special products in your area, they will know about them.

A few years ago, I took a CHIP (nationally-offered Cardiac Health Improvement Project) class through the local SDA church, and I was amazed at things that were available, and techniques, that I had known nothing about.

[McDuff]

I make a wheat free cake which can be made without eggs. I use the Ener-G-egg replacer and find that you need to whip it till it looks like a semi beaten egg white, then fold it into the batter. It makes cake all right, but I'm glad I'm not allergic.

[Swisskaese]

I have been approached by a bride who is allergic to wheat, butter and eggs. I can handle the wheat allergy, but I am stumped by the other two. Looking for suggestions for the cake and for the fillings. The cake will be enrobed in fondant so that works. She also wants the whole cake (for 80) to be allergy proof so what ever is left she can eat.

As every one should be able to enjoy cake  any suggestions

Thanks Karen

←

I think you should make a suggestion that you make a separate cake for her for the cutting pictures and maybe including the topper for her anniversary and have a regular sheet cake that is for the rest of the guests.

I am sorry that she has these allergies, but why punish everyone else. |I have had vegan cakes and I am not sure I would want to have one as a wedding cake. No offence to vegans, but I find them sickenly sweet and I can't imagine one enrobed in fondant.

Maybe someone has a recipe that isn't so sweet.

[miladyinsanity]

You could substitute nut flours and oils for flour and oil. I don't know about eggs though. Never had an eggless cake before--or even seen such a recipe.

[chefette]

Did the bride have any suggestions regarding cakes or recipes that she has been able to enjoy in the past? I would start with that.

Is it eggs or could she stand whites?

A carrot cake might work

you can substitute applesauce or pineapple for fat or use oil

But I think that it would be tough to find something that the 79 other people would not be more than happy to leave for the bride to eat later

Edited January 29, 2006 by chefette (log)

[SweetSide]

How about a vegan chocolate cake made with spelt flour? I have a recipe for one that I have from work (I work in a bakery in a health food store...)

I don't have access to other variations, but I can post the recipe for you. Also have a vegan buttercream that we use.

And, I'm assuming that you know that vegan products use no butter, eggs, or any item that is from animals. So these work for people who need to be dairy free or egg free.

I am not a vegan, have had the cake, and think it is good. Butter and egg cakes are better...

[Ling]

What a difficult assignment! I liked the suggestion of asking if she would settle for a top tier done according to her specifications, and then the rest of the cake being made traditionally with the eggs, butter, and flour. If she doesn't want to waste food, she can let the other guests take home the extra cake. I just find her allergies too restrictive for a really delicious cake.

I can only think of a very moist carrot cake (with shredded carrot and pineapple taking up most of the bulk) made with nut flour, or a chocolate zucchini cake (again made with nut flour). Another alternative would be a very thick and dense chocolate ganache (made only with some whipping cream and a bit of corn syrup)+nut flour "cake" that can be covered in fondant. That could be quite delicious!

[Alex]

In circumstances like this I use a recipe from the terrific Chef Sato's All-Natural Desserts. Unfortunately, it's out of print, but perhaps your library system has it (as does mine) or can get it for you. No eggs, no dairy, no refined sugar. He does use wheat flour, but I'm sure you could substitute spelt flour, as SweetSide suggested. I've also substituted agave nectar for the maple syrup.

Among other recipes, he has ones for Almond Cake and Carrot Cake, both with tofu-based frosting/filling, and for Chocolate Raspberry Cake, with a cocoa/tahini/soy milk (or rice milk) frosting/filling. If you like, you can send me a PM with your email address and I'll reply with a couple of recipes as an attachment.

[MightyD]

found this vegan chocolate cake recipe on recipezaar - actually looks quite palatable. has no eggs or butter but has wheat flour which i'm sure can be easily substituted with something else.

http://www.recipezaar.com/recipe/getrecipe.zsp?id=9390

Edited January 30, 2006 by MightyD (log)

[esowchek]

Please check out Bette Hagman's "Gluten-Free Gourmet" books, particularly "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Makes Dessert". As wheat allergies have been discovered to be more common than previously believed, great strides have been made in producing gluten-free flours for baking, and Ms. Hagman is the pioneer in this area. I have made a number of her cakes with quite tasty results. In place of butter, I would recomment Earth Balance brand Natural Buttery Sticks - they are dairy-free, non-hydrogenated, and contain no gluten, no casein, not nuts or eggs, and can replace butter stick for stick. Ms. Hagman also gives equivalents for egg substitutes.

Please be careful about spelt - since this is an ancient form of wheat, many people who are allergic to wheat cannot tolerate spelt either, and it is not recommended for people with gluten-intolerance or celiac disease. Wheat flour has a relatively high gluten content that other flours cannot match, so they cannot be substituted equally. Additional ingredients are required to add protein to provide structure to support the cake.

These are rough allergies to have, but it does not mean that a delicious cake cannot be made to satisfy even those who are non-allergic. In fact, if you don't tell then, they probably won't know! Good luck!

[McDuff]

Please check out Bette Hagman's "Gluten-Free Gourmet" books, particularly "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Makes Dessert".

←

That's the series I worked up a wheat free cake from. I tweaked her recipe a little. Her flour blend is rice flour, potato starch flour, and tapioca flour. Then you make a cake mix from that with sugar, baking powder, vanilla powder, salt, and xanthan gum. And from that you make a batter with eggs, oil and lemon soda. It's a bit of an exercise in scaling, but it works. I made three 12", one 10" and one 7" cake for a wedding back in November using this recipe. I occasionally have people ask for it with no eggs, no dairy, so I use the energ egg replaces, which I think might be in her recipe, and soy or rice milk to make a covering ganache. It's very palatable when freshly made.

[alligande]

Thanks for all the input,

I think you should make a suggestion that you make a separate cake for her for the cutting pictures and maybe including the topper for her anniversary and have a regular sheet cake that is for the rest of the guests

←

I mentioned that, but the bride is a first time bride in her 40s so she gets what she wants.

Did the bride have any suggestions regarding cakes or recipes that she has been able to enjoy in the past? I would start with that

←

When I spoke with her she has recently started using a cake mix, which she described as been good for some one who has not eaten cake in years, but wasnt an excellent cake so I was hoping to be able to find something better

Please check out Bette Hagman's "Gluten-Free Gourmet" books, particularly "The Gluten-Free Gourmet Makes Dessert".

←

That's the series I worked up a wheat free cake from. I tweaked her recipe a little. Her flour blend is rice flour, potato starch flour, and tapioca flour. Then you make a cake mix from that with sugar, baking powder, vanilla powder, salt, and xanthan gum. And from that you make a batter with eggs, oil and lemon soda. It's a bit of an exercise in scaling, but it works. I made three 12", one 10" and one 7" cake for a wedding back in November using this recipe. I occasionally have people ask for it with no eggs, no dairy, so I use the energ egg replaces, which I think might be in her recipe, and soy or rice milk to make a covering ganache. It's very palatable when freshly made.

←

Mcduff would you mind sharing you recipe with me? what flavor was the cake?

How about a vegan chocolate cake made with spelt flour? I have a recipe for one that I have from work (I work in a bakery in a health food store...)

I don't have access to other variations, but I can post the recipe for you. Also have a vegan buttercream that we use

←

I dont think I will be able to use spelt flour but I would love the vegan buttercream recipe

[JayBassin]

What about sheets of dacoise layered with almond buttercream? You could frost it with buttercream or fondant. That's assuming the bride is only allergic to egg yolks and not whites.

Edited January 31, 2006 by JayBassin (log)

[SweetSide]

alligande, here's the vegan buttercream recipe...

Vegan American Buttercream

(measurements in pounds)

2.00 Earth Balance (butter substitute)

2.25 Spectrum shortening

.5 Soymilk (unflavored and unsweetened)

3.00 Sifted Powdered Sugar (to be sure powdered sugar is vegan, you have to buy particular brands)

.08 vanilla or almond extract

Mix Earth Balance and shortening at room temperature

Add sifted powdered sugar and mix until blended

Add soymilk and extract and mix until light and fluffy.

Earth Balance can be found in the refrigerated (dairy) section and the Spectrum shortening I find in the baking section at my local natural food store.

To make this chocolate, add cocoa powder to taste. Depending on how chocolately you want it, you may need to add more soymilk.

I've now added this recipe to RecipeGullet...

Edited January 31, 2006 by SweetSide (log)

[ludja]

If the restrictions are because of allergies, it does seem odd to me for the bride to mind if one tier was made for her allergies and the rest of the cake was made for "taste" and her guests....

It is very nice of you to do this. An interesting idea was posed above though, if she knows if it is possible for her to eat either egg whites or egg yolks. I don't know if there are separate allergens that restricted to one part of the egg and not the other. In any case, if so, some options do open up. For instance, nut-based cakes without flour that used whipped egg whites for the leavening. Maybe these could also be made with an egg white substitute. I've also seen cakes that only use yolks and perhaps the wheat flour could be switched with a replacement.

[tejon]

If she is allergic to eggs, it is most likely that the whites are the issue, not the yolks. The whites contain the most protein, which is usually the portion that causes a reaction. But I would certainly ask, in case this is not true for her.

[ludja]

If she is allergic to eggs, it is most likely that the whites are the issue, not the yolks. The whites contain the most protein, which is usually the portion that causes a reaction. But I would certainly ask, in case this is not true for her.

←

Yes, it looks like chicken albumin, the most common allergen in eggs, is restricted to the whites. It may be worth checking out with your friend whether egg yolks are an issue for her. (Maybe she is ultra sensitive to whites though, and separating the eggs by traditional means would still be a bad idea.)

click

One of the most common causes of food allergy in infants and young children is the egg, although according to studies, most outgrow the allergy by the age of five.

The egg is made up of various proteins, many of which are highly allergenic. The four major allergenic proteins of hen's egg white are ovomucoid, ovalbumin, ovotransfferin, and lysozyme. Ovalbumin, the major allergen, makes up fifty percent of an egg white.

Most people with an egg allergy are allergic to the egg white proteins, but there are those who are allergic to the yolk. The egg yolk contains different allergenic proteins than the egg white. The names of these proteins are apovitellenins I, apovitellenins VI, and phosvitin.

Those who suffer from an egg yolk allergy usually have the reaction triggered by inhaled bird antigens.

Edited January 31, 2006 by ludja (log)

[onehsancare]

If she's allergic to butter, wouldn't she also be allergic to milk? sour cream? yogurt?

If that's the case, why did she only say "butter"?

(Or am I being cynical?)

[alligande]

If she's allergic to butter, wouldn't she also be allergic to milk?  sour cream?  yogurt?

If that's the case, why did she only say "butter"?

(Or am I being cynical?)

←

I dont know the details, I have only spoken to her over the phone and have a meeting at the end of the week to discuss details. I thought egullet might have some good suggetions that I could put forward rather than a mediocre box mix. My suspicion is she is allergic to dairy, but only mentioned butter as that is a common cake ingredient, but I will know more later.

[McAuliflower]

I don't think its worth arguing whether it is the whites or the yolk of the egg that she may be allergic to....

who would want to be the one who was wrong, and on her wedding day?

For fillings... Alton Brown's chocolate silken tofu pie filling works well and is surprisingly good. You can make dairy free ganache too (just substitute wine or juice for the cream). Dagoba baking drops are vegan.

[SweetSide]

When I posted, I didn't realize that I should add my recipe to RecipeGullet and provide a link. Here's the link for the recipe found in a prior post on this thread...

Vegan American Buttercream

[Idlewild]

Just to add an idea to the pile, I made a pineapple upside down cake last year that I went a bit nuts with the fruits in. I wanted to substitute apple sauce for butter because I need to lose weight and it's a common substitution - but I wanted to add extra richness so I think I ended up using a whole lot of puree'd pears and peaches and it was deliciously moist and you really couldn't note a lack of butter (I did use butter for the topping, it'd be sacrilege not to). I think something with pureed fruits and perhaps some almond flour in with whatever non-wheat flour you use might be delicious. I'm not sure how stable it'd be for making a large cake though . My cake outcome was very sticky and moist, and that was using wheat flour so I'm not sure what the crumb would be like without the support of wheat flour. I'm a big fan of the texture almond meal gives, but it's better suited to flattish cakes, alas. All the wheat-free cakes that I've had have been less than spectacularly risen and I think you can do beautifully rich things if you work with the nature of the substitutions rather than trying to make them do things they aren't meant to - but that may not be so helpful for creating a wedding cake.

Another cake mum and I made a couple of times was a very rich fruit cake that got most of its body from crystalized exotic fruits and big chunks of nut and good dark chocolate, the batter around them was almost incidental. That might be good for a layer - you should be able to make a good enough batter to hold it together with various substitutions for flour and shortening.

[MelissaH]

I also wonder about looking through older cookbooks for "War Cakes," made during wartime when eggs, sugar, and other food products were rationed or hard to get. I don't know how they'd work with non-wheat flours, but they might give you another place to start looking. I seem to remember that many of them are spicy or gingery.

Here's a recipe I just googled up. For the fat, it says you can use bacon grease!

MelissaH