Baking today is often about catering for a multitude of dietary requirements. Everyone should be able to have a treat that tastes good without making them ill. I have found that sometimes people who don’t have any special dietary requirements are reluctant to try anything that’s ‘free’ from a particular ingredient but when they do taste it are amazed that it tastes just ‘like the real thing’ – as it absolutely should!
I have been catering for people with special dietary requirements for years, from a simple cupcake packed separately just for them to entire gluten-free or dairy-free wedding cakes.
Note that you can never guarantee any product you make free from all traces of an allergen if you bake it in an area and with equipment that is used for products containing the allergen. You can, however do everything possible to minimise the risk of cross-contamination.
So how to make your bakes allergen-friendly – a few things to check:
Cleaning – make sure the area you are working in and all equipment you are going to use is thoroughly cleaned just before starting, even if it is already clean. Tins that are used for your general baking should be lined with non-stick baking paper as an extra precaution, do not reusable liners.
Labels – check the labels of any ingredients you buy to see if they are suitable for your needs even if you have bought them before. Manufacturers change their recipes frequently and you may find that something that was previously free from an ingredient now contains it.
Baking without Gluten
Commercially produced gluten-free products have become much more widely available in recent times, which is great but there’s no reason why your home-made treats can’t be gluten free as well. Xanthan Gum is a wonderful product which mimics the elasticity of gluten and should be added to gluten-free flour for good results. I like to use a gluten free plain flour that does not already have xanthan gum added so I can control the amount to add myself. If the recipe calls for self-raising flour you will also need to add baking powder – make sure it is also gluten free.
Use the same quantity of gluten-free flour as the recipe specifies of plain or self raising flour and add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum per every 4 oz/115 g flour. If you are substituting for self-raising flour add 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder per 4 oz/115 g flour. There is no need to add extra liquid.
Lactose or Dairy Free
Dairy products are the easiest ingredients to substitute as there is a wide range of alternatives available. Just make sure that any dairy free butter contains at least 70% fat – check the label carefully as a lower fat content will not give the same results. Butter contains very little lactose due to the manufacturing process and may be suitable for someone who is lactose-intolerant, just check with them first to be sure. Ideally, any butter substitute should be in block form, spreads generally contain too much water to be suitable for baking.
There are a wide range of alternative ‘milks’ available – I tend to use soya milk as a substitute but you can use almond, oat, coconut or rice milk, according to your taste. Lactose-free milk is exactly the same as the standard stuff, it just contains the enzyme lactase to break down the lactose into simpler sugars which are easier to digest.
If you use any butter or milk substitute there will be a noticeable difference in taste so you may wish to add some vanilla extract to the recipe to enhance the taste.
Where milk chocolate is specified in any recipe it can be substituted with a dairy-free plain or vegan milk chocolate.
Vegan
Dairy products can be substituted as above.
Eggs are a bit more difficult as they provide moisture and structure in cakes and there is no direct substitute, a different recipe is required.
See my recipe for Vegan Chocolate Cake, which is also suitable for making into cupcakes.
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