Kids Food Allergies Blog

I spent the afternoon of Tuesday, August 12 frantically baking a birthday cake for “the new baby” that the whole family could enjoy. On Wednesday, August 13, I gave birth to a second daughter.

Little did I know that, at the same time I was baking, the good folks at Divvies were sending my family a box of beautiful, delicious cupcakes that would render my frantic efforts unnecessary.

When I got home from the hospital, we had a really great birthday party — and a birthday cake taste test. Three participants. One all-powerful judge.

So, which tasted better? The homemade cake (pink icing) or the Divvies cupcakes? “I like them both the same,” says daughter #1. “Does that mean I get to eat 2 desserts?”

Thank you, thank you Divvies for filling this market need for milk-, egg-, and nut-free cupcakes. We loved the wonderful treats. Thank you for sending them. We’ll be ordering from you again soon.

Today, we celebrated my daughter’s 5th birthday with a big pool party. Her actual birthday’s in early September, but lets not quibble over details.

For all you observant allergy parents - the rings under her eyes are goggle marks, not allergic shiners.

This also marks my 5th anniversary of baking dairy/egg/nut free birthday cakes. My first one was just terrible: a half-cooked blob that looked horrible and tasted worse. The second year was a bit better. The third year, I used the wrong kind of vinegar and my daughter refused to eat the cake (complained it tasted bitter). Last year, I got the ingredients right, but the proportions wrong. I baked a cake so high and heavy that it was tough to transport neatly. This year –I am proud to report– my cake was absolutely perfect. It’s a variation of the Moosewood Six-Minute Chocolate Cake. I hope your guests enjoy it as much as ours.

KidsFoodAllergiesBlog.com Chocolate Birthday Cake
(Makes 1/4 sheet)

Cake:

• 2 1/4 cups unbleached white flour
• 1/2 Hershey’s Special Dark unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 1/2 cup cold water
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar into a large mixing bowl.
3. Measure and mix the water, oil, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients.
4. Mix the batter with a fork or small whisk.
5. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. Pale swirls will occur where the vinegar and baking soda react. Stir just until the vinegar is even distributed throughout the batter.
6. Pour batter into two 1/4 sheet baking pans.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Set aside the cake to cool. Frost cake with your favorite frosting recipe.

Frosting:

• 1 C. Earth Balance vegan butter sticks — room temperature
• 1 C. unsweetened cocoa powder (do not use special dark)
• 5 1/3 C. unsifted confectioners sugar
• 1/2 C. water
• 2 t. vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine vegan butter and cocoa in electric mixer (use batters at low speed)
2. Add powdered sugar slowly, with a splash of water after each addition, until well mixed and desired consistency achieved. (use batters at medium-high speed)
3. Add vanilla