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Cake alternatives

  • 11-09-2020 9:37am
    #1
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭


    So, LO’s 2nd birthday is coming up. In light of the restrictions on gatherings the party will probably be us an her grandparents. Obviously there will have to be cake, which is where the problems start.

    Me, my dad, and my FiL will happily eat anything.
    OH is a non-dairy vegetarian
    MiL doesn’t eat gluten
    My mum is on a low-fibre diet
    I am massively pregnant and don’t want to have any anything that’s too much hassle.

    I’m thinking of doing a rice crispie cake; easy to make, can easily be formed into a big 2. Are gelatine free marshmallows suitable for that? What could i cover it with? I was thinking chocolate ganache, can that be done vegan?


Comments

  • #2
    RuckingSwimmer
    Closed Accounts Posts: 128 ✭✭RuckingSwimmer


    kylith wrote: »
    So, LO’s 2nd birthday is coming up. In light of the restrictions on gatherings the party will probably be us an her grandparents. Obviously there will have to be cake, which is where the problems start.

    Me, my dad, and my FiL will happily eat anything.
    OH is a non-dairy vegetarian
    MiL doesn’t eat gluten
    My mum is on a low-fibre diet
    I am massively pregnant and don’t want to have any anything that’s too much hassle.

    I’m thinking of doing a rice crispie cake; easy to make, can easily be formed into a big 2. Are gelatine free marshmallows suitable for that? What could i cover it with? I was thinking chocolate ganache, can that be done vegan?


    They don't make it easy for you do they??

    I made vegan lemon cupcakes with vegan buttercream for my niece's 2nd birthday as my sister and her husband are vegan using a recipe from thespruceeats.com. I had a quick look at there's a chocolate ganache recipe on the site - I haven't tried it but the cupcakes and buttercream were a huge hit


  • #3
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    RuckingSwimmer wrote: »
    They don't make it easy for you do they??

    They sure don’t! If it was just one dietary requirement it’d be so much easier.

    I’ll check out that recipe, thank you.


  • #4
    Shenshen
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 9,453 Mod ✭✭✭✭Shenshen


    I've made a cake very similar to this one whenever I need to cater for someone with gluten intolerance.

    Now, when I say similar, here's what I do different :
    Instead of boiling and chopping oranges, I take a large tin of peaches and use the syrup of that to replace the orange pulp in the recipe.
    Once the cake comes out, I turn it out upside down, and cover it withe the sliced tinned peaches and some fresh raspberries. Drizzle it with a thin sugar and water glaze to give it a bit of shine, and it will be stunning as well as seriously tasty.


  • #5
    Dizzyblonde
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,108 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dizzyblonde


    I usually make a pavlova for the gluten free among us, or giant individual meringues (a little red food colouring through them makes them look special!). You could serve these with fruit for all those involved, mascarpone cream or whipped cream for the dairy eaters and a non-dairy or vegan ice cream alternative for your OH. Easy to make, and only the cream element has to have an alternative :)


  • #6
    Mystery Egg
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 2,579 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mystery Egg


    Does your non dairy vegetarian eat eggs?


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  • #7
    rubadub
    Registered Users Posts: 32,373 ✭✭✭✭rubadub


    If I was doing anything extra special for one person I would want to be sure they will be eating it!

    Any kids birthdays, christenings, communions I go to the main cake often ends up barely touched. People stuffed on other stuff first, main food, other cakes, or maybe just watching their weight. That is why I always think those chocolate biscuit type cakes are best, as they keep so well and are robust if people are taking some home.


  • #8
    tscul32
    Registered Users Posts: 2,530 ✭✭✭tscul32


    To be honest I'd just do a small cake for the birthday, use a non dairy butter substitute like block stork and then do a Pavlova. Everyone is covered then. Don't think youll find one dessert to suit all. And I'll admit that I don't what what would/wouldn't be ok on a low fibre diet.


  • #9
    Dizzyblonde
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Politics Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 12,108 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dizzyblonde


    Mystery Egg wrote: »
    Does your non dairy vegetarian eat eggs?

    I never thought of that. It's a minefield... :o


  • #10
    Mystery Egg
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 2,579 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mystery Egg


    You could make an ice cream "cake". Buy a few tubs of high quality vegan, gluten free ice cream, allow them to soften just slightly, shape into a 2 on a baking tray and freeze. Top with sliced strawberries, blueberries and icing sugar just before serving. Super simple and everyone can have a slice.


  • #11
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Mystery Egg wrote: »
    Does your non dairy vegetarian eat eggs?

    He does. On pain of having to do his own cooking.

    I used to date someone with an egg allergy. That was a pain; it’s in so much.


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  • #12
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    rubadub wrote: »
    If I was doing anything extra special for one person I would want to be sure they will be eating it!

    Any kids birthdays, christenings, communions I go to the main cake often ends up barely touched. People stuffed on other stuff first, main food, other cakes, or maybe just watching their weight. That is why I always think those chocolate biscuit type cakes are best, as they keep so well and are robust if people are taking some home.
    I get what you’re saying. But since it’ll just be the 6 adults and the birthday girl, and i’m Heavily pregnant, I won’t be doing much in the way of cooking other things.


  • #13
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    tscul32 wrote: »
    And I'll admit that I don't what what would/wouldn't be ok on a low fibre diet.

    Basically, subtract all healthy foods from the diet. No wholemeal bread, no pulses, limited fruit and veg. I’d hate to be on it.


  • #14
    s1ippy
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 2,980 ✭✭✭s1ippy


    Assure them that the side meets all their dietary preferences. Don't serve anything on the side and just plough on with whatever you fancy making.

    Seriously fuck those parameters, it's birthday cake, they can take their chances.


  • #15
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Mystery Egg wrote: »
    You could make an ice cream "cake". Buy a few tubs of high quality vegan, gluten free ice cream, allow them to soften just slightly, shape into a 2 on a baking tray and freeze. Top with sliced strawberries, blueberries and icing sugar just before serving. Super simple and everyone can have a slice.
    Could be onto a winner there! Who doesn’t love ice cream?




    Sorry about the individual posts, can’t multi quote on the phone.


  • #16
    Mystery Egg
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 2,579 Mod ✭✭✭✭Mystery Egg


    kylith wrote: »
    Could be onto a winner there! Who doesn’t love ice cream?




    Sorry about the individual posts, can’t multi quote on the phone.

    Use a hot scoop and keep a jug of boiling water beside you. Don't let it melt too much, if possible, get your husband to do the muscle work of getting the scoops out of the tub and you do the moulding with cold hands.

    Alternatively if it's not too late in the day get a large 2 shaped mould. That's the easiest way.

    https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silicone-Number-Baking-Birthday-Anniversary/dp/B00O4XMD2C/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=2+cake+mould+large&qid=1600238183&sr=8-3


  • #17
    Tar.Aldarion
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Social & Fun Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,082 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tar.Aldarion


    If you want to buy something and are in dublin, Buttercream Dream won best bakery in Ireland this year and are completely vegan, their gluten free stuff is amazing too.

    M&S do amazing marshmallows that are vegan now, so do Aldi, and they work perfectly for rice crispy square cakes, a friend made me some (to really melt it had to finish with microwave). Icecream is a good bet, ben and jerry's have loads of vegan flavours now (choc fudge brownie and peanut butter cookie are my fav) and booja booja are awesome too.


  • #18
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Pretty much decided to do a berry roulade, so did a trial run tonight. Elmlea non dairy cream is not bad.

    But smooshed, but hey.


  • #19
    Tree
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators Posts: 4,678 Mod ✭✭✭✭Tree


    Emlea tastes like dream topping to me, but perfectly servicable cream subsititute :)


  • #20
    kylith
    Registered Users Posts: 17,736 ✭✭✭✭kylith


    Due to the new restrictions we wound up having different grandparents on different days over the weekend.

    Saturday was gluten free and we had roulade which, despite my run through, was something of a disaster. I decided to do custard instead of cream so as not to have left over egg yolks. Unfortunately the soy milk curdled when heated so I had to use hazelnut milk which is delicious but ... grey. Also the meringue was possibly over baked and wouldn’t roll so it was more of a mess type of desert, with broken meringue, blackberry jam, and grey custard.

    Sunday was just non-dairy so we had blackberry cake. Lovely and moist, and possible to get candles into.


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