AOkay, I hope I am posting this right as I am very new to Cake Central. Anyways, making a cake for a friends son who has severe dairy allergies. We have scoured through the ingredients I would use to make traditional fondant and MMF and figured out how to make it work for them. However my concern came when I realized the cake toppers they want I would typically add gumpaste or Gum-Tex directly to it. The reason we cant is because on the label it says it in made in a facility that handles dairy products which means is is a no go (he is THAT allergic).

In short, can I still make the cake toppers out of fondant without adding the gum tex. Will it dry hard and not slouch or be too squishy so to speak. I am newer to cake decorating as well and have only made my toppers out of fondant with gumpaste added. Also if it would be easier to use traditional vs mmf. I have only worked with mmf on my simple cakes when i first started so ive never sculpted anything with it.

Hi there! I just asked something similar.  I've only worked with fondant without additives, and I haven't had wilting decorations as long as I let them dry for a long time ahead of time.  Recently I was placing a bow on a cake and was worried about placing it 24 hours before the event because of possibly wilting.  I made sure the customer didn't put the cake in a fridge and kept it lightly covered but not air-tight in a cool, dark place.  I also put paper towel forms inside the bow to keep its shape, just in case, and the customer removed them right before her event.  It worked just fine.  What kind of toppers are you making?

AIf he's THAT allergic then you would be wise to turn down this order.

If dairy is used in the kitchen where the cake will be prepared - there can always be trace.

AThey're wanting Paw Patrol, specifically Marshall. So I would be doing one or two of him only maybe a few inches tall. Nothing crazy. The little boy has never had anything other than a plain sheet cake (baked and frosted by his parents) so they just want a step beyond that.

Jedi, I have considered that. I havent been able to speak with them today but over the weekend I was wondering about it.

AI'd want specifics from the mom about how she keeps dairy from getting in his food at all since the facility thing is an issue. Does anyone have milk, cheese, etc at home? How does she sanitize cookware, counters, utensils, etc before preparing his food? If you used a bowl to make something that had dairy in it, washed it, and used it to mix his cake, would that potentially cause an issue?

I used to do cakes for people with allergies, but with the increase in the number of allergies and the severity of them I don't anymore. If you're baking in a kitchen where you also use dairy the possibility of cross-contamination is going to exist, and it just isn't  worth the risk in my opinion. If he's that allergic then I'd turn down the order, maybe give his mom the recipe for fondant and let her do it herself.

AGoddessofmath, those are the things I have been wondering. He goes to daycare with lots of other children who can have dairy (and receive it at the facility) and out of their family of 4 he is the only one with the condition. They do have cheese and what not at their home for their oldest son so thats why the facility thing threw me off.

Costumeczar, thank you for the suggestion. I may end up doing that.

AIf they have cheese in their house then they're not taking it that seriously. Allergies are very trendy now, and while he might be allergic he might also just have a sensitivity, and those are not the same. I've had people tell me that their kid is allergic to peanuts then backtrack when I say I won't do the cake. It's bad for people who are really allergic because it's getting to the point where people aren't taking allergies seriously since everyone and their brother is claiming to be allergic to something.

Costumeczar is spot on with her comments. 

When I began baking for other people, I decided to say no to all allergy/food sensitivity requests.  I buy retail ingredients, many of which cite production facilities that also process nuts, wheat, soy, and/or dairy products.  My home contains all of those. 

I can't possibly be expected to eliminate all potential sources of contamination--and I don't want to ever think that I was responsible for someones allergic reaction.

I've had people try to backtrack, too, but once that genie is out of the bottle, it's a nonstarter and my no stands.

If you can pull off a dairy free cake & icing, I think you've done a lot.  The decos can be made out of the gumpaste with a barrier between them and the cake--wax paper, saran, parchment--and removed before the child can touch them, I suppose.

Some people have good luck with kneading cornstarch into fondant and having it dry/stiffen.  Maybe that would work?