Good morning!
I tried searching for posts on this topic, but couldn't find my question....
If I need to make a cake (unknown flavor, as of yet) for a birthday party, at which there will be a boy who's seriously allergic to nuts of all kinds, ARE THERE ANY HIDDEN DANGERS IN INGREDIENTS? I'm not sure if I'll be making the cake from scratch or from a mix (will update as soon as the mom gets back to me), but I was hoping someone out there with experience could enlighten me of any common ingredients that are dangerous to people with nut allergies?!? For example: are there nut derivitives in any frostings, cake mixes, etc? Obviously, I'll be stearing clear of anything Peanut butter, no coconut, german chocolate, etc. I was just trying to make sure there's not something nut-relater lurking on the grocery shelves that I'm not already aware of.
THANKS SO MUCH for you help!
I'm interested in this too. My son has severe peanut allergies, but is to stay away from all kind of nuts too.
I have baked cakes at home for years, everything from box mixes. And frostings/icings also store bought. We've never had a problem, thankfully. But then again i've only buy the simple vanilla and chocolate flavors.
I do keep him again from chocolate melts and other chocolate candies & bars. I'm not sure if chocolate melts and other chocolate stuff used for baking is mixed in w/nut products. So i have to be careful.
there was a thread on here that warned that Duncan Hines I believe it was changed their formula recently and they are no longer nut free........if a child has peanut or any nut allergies they can not come into contact with anything that may have had contact with peanuts.....if someone chops nuts with a knife and doesn't wash it and just wipes it clean and then chops salad....a child could literally (depending on the severity of his allergies) die from eating that lettuce......you have to be extremely EXTREMELY carefull not only of the ingredients but of the utensils you use and your work station...making sure nothing was prepared previously with nuts in it.....make sure you wash and disinfect everything REALLY well before you start baking this cake!!
My son too has severe nut allergies. I don't believe DH has "added nuts" to their mixes but are required now to list information on the box that the mix is processed on the same equipment as other products containing nuts. (they've also added dairy to their mixes, crushing me and my son because he's allergic to dairy as well....I've written a long letter to DH requesting they return to their original recipe....another post)
Anyhoo....back to this subject, I ALWAYS send my son with his own nut free cupcakes to enjoy so he's not eating a cake that's unknown to me of what it consists of. So many mixes are processed on the same equipment these days.
If you're taking on the responsibility of making nut free cake's, you'll have to check the labels of every single ingredient you're adding. Otherwise you may want to consider having some sort of notice that you are not responsible for the possibility of any nuts or traces of nuts in your cakes. That puts the responsibility on to the parents of the allergic child. My guess is that they are already, and always, on the look out for their child and simply would not let them eat a cake without first knowing what it consists of.
Be careful!! I hope it all works out for you!
elly
I would scratch bake so I knew exactly what went in the cake. Perhaps ask the parents if they have a recipe for cake that they use at home or if they use mixes, what they use. Better safe than sorry!
I would not do it at all - even those made from scratch have the potential of being "contaminated" by nuts - most households have peanut butter in the cupboard, you have used your appliances with it near by.....NOPE - even baked from scratch you can still have an issue - unless you completely get rid of all nut products in your home and then sanitize EVERYTHING first. There is BIG problems with baking and severe allergies - I choose to not deal with that, and all that goes with it.
Aaaah, well that's where I'd be safe! No peanut butter in this house - blurghh! I have a friend who is allergic to nuts and we'll be visiting them this weekend. I'll be making a cake to take with me and he's had my cakes before (and obviously lived to tell the tale!), so I'm not overly concerned about him! I still say that the child's parents should be consulted to see what they say/advice/recipes they can offer. I had to do a dairy-free cake because of just one child at a party (not even the birthday child!), and it was a pain in the a**, not to mention didn't taste very good!
I only make "nut free" cakes for one customer. Her daughter's best friend has a severe allergy and i've made her last 4 birthday cakes. I actually use BC Chocolate Fudge cake mix. It's the only cake the birthday girl will eat and only if I make it and use my "special icing". It didn't have nut or tree nut or wasn't manufactured in a plant...etc in the past unless that's changed. I double check the label on everything I use to make sure it doesn't include any nut products. Be careful of extracts you might use in your icings too. I only do this for her - I won't do it for anyone else because I don't want to take any chances. I know this mom and the girl with the allergies mom.
Debbie
The package should say if it has or has been in contact with any nuts.. I used to take care of a child with severe allergies, I learned to read EVERY label
Thank you all SOOO very much! I don't know what I would do without you gals!
I really like the idea of contacting the parents, especially since they're dear friends of mine. This nut-free-cake is the same cake that I am making for my friend's son's first birthday (previous post). The birthday boy's cousin is the one that has the nut allergy, and it's never a bad idea to play it safe for the 1 year old, also. I'm definitely going to contact them to see what cake mix/recipe they've used before.
Thanks SO much for all the adivce, ladies. I appreciate y'all SO much! I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me, especially since this will be my first "client"!!! God bless! 
Thank you all SOOO very much! I don't know what I would do without you gals!
I really like the idea of contacting the parents, especially since they're dear friends of mine. This nut-free-cake is the same cake that I am making for my friend's son's first birthday (previous post). The birthday boy's cousin is the one that has the nut allergy, and it's never a bad idea to play it safe for the 1 year old, also. I'm definitely going to contact them to see what cake mix/recipe they've used before.
Thanks SO much for all the adivce, ladies. I appreciate y'all SO much! I'm sure you'll be hearing more from me, especially since this will be my first "client"!!! God bless!
I've done alot of kids birthday cakes with
DH and Betty C and always tell the people
ordering, "If anyone has any food allergies
they can't eat the cake". I know that may
sound harsh, but it's in my contract and they
sign it. I wanted to cover myself. I use milk, butter
and I always thought that all cake mixes had
some nut bi product in it. If you make from scratch
and you don't use anything that touched any type
of nuts, then you should be good. I just
can't find a good scratch cake.
I've done alot of kids birthday cakes with
DH and Betty C and always tell the people
ordering, "If anyone has any food allergies
they can't eat the cake". I know that may
sound harsh, but it's in my contract and they
sign it. I wanted to cover myself. I use milk, butter
and I always thought that all cake mixes had
some nut bi product in it. If you make from scratch
and you don't use anything that touched any type
of nuts, then you should be good. I just
can't find a good scratch cake.
I posted a thread about this...I'll see if I can find it.
DH is now processing their cake mixes on the same lines that are used to process brownie mixes that contain nuts. They also are adding dried milk products directly into their mixes.
http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-26867-dh.html
Hope that works.
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