First I Was Happy.....now I'm Sad...
Decorating By RRGibson Updated 16 Jul 2007 , 11:32pm by redpanda
Okay guys, I was happy because I booked my first wedding cake today!! Then I was sad because the bride tells me, mind you after the tasting, that most of her guests are vegetarian and she doesn't want to feed them any animal fat or lard....
WHAT DO I DO NOW!! The cake that she tasted and is now raving about of course has butter, eggs, and milk! How am I going to change my recipe to accomodate this bride? I'm feeling like I might have to turn her down now 
HELP!!
Call her back and verify what she meant. Animal fat to me means lard and I'm a vegetarian. If she didn't want eggs, milk and butter she would have said she (or her guests) was vegan and cleared it with you first. If she does want a vegan cake then I suggest you find some good recipes or even pass on this one as it is pretty hard to make a good cake without the dairy.
Crisco and lard are two very different creatures. Crisco is vegetable fat whereas lard is well lard. (comes from pigs). Most manufacturers don't use animal fats in their shortening. Just make sure to read the label to find out what kind of ingredients there are and make sure that it says "all vegetable"
As for the cake recipe there are quite a few here on c.c. that you could try. Just type in the search engine "dairy free" or eggless. See what pops up.
if she said they are vegetarian, i would say you are pretty safe growing up vegetarian, my parents eat eggs, butter and milk. Now my sister is vegan and does eat any of the above, so definalty ask her if she is looking for a vegan cake and if she is, I am sorry I would also pass, it is not one of the easest things i have ever done. But in that cake i do have a couple of recipes that are ok, just not what i would want for a wedding cake.
as keepontryin stated.....there is a difference from being vegetarian and being vegan. Vegetarians do not eat meat, but typically do eat animal byproducts suhc as eggs, cheese, and milk. Vegans are those that do NOT eat any byproducts. They will NOT eat eggs or milk or anything that contains them. If her guests are vegetarians you should be okay. Also, I have never heard of lard being used in icings. Lard is made from animal fat, Crisco or other vegetable shortenings are made from plants or vegetables. Although I have never made it before I am under the understanding that IMBC is a BC made with no shortening and some out there swear by it. It may be something to look into. Good luch and congrats on your booking.
Although I have never made it before I am under the understanding that IMBC is a BC made with no shortening and some out there swear by it. It may be something to look into. .
aaahhhh but it is made with butter, if they are in fact vegan than that will be out too. But vegetarians wouldn't find issue.
What about marzipan?? I do not know the ingredients to it. OR MMF???? Isn' tthat what they do in Europe? Or is that RI??? Just brainstorming.
What about marzipan?? I do not know the ingredients to it. OR MMF???? Isn' tthat what they do in Europe? Or is that RI??? Just brainstorming.
you can do fondant if you use all veg shortening and I make my buttercream using margarine made with soy and all veg shortening and I am sure if you check on a vegan web site you'll find some cake recipes only thing is it will be a lot more expensive I'm thinking just make sure you take all that into account when you give a price. Also the extra work in trying to figure this all out.
If the bride meant vegan, I'd avoid this one like the plague. Not only are you looking at a cake with no eggs and an all-shortening buttercream, but also no royal icing decor (eggs also) and probably no MMF either, if those marshmallows contain gelatin (also an animal byproduct). What does that leave you? A head of cabbage airbrushed with some luster dust 
You might be able to find recipes, but these changes will be very expensive and they certainly won't make the cake you had the bride taste. If you decided to do it, I'd arrange another tasting so she's not surprised that it's not what she remembers eating.
just brainstorming here..
but if it IS a vegan cake & you decide to do it, things to keep in mind:
I've heard bananas can be subed as a binder for eggs in the cake.
& frosting wise you can sub margarine for butter in buttercream.
And I believe you could STILL use fondant as well as most marshmallows are now made with gum arabic instead of old school gelatin.
just some thoughts. 
Definitely verify.
Some of you got off on a tangent. She didn't say anything about being concerned about the shortening, she was concerned about the butter (fat from an animal), eggs (fat from an animal) and milk (if not skim, fat from an animal).
The woman probably just meant lard, where the animal has to be killed to get the fat, but as everyone else suggested, verify.
What does that leave you? A head of cabbage airbrushed with some luster dust
LOL sounds yummytoo funny
Having just done a vegan cake this weekend I can say honestly if that is what she wantsrun away. The cake it self was not to bad ( modified choc depression cake), the frosting IMHO was just wrong on so many levels, basically it was nothing more than crisco and powered sugarick. The mom of the client promised me she wouldnt tell anyone who did the cakelol
Although I have never made it before I am under the understanding that IMBC is a BC made with no shortening and some out there swear by it. It may be something to look into. .
aaahhhh but it is made with butter, if they are in fact vegan than that will be out too. But vegetarians wouldn't find issue.
That's what I thought too. I have no idea how to cut butter out of frosting! I did email her back today and ask her to clarify. She said no animal fat or lard. I told her that all of my cakes contain milk, eggs and butter and that my frostings contain milk/cream, butter and egg whites. We'll see what she says...
you can do fondant if you use all veg shortening and I make my buttercream using margarine made with soy and all veg shortening and I am sure if you check on a vegan web site you'll find some cake recipes only thing is it will be a lot more expensive I'm thinking just make sure you take all that into account when you give a price. Also the extra work in trying to figure this all out.
That's a good idea for the frosting. I'll keep that in mind. But the frosting that she actually said she liked the best was an almond SMBC. Can you use margarine in that?
The bride says that she was only really concerned about the shortening. That doesn't even figure into this cake at all so that's a big relief. But when she replied to me she said "Eggs, cream, milk, etc is all fine", I'm assuming that means butter too? But I emailed her back just to check.
So she wants white cake with almond SMBC...now we just have to decide on a filling. Any ideas?
You guys are always so helpful to us newbies !
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%