If you are buying a gluten free birthday cake because someone prefers to avoid gluten, you can order it like any other cake.
If you are buying it for someone with coeliac disease, the recipe is only half the question — and it is the half most people focus on. Here is what actually matters, and what to ask any baker, including us.
1. “Is this made in a kitchen that also handles wheat flour?”
This is the question, and it is the one people are most reluctant to ask.
Most bakeries — ours included — are working kitchens producing conventional cakes, pastry and biscuits every day. A gluten free recipe made in that environment is not the same as one from a dedicated gluten free facility.
A baker who answers this honestly is more use to you than one who says “oh it’s fine”. We are a working bakery handling wheat flour daily, and we would always rather tell you that than have you find out afterwards.
2. “Is it made here or bought in?”
Worth knowing either way. A bought-in cake means the answer to question one lies with a supplier you cannot ring.
Our gluten free range is made as part of our own production and supplied frozen, which we do deliberately — it is made properly, held properly, and thawed when you need it.
3. “How is it stored and handled after baking?”
Cross-contact does not only happen in the mixing. It happens at the cutting bench, on shared boards, and with shared serving utensils.
Ask how it is kept separate after it is made. A frozen, sealed product has fewer opportunities to go wrong than something sitting unwrapped in a shared cabinet.
4. “Can I speak to someone who actually knows?”
Not the person on the till at their busiest hour. If the answer matters medically, the conversation should be with someone who knows how the kitchen runs.
Ring us on (07) 3209 2771 and say it is a coeliac question. That gets you a proper answer rather than a reassuring one.
5. “What do you actually recommend for a mixed party?”
The best answer from any baker is usually individual portions rather than a separate cake.
Gluten free cupcakes mean the child or guest is not singled out, does not have to ask, and does not end up with a cake nobody else wants to share. That matters more at a birthday than most people realise.
What we make
Our gluten free range covers carrot, banana, butterscotch and white chocolate and pineapple and coconut cakes, plus cupcakes and a gluten free vanilla cheesecake.
The full range is on the gluten free and vegan page.
Practical notes for the party
- Give the gluten free cake its own knife and its own board. This is where most home cross-contact happens.
- Cut it first, before any other cake has been near the bench.
- Keep it wrapped until it is served.
- Tell whoever is serving. A well-meaning relative with one knife undoes everything.
Ordering
Available to order online for collection from Springwood. We are collection only, and you choose your pickup date and time at the checkout.
See the wider range at birthday cakes. Roberto’s Cheesecakes, 3414/3416 Pacific Hwy, Springwood QLD 4127.