Food Allergy Mama » Blog Archive » The Perfect Dairy, Egg and Nut Free Vanilla Cupcake With Vanilla Frosting

web_v1_rkp13691 Have we all had enough of sugary sweets yet? It seems as though I can never have enough of sweet treats. One of my favorite treats from childhood is The Cupcake. Cupcakes in general have grown in popularity the past several years. Just do a search on cupcakes in your local neighborhood and you’ll probably find a bakery or store that is devoted solely to cupcakes. Why all the fuss?

Well, for one thing cupcakes make us feel like like we aren’t eating the whole cake. Just a few little bites of yummy cake with a decadent frosting is heaven. Cupcakes also are like little works of art; piled high with fluffy frosting and decorated with sprinkles, candies, fresh edible flowers, the list goes on. Children in particular are huge fans of The Cupcake because their size is perfect for little hands to hold. What’s not to love about The Cupcake?

Here’s something else to love about The Cupcake: It is also delicious dairy, egg and nut free. My version is super easy to whip up and has a ton of vanilla flavor. The Creamy Vanilla Frosting will remind you of the old fashioned type your mom or grandmother used to make. Forget the canned stuff; this is so much better.

The next time you need a good cupcake recipe for a birthday party or school celebration try this one. Have fun!

DAIRY, EGG AND NUT FREE VANILLA CUPCAKES

½ c. dairy free margarine

1 c. granulated sugar

1 c. soy milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. silken tofu

2 c. cake flour

2 tsp. baking powder

½ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the margarine and sugar until light and fluffy. In a small measuring cup combine the soy milk, vanilla and tofu. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt with a wire whisk. Add the flour and soy milk mixture to the margarine mixture in thirds.

Pour batter into prepared muffin cups and bake 20-25 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

Yield: 12 cupcakes

CREAMY VANILLA FROSTING

1 c. dairy free margarine

2 T. Soy Milk

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract

1/8 tsp. salt

2 c. confectioners’ sugar

In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream the margarine, soy milk, vanilla and salt until incorporated. Slowly add the confectioner’s sugar and mix on low for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and beat for 4-6 minutes until light and fluffy.

50 Comments

I want some of that frosting! Those look incredible!

Alisa February 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am

I will so be trying this. We had our first encounter with my little boy being left out last week at Mother’s Day Out. I brought him to school and one of the moms had brought cupcakes for their child’s birthday. The teacher said she would hook him up with a fruit roll-up. My heart started to hurt. Yeah, he is two but he probably will notice and won’t understand why everyone else gets a cupcake. I hadn’t known about it before so I wasn’t able to bring his own cupcake. I know it was the first of many encounters like this… hopefully next time I will get a head’s up. And now I have a recipe to try! thanks!

Trisha February 16th, 2009 at 11:08 am

Trisha, I can totally relate. I remember a similar occurence when my son was in preschool. Whether he’s 2-years-old or 10-years-old, the teacher should have brought you into the loop so you could have made arrangements. Tell that teacher for future reference you need to be aware of any food celebrations so you can either bring in cupcakes or something else for your son. I’ve made these cupcakes into a 13 x 9 or 9 inch layer cake too with great success. It is the perfect yellow cake recipe. Let me know how it works out for you!

kellyrudnicki February 16th, 2009 at 11:25 am

Thanks so much Alisa! The frosting is yummy, and unfortunately I eat WAY more than I should off the spoon!

kellyrudnicki February 16th, 2009 at 11:26 am

It’s so easy to make a chocolate cake, but a good yellow cake has been missing from our house. All the recipes I have seem to be missing something. I can’t wait to try your recipe, Kelly!

Thanks so much for sharing this one–it looks delicious!

Vivian February 16th, 2009 at 7:24 pm

I too have a thing for cupcakes. There are several cupcake bakeries in our area and I am sad that I cannot take my kids there. Your cupcakes look amazing! I can’t wait to try the frosting. My last batch of buttercream did not come out well at all. I am going to try your next.

PS – the blog looks great! I added you so my blogroll too.

Aimee February 19th, 2009 at 3:16 pm

These are perfect for Easter. It is so challenging finding recipes that are dairy and egg free that don’t taste like hockey pucks. Thanks for sharing, wish me luck on my first batch:-)

Hives Remedy Guru February 20th, 2009 at 8:25 pm

You’re right…these are definitely perfect for Easter. It’s a simple but delicious little cupcake. Let me know how they work for you!

kellyrudnicki February 22nd, 2009 at 8:15 am

Thanks Aimee. I am kind of a freak about cupcakes…and never really found a yellow one that wasn’t dry. I think you’ll like this one a lot.

kellyrudnicki February 22nd, 2009 at 8:16 am

Those cupcakes look divine!!! Love the new look of your website–it is fabulous.

Jenny February 24th, 2009 at 2:02 pm

I just found your blog and am excited to try some receipes thanks for sharing. My question is what tofu are you using. I have had a tuff time with getting tofu to work and that the rest of my family will eat as well.

Karin March 7th, 2009 at 12:24 pm

Hi Karin, I use Nasoya Silken Tofu in my baking, and find it works best when give it a quick zap in the blender to puree it before adding to your recipe. In this particular cupcake recipe, you can not taste the tofu at all. But it gives the the cake a fabulous density. Tofu can be tricky, but if you use it exactly how I write the recipe it will work perfectly. Let me know how it works for you! Thanks!

kellyrudnicki March 7th, 2009 at 1:08 pm

This looks great. How long do you bake it for a 9×13 cake?

Maggie March 9th, 2009 at 7:44 am

Hi Maggie, 25 to 30 minutes should do the trick. This makes a slightly smaller 13 x 9 cake. If you want to use a glass 13 x 9 pyrex dish, i recommend doubling the recipe. If you use a 13 x 9 baking sheet, use this single recipe. Alternatively, if you want to make a double layer cake, double this recipe. Good luck and I promise you’ll love it!

kellyrudnicki March 9th, 2009 at 7:50 am

I can’t wait to bake these for Sophia’s 3rd birthday! Your recipe will be the first ever “cake” I’ve ever made for my kiddo. I did find an allergen free vegan bakery in town and bought her birthday cake from there last year. I was so disappointed when it cost $40+ and she didn’t eat any of it. Oh well when your 2 and afraid to try new things…
I’m going to have Sophia help me bake these so maybe she will be willing to try her very own cupcake.
THANK YOU!!

Amy from the Buckeye State March 11th, 2009 at 6:35 am

Thanks so much Amy! I can not wait for your little Sophie to this cupcake…I promise she will LOVE it. The frosting is so delish too…why not let her do the decorating…spread a little frosting on each cupcake with a clean popsicle stick and let he sprinkle away. Let me know how it works out for you! By the way, we make these at least once a month as my kids love cupcakes (and so does mama!)

kellyrudnicki March 11th, 2009 at 12:23 pm

I just stumbled onto your website and I am in tears over the amount of wonderful looking recipes I can now make for my son! You are an angel!! My son is also allergic to soy and I was wondering if this cake would work without the tofu?

Kristi April 13th, 2009 at 11:04 pm

Thanks so much Kristi! I can’t wait for you try them. Definitely substitute the tofu…easy to do with this recipe. Swap the tofu with 2 Tablespoons of water. The results will be slightly different but still decadent and full of flavor.

kellyrudnicki April 14th, 2009 at 4:51 am

Hi Kelly,

One of my good friends has a severely allergic son, and he gets left out of eating sweet treats all the time. He is seven, almost eight, and has a fantastic attitude about it, but I often on the look-out for yummy allergen-free recipes to try. He is very picky and does not like chocolate. This is the first vanilla cupcake/cake recipe I have seen, and the comments are so promising that I cannot wait to try it.

Sheree August 1st, 2009 at 7:51 pm

I visited your website after reading about it in Family Fun. My youngest daughter is turning 2 tomorrow and suffers from food allergies since birth. She was officially diagnosed with a severe egg allergy and dairy allergy at 14 months. She outgrew her soy allergy by then – which makes finding food so much easier! We are avoiding nuts as a precaution. Anyhow, I baked this recipe tonight as two round cakes and made the frosting to go with it. YUM! Thank you so much for sharing! I am so excited for my daughter. She can have her FIRST bite of REAL birthday cake tomorrow!!! As a mother, I don’t want her to feel left out and isolated as a result of her allergies. Your website and recipes bring me hope and newfound encouragement as I try to educate my daughter and empower her so that she learns that food allergies don’t have to take away from her life. I am so grateful for mothers like you whose experiences can help me navigate my own. I will be buying your book!!! Thank you – from the bottom of my heart.

Jennifer Cordsen August 19th, 2009 at 3:21 am

Jennifer, thank you so much for writing! I can’t wait to hear how your daughter enjoyed her first real birthday cake!! I love it!! Send a photo if you’d like! I promise you and your daughter are going to get addicted to that frosting. My kids beg me just to make the frosting sometimes. Happy Birthday to your little one!!
‘

kellyrudnicki August 19th, 2009 at 12:21 pm

Friday is my liitle guys third birthday. He asked for a vanilla cake. I am so excited to try this recipe out. I plan to make it into a cake and also serve the cupcakes. I just know he is going to be so excited.

Elaine September 2nd, 2009 at 5:54 pm

Elaine I can’t wait for you to try these!!! I love them as little cupcakes…let me know how they turn out and happy 3rd bday to your little guy! How exciting!!

kellyrudnicki September 2nd, 2009 at 6:50 pm

I made these last weekend and my highly allergic daughter really enjoyed them, but the adults were a bit put off by the density. They had a much more muffin like consistency to them rather then a cakey texture. Did I do something wrong with the batter for it to be quite dense? They held together beautifully though, which was nice with an egg free batter. Any suggestions for making these a bit lighter?

Thanks,
Kim

Kim September 24th, 2009 at 2:15 am

Thanks Kim for your feedback. The first thing that came to mind was you might have not whipped up the tofu enough to give a creamy consistency. It’s important to thoroughly incorporate all the wet ingredients together before adding the dry ingredients so the cupcake will have the right amount of moisture throughout the batter. Try it again – and next time make sure you have that electic mixer on high sister!

kellyrudnicki September 24th, 2009 at 9:20 am

Kim – I found your website mentioned in Family Fun. My son has an egg and peanut allergy and I was anxious to find a white cake recipe for his birthday. I am an avid baker and have tried almost every recipe in the book. Since this was the first recipe that incorporated silken tofu (very costly), I thought for sure this would be a recipe worth baking. I was wrong. One thing I should have noted was that NO ONE in your comments mentioned how wonderful they turned out. Everyone just commented on how great they looked or shared with you their excitement on finding your recipe. I baked this accordingly and REALLY whipped the tofu. I have a kitchen aide mixer so I know it had enough power. But why my BAKED 9×9 round cake looks like a quesadilla (a little larger, but still), I do not know. Sorry to say, I will not be using this one again. I might just have to turn this cake into a trifle to get some “volume” or enough out of it to share with everyone at the party.

ahowell October 3rd, 2009 at 4:45 pm

I’m so sorry ahowell that your experience didn’t turn out as positively as everyone else’s. I will try to troubleshoot here to help you find the answers you need, and hopefully it will work out for you in the future. I have always worked hard to find cheap ingredients. I don’t feel that silken tofu is terribly expensive, but if it is in your area, by all means avoid it. In answer to your question about volume, this cake is not meant to be the sky high of cakes, but it should still have some volume (not the size of a quesadilla as you indicated). I wonder if you used cake flour vs. all purpose flour, and if you not only whipped up the tofu for a period of time, but the entire batter for the full 3-4 minutes. If you are still unhappy about the volume of the cake, double the recipe for the 13 x 9 version and make a 9 inch round with a few cupcakes. You will most certainly have the volume you are looking for. The taste should still have been yummy, but you didn’t say if you LIKED the taste. Let me know. I have to say I have tested this recipe a million times and have been very happy with the result. Please try this or another one of my recipes again, and see if you end up with different results. I am eager to hear how it works for you. Thanks so much for your feedback!

kellyrudnicki October 4th, 2009 at 6:23 am

Kelly,
I made this cake last night for my son’s third birthday. I doubled the recipe to make two 9″ rounds. It came out beautifully! FINALLY a white cake that looks, feels and tastes like cake! The frosting was delicious too. THANK YOU so much! Everyone loved it!!
Amy

Amy October 21st, 2009 at 8:57 pm

So happy your son enjoyed this cake on his birthday!!

kellyrudnicki October 22nd, 2009 at 5:51 am

Kelly, I commented on August 19th, the eve of my daughter’s 2nd birthday…..the birthday cake was a hit. Where can I post/send you a photo of my daughter enjoying her first birthday cake ever? I have since made the cupcakes several times, too! My entire family LOVES the recipe. You are right about the frosting – absolutely delicious! I am so grateful for your recipes. And when my daughter is old enough, she will, too! Thank you!

Jennifer Cordsen November 9th, 2009 at 4:06 pm

Fabulous Jennifer!!! Send a photo to info@foodallergymama.com and I hope to archive all these fun photos you guys are sending. I LOVE that everyone is enjoying it!! And that frosting is so addictive…:)

kellyrudnicki November 10th, 2009 at 8:44 pm

So my sons four and he’s never had a cupcake that taste like a cupcake. I have tried dozens of recipes and this is by far the best one I have found. Thank you so much for all of your recipes they’re great and now I can bake for my son and everyone loves it.

Heather November 18th, 2009 at 9:03 pm

Thank you so much Heather! I am so excited your son had his first cupcake!! Hopefully you took lots of photos!

kellyrudnicki November 19th, 2009 at 7:41 pm

Hello and thank you for shearing such a nice recipe!!! My daughter who is 4 years old has allergies to milk, eggs and wheat. I’ve been trying different recipe, yours looks great and I will try it soon Tonight, I just tried the Vanilla frosting and it is just the best I’ve tried, I will stay with it, no more need to keep trying different recipes!
I used it w/ The Glutten-Free Pantry, Old fashioned cake & cookie mix, I made cupcakes. In my experience, just as well as Silken Tofu, we can use a little package of unflavor gelatin mixed w/ 1/3 C of cold water and 1/2 C of boiling water. This equals 2 eggs. Instead of butter I always use canola oil (just a little bit less than what it is asked for butter so that that the mix doesn’t turn out to be so oily).
Thank you!!!
Paulina

Paulina December 17th, 2009 at 11:49 pm

WOW! This is the first dairy, egg and nut free cupcake I have made that doesn’t fall apart when you eat it! The others I have tried always seem to split top from bottom as soon as you take the paper off, leaving us with a pile of crumbs we call a cupcake…not the case with your recipe! And they taste great too!! Thank you!
I’m sure the cupcakes will go quickly, but I was wondering if you have tried freezing these? I feel like I bake cupcakes the night before EVERY child’s birthday…not just my own, but all of her friends and family members too! I’m hoping to keep a supply in the freezer so I can send them to school as needed… and also to birthday parties my daughter is invited to. Thanks for any advice or insight!

Alison January 29th, 2010 at 9:40 pm

Yes! Definitely freeze in a resealable ziploc bag for future bday parties, etc. I always seem to bake the night before a party too, send the one cupcake with my son, and then proceed to eat the rest before freezing them.

kellyrudnicki January 29th, 2010 at 9:44 pm

I’m so excited to try this recipe. Our daughter’s preschool is letting us bring in a bunch of cupcakes that we can keep in the freezer and when there is a party, they will bring one out for her to have, and feel like she is a part of it…this is all new to us, just found out she was allergic to milk products and eggs a few days ago, i’m going to get to know these recipes by heart….

matzesm February 4th, 2010 at 8:51 pm

Matzesm, I think your daughter’s preschool class will love these! My son Matthew ONLY requests this cupcake for his birthday, and he doesn’t even have any allergies.

kellyrudnicki February 4th, 2010 at 10:00 pm

Hi Kelly! First, thank you for posting this which is certainly a big help to all moms! Question – Instead of a mixer, will a food processor work in whipping up the icing (or perhaps the old whisk will do)?? I dont bake so I really do not have baking gadgets… thanks in advance for the reply !

TKiech February 12th, 2010 at 10:49 am

Hi,

I’m using your cupcake mix for my daughters 5th birthday cake. My 10 year old has a very severe allergy to egg’s (white and yolk).

I’m making my daughter a 34 cupcake tier cake! 17 on the bottom, then8, then 5, then 3, then 1 – if you get the idea!

I got the idea from an American Cupcake book I’ve got.

I’ve used your mix several times for lots of differed people and occasion and am always commented to on how nice my cakes are.

I have several egg free mixes for cakes etc and I know who ever will use this one will not be disappointed, its one of my top 5!!!

Kelly Moore March 28th, 2010 at 11:47 am

Hello, Kelly.

We’re going to a friend’s house for Easter, and I volunteered to make dessert so my two-year-old daughter could enjoy the same thing as all the other kids who’ll be there. I’m going to make this cupcake and frosting recipe and am looking forward to great results!

Also … just returned from vacation in Austin, Texas, where I saw your cookbook at the Whole Foods cooking school bookstore. Bought it immediately to share with my mom; I don’t mind getting the recipes online, but she likes having the book in front of her.

We had a great time shopping at the Whole Foods HQ store and are a little sad to be back in NE Wisconsin where it’s a little tougher to find allergy-friendly foods.

Thanks for all you do for the rest of us food allergy mamas.

Mary Ann Rinkleff March 31st, 2010 at 11:40 am

Hi Kelly,

I used this recipe to make a birthday cake my son could eat for my husband’s birthday a few months ago and unfortunately it turned out completely flat and very dense. I think it may have been b/c I used regular flour instead of cake flour. The frosting was terrific though! I am hoping to make the cupcakes this week to bring to a birthday party, but cannot find a cake flour that is “safe” for my son. He needs milk, egg, and peanut free. The only kinds I can find either say “may contain traces of milk, etc” or “processed in a facility with milk, etc.” I’m not comfortable using those, and am curious as to what kind you use and WHERE to find it. Thanks!!!

Rebecca May 17th, 2010 at 7:20 am

Hi Rebecca! Try this recipe again using Swan Cake Flour (Safe), available at most grocery stores. Make sure you completely incorporate the tofu with the sugars, etc. Follow the directions to the letter and you should be good to go! Good luck!!!

kellyrudnicki May 17th, 2010 at 1:21 pm

Perfect! In a pre milk and egg free life I did cut out cakes for my boys birthdays. This is the first milk and egg free recipe I have found that will let me start again. Thank you so much!

Two quick comments – the frosting, don’t try to add food coloring! at least not the liquid kind. I may try the paste next time. The frosting was just right before I tried to color it but then it got very runny. It did still taste great though. Also, have you tried this as a jello poke cake? I’m thinking that would be really good.

Anyhoo, thanks again!

lisaree May 20th, 2010 at 3:58 pm

Lisaree, if the frosting was too runny, add more confectioners’ sugar. The extra liquid from the food coloring probably made it more runny. A jello poke cake..how fun!

kellyrudnicki May 24th, 2010 at 12:44 pm

I’m making these cupcakes so my son Andrew will have a safe treat for him as he starts going to bday parties. I noticed you said these can be freezed in freezer bags….do I frost them and then freeze them or do I have to freeze w/o frosting? And any idea how long they stay good for in the freezer? Although from reading the comments I’m afraid I may eat them all myself before they even near the freezer:)

CJ August 12th, 2010 at 8:04 pm

CJ, Yum! Freeze without frosting in a resealable ziploc bag for up to two months. Good luck!

kellyrudnicki August 12th, 2010 at 9:32 pm

Hi Kelly. I want to try these cupcakes for my son’s 2nd BD party-he’s allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts. I’ve never used Tofu before and saw in some of the comments about whipping the Tofu but it doesn’t say to do that in the recipe. I wondered at what point you do that or if I misunderstood the comments. Thanks!
Kara

Kara October 11th, 2010 at 6:26 pm

Oh my gosh!!! My little guy (allergic to dairy, eggs and all nuts), turned 2 earlier this month, and I was so excited to have him try his first cake! The only thing close to cake he’s ever had is your banana bread, which I make all the time and he LOVES. Thank you for that. )) So I was a little nervous that everyone else at his little birthday party wouln’t like the cupcakes, or think they tasted funny, but, OH! MY! GOSH! The were such a hit!!! Everyone LOVED them!!! Yaaayyyyy!! My sister in law even has a friend with a dairy egg and nut free cake business, and she said these were better than her’s!!! Yessssss. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My son had a wonderful birthday with real cupcakes, thanks to you. Muah!! <3<3<3

Corinne March 22nd, 2011 at 12:08 pm

Hi my daughter is allergic to egg, milk, nuts, and soy. I was just wondering if I could use shortening instead of margarine, and rice milk instead of soy milk for the frosting. Let me know. Thanks.

Shannon August 26th, 2011 at 11:30 pm

I want some of that frosting! Those look incredible!

Alisa February 16th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I will so be trying this. We had our first encounter with my little boy being left out last week at Mother’s Day Out. I brought him to school and one of the moms had brought cupcakes for their child’s birthday. The teacher said she would hook him up with a fruit roll-up. My heart started to hurt. Yeah, he is two but he probably will notice and won’t understand why everyone else gets a cupcake. I hadn’t known about it before so I wasn’t able to bring his own cupcake. I know it was the first of many encounters like this… hopefully next time I will get a head’s up. And now I have a recipe to try! thanks!

Trisha February 16th, 2009 at 11:08 am
Trisha, I can totally relate. I remember a similar occurence when my son was in preschool. Whether he’s 2-years-old or 10-years-old, the teacher should have brought you into the loop so you could have made arrangements. Tell that teacher for future reference you need to be aware of any food celebrations so you can either bring in cupcakes or something else for your son. I’ve made these cupcakes into a 13 x 9 or 9 inch layer cake too with great success. It is the perfect yellow cake recipe. Let me know how it works out for you!

kellyrudnicki February 16th, 2009 at 11:25 am
Thanks so much Alisa! The frosting is yummy, and unfortunately I eat WAY more than I should off the spoon!

kellyrudnicki February 16th, 2009 at 11:26 am
It’s so easy to make a chocolate cake, but a good yellow cake has been missing from our house. All the recipes I have seem to be missing something. I can’t wait to try your recipe, Kelly!

Thanks so much for sharing this one–it looks delicious!

Vivian February 16th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
I too have a thing for cupcakes. There are several cupcake bakeries in our area and I am sad that I cannot take my kids there. Your cupcakes look amazing! I can’t wait to try the frosting. My last batch of buttercream did not come out well at all. I am going to try your next.

PS – the blog looks great! I added you so my blogroll too.

Aimee February 19th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
These are perfect for Easter. It is so challenging finding recipes that are dairy and egg free that don’t taste like hockey pucks. Thanks for sharing, wish me luck on my first batch:-)

Hives Remedy Guru February 20th, 2009 at 8:25 pm
You’re right…these are definitely perfect for Easter. It’s a simple but delicious little cupcake. Let me know how they work for you!

kellyrudnicki February 22nd, 2009 at 8:15 am
Thanks Aimee. I am kind of a freak about cupcakes…and never really found a yellow one that wasn’t dry. I think you’ll like this one a lot.

kellyrudnicki February 22nd, 2009 at 8:16 am
Those cupcakes look divine!!! Love the new look of your website–it is fabulous.

Jenny February 24th, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I just found your blog and am excited to try some receipes thanks for sharing. My question is what tofu are you using. I have had a tuff time with getting tofu to work and that the rest of my family will eat as well.

Karin March 7th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
Hi Karin, I use Nasoya Silken Tofu in my baking, and find it works best when give it a quick zap in the blender to puree it before adding to your recipe. In this particular cupcake recipe, you can not taste the tofu at all. But it gives the the cake a fabulous density. Tofu can be tricky, but if you use it exactly how I write the recipe it will work perfectly. Let me know how it works for you! Thanks!

kellyrudnicki March 7th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
This looks great. How long do you bake it for a 9×13 cake?

Maggie March 9th, 2009 at 7:44 am
Hi Maggie, 25 to 30 minutes should do the trick. This makes a slightly smaller 13 x 9 cake. If you want to use a glass 13 x 9 pyrex dish, i recommend doubling the recipe. If you use a 13 x 9 baking sheet, use this single recipe. Alternatively, if you want to make a double layer cake, double this recipe. Good luck and I promise you’ll love it!

kellyrudnicki March 9th, 2009 at 7:50 am
I can’t wait to bake these for Sophia’s 3rd birthday! Your recipe will be the first ever “cake” I’ve ever made for my kiddo. I did find an allergen free vegan bakery in town and bought her birthday cake from there last year. I was so disappointed when it cost $40+ and she didn’t eat any of it. Oh well when your 2 and afraid to try new things…
I’m going to have Sophia help me bake these so maybe she will be willing to try her very own cupcake.
THANK YOU!!

Amy from the Buckeye State March 11th, 2009 at 6:35 am
Thanks so much Amy! I can not wait for your little Sophie to this cupcake…I promise she will LOVE it. The frosting is so delish too…why not let her do the decorating…spread a little frosting on each cupcake with a clean popsicle stick and let he sprinkle away. Let me know how it works out for you! By the way, we make these at least once a month as my kids love cupcakes (and so does mama!)

kellyrudnicki March 11th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
I just stumbled onto your website and I am in tears over the amount of wonderful looking recipes I can now make for my son! You are an angel!! My son is also allergic to soy and I was wondering if this cake would work without the tofu?

Kristi April 13th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
Thanks so much Kristi! I can’t wait for you try them. Definitely substitute the tofu…easy to do with this recipe. Swap the tofu with 2 Tablespoons of water. The results will be slightly different but still decadent and full of flavor.

kellyrudnicki April 14th, 2009 at 4:51 am
Hi Kelly,

One of my good friends has a severely allergic son, and he gets left out of eating sweet treats all the time. He is seven, almost eight, and has a fantastic attitude about it, but I often on the look-out for yummy allergen-free recipes to try. He is very picky and does not like chocolate. This is the first vanilla cupcake/cake recipe I have seen, and the comments are so promising that I cannot wait to try it.

Sheree August 1st, 2009 at 7:51 pm
I visited your website after reading about it in Family Fun. My youngest daughter is turning 2 tomorrow and suffers from food allergies since birth. She was officially diagnosed with a severe egg allergy and dairy allergy at 14 months. She outgrew her soy allergy by then – which makes finding food so much easier! We are avoiding nuts as a precaution. Anyhow, I baked this recipe tonight as two round cakes and made the frosting to go with it. YUM! Thank you so much for sharing! I am so excited for my daughter. She can have her FIRST bite of REAL birthday cake tomorrow!!! As a mother, I don’t want her to feel left out and isolated as a result of her allergies. Your website and recipes bring me hope and newfound encouragement as I try to educate my daughter and empower her so that she learns that food allergies don’t have to take away from her life. I am so grateful for mothers like you whose experiences can help me navigate my own. I will be buying your book!!! Thank you – from the bottom of my heart.

Jennifer Cordsen August 19th, 2009 at 3:21 am
Jennifer, thank you so much for writing! I can’t wait to hear how your daughter enjoyed her first real birthday cake!! I love it!! Send a photo if you’d like! I promise you and your daughter are going to get addicted to that frosting. My kids beg me just to make the frosting sometimes. Happy Birthday to your little one!!
‘

kellyrudnicki August 19th, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Friday is my liitle guys third birthday. He asked for a vanilla cake. I am so excited to try this recipe out. I plan to make it into a cake and also serve the cupcakes. I just know he is going to be so excited.

Elaine September 2nd, 2009 at 5:54 pm
Elaine I can’t wait for you to try these!!! I love them as little cupcakes…let me know how they turn out and happy 3rd bday to your little guy! How exciting!!

kellyrudnicki September 2nd, 2009 at 6:50 pm
I made these last weekend and my highly allergic daughter really enjoyed them, but the adults were a bit put off by the density. They had a much more muffin like consistency to them rather then a cakey texture. Did I do something wrong with the batter for it to be quite dense? They held together beautifully though, which was nice with an egg free batter. Any suggestions for making these a bit lighter?

Thanks,
Kim

Kim September 24th, 2009 at 2:15 am
Thanks Kim for your feedback. The first thing that came to mind was you might have not whipped up the tofu enough to give a creamy consistency. It’s important to thoroughly incorporate all the wet ingredients together before adding the dry ingredients so the cupcake will have the right amount of moisture throughout the batter. Try it again – and next time make sure you have that electic mixer on high sister!

kellyrudnicki September 24th, 2009 at 9:20 am
Kim – I found your website mentioned in Family Fun. My son has an egg and peanut allergy and I was anxious to find a white cake recipe for his birthday. I am an avid baker and have tried almost every recipe in the book. Since this was the first recipe that incorporated silken tofu (very costly), I thought for sure this would be a recipe worth baking. I was wrong. One thing I should have noted was that NO ONE in your comments mentioned how wonderful they turned out. Everyone just commented on how great they looked or shared with you their excitement on finding your recipe. I baked this accordingly and REALLY whipped the tofu. I have a kitchen aide mixer so I know it had enough power. But why my BAKED 9×9 round cake looks like a quesadilla (a little larger, but still), I do not know. Sorry to say, I will not be using this one again. I might just have to turn this cake into a trifle to get some “volume” or enough out of it to share with everyone at the party.

ahowell October 3rd, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I’m so sorry ahowell that your experience didn’t turn out as positively as everyone else’s. I will try to troubleshoot here to help you find the answers you need, and hopefully it will work out for you in the future. I have always worked hard to find cheap ingredients. I don’t feel that silken tofu is terribly expensive, but if it is in your area, by all means avoid it. In answer to your question about volume, this cake is not meant to be the sky high of cakes, but it should still have some volume (not the size of a quesadilla as you indicated). I wonder if you used cake flour vs. all purpose flour, and if you not only whipped up the tofu for a period of time, but the entire batter for the full 3-4 minutes. If you are still unhappy about the volume of the cake, double the recipe for the 13 x 9 version and make a 9 inch round with a few cupcakes. You will most certainly have the volume you are looking for. The taste should still have been yummy, but you didn’t say if you LIKED the taste. Let me know. I have to say I have tested this recipe a million times and have been very happy with the result. Please try this or another one of my recipes again, and see if you end up with different results. I am eager to hear how it works for you. Thanks so much for your feedback!

kellyrudnicki October 4th, 2009 at 6:23 am
Kelly,
I made this cake last night for my son’s third birthday. I doubled the recipe to make two 9″ rounds. It came out beautifully! FINALLY a white cake that looks, feels and tastes like cake! The frosting was delicious too. THANK YOU so much! Everyone loved it!!
Amy

Amy October 21st, 2009 at 8:57 pm
So happy your son enjoyed this cake on his birthday!!

kellyrudnicki October 22nd, 2009 at 5:51 am
Kelly, I commented on August 19th, the eve of my daughter’s 2nd birthday…..the birthday cake was a hit. Where can I post/send you a photo of my daughter enjoying her first birthday cake ever? I have since made the cupcakes several times, too! My entire family LOVES the recipe. You are right about the frosting – absolutely delicious! I am so grateful for your recipes. And when my daughter is old enough, she will, too! Thank you!

Jennifer Cordsen November 9th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Fabulous Jennifer!!! Send a photo to info@foodallergymama.com and I hope to archive all these fun photos you guys are sending. I LOVE that everyone is enjoying it!! And that frosting is so addictive…:)

kellyrudnicki November 10th, 2009 at 8:44 pm
So my sons four and he’s never had a cupcake that taste like a cupcake. I have tried dozens of recipes and this is by far the best one I have found. Thank you so much for all of your recipes they’re great and now I can bake for my son and everyone loves it.

Heather November 18th, 2009 at 9:03 pm
Thank you so much Heather! I am so excited your son had his first cupcake!! Hopefully you took lots of photos!

kellyrudnicki November 19th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
Hello and thank you for shearing such a nice recipe!!! My daughter who is 4 years old has allergies to milk, eggs and wheat. I’ve been trying different recipe, yours looks great and I will try it soon Tonight, I just tried the Vanilla frosting and it is just the best I’ve tried, I will stay with it, no more need to keep trying different recipes!
I used it w/ The Glutten-Free Pantry, Old fashioned cake & cookie mix, I made cupcakes. In my experience, just as well as Silken Tofu, we can use a little package of unflavor gelatin mixed w/ 1/3 C of cold water and 1/2 C of boiling water. This equals 2 eggs. Instead of butter I always use canola oil (just a little bit less than what it is asked for butter so that that the mix doesn’t turn out to be so oily).
Thank you!!!
Paulina

Paulina December 17th, 2009 at 11:49 pm
WOW! This is the first dairy, egg and nut free cupcake I have made that doesn’t fall apart when you eat it! The others I have tried always seem to split top from bottom as soon as you take the paper off, leaving us with a pile of crumbs we call a cupcake…not the case with your recipe! And they taste great too!! Thank you!
I’m sure the cupcakes will go quickly, but I was wondering if you have tried freezing these? I feel like I bake cupcakes the night before EVERY child’s birthday…not just my own, but all of her friends and family members too! I’m hoping to keep a supply in the freezer so I can send them to school as needed… and also to birthday parties my daughter is invited to. Thanks for any advice or insight!

Alison January 29th, 2010 at 9:40 pm
Yes! Definitely freeze in a resealable ziploc bag for future bday parties, etc. I always seem to bake the night before a party too, send the one cupcake with my son, and then proceed to eat the rest before freezing them.

kellyrudnicki January 29th, 2010 at 9:44 pm
I’m so excited to try this recipe. Our daughter’s preschool is letting us bring in a bunch of cupcakes that we can keep in the freezer and when there is a party, they will bring one out for her to have, and feel like she is a part of it…this is all new to us, just found out she was allergic to milk products and eggs a few days ago, i’m going to get to know these recipes by heart….

matzesm February 4th, 2010 at 8:51 pm
Matzesm, I think your daughter’s preschool class will love these! My son Matthew ONLY requests this cupcake for his birthday, and he doesn’t even have any allergies.

kellyrudnicki February 4th, 2010 at 10:00 pm
Hi Kelly! First, thank you for posting this which is certainly a big help to all moms! Question – Instead of a mixer, will a food processor work in whipping up the icing (or perhaps the old whisk will do)?? I dont bake so I really do not have baking gadgets… thanks in advance for the reply !

TKiech February 12th, 2010 at 10:49 am
Hi,

I’m using your cupcake mix for my daughters 5th birthday cake. My 10 year old has a very severe allergy to egg’s (white and yolk).

I’m making my daughter a 34 cupcake tier cake! 17 on the bottom, then8, then 5, then 3, then 1 – if you get the idea!

I got the idea from an American Cupcake book I’ve got.

I’ve used your mix several times for lots of differed people and occasion and am always commented to on how nice my cakes are.

I have several egg free mixes for cakes etc and I know who ever will use this one will not be disappointed, its one of my top 5!!!

Kelly Moore March 28th, 2010 at 11:47 am
Hello, Kelly.

We’re going to a friend’s house for Easter, and I volunteered to make dessert so my two-year-old daughter could enjoy the same thing as all the other kids who’ll be there. I’m going to make this cupcake and frosting recipe and am looking forward to great results!

Also … just returned from vacation in Austin, Texas, where I saw your cookbook at the Whole Foods cooking school bookstore. Bought it immediately to share with my mom; I don’t mind getting the recipes online, but she likes having the book in front of her.

We had a great time shopping at the Whole Foods HQ store and are a little sad to be back in NE Wisconsin where it’s a little tougher to find allergy-friendly foods.

Thanks for all you do for the rest of us food allergy mamas.

Mary Ann Rinkleff March 31st, 2010 at 11:40 am
Hi Kelly,

I used this recipe to make a birthday cake my son could eat for my husband’s birthday a few months ago and unfortunately it turned out completely flat and very dense. I think it may have been b/c I used regular flour instead of cake flour. The frosting was terrific though! I am hoping to make the cupcakes this week to bring to a birthday party, but cannot find a cake flour that is “safe” for my son. He needs milk, egg, and peanut free. The only kinds I can find either say “may contain traces of milk, etc” or “processed in a facility with milk, etc.” I’m not comfortable using those, and am curious as to what kind you use and WHERE to find it. Thanks!!!

Rebecca May 17th, 2010 at 7:20 am
Hi Rebecca! Try this recipe again using Swan Cake Flour (Safe), available at most grocery stores. Make sure you completely incorporate the tofu with the sugars, etc. Follow the directions to the letter and you should be good to go! Good luck!!!

kellyrudnicki May 17th, 2010 at 1:21 pm
Perfect! In a pre milk and egg free life I did cut out cakes for my boys birthdays. This is the first milk and egg free recipe I have found that will let me start again. Thank you so much!

Two quick comments – the frosting, don’t try to add food coloring! at least not the liquid kind. I may try the paste next time. The frosting was just right before I tried to color it but then it got very runny. It did still taste great though. Also, have you tried this as a jello poke cake? I’m thinking that would be really good.

Anyhoo, thanks again!

lisaree May 20th, 2010 at 3:58 pm
Lisaree, if the frosting was too runny, add more confectioners’ sugar. The extra liquid from the food coloring probably made it more runny. A jello poke cake..how fun!

kellyrudnicki May 24th, 2010 at 12:44 pm
I’m making these cupcakes so my son Andrew will have a safe treat for him as he starts going to bday parties. I noticed you said these can be freezed in freezer bags….do I frost them and then freeze them or do I have to freeze w/o frosting? And any idea how long they stay good for in the freezer? Although from reading the comments I’m afraid I may eat them all myself before they even near the freezer:)

CJ August 12th, 2010 at 8:04 pm
CJ, Yum! Freeze without frosting in a resealable ziploc bag for up to two months. Good luck!

kellyrudnicki August 12th, 2010 at 9:32 pm
Hi Kelly. I want to try these cupcakes for my son’s 2nd BD party-he’s allergic to milk, eggs and peanuts. I’ve never used Tofu before and saw in some of the comments about whipping the Tofu but it doesn’t say to do that in the recipe. I wondered at what point you do that or if I misunderstood the comments. Thanks!
Kara

Kara October 11th, 2010 at 6:26 pm
Oh my gosh!!! My little guy (allergic to dairy, eggs and all nuts), turned 2 earlier this month, and I was so excited to have him try his first cake! The only thing close to cake he’s ever had is your banana bread, which I make all the time and he LOVES. Thank you for that. )) So I was a little nervous that everyone else at his little birthday party wouln’t like the cupcakes, or think they tasted funny, but, OH! MY! GOSH! The were such a hit!!! Everyone LOVED them!!! Yaaayyyyy!! My sister in law even has a friend with a dairy egg and nut free cake business, and she said these were better than her’s!!! Yessssss. Thank you, thank you, thank you. My son had a wonderful birthday with real cupcakes, thanks to you. Muah!! <3<3<3

Corinne March 22nd, 2011 at 12:08 pm
Hi my daughter is allergic to egg, milk, nuts, and soy. I was just wondering if I could use shortening instead of margarine, and rice milk instead of soy milk for the frosting. Let me know. Thanks.

Shannon August 26th, 2011 at 11:30 pm