Before Baking the Cake
There are several questions you should ask yourself and the recipient of your cake before you start baking. Establishing the answers well in advance will ensure that your cakes are well received, each and every time.
Once you know this, consult the Portion Guide on page 109. This will tell you how many portions of sponge cake or fruit cake you can expect to get from different sizes and types of tins (pans).
It could be a disaster if you make a fruit cake covered in marzipan – which is packed with almonds – for someone with a nut allergy. Consult Special Dietary Needs below to find out which recipes are suitable for people suffering from food allergies, food intolerances and diabetes.
Storage and Transportation on page 108 tells you everything you need to know to get your cake safely to its final destination.
Home-made marzipan should be used as soon as possible (though it is worth noting that ready-made versions keep well), but royal icing will keep for one week in an airtight container, and sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing) will keep for two. (There is no need to refrigerate royal icing or sugarpaste; just give the royal icing a good stir, and the sugarpaste a good knead, before use.) Buttercream freezes well, as do freshly baked and cooled sponge cakes, which can be frozen plain or buttercreamed for up to a month. Fruit cakes can – and really should – be baked three months before they are needed to allow the flavours to develop. Store them during this time in plastic bags or airtight containers in a cool, dark place.
You will find classic fruit and sponge cake recipes in Chapter 2, The Cake Itself (see pages 22 and 23) and variations in Recipes, which starts on page 111.
Special Dietary Needs
Food intolerances
A food intolerance is a condition in which a person has an adverse reaction to a particular food. It can be caused by the lack of an enzyme needed to digest the food, stress, illness or poor nutrition, or it can be inherited. Symptoms are very similar to those caused by a food allergy – initially making it difficult to distinguish between the two – and are often delayed, which can make it tricky to identify which food is the cause. Once this is determined, however, sufferers are encouraged to avoid it.
Gluten Intolerance
Also known as Coeliac Disease (CD), gluten intolerance involves a reaction to the glutens or proteins found in some cereals, including wheat. If you are making a cake for someone with gluten intolerance, use only gluten-free baking powder and flour. You will find recipes for gluten-free fruit and sponge cakes in the Recipes section, which begins on page 111. Feel free to decorate both cakes with ordinary marzipan and sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing); a recipe for marzipan can be found on page 30, and the sugarpaste recipe is on page 32.
Food Allergies
Unlike a food intolerance, a food allergy involves the immune system. During an allergic reaction, the immune system mistakes a harmless food as a threat. It creates chemicals and histamines in an attempt to protect the body, which trigger symptoms that affect the skin, respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract and cardiovascular system. Symptoms arise within minutes of eating or touching a particular food, so allergy sufferers must avoid it at all times.
Egg Allergy
Generally, it is the proteins found in egg whites (albumen) that cause a reaction in someone with an egg allergy, but proteins in the yolks can also cause problems.
It is essential that you eliminate all eggs and egg products from any cake you make for an egg-allergy sufferer. You will find recipes for egg-free fruit and sponge cakes and marzipan, and albumen-free royal icing, in the Recipes section, which starts on page 111. If you plan to use ready-made sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing), be sure to check the ingredients list beforehand, as some brands contain egg whites. (The recipe in this book, which can be found on page 32, does not.)
Nut Allergy
Ordinary marzipan, which contains almonds, is off limits for those with a nut allergy. If you must cover a fruit cake that you have made for a nut-allergy sufferer, either replace the marzipan with nut-free marzipan (see page 123) or apply a thin layer of sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready-to-roll icing) and proceed as normal. You will find the recipe for ordinary sugarpaste on page 32.
Dairy Allergy
This is the most common type of food allergy and requires sufferers to give up all foods containing cow’s milk, such as cheese and butter. The Recipes section, which starts on page 111, includes recipes for a dairy-free fruit cake, sponge cake and chocolate topping.
E-Number Allergy
E numbers represent colours, preservatives, additives and other agents that are included in packaged goods. They have been tested for safety and passed in the European Community but still cause allergic reactions in some people. If you are making a cake for someone who is allergic to a particular E number, check the ingredients lists on all of the products you are using to make sure they are safe.
Thinking Ahead
Whenever you are making a cake for someone with a food intolerance or allergy, make sure you thoroughly wash all surfaces and equipment before you begin. Never just carry on and ice a cake for a nut-allergy sufferer with the same rolling pin that you have been using to apply marzipan to another cake, for example.
Diabetes
Diabetes arises when the body either cannot produce insulin (a hormone that regulates the amount of glucose, or sugar, in the
