Wedding Cakes & Food Forum

Gluten Free?

Hello everyone! This is an issue I've been tossing back and forth for a while, so I thought I'd take it to the boards and just ask.

I have Celiac Disease, and long story short, I have to eat gluten free, or the food will hurt me irreparably. Food is my medicine. I've recently discovered that my symptoms will manifest even if my make-up and lotions have gluten in them, so I have to be that much more careful! I was wondering if I could do my wedding gluten free, or if the people would revolt.

Gluten free entrees won't be hard unless wedding guests can't part with dinner rolls or breading for one dinner, but as for the cake, I'm at a loss. Gluten free baked goods are more dense and grainier tasting than "gluten-y" baked goods, so guests will definitely taste the difference. Should I do a whole gluten free cake and keep myself 100% safe or should I risk making the top of the cake gluten free so the FI and I can cut that, and save the guests from a cake they may complain about?

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Re: Gluten Free?

  • I would still offer up bread/rolls to your guests.  Just don't eat or touch one yourself and you should be fine.

    As for the cake.  I would suggest finding a handful of gluten free bakers and take non-gluten free people that you trust and that you know will be truthful with you and have them try the cake as well. This way you can find a gluten free cake that tastes yummy to non-gluten free people as well.  Or you could have a regular wedding cake and a gluten free "grooms cake" that you and other gluten free guests can enjoy.

  • You should have GF options that you can partake in and ones that are not for your guests.  My husband and I are both GF.  We had a pasta bar that had GF pasta and regular pasta.  There was also GF cake for us, but regular cake for everyone else.  
  • Don't risk contamination by putting a GF tier on top of a regular cake. Do separate cakes if you go this route.
  • Thanks guys! I was wondering how careful a caterer would be about contamination. @BlueBirdMB did you and your husband have any issues with your route?

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  • cupcait927cupcait927 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited March 2014

    Try different bakeries when looking for wedding cakes. My best friend's younger sister and mom both have Celiac's disease and have become well-versed in baking GF and how the taste can be off (such as grainy, like you mentioned). They found a bake shop in our area that made the most FABULOUS gluten free cupcakes and I swear to you, there is no way you could tell the difference. I think to make your wedding day a little less stressful, it would be wise to look for a variety of bakers to find one that might be able to help (plus - potentially more cake to try!) It is possible to find a GF cake that tastes good and would eliminate the need for multiple cakes.

  • Thanks guys! I was wondering how careful a caterer would be about contamination. @BlueBirdMB did you and your husband have any issues with your route?
    We aren't that specific, so we weren't bothered by contamination.  But most caterers of good reputation, understand the issue with food allergies and are very careful not to cross contaminate. 
  • lc07lc07 member
    First Anniversary First Comment First Answer 5 Love Its
    edited March 2014
    You can't have a GF top tier of the cake sitting on a glutenous bottom. It will be contaminated. GF food is delicious and there is no need to serve anything glutenous at your wedding.

    If for some reason you really want to provide gluten to your guests, this is one time when I think that it is okay for the Bride/Groom to be served a different meal than their guests, assuming you are not being served lobster and filet and serving pizza to your guests.

    ETA: I've had amazing gluten free cake. Keep trying different bakeries if you've had a bad experience.
  • I have a cousin who requires gluten-free food.  When I've had it myself it was delicious.

    As PPs have noted, you can't have a cake with both gluten-free and gluten-containing tiers, due to cross-contamination.

    It's okay not to serve gluten to your guests.  I'd look for a bakery that can provide a gluten-free cake.
  • I'm gluten sensitive myself (not celiac though), and we are planning on a gluten free wedding cake. Honestly, I tasted the cake with my fiance and we both thought it was delicious and couldn't taste the difference! Shop around for gluten free cakes.

    I am serving both gluten and non-gluten food, but if you think it would be stressful/possibly harmful to you to have gluten around, I think it would be fine to skip gluten altogether. Most foods don't require gluten to taste good.

    Although if you are serving alcohol, I'd recommend still serving bottled beer. There isn't much of an issue of cross contamination with that.

  • edited March 2014
    I have Celiac Disease and react to below 20ppm myself. The entire wedding will be gluten free. I have a gluten free cake lady that is awesome. My mom tried her cake and didn't believe it was gluten free. There are good bakers out there you just have too look hard. It's not cheap but getting sick at your own wedding is not something any bride should have to go through. Most people don't realize just how little of an amount and that cross contamination can make you extremely sick. I did one compromise and I'm allowing beer but only if it stays in the bottle and we will also have gluten free beer available. I'm not telling anyone about the event being gluten free if they figure it out good for them but it's not worth my risking my safety just so someone can have a dinner roll.

    ETA it's very risky to use a baker who also bakes with wheat flour in the same facility. It's nearly impossible to contain/clean airborne flour and it very well could cross contaminate the gluten free items. This is why we choose a totally gluten free baker.
  • Thanks for all of the advice, y'all! I know that there is so much risk for a top gf tier on the cake, so I'm just going to really search for a totally gluten free baker. I don't want to risk getting sick at my wedding! 

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  • I had a gluten free buffet and gluten free cake. The cake was fantastic and it tastes like "regular" cake. Everyone raved about how great the food was. And I got both within my budget. You don't want to get sick on your wedding day! My aunt has Celiacs and discovered this AT HER WEDDING. She was sick the entire time and couldn't figure out why until shortly afterwards she got the diagnosis.
  • My niece had a gluten free cake for her vow renewal (long story on that part). She wanted to be able to enjoy her own wedding cake. Can't blame her for that. But they did have other cakes/pastries available that weren't gluten free.

    What about doing just a gluten free cake for you guys to cut & take home & cupcakes for the rest of the guests. If that is too much of a risk for you, then I would try to find a bakery that has a nice assortment of gluten free desserts that people won't realize are gluten free.

     

  • @Kimches if your bridesmaid has celiac disease please let her know about the cupcakes being made in the same facility as gluten items even if they are made at other times. Believe it or not that very very small amount could still be enough to cause damage to her small intestine. I've been told flour can remain in the air for 8 hours after being "poofed". I've never tried it b/c I don't like getting sick but it is possible to cause a reaction from airborne wheat flour.
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