Meg Haworth

My sister Polly Brubeck has Celiac disease, lactose intolerance and is allergic to casein (a protein found in cow’s milk that is used in most cheese and butter substitutes).  When she got married this summer, I wondered what she would do for a wedding cake. 

Polly’s best friend since kindergarten, Anne Marie, is a chef who searched the internet for the perfect gluten and dairy free cake recipe that would stand up to the challenge of holding some very heavy sugar roses that covered the top of this sweet, little cake.

When I first laid eyes on the cake, I was impressed with how beautiful and delicate it looked.  The white roses were so lovely on this stunning two layer white dome that I imagined they would taste like white, sugary rose petals.  I marveled at Anne Marie’s work of art.  As Polly and her new husband Doug cut the cake, they cut hers first then went on to the big cake for the groom and guests.  Both cakes were absolutely lovely.  Bride and groom fed each other their respective cakes without sullying their faces or their clothes.  It was all very tame and, as long as they kept it that way, there would be no mixing of “dirty” ingredients.

I was the first, desperate, gluten & dairy free fool to approach the cake table when the cutting and feeding by the bride and groom had concluded.  I was honestly  desperate for food, as most of the finger food at the reception consisted of cheese and tiny sandwiches made with gluten full bread.  I had consumed about all the vegetables (without dip . . . again) that I could and had tried not to make a total pig of myself with the tiny bit of smoked salmon they had out on the table.  It’s a weird moment when I want to say to people; “But this is all I can eat on this table.”  Like I have to explain my apparent, ok, blatant piggish behavior.

I got my piece of cake.  I surveyed its cross section and noticed the white layer of the outer shell fondant covering a light chocolate frosting that met with a very dense and somewhat dry looking cake.  I smelled it, as if I were a connoisseur of wine, readying to survey my first delightful (hopefully) sip.  It smelled of chocolate and rice flour, tapioca and/or potatoe starch with a hint of some binder I was unfamiliar with. 

I sunk my fork into the cake, feeling its density.  I placed a bite into my mouth and began to chew slowly.  It was good.  It was a bit dry – perhaps from sitting for a day or two and making the trip down from DC to Richmond, Virginia.  The light chocolate frosting was fabulous and made the cake that much more enticing to my palate.  The outer shell fondant was tasty but chewy and should not have been.  The roses were of the same ilk and were much more beautiful than delicious.

Overall, I was impressed with what Anne Marie created without prior knowledge of how to make both a moist cake and a gluten and dairy free one that I gave her an A+ for effort, artistry and love for my sister.  While I am still unsure of what she used to create her work of art, I was quite impressed with what she made.  Personally, I would have done something to make this cake more moist like adding a chocolate bar or boiling water to the batter.  Gluten free cakes tend to go stale more easily than their wheat flour counterparts and need more moisture added to conteract the dry and more highly absorbable rice flour.      

Thank you Anne Marie for broadening my horizons with just how artistic one can make such an item.  You have given me something to aspire to.

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