Allergy Friendly Halloween Cake (Gluten-free, Vegan, Top-8-free)

A simple, yet impressive Halloween cake that doesn’t require any special tools. (Seriously! I am a cake novice!) Gluten-free, vegan and free of the top-8-allergens, this spooky delight is all treat and no tricks. Stacked and only frosted in the middle, it’s easy to assemble and gives a fun black and orange theme to create a festive feel without a lot of skill. Read on to see how you too can make this Allergy Friendly Halloween Cake! (Gluten, dairy, egg, soy, peanut & tree nut free as well as vegan).

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I try to be planned out. I really do! Back in July I sat down and did an entire editorial calendar for the rest of 2018. It had every recipe I was going to create and post. But then…sometimes things just come to life in my head and MUST BE DONE THAT INSTANT…like this Allergy Friendly Halloween Cake.

I was scrolling Instagram yesterday, as one does when they’re putting off cleaning, and I came across a similar idea that was, of course, chock full of eggs, wheat and dairy.

Now, normally I’m not tempted to make layered cakes. You’ll notice they’re not normally featured much on my blog. I feel like they are a pain to frost and can take more work than it would for just some cupcakes (I’m ALL about the cupcakes.)

But when I noticed that I could ONLY fill the middle and not fuss with frosting the sides, I got all sorts of antsy. The kind of antsy that’s like “Sure, I don’t need to do laundry or the rest of my to-do list. I MUST figure out this cake this VERY MOMENT.” (These moments happen a lot!)

And like that–I went off into a flurry of activity in my kitchen. Once I decide I REALLY want to make something, it’s funny how I can all of the sudden find time for it. Why doesn’t that happen when it’s time to clean up? I can NEVER seem to find time for that, ha!

The reason this cake was so tempting (other than the fact that I didn’t have to frost the sides) was the fact that I already have a killer chocolate cake recipe and a silky smooth dairy-free vanilla frosting. So, I wouldn’t be having to experiment or worry about it not turning out since I have to tried-and-true recipes.

Now onto the questions I know I will get…

FAQ ON HOW TO MAKE THIS ALLERGY FRIENDLY HALLOWEEN CAKE:

• What food coloring do you use? Confession: I used Wilton’s food coloring gels long before I was smart enough to check their label. I don’t know why I didn’t think food coloring might have something in it! I have called Wilton before, and the person I talked to said they’ve added a may contain label if there is something in the same facility.  So, we’ve used it and never had an issue–BUT–only do what you’re comfortable with for your own food allergies and go with what your allergist tells you. I’ve heard (but not personally tried) that AmeriColor has allergy-friendly food gels. Just note, that you’ll need to use a good amount of red to get it to look red and not pink. I used maybe a 1/4 teaspoon, so I didn’t use much–but you do want to use enough to give you that bright Halloween orange.
• Did you use black food coloring in the cake? No–simply because I wanted it to have the least amount of food dye as possible. I feel like the cake itself is pretty dark due to the rice flour (especially if you use brown rice flour). But, if you really want it to be darker, feel free to add some black food coloring to the cake batter.
• What cake pans do you use? I prefer taller cakes, but since I didn’t want to be eating cake for days I went with a smaller 6″ cake pan. This allowed me to only use one batch (you could easily double the cake recipe if you want it taller) but I felt it still achieved a good height. I used these Wilton cake pans.
• How did you frost it? I am not a cake decorator, nor do I want to be. I wanted to prove I could do a cute stacked cake without special tools. I simply used a quart sized gallon freezer bag and snipped off the corner as my frosting bag. Then I used a large knife (the flat, unsharp side) to even it and make it smooth. Bam! To wipe the extra that may have squeezed out after setting on the next layer on top, I used a cleaned off dish scraper (I literally looked around my kitchen for anything flat!) You really can use anything that has a flat surface!
• Can I use regular soy shortening in the frosting if I don’t have a soy allergy? Absolutely. I suggested spectrum for those who have a soy allergy.
• Can I omit the coconut oil in the frosting; if I have a coconut allergy? Yes. Just use all shortening.
• Can I use regular flour since I don’t have a wheat allergy? Yes, swap it out 1:1 and then omit the xanthan.
• What can I use instead of dairy-free sour cream in the cake? Dairy-free sour cream can be hard to find. Applesauce works too. (In fact, it’s what I used for the cake in the pictures because I was out!)
• Did you have a cake table that spins? Like I mentioned, I literally used typical kitchen tools. I just sat it on the plate you see in the picture and turned it by hand. You don’t need fancy things to do this simple cake–which is why I love it!
• If you had to pick one tool, which would you recommend? I love this offset spatula. I don’t know if you’d consider this a “normal” kitchen tool–but I’ve had it for years and use it to frost cookies, bars and cakes. The angle of it makes it an indispensable tool.
• The original recipe is a cupcake recipe–do I do anything different to turn it into cakes? No. Just adjust the bake time to 22-25 minutes and it bakes up beautifully either way!

I hope this cake helps you and anyone with dietary restrictions or food allergies enjoy a fun dessert this Halloween!

What other allergy friendly Halloween treats do you have?

I certainly do! I love having festive food for holidays. Due to my son’s food allergies, all of my baking is gluten free, dairy free, egg free, nut free and vegan too! Check out these other spooky Halloween treats:

• Gluten & Dairy Free Halloween Mummy Pretzels
• Venus Fly Trap Cupcakes
• Egg Free Ghost Meringues
• Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bats
• Monster Eye Balls (Totally Store Bought!)
• Top 8 Free Halloween Candy + Trick Or Treating Tips
• Frankenstein Krispies
• Spider Sugar Cookies Bars

DON’T FORGET TO PIN IT, SO YOU DON’T LOOSE IT. BE SURE TO ALSO CHECK OUT MY OTHER ALLERGY-FRIENDLY PINTEREST BOARDS.

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Looking for more allergy-friendly Halloween recipes? Here are some of my favorites:

Chocolate Sugar Cookie Bats (Gluten-free, Vegan, Top-8-Free)

Frankenstein Krispies (Gluten-free, Vegan, Top-8-Free)

Venus Fly Trap Cupcakes (Gluten-free, Vegan, Top 8 Free)

Allergy-friendly Monster Eye Balls

Spider Sugar Cookie Bars

Egg-free Ghost Meringues