Tracie
- Sep 26, 2018
- 2 min read

Getting Creative... Making Traditional Allergy-Friendly Dessert Recipes Extra Special!

It's birthday time in my house again, and my eight year-old requested our family's favorite chocolate cake for his birthday dessert this week. Listen, this cake is AMAZING (if you haven't tried it, please click here for the gluten, egg, dairy and nut-free recipe), but I was itching to add a little something special to switch things up a bit. And, boy am I glad I did!

Enter... Sunbutter Cup Chocolate Cake! All I did was cut up two packages of Free2Be Sunbutter cups and sprinkle them on top of our chocolate cake! Goodness was it a hit. And, here's the thing: there's so many allergy-safe alterations we can make to jazz up any of our favorite cakes or cupcakes!

How about trying something a little different with your dessert recipes to make them extra special?

Here are a few ideas:

Sprinkle your favorite treat on top of your cake or cupcake. Some good ideas include Sunbutter cups, chocolate mints, mini chocolate chips, candy canes, sandwich cookies, or even pretzels - just to name a few. I also LOVE adding fresh fruit to the top of our desserts. Something a simple as a strawberry or a couple of blueberries can make a simple cupcake look so pretty!
Mix something fun into your frosting to change the flavor. My favorite mix-ins are maple syrup and berry jam, but you could also do allergy-safe caramel, seed butter or pureed fruit. Start with a small amount of your mix-in (a teaspoon or so) and add more to it if you'd like more flavor.
Try piping your frosting on to your cupcakes or cake to add a special look. I know this may sound intimidating, but it's actually easier than it looks. Simply fill a ziplock bag with frosting, cut a small hole in the lower corner of the bag and squeeze the frosting out of this hole as you pipe it onto the cupcake in a circular motion, covering the entire top.

What are some things that you've done to make a simple dessert special? Please feel free to share your ideas in the comment section below! And... happy baking!