Ordering a Gluten-Free Cake in Bangalore: What to Ask First

A gluten-free cake is much easier to find in Bangalore than it was a decade ago. The trouble is that "gluten-free" means different things at different bakeries, and a menu label won't tell you which kind you're getting.

This is what we'd want to know if we were on the other side of the counter, and then how it works when you order from us.

First, work out what you actually need

People ask for gluten-free for quite different reasons, and the right questions depend on which one applies.

• Preference. You or a guest feel better eating less wheat. A cake made with gluten-free flour is enough.
• Intolerance. Wheat genuinely disagrees with someone, but a trace from a shared kitchen isn't a problem for them.
• Coeliac disease or a serious allergy. Even small amounts of gluten matter. Here the kitchen, the equipment and the toppings all count, not just the flour in the sponge.

If it's the third, don't rely on a website. Speak to whoever is baking the cake.

Questions to ask any bakery

These are fair questions for any baker, including us.

• Is the whole cake gluten-free, or just the sponge? Fillings, frostings and decorations are where gluten sneaks back in.
• What goes on top? Cookie crumbs, wafers, biscuit bases and some bought decorations are made with wheat. Standard sandwich cookies are, for one.
• Is it baked in a shared kitchen? Most small bakeries are shared. That's fine for a preference and not fine for coeliac disease unless they can explain how they keep things apart.
• Is it the same cake, or a different recipe? Some places offer a small separate gluten-free range. Others, like us, bake the regular cakes with a gluten-free flour.
• What does it cost, and why? Gluten-free flours cost more than maida, so a surcharge is normal. It should be stated before you pay, not added later.
• How will it hold up? Gluten-free sponges tend to be more tender. Worth asking if you want a tall or elaborate design, or if it has a long ride ahead.

How it works with us

We don't have a separate, smaller gluten-free menu. Most of our cakes and teacakes let you choose the flour when you order: maida, atta or gluten-free. You pick the cake you want and the flour you need, and it goes into the same morning's baking as everything else.

The gluten-free choice adds a fixed amount, shown on each product before you order:

• On classic cakes, gluten-free adds ₹250. The 500g Belgian Chocolate Truffle Cake is ₹1,000 with maida and ₹1,250 gluten-free.
• On teacakes, it adds ₹200. A Banana Walnut loaf goes from ₹450 to ₹650.
• On a custom cake, gluten-free is ₹250 extra per 500g.

Everything that offers it is gathered on our gluten-free cakes page. Not everything we bake has a gluten-free version: the breads, cookies, puffs and pastry slices don't, so please don't assume.

Timing is the same as any other order. Order before 12 noon and it reaches you the same evening, between 4 and 5 PM. After noon, it goes out the next working day. We're closed on Mondays. If you're in a far-off part of Bengaluru, or it's a big cake, order a day ahead to be safe.

The honest part

Our kitchen is not a gluten-free kitchen. We bake gluten-free cakes alongside regular ones, in the same kitchen where wheat flour is used every day.

We'd much rather have that conversation than have someone unwell after their own birthday.

Making one cake work for the whole table

If one person at the party can't eat gluten, you have two choices. Get a small gluten-free cake just for them, or make the main cake gluten-free so everyone eats the same thing.

We lean towards the second. It costs a little more, but nobody gets handed the "special" plate. Rich flavours like chocolate truffle or mocha are a good bet here, because the texture differences in gluten-free sponge are least noticeable under a lot of chocolate.

For a design cake, tiers or a specific weight, use the custom cake form, tick gluten-free, and add anything we should know in the notes. We'll confirm the design and the price before we start. Detailed designs need a few days' notice, so don't leave it to the morning of the party.

A short checklist

• Decide whether it's a preference, an intolerance or coeliac disease.
• Ask about toppings and fillings, not just the flour.
• Ask about the kitchen if it's coeliac.
• Check the surcharge before you pay.
• Order a day ahead for big cakes or long deliveries.

Gluten-free cake should taste like cake. Ask the right questions and it usually does.