American Baker in Germany

I've been baking for years. I started baking around age twelve. I'd never tried to bake lactose free before. And then my then four-year-old daughter was diagnosed as lactose intolerant. It surprised me. I thought to myself, "What am I going to do now? What about birthday cakes? Cookies? Can my daughter still have these things?" I wasn't sure where to start. What exactly can she have and what can't she have? So, let's talk about lactose intolerance for a moment. Lactose intolerance is a lack of an enyzme or an insufficient amount of an enzyme called lactase in the intestines. Lactase breaks down lactose to a simpler sugar and makes it possible to digest. It is not an allergy. Allergies are an overreaction of the immune system. Lactose intolerance doesn't involve the immune system. Symptoms of lactose intolerance include: stomach aches, gas, diarrhea or constipation, nausea, vomiting, weakness, lack of appetite and if it's not diagnosed for a lon...

I made a cake for a dear friend of mine who has a few food intolerances. She doesn't have any life-threatening allergies, but she gets stomach cramps and migraines from gluten, dairy and soy. I took on the challenge of making vanilla cake gluten, dairy and soy free. You can find my original vanilla cake recipe here: https://americanbakeringermany.blogspot.com/2018/05/my-new-favorite-vanilla-cake-recipe.html It all begins with the ingredients. I substituted the milk with almond milk, the butter with dairy-free and soy-free margarine, and the flour with a gluten-free flour mix. If you are looking to take on a similar project, please read all the ingredients on the margarine. Margarine often contains small amounts of dairy and soy. Sometimes even large amounts. That's the hardest ingredient. You can use any milk substitute you prefer. Almond milk is just my friend's favorite. Also, read the ingredients on your baking spray before you use it, as well. The most important...