Mazeltov! BabyCakes NYC™ is thrilled to announce that it is now certified Kosher, parve and vegan. Spread the good news!
What gluten free flours do you use?
We use rice flour or a garbanzo/fava bean mix.
What other flours do you use?
We use spelt flour for our non-gluten free products.
Do you know there is gluten in spelt?
Spelt contains gluten, so it is NOT recommended for those following a gluten/wheat free diet. Also, an individual with a wheat related condition (i.e. celiac sprue, gluten sensitive enteropathies, etc...) should not consume spelt flour.
What is spelt and why does BabyCakes NYC use it?
Spelt is an ancient grain. People prefer it to its distant cousin, wheat, because it has 15-20% more proteins, is higher in complex carbohydrates, is rich in magnesium, is lower in overall carbohydrates, has not been genetically altered and contains enzymes that assist in glucose and insulin secretion.
Many people with delayed hypersensitivities and allergies to regular wheat feel spelt protein is much easier to digest than wheat protein. We, however, do not encourage those with wheat sensitivities to consume this grain.
What do you do to prevent cross-contamination?
We realize many people are concerned about the potential for cross-contamination between spelt and gluten free flours. We take every precaution to ensure that gluten free items are not corrupted by spelt flour. We use separate pans, sinks, spatulas, measuring cups, cleaning utensils and bowls. Ultimately, however, it is up to the consumer to decide her comfort level with our use of spelt.
What kind of sweeteners do you use?
We use agave nectar, an all-natural, low-glycemic sweetener derived from a cactus for most of our baked goods. It is commonly safe for type 2 diabetics with non-insulin dependency. We use unrefined, evaporated cane juice for all other products.
What kind of fats do you use?
We use two types of oil: canola and cold pressed virgin coconut oil.
The coconut oil we use has been known to benefit the following:
Toddler's Health
Toddlers need enough fat in their diets to grow. They, however, don't need the highly processed oils found in the average baked good. Dr Mary Enig ("Know Your Fats") assembled a scientific study that shows virgin (unrefined and non-hydrogenated) coconut oil to have anti-bacterial, anti-viral and anti-protozoal properties, which leads to many identified health benefits. Dr Enig has also hypothesized that lactating women who use coconut oil may further increase their monolauric milk content, which benefits nursing babies.
Health Conscious
Virgin cold pressed coconut oil, a medium chain fatty acid, is often used by athletes because it promotes healthy thyroid and metabolic function and is used as storage for quick energy sources.
A recent article in Women's World highlighted the propensity of these fatty acids to stimulate the thyroid gland and, thus, engage the metabolic rate. (Most other oils block this rate). When substituted for other oils, test subjects achieved substantial weight loss.
Heart Patients
Patients recovering from heart attacks who were fed coconut oil as 7% of their energy experienced greater recovery rates than controls. No difference was documented between these patients and those treated with corn or safflower oils. Further, populations who consume coconut oil report lower rates of heart disease. Coconut oil may also be one of the most useful oils to prevent heart disease because of its antiviral and antimicrobial characteristics. (JAMA 1967 202:1119-1123; Am J Clin Nutr 1981 34:1552)
What if I'm allergic to soy and dairy?
We do not bake with soy or dairy. Please note that our gluten-free flours are packaged on the same equipment as soy. The machines are power washed and the initial 30 lbs of flour are discarded between runs.
Are you nut free?
It has recently been called to our attention that the FDA now categorizes coconut as a treenut. For this reason, we cannot claim to bake without treenuts as coconut oil is an essential part of our products. This is the only nut with which we bake.
Also, our gluten free flours are packaged by Bob's Red Mill on equipment that also packages hazelnut and almond flours. For these reason, we are unable to refer to ourselves as a "nut free facility."