Inspiring Lives Magazine Spring 2017: Issue 4 | Page 77
CREATING a
RECIPE for SUCCESS
Delicious Cakes Safe for Delicate Palates
By Jen Forsyth
I
n April of 2006, Cathy and her husband
Benjamin were travelling with their
then-infant daughter Madalyn when some-
thing went terribly wrong.
“We were in Columbus, Ohio, on vacation.
We were driving to my husband’s cousin’s house
when Madalyn started projectile vomiting. I
never had seen that before! She had a lot of skin
issues as an infant. She had horrible eczema.
When she started projectile vomiting, we took
her to the hospital. They kept her for a couple
hours, but they weren’t sure what was wrong, so
they sent us home.”
“So we went back to my husband’s cousin’s
house and spent the night. The next day, I gave
Madalyn some Gerber puffs at their condo, and
then we went out to eat. When we got to the
restaurant, my husband said, ‘Madalyn doesn’t
look right.’ I looked at her, and, her face was get-
ting bigger and bigger and swelling shut.”
Not knowing where the nearest hospital was,
the Burnheimers raced to the closest pharmacy
and purchased Benadryl, which thankfully saved
Madalyn. Upon returning home to Pittsburgh,
Pa., Madalyn was taken to UPMC Children’s
Hospital, where she was officially diagnosed with
allergies to wheat, eggs, and peanuts.
A few months later, Madalyn turned one year
old. Burnheimer wanted to make the occasion
special, considering what the family had been
through, and also make sure her daughter had a
big cake to celebrate with, but she didn’t know
how.
“This was the first time I had ever not worked
since I was 15, and my husband worked long
hours, so I had a lot of time on my hands,” the
former sales rep explained. “That was when Ace
of Cakes, Duff Goldman, was really popular. I
would just watch it. I was so intrigued that you
could do that. It was art, but with food. Both of
my grandmas were very artistic. I learned in my
30s I am artistic. I just had to find my medium.”
Burnheimer’s medium was confections. In the
months leading up to her daughter’s birthday,
she played around with fondant, and she made
Madalyn a cake that was safe for her to eat. So
how do you make a delicious cake without any
wheat or eggs that isn’t contaminated by peanut
products?
Burnheimer says it’s all about finding the right
ingredients.
For example, rice-based flour can be used
instead of regular flour, and an egg substitute
can be used in place of eggs. Over the past year,
Burnheimer has even expanded to offer choco-
late peanut-free and dairy-free cakes. “I’ve been
in business for eight years, but I’ve been playing
with cake for eleven,” she explains. And she has
definitely hit the sweet spot between scrumptious
and allergen-free delights.
While Burnheimer’s business has expanded
drastically, she likes to remind people of the rea-
son she got into business in the first place.