Gluten-free Cupcakes from Bleeding Heart Bakery, Chicago

It is always such a treat to encounter a wonderful bakery that actually has something I can eat!!  I cannot even express the joy and gratitude I feel when I can partake with everyone else, and feel “normal” and eat the things I used to eat and take for granted.

For years I have admired Bleeding Heart Bakery in Chicago.  They are not just your typical bakery, with their edgier designs for their baked goods.  It is my type of place!  Just looking at their web site leaves me in awe.  Or maybe it is the fact that they offer chocolate covered bacon, and bacon chocolate cupcakes!!  I am not even a meat eater, but if it was a gluten-free option, I would be in line to try it!   Bleeding Heart now carries gluten-free cupcakes and chocolate chip cookies, however, not in the bacon variety.  They will also do special order gluten-free cakes.

Last week my good friend surprised me with some cupcakes from Bleeding Heart as a Halloween treat.  She had a huge platter of amazing looking cupcakes in amazing flavors (gluten-filled), and mine were kept to the side to avoid cross-contamination and looked just as delightful.  I was actually able to suppress any envy I had, because mine looked just as good.  The bakery does package them separately.

There were three gluten-free cupcakes, and they happened to all be chocolate. One had vanilla frosting, chocolate frosting and peanut butter frosting.  I am usually not a huge fan of frosting, but for the first time ever, I think it was my favorite part, it was a very rich butter cream that tasted extremely fresh.  The cupcakes had a nice rich consistency, not too airy, but not too dense.  I think the peanut butter was my favorite, followed by the vanilla frosting.

The next day, I decided to give them a call.  I wanted  to pick up a vanilla cupcake and taste-test one of those as well.  They explained to me that they only make chocolate since they are not happy enough with a vanilla recipe to want to sell it.  Fair enough.  I have tasted several good gluten-free vanilla cupcakes in Chicago, and I guess I will just have to go elsewhere if I want something other than chocolate.  It is a shame because the flavors they carry for the regular cupcakes are so unique, and from friends reviews, delicious.  Too bad they cannot carry these flavors over to the gluten-free cupcakes.  For a list of their regular flavors, can you see them here.  I want an horchata and Mexican hot chocolate cupcake!!

I went on to ask how they make the cupcakes to avoid cross-contamination.  Which usually I would ask before eating, but this time it was the wrong-way around.  I was a bit shocked at their response.  When I asked, the woman responded, “well, exactly how sensitive to gluten are you?”  This sent up an immediate red flag in my head.  She continued to say that she could not recommend them for some who was extremely sensitive.  Hmmm…but are they not advertised as gluten-free??  Why would they do this if they were not “safe”?  I asked how they were prepared., and she replied that they prepared the cupcakes together, at the same time, in separate areas and baked them in the same oven at the same time.  She went on to say if I wanted to place an order for some gluten-free cupcakes that were made safely, I could place an order and they could do it specially.  I was extremely disappointed by this response, especially that they are baked together.  Personally, I had no reaction, and I believe I would if it has been contaminated.  I know some other bakeries who make both gluten-free and gluten-filled goods will prepare and bake at separate times to try to minimize cross-contamination as much as possible.

In the end, the cupcakes were delicious, but I am not sure how comfortable I feel when a representative from there didn’t sound confident, herself, in the safety of the gluten-freeness.  I definitely didn’t have a reaction, but I should stress that you use your own judgment and ask question.