When Ritu and her mother came to Debbie Caracchilo-Smith of Not Just Cheesecakes and asked her to make a cake for Ritu's wedding, Debbie did not know what she was in for. The request was for two cakes: a "vegetarian*" cheesecake and a small vegan cake.  A vegan cake is baked without any animal products, such as milk, eggs, and butter.

The vegetarian cheesecake was not too difficult to make because instead of the eggs, Debbie only had to use an egg replacement. "It is amazing how well this product works," Debbie told me. A much bigger problem was the vegan cake. After five trials and two tastings, she found the proper composition and got it right. Debbie had to use margarine instead of butter, egg substitute, and soy milk. When the cake did not taste to her liking, she moistened it with spiced applesauce. Both cakes were filled with a medley of fresh berries.

The next challenge was the decoration. When Ritu and her mother showed Debbie and Traci, her cake artist, the wedding invitation, they both knew at once this was it! They wrapped the cake in white chocolate, and Debbie, Traci, and assistant Kerry hand-painted the pattern of the invitation on the cheesecake. The red color was custom-matched to the color of the invitation; 24 karat gold was used for the trim and pattern. Debbie placed the cake on a glass platter supported by four elephants, a traditional Indian motif. The tablecloth and the golden beaded overlay, as well as the flowers, were provided by Debbie.

Mother and daughter were very happy. They framed the invitation and placed it right next to the cake to show how perfectly the designs matched.

* According to the Vegetarian Society there are different types of vegetarians:

Lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Eats both dairy products and eggs.
Lacto-vegetarian. Eats dairy products but not eggs.
Vegan. Does not eat dairy products, eggs, or any other animal product.
Fruitarian. A type of vegan diet where very few processed or cooked foods are eaten.