Search "eggless cake gluten free Sydney" and you'll find a confusing mix of promises. Some bakeries suggest both boxes are ticked. Very few explain what that actually means inside a working kitchen. At Num Num's Bakery we'd rather be straight with you. Egg-free and gluten-free are two completely different dietary requirements, and meeting both properly takes two completely different kitchen setups.
We built our bakery around one of those requirements. Every cake we make, all 15 flavours, across both our Harris Park and Riverstone shops, is 100% egg-free. That's the whole business, not a side menu. What we are not is a dedicated gluten-free bakery. We'd rather tell you that clearly than let a family find out the hard way after ordering for a coeliac guest. This guide covers the real difference between egg-free and gluten-free, and why so many Sydney families need both at once. It also covers what we can honestly offer today, and how to ask us about a gluten-related request before you commit to a date.
- Egg-free and gluten-free are separate dietary needs, one about a single ingredient, the other about an entire kitchen system
- Num Num's Bakery is 100% egg-free across all 15 flavours and both shops, but is not a dedicated gluten-free kitchen
- Coeliac Australia estimates around 1 in 70 Australians live with coeliac disease, and about 80% remain undiagnosed
- Standard cakes at Num Num's Bakery contain wheat flour and dairy, and are not suitable for coeliac disease or wheat allergy
- Message us on WhatsApp before ordering to discuss a gluten-related request, we'll tell you honestly what we can and can't do
What's the Difference Between an Egg-Free Cake and a Gluten-Free Cake?
An egg-free cake removes eggs from the recipe and, ideally, from the kitchen entirely. A gluten-free cake removes wheat, barley and rye, and avoids any cross-contaminated ingredient. In Australia, it must also contain no detectable gluten to legally use the term, according to Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ). These are not two versions of the same thing. One is a single ingredient substitution. The other is a structural rebuild of the recipe, and for it to be trustworthy, of the entire production environment too.
Egg-free baking replaces the binding, rise and moisture that eggs would normally provide, using ingredients like yoghurt, condensed milk, buttermilk or a touch of extra raising agent. Done well, the result is close to indistinguishable from an egg-based cake in taste and texture. Gluten-free baking is a different challenge altogether. It means replacing wheat flour's protein structure, the very thing that gives cake its stretch and crumb, with blends of rice flour, almond meal or tapioca starch. Then it means guaranteeing that not a single trace of wheat flour touches that batter, tin, oven shelf or bench at any point in the process.
That second part, the guarantee, is where most bakeries, including ours today, fall short of a genuine gluten-free claim. A cake made with gluten-free flour in a kitchen that also handles wheat flour every day is not a gluten-free cake under Australian food law. At best, it's a cake with reduced gluten content and an unquantified contamination risk. Would you want to serve that to a guest who can't safely eat even a trace of gluten? We wouldn't either, which is exactly why we don't call anything on our menu gluten-free.
Why Do Some Sydney Families Need Both Egg-Free and Gluten-Free at Once?
Two separate groups land on this exact search. One is households managing coeliac disease alongside a vegetarian or egg-avoiding diet. The other is families who simply prefer to minimise both ingredients for personal or cultural reasons. Sydney's western and north-western suburbs, where a large share of our customers live, have significant Hindu and Sikh populations for whom eggs are excluded under lacto-vegetarian practice. Now layer a coeliac diagnosis into the same household. Coeliac disease is genetic, so it can appear in any family, and you get a customer who needs both at once. Not as a trend, but as two unrelated medical and cultural facts colliding at the same birthday party.
According to the 2021 Census, Hinduism accounted for 4.8% of religious responses across Greater Sydney, the third most common religious affiliation after Christianity and Islam. That's not a small niche. Combine that with the roughly 1 in 70 Australians Coeliac Australia estimates live with coeliac disease. Simple maths says there are Sydney households right now planning a party where the cake needs to satisfy both requirements simultaneously.
We hear this exact combination in WhatsApp messages more often than you might expect: "egg-free like always, but my sister-in-law has coeliac disease, is there anything you can do?" Right now, honestly, the answer is no, not on a shared production line. It's one of the more common questions we currently have to answer with a no, and we'd rather explain why than dodge it.
Coeliac disease affects an estimated 1 in 70 Australians, with around 80% of cases undiagnosed, according to Coeliac Australia. For households that are also egg-free by cultural or religious practice, that overlap turns a routine celebration cake order into two dietary requirements at once, not one.
Is Num Num's Bakery a Gluten-Free Bakery?
No. Num Num's Bakery is not a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, and our standard menu of 15 flavours is not gluten-free. Every cake we make uses wheat flour as a core ingredient, in a kitchen where wheat-based products are prepared every single day. We want that stated plainly, not buried in fine print. A coeliac guest getting sick at a party is a far worse outcome for everyone than us losing a sale.
What we can say with total confidence is that we are a 100% egg-free kitchen. No eggs are used in any recipe, any preparation area, or any equipment on-site, across both Harris Park and Riverstone. That claim, we can back completely, every time. Gluten-free is a different promise altogether. It requires a separate flour storage system, dedicated mixing bowls and tins, allergen testing against the FSANZ "no detectable gluten" threshold, and ideally a physically separate space. We don't have that infrastructure today, so we won't pretend we do.
For someone with coeliac disease, cross-contamination isn't a taste issue, it's a health issue. Even trace amounts of gluten can trigger an autoimmune reaction and intestinal damage, whether or not symptoms are immediately obvious. If a genuinely gluten-free result is medically necessary for your guest, we are not the right bakery for that specific cake today. We'd rather say that upfront than have you find out on the day. Severe reactions to food allergens can also be serious in their own right. Organisations like ASCIA and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia publish detailed guidance on managing that risk. It's worth reading if food safety around wheat or another allergen is a factor for your event, not just coeliac disease.
That said, "no dedicated gluten-free kitchen" isn't the end of the conversation. There's a real difference between a full allergen-safe gluten-free guarantee and a lower-gluten substitution made with clearly stated limitations. We cover exactly what that middle ground looks like a little further down.
Message us before you commit to a date. We'll tell you plainly whether it's something we can do, discuss case by case, or honestly can't offer yet.
What Does a "Gluten-Free" Claim Actually Require Under Australian Law?
Under the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code, a business can only call a product "gluten free" if it contains no detectable gluten at all, not even a trace. It also has to contain no oats, malt or malt-derived ingredients, according to FSANZ. Australia's threshold is stricter than the US, UK and EU, where products can carry a "gluten-free" label with up to 20 parts per million of gluten still present. Here, testing has to come back at the limit of detection, roughly 3 to 5 parts per million, before the claim is legally allowed.
Wheat is also one of the allergens that must always be declared on a food label in Australia. That applies however small the amount, under the Food Standards Code's allergen labelling requirements. That's why every flavour description on our Our Cakes page lists wheat flour as an ingredient. It's also why we won't attach the words "gluten free" to anything on our menu unless we've actually tested for it and it passes. Calling a cake gluten-free just because it uses less flour than usual, or because a customer asked for it "lighter", isn't a claim we're willing to make. Legally, and honestly, it wouldn't be true.
How Common Is Coeliac Disease Among Australians?
Coeliac Australia estimates that around 1 in 70 Australians live with coeliac disease. Roughly 80% of those cases are currently undiagnosed, according to their published guidance at coeliac.org.au. Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition, not a food allergy or a lifestyle preference. Eating gluten triggers the immune system to damage the lining of the small intestine, and the only treatment is a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet. That single statistic, roughly four in five people not yet knowing they have it, is a big part of why we take the question seriously. We can't yet answer it with a product, but we can answer it honestly.
It also explains why gluten-free requests reach us more often than you might expect for a bakery that only markets itself as egg-free. A parent might not know their child is coeliac yet and orders cautiously anyway. A guest at a mixed celebration might be managing a recent diagnosis and doesn't want to make a fuss about it in the group chat.
More than once we've had a customer explain, almost apologetically, that they're "being difficult" by asking about both eggs and gluten in the same message. It's not difficult, and it isn't fussy. It's two legitimate, separate requirements, and we'd rather have the honest five-minute conversation on WhatsApp than pretend our current menu quietly covers both.
Can You Ask Num Num's Bakery About Gluten-Free-Adjacent Substitutions?
Yes, and we'd genuinely rather you did. We can't promise a certified gluten-free cake today. But some requests are worth a conversation on a case-by-case basis. Adjusting a filling, swapping out a garnish that contains a wheat-based biscuit crumble, or being upfront about which of our flavours use proportionally less flour relative to cream or filling, these are all worth asking about. None of that adds up to a gluten-free guarantee, and we won't call it one. But for a milder gluten sensitivity, not coeliac disease, where zero cross-contamination is required, it might be enough for you to make your own informed decision with your guest.
The right way to ask is before you order, not on pickup day. Message us on WhatsApp at +61 425 697 725 and tell us exactly what the request is for. A coeliac guest who needs a genuinely allergen-tested product? We'll tell you honestly we're not the right bakery for that specific need. A household that prefers to minimise gluten where practical, but doesn't need a medical guarantee? We can talk through what's realistic. We'll never say yes to a claim we can't back up. We will always tell you plainly what we can and can't do. Isn't that more useful than a vague promise?
What Egg-Free Cake Options Are Available Today at Num Num's Bakery?
All 15 flavours across both shops are 100% egg-free as standard, not as a special request. That list runs from Chocolate, Vanilla and Red Velvet through Butterscotch, Black Forest, White Forest, Strawberry, Blueberry, Mango, Lychee, Pineapple, Ferrero Rocher, Tiramisu, Cookies & Cream and Rasmalai. That's the guarantee we can make with total confidence. It's also the reason so many Hindu, Sikh, Jain and egg-allergic families across Sydney order from us, regardless of which shop is closer to home.
Every one of those flavours still contains wheat flour and dairy, so none of them are suitable for coeliac disease, wheat allergy or a strict dairy-free diet. See the full range with photos and sizing on our Our Cakes page, and browse how customisation and pickup work on the Order Online page. If your only requirement is egg-free, whether for allergy, vegetarian practice or personal preference, you're in exactly the right place. There's no separate "eggless section" to hunt through. It's the entire business, at Harris Park and at Riverstone. Full opening hours and directions for both shops are on our Locations page.
Where Else in Sydney Can You Find Dedicated Gluten-Free Bakeries?
Sydney has a growing number of bakeries that specialise specifically in gluten-free baking. It's worth searching separately for a dedicated gluten-free bakery if a certified gluten-free cake is the non-negotiable requirement for your event. We won't name specific competitors here. That's not really our lane, and the landscape changes over time. A genuine dedicated gluten-free bakery should be able to tell you plainly about its testing process and its separate preparation space. Ask where its claim sits under the FSANZ "no detectable gluten" standard covered above. You can search "gluten free bakery" directly on Google Maps for options closer to your suburb.
If egg-free is also part of the requirement, ask directly, because many dedicated gluten-free bakeries still lean heavily on eggs as a structural ingredient. Gluten-free flour blends often need even more egg than wheat-based recipes do to hold their shape, so a "gluten-free" bakery is not automatically an egg-free one. Finding a bakery that's genuinely both, egg-free and gluten-free, in the same product remains a real gap in the Sydney market. We're aware of that gap. We'd rather grow into it properly, with real testing and a real separate space, than claim it today without the systems to back it up.
How Do You Ask About Dietary Requirements Before You Order?
Send a WhatsApp message to +61 425 697 725 before you commit to a date. Tell us the occasion, the flavour you're considering, and exactly what the dietary requirement is for, a specific guest, a household preference, or a medical diagnosis. We'll reply honestly, including telling you when the answer is "we can't do that safely". That's more useful to you than a vague yes that falls apart on the day.
- Message us with your event date and dietary need: egg-free is automatic across the whole menu, so just flag anything beyond that, including any gluten-related request.
- We'll tell you plainly what's possible: something we can accommodate, something we can only discuss case by case, or something we honestly can't currently offer, like a certified gluten-free product.
- For a standard egg-free order, we'll confirm flavour, size and pickup location with at least 48 hours notice.
- For elaborate designs or busy periods like Diwali, Eid or NSW school holidays, we recommend 4 to 5 days notice where possible.
This isn't a sales pitch dressed up as advice. Some weeks the honest answer really is "not yet". We'd rather you know that early enough to find a bakery that can genuinely meet a coeliac guest's needs. That's better than us promising something we can't deliver and letting a family down at the party. You can read more about why we run a 100% egg-free kitchen in the first place on our About page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Num Num's Bakery make gluten-free cakes?
Not yet as a certified product. Our 15 flavours are 100% egg-free, but they all contain wheat flour and are made in a kitchen that handles wheat every day. We're not a dedicated gluten-free bakery, and we won't claim otherwise. Message us to discuss what's realistic for your specific dietary requirement.
What's the difference between eggless and gluten-free cake?
Eggless removes eggs from the recipe and kitchen; gluten-free removes wheat, barley and rye and, under Australian law, requires no detectable gluten. They address different dietary needs, egg avoidance versus coeliac disease or gluten sensitivity, and a bakery can genuinely offer one without the other.
Is Num Num's Bakery safe for someone with coeliac disease?
No, our standard cakes are not suitable for coeliac disease. They contain wheat flour and are made where wheat products are handled daily, so we can't guarantee no cross-contamination. For a coeliac guest, a certified gluten-free bakery with dedicated testing is the safer choice.
Can I ask Num Num's Bakery for a gluten-free substitution?
You can ask, and we'll be upfront about what's realistic. We can discuss flavour and filling adjustments case by case, but we can't promise a certified gluten-free result. Message us on WhatsApp at +61 425 697 725 before ordering so we can explain exactly what we can and can't do.
How common is coeliac disease in Australia?
Coeliac Australia estimates around 1 in 70 Australians live with coeliac disease, with about 80% currently undiagnosed. It's an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten, not a food preference, which is why even trace cross-contamination matters for anyone managing it.
15 egg-free flavours across Harris Park and Riverstone. Message us before you order and we'll tell you plainly what we can and can't do for your dietary need.