King Arthur also does some great GF and nut free cake, cookie and brownie mixes. We are not GF but I sometimes make them if I'm in a hurry. You could use a non-dairy milk if milk is called for.

You could also try looking for an olive oil cake. I've just made a great orange and olive oil cake from the book "Ten Dollar Dinners". You could easily replace the flour with GF flour. Check out the Food Network website to find the recipe.

Sticky fingers uses nuts in their bakery, so their cupcakes would not be suitable. And they don't taste that great either.

And thanks OP for thinking about kids with allergies.

Pavlova ... a chocolate meringue crust filled with berries and on the side whipped cream for those who can have it (or non dairy whipped cream)

Better Batter is a great flour substitute. Gluten Free Pantrys all purpose flour is good too.

For those saying "why bother" - people with food allergies Ike cake too!

PP here--http://www.cherrybrookkitchen.com/products/gf_choccake.php

Cherrybrook Kitchen has a fantastic cake mix at Whole Foods for the egg-free, nut-free, dairy-free set. And I just saw a gluten-free version of it. It's hard to screw up. Going to try the gluten free version next (have one kid allergic to wheat, nuts, dairy, and another allergic to eggs and nuts).

First, thank you. Our son is GF, DF, NF, and is always the one left out with school snacks/desserts. You're doing a great thing being inclusive.

Sticky Fingers bakery, in Columbia Heights, has cakes or cupcakes that are GF, DF, NF, and they're fabulous. Close your eyes, taste them, you'd never know the difference.

It's worth buying instead of trying to bake this yourself. Some Whole Foods also have Sticky Fingers stuff in their bakery sections.

If you're in Bethesda, Lilit Cafe also has GF, DF, NF desserts from a great bakery in Baltimore.

If you do decide to do it yourself, I can't help on the baking front, but for frosting, Duncan Hines in a can is GF, DF, NF. Better confection through chemistry.

why not make cookies instead - those are always better with the GF flours than cakes and you can also leave out the dairy and nuts...

Yuck.

Dear Lord why even bother!!

What would it be made out of? Applesauce and rice flour? I agree with PP, maybe cake isn't the right dessert. Or you could make two smaller cakes-one gluten free and one dairy free (both with no nuts)

Frankly a cake that meets those restrictions sounds miserable. Could you do something else instead? Soy- or coconut milk-based ice cream? Chocolate pudding made with soy milk? Some outrageous gummy candies?

Just screw it.

The Allergen-Free Baker's Handbook is your friend. Lots of great cake and cupcake recipes in there that meet all your requirements. And, as a parent of a dairy and gluten-intolerant toddler, I appreciate you making this effort!

For dd's birthday party, I want to accommodate all her classmates' dietary restrictions. That means I need to find a recipe that is free of dairy, nuts, and gluten. I can easily find two of the three, but all three is hard. Bonus points if it's chocolate. Ideas?