I only use organic dairy (butter, eggs, milk, sour cream, light and heavy cream, cream cheese) as well as all varieties of nuts, raisins and sweet and citrus fruits in my recipes, and those recipes found in my treasured books. I use aluminum free baking powder, organic powdered sugar and sea salt.  I purchase the highest quality organic cocoa on the market and when not using organic flour and sugar, I use the highest quality flour and sugar available.  



As much as I want a completely organic cake shop, it is not always possible.  A white cake, for instance, requires white ingredients. Organic sugar is incredibly delicious, full-flavored, and as healthy as sugar can possibly be for one's body.  It is also, however, brownish in color.  I go to my favorite supplier and look through bags and bags of sugar before selecting the lightest colored sugar possible.  But it's still slightly shaded with a brown hue and when cooked or baked gives off that brownish color in a more pronounced way.  Simple syrup is no longer simple.  It leaves color behind.  White cake is not white when using organic flour and sugar.  

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Organic powdered sugar makes the most incredible icing.  It is phenominally delicious.  There has never been a time that I have used organic buttercream frosting that I have not been asked for the recipe.  But it turns brown when the liquid is added.  I beat it for a longer period of time and the extended beating does lighten it somewhat but it's not white.  It's not even beige.  It's a muddy beige.  For that reason, I prefer to fill the layers of each tier with Swiss or French buttercream.  I make organic American buttercream when coating the outside of a cake in preparation for fondant, which is NOT organic by the way.  Although I use a delicious tasting fondant, I am unaware of any organic fondant on the market, and that is true of commercial gum paste as well.  Even when making my own, a non-organic gum substance needs to be added in order to stiffen the product to ensure your sugar pieces will harden when finished.



Through the evolution and growth of organic farms, the flavors of dairy products have evolved into sophisticated, rich flavors that cannot be equaled.  Because of these wonderful farmers, and their goal to bring delicious organic dairy to market, we are now benefitting with not only exquisite products, but choices.  Organic flour and sugar have also evolved into the products that they are today.  And they will continue to evolve.​ If you want to go organic, but are concerned for whatever reason, I would suggest starting the process slowly with eggs and butter.  Once you taste the natural richness of these products, not to mention enjoying the safety and health benefits of not ingesting products laced with chemicals, insecticides, hormones, antibiotics, and a feed that has been known to include the remains of deceased animals (too much information? sorry) you will start to understand just how re-engineered and tampered with our food sources have become.  As I was saying, start slowly with eggs and butter.  

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