Organic Cake Frosting

Would you eat a rotten cake just because it has pretty frosting?

I went shopping this past weekend, but not the normal kind of shopping that most people would think about; I went mattress shopping to see what was being offered on the general market. The selection and price variation was amazing.

On the surface, the array of offerings was like a fashion show. The colors, textures and designs attempt to lead the consumer to believe that mattress shopping is a beauty contest; but it’s not.

Once purchased, a mattress remains covered with sheets and other bedding most of it’s life. All the flash and glitter on the surface of the mattress becomes meaningless and invisible. The soul of a mattress is it’s contents – not it’s ticking, yet more attention is placed on it’s exterior aesthetics than on it’s interior components and construction; that alone is cause for concern.

Upon exploration and investigation it’s easy to understand why most mattress dealers shy away from exposing the ugliness of their mattress contents; the inside looks like some sort of medieval torture devise and not something that represents comfort and relaxation. Typically, traditional mattresses are made from twisted metal wires that are covered in chemical foam.

Even most mattress sales people will tell you that a traditional mattress is not the ideal sleep system and that a natural latex bed is far superior but generally more expensive; at least in the short term.

Traditional mattresses begin to show wear and “break-down” after 3 – 5 years of use and are normally in need of replacement within 7 years. Organic, natural latex mattresses maintain their “like-new” qualities for 20 years or more. When calculating cost, it’s simple to understand that over it’s life, an organic mattress is the much better value.

In addition to the financial benefits of an organic latex mattress, the health factors should also be considered.

A natural latex mattress provides even temperature regulated support and comfort while not discharging potentially harmful off-gasses that are common with traditional mattresses which have been saturated with fire retardant chemicals. Natural latex mattresses use wool or other eco-safe elements in order to pass strict federal fire and burn regulations. High quality natural latex mattresses that are produced from an eco-friendly company that has been manufacturing organic products for 20 years, such as Tomorrow’s World, which heavily monitors quality control is your safest bet.

Not only is a natural, organic latex mattress more comfortable and better for the environment, but it is also dust mite, mold and mildew resistant; anyone with allergies or asthma can testify to the benefits of an allergen free mattress.

In essence, though some conventional mattresses may appear to be beautiful on the outside, on the inside, where it really matter, they are not much more than knotted up metal and chemicals. Before mattress shopping, ask yourself: Would you eat a rotten cake just because it has pretty frosting?

Has anyone found organic cake frosting?

All of the frosting at the super markets have trans fat. I would think an organic frosting would avoid this. Has anyone found an organic, or trans fat free frosting?

Yeah, it’s called making it yourself at home, using organic sugar and butter. It’s easy if you have an electric mixer. Try this:

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups confectioners’ sugar
6-8 tablespoons water, depending upon thickness you want

With electric mixer on high, beat butter until fluffy. Beat in cocoa powder and vanilla on low. Gradually beat in confectioners’ sugar, alternating with water, until desired thickness is achieved. For thinner frosting use more water. For thicker frosting, use less water.
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Sugar Pie’s Cream Cheese Icing

½ pound (2 sticks) butter, room temp
2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, room temp
2 pound confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Ccombine the butter, cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mixing just until smooth.

–me!
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SNOW WHITE BUTTERCREAM ICING

This buttercream icing has an ideal consistency for frosting cakes. It has a firm quality making it good for wedding cake decorations and flat surface or flower nail flowers. Air dry decorations for 24 hours.

2/3 cup water
4 tablespoons meringue powder
12 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar
1-1/4 cups shortening (use trans-fat-free type in green can)
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring
1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla flavoring
1/4 teaspoon butter flavoring

Combine water and meringue powder; whip at high speed until peaks form. Add 4 cups of sugar, one cup at a time, beating after each addition at low speed. Alternately add shortening and remainder of sugar. Add salt and flavorings; beat at low speed until smooth.

YIELD: 7 cups icing. Recipe may be doubled or cut in half; however, if cut in half, yield is only 2-1/2 cups.

Orange Vegan Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting [PART 2/3]

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