Halal, in writing.
Most of what quietly makes a cake non-halal is invisible on a menu. It hides in stabilisers, extracts, emulsifiers and the rum that half the traditional Balkan recipes call for. Here is exactly what we do about each one.
No gelatin — in anything, including stabilisers and fondant.
Alcohol-free extracts only. Never vanilla extract cut with alcohol.
No animal-derived emulsifiers.
No rum or liqueur in any syrup, filling or buttercream — including in the traditional Balkan recipes we've adapted.
Beet or organic cane sugar.
Who stands behind this
Aysel does, by name. No outside body certifies our kitchen, and we would rather say so plainly than let a badge imply otherwise. What you are reading is her own undertaking about what she buys and what she refuses to buy — and the documentation behind it is yours to inspect.
Ask us for the list
We keep a supplier list with the halal documentation for every ingredient that needs it. If you want to see it before you order, email us and we’ll send it. No competitor in this region publishes anything like this, and we think that’s strange.
Allergies
Our kitchen handles wheat, milk, egg, soy, sesame (tahini) and tree nuts — pistachios, walnuts and hazelnuts. It is one kitchen with one set of equipment, so we can't promise any cake is free of any of them, and we would rather turn an order down than take a risk with a real allergy. Tell us on the order form and we'll tell you honestly whether we can make it safely.
Every cake goes out with a written allergen statement. We keep ingredient receipts for a year, so we can always tell you exactly what went into yours.