First Class Cupcakes

By Stephanie Lampe

In December of last year, Ella Gannis of Chatty Cupcakes received a call from Los Angeles at 10 pm. Thinking it was a telemarketer, she let the call go to voicemail. When Ella listened to the message, she believed it to be a prank call. But that wasn’t the case as she soon found out. A producer for the Food Network had found her on Instagram and was impressed with her work. He wanted to know if she was interested in interviewing for a chance to be on a new show called Cupcake Championship.

“I was terrified,” says Ella, speaking of going through the extensive interview process. She waited about two weeks between calls letting her know she was moving on to the next round of interviews. “I tried not to think about it too much,” she adds. 

When Ella was younger, she would accompany her mother, Ellan, on her travels for work. During their many trips, they would look for local pastry shops and bakeries to do research. They learned countless things and especially enjoyed Europe, Italy in particular. One such trip took them to London, where they planned to visit the most popular bakeries throughout the city. They both attended a Master Baking Class from Gerhardt, owner of Konditor & Cook. Their numerous excursions pointed to one important thing…freshness.

It wasn’t long after their travels that Ella and Ellan realized that this was something they could do, something they wanted to do. It took many late nights, a lot of trial and error and continuous practice to get their recipes where they wanted them to be…made from scratch and with fresh ingredients. With their knowledge and love of baking, Ella and Ellan established Chatty Cupcakes in 2014.

Chatty Cupcakes is a licensed residential bakery in Waynesburg with hopes of moving to Venetia in the future. Even with a move, they will not have a brick and mortar store; they will remain made-to-order. You can still buy their cupcakes and cakes at your convenience by visiting their only storefront – a cupcake vending machine in the Galleria Mall in Mount Lebanon. This machine is the first of its kind to be used in the United States and was designed and built specifically for Chatty Cupcakes by Mauro Maule in Italy. It is a refrigerated machine that is Wi-Fi connected, equipped with an LCD touchscreen, and has soft delivery.

The call Ella was hoping for finally came… she would be participating in the show Cupcake Championship as a contestant. Ella’s episode was taped on Valentine’s Day, making her hesitant at first. “Valentine’s Day is a really busy time for us,” she explains. The next thing she knew, she was on a flight headed for Los Angeles, while Ellan held down the fort at home.

When Ella arrived, she was settled into a hotel provided by the show. Contestants could not bring their phones to the taping which ran for 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. “It was the most amazing experience I have ever had!” Ella exclaims. 

The Cupcake Championship consists of two challenges. The show begins with four baking contestants. After the first challenge, one baker is eliminated. The three remaining bakers are faced with a second, more intense, challenge. That is all that Ella could divulge about the actual show since the episode has not aired yet. “It was an honor,” says Ella. “It was such an incredible experience!” And when asked if she would ever participate in another experience like Cupcake Championship, her answer was very positive. “Oh my gosh, absolutely!” Ella enthuses. 

Ella likes to keep up on trends. She follows many designers from all over such as Dubai and throughout Europe. She is constantly looking for the newest design ideas. Ella and her mother incorporate these ideas while maintaining the integrity of their company. They bake from scratch daily, use pure flavorings and fresh ingredients in their recipes, and have homemade fillings and detailed designs.

The episode of Cupcake Championship featuring Ella Gannis will air on July 29th at 10 p.m. on Food Network. It is the finale episode of the show’s first season. Since it is airing on Rain Day, there will be a viewing party after the fireworks. “I would like to thank our loyal customers and followers on social media. This would never have happened if not for them,” Ella says. 

Find Chatty Cupcakes on Facebook their websit, www.chattycupcakes.com.