Cook Life a Chef with Cayla Gallagher

COOK LIFE A CHEF Cooking with

CAYLA GALLAGHER

Cayla Gallagher’s path to social media stardom didn’t start where you might think. The culinary influencer and purveyor of “edible cuteness” earned degrees in Asian Language & Culture and Interpreting & Translation before starting her own YouTube channel, pankobunny. Her online cooking show features weekly tutorials that teach viewers how to turn everyday recipes into colorful, eye-catching treats. Today, Gallagher has more than 300,000 followers across her social media platforms and more than 300 million views on Facebook. She’s also written five cookbooks, including the Halloween-focused Spooky Food.

@pankobunny

Stay tuned on our social media channels for a chance to win a signed copy of Cayla’s book.

Given your non-traditional path into culinary arts, what inspired you to start a YouTube channel focused on cooking and baking?

I was living in Australia at the time and in my spare time was watching a lot of YouTube. I thought about what I could contribute to the YouTube community, and I decided on cooking and baking, as it had been a hobby of mine for several years. I had initially planned on sharing Japanese recipes, with the goal of demystifying Japanese cuisine for a Western audience. It then blossomed into what I call “edible cuteness,” which are delicious recipes with a cute twist!

What’s the inspiration behind your cookbooks and their fun themes?

My first book was actually pitched to me by my publisher, Skyhorse Publishing. We wanted to capitalize on the rainbow trend that was dominating the food world at the time and landed on the cute and simple Unicorn Food title. We then decided to turn it into a series—which I love— and maintain the same title structure. Certain books, such as Mermaid Food, were also inspired by trends, while others were inspired by holidays, like Reindeer Food and Spooky Food.

What inspired you to create a cookbook full of Halloweeninspired treats?

I love the different avenues that you can explore with Halloween, and I felt it would make for a very well-rounded cookbook. There are the cute recipes like my Marshmallow Ghosts (page 107 of Spooky Food), and then the spookier side of Halloween with my Bleeding Heart Panna Cotta (page 115 of Spooky Food). There is also the beautiful autumnal side of Halloween with all the pumpkin recipes, like my Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes (page 9 of Spooky Food). I’ve definitely come to enjoy Halloween more as my baking skills have developed. I now associate it more with food than with costumes!

What’s the process behind creating cakes in fun shapes?

I usually start with a concept in my mind and then work backwards. For example, when designing my Rose Gold Skull Cake (page 47 of Spooky Food), I knew that I wanted a giant metallic skull cake. I knew that the surface would have to be smooth, and I don’t like relying on fondant, so I decided to use chocolate and a skull-shaped cake mold. When eating the cake, the chocolate shell could be broken into and the insides “scooped out.” I wanted a pale cake, so I chose my classic vanilla cake, but added some rose water and fresh raspberries to reflect the pink of the skull. I also wanted it to have a touch of glam, so I sprayed the entire skull with edible rose gold spray. And voila! I’m super happy with how it turned out and most importantly, it tasted exactly how I imagined it.

As a creative in the kitchen, what are some items or ingredients you’re sure to always have at home?

My creative essentials are piping bags, toothpicks, (clean!) tweezers, food coloring, cooking spray and a bag of white candy melts. They set at room temperature and can be colored with regular gel food coloring, which makes them far easier to work with than chocolate. Toothpicks are great for detail work or attaching arms/legs, and tweezers are so useful for strategically placing sprinkles or eyes. Cooking spray is something I never expected to rely on, but it is absolutely necessary when