The Sweet Life of Kayla Hunley

Atwood Oyster House’s new executive pastry chef is ready for her next adventure.
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ILLUSTRATION BY CHRIS DANGER

Kayla Hunley, the former pastry chef at Al-Posto and Pleasantry OTR, recently talked to us about her pastry origin story, her side business, Hunley Bee Pastry, and her favorite pastries to make and eat.

How did you decide to become a pastry chef?

I’ve dreamed of making sweets since I was a kid. If it was the fact that I wasn’t allowed to eat them as a child I’m not sure, but I have always loved the way sweets make me and others feel and I wanted to break the stigma that pastries are only an indulgence. I grew up watching Food Network and was always so inspired by how people could create anything out of cake or chocolate or sugar. I didn’t get my hands on pastry professionally until I was 22 and got to work at The Baker’s Table. That’s where I knew this is what I wanted to do with my life.

Tell me about Hunley Bee Pastry. How did you start the business?

Some of my friends encouraged me to create an Instagram page in the beginning of COVID. I started posting all of the creations I would make either at home or at work. A friend from my hometown, Tori, hired me for my first and biggest job still to this day. It was her wedding and she wanted 200 cupcakes and a cake. I knew this was the one order that would make me pop off, and it did. I executed the order flawlessly with the help of the Allez Bakery space and after that, it was game over. I had friends, family, coworkers, and people I had never met messaging me for cakes. It was always my dream to make wedding cakes, and it was a wedding cake that made this business take off.

What are your pastry specialties? 

Cakes! They have always been my favorite to bake, build, and decorate. I love to use natural, local ingredients as much as I can and my cakes are different from others because of that. I never plan the way I decorate, it all comes to me in the moment and I think people love that they can get something that is more of a work of art than something they view as food.

Where did you come up for the idea of the cookie box?

I started the cookie box as a way to reach more people who hadn’t gotten to try my cakes. Cookies are something that are easy to make in bulk and that’s why I chose those over another pastry. I wanted to offer something consistent each week, so if someone missed it one week they knew they could get the next.

You’re the new executive pastry chef at Atwood Oyster House. What kind of desserts pair best with oysters?

Oysters are pretty new to me so this is something I’m exploring at the moment. I’m working on a crème brûlée that I think will pair well with the oysters. Though no one will be eating oysters and dessert at the same time, I still am using the same approach to my pastries that we are using with our food menu.

What techniques/experiences are you bringing to Atwood from your previous gigs (most recently your work at Al-Posto)?

I learned a lot in my short time at Al-Posto and I intend to create pastries with more finesse and technique. I also learned so much about bread and am excited to bring that to Atwood as well. This restaurant will be different than any other that I’ve worked in previously in the way that I will have 100 percent control over my menu, and I intend on pushing the boundaries and giving Cincinnati a pastry program they’ve never seen here before.

What’s your favorite pastry to make?

I don’t think there is a specific pastry I like to make more than others. I love experimenting with new things. I love taking a recipe and stretching each component to make it something completely different, and I think it’s what I’m best at.

What’s your favorite pastry to eat?

I love anything creamy and light with fruit. Ironically, as a pastry chef, I really don’t like over the top sweetness. I think there is something to be said about the balance of sweet, salty, and tangy. A good tiramisu like the one Alaysha is making over at Al-Posto will always win me over, even if it’s lacking the fruit aspect.

Do you have any special events/pop-ups/cookie boxes planned for that month?

In December, I will be at the Holiday Market held at Buzzkill Studios in Newport. There will be so many talented creators there for everyone to check out. And then I’ll be hosting a brunch for a local hardcore festival called Santamania, run by Jon Hays. Other than that, my focus is solely on Atwood. I’m so excited for y’all to see what I have been working on.

Anything else you’d like our readers to know?

Keep your eyes on Atwood Oyster House this winter, we have so many exciting things happening, and I really think this is going to be so wonderful for the city. You’re going to see stuff here you don’t anywhere else in the city.

Follow Kayla Hunley on Instagram (@hunleybeepastry); Atwood Oyster House is at 1220 Vine St., Over-the-Rhine.

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