Chloe’s Cupcake Wars
Vegan Chef Chloe Coscarelli’s desserts take first prize on Food Network’s series Cupcake Wars.
By Liz Miller
She’s worked at some of the best vegan restaurants in the country, holds a degree from one of the nation’s premiere culinary schools, and just became the first vegan chef to win a Food Network cooking competition—all before the ripe old age of 23. Yes, Chef Chloe Coscarelli is a culinary force to be reckoned with. On Tuesday, June 22, the Los Angeles-based vegan chef blew past the non-vegan competition on Cupcake Wars, taking first place on the latest episode of the Food Network series. Coscarelli squared off against three bakers to claim top honors, wowing the celebrity judges with four decadent vegan cupcakes—Ginger Nutmeg Spice with Date Caramel Drizzle, Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake, Crème-filled Chocolate Orange with Candied Orange Peel, and Raspberry Tiramisu. In addition to winning a cash prize of $10,000, Coscarelli got the chance to cater 1,000 vegan cupcakes for a high-profile party hosted by OK! Magazine at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where magazine bigwigs and Hollywood starlets happily devoured her dairy-free desserts. Between balancing a busy schedule chock-full of catering gigs and recording how-to cooking videos for her newly launched web series, Vegan With Style, Coscarelli found time to give VN the scoop on her historic Cupcake Wars win.
VegNews: How did your win on Food Network’s Cupcake Wars come about?
Chloe Coscarelli: It all started when I saw an ad for the Cupcake Wars casting call on Twitter, and I tried out on a whim. At the audition I had to show up with an elaborately decorated cupcake—I made a cupcake with an Alice in Wonderland theme. They loved the cupcake, and several days later the producers called me back to say I made it! Times are a changing! I brought my college roommate, Sandhya, to assist me on the show. It turns out we make a pretty good team.
VN: What kind of feedback did you receive from the judges?
CC: I was required to come up with four different cupcake flavors based on aphrodisiacs for a “hot singles” event. The competition consisted of four challenges; the first was the taste test. This was the scariest challenge, because if they didn’t like my cupcake, I would be immediately eliminated and told to leave the studio. For this round, I made the Ginger Nutmeg Spice Cupcake. They each took a bite and I was so relieved when the judges liked it better than anyone else’s. One of the judges, Florian Bellanger, who is a renowned traditional pastry chef from NYC, even asked me to marry him after tasting it.
VN: One of the judges was Candace Nelson of LA’s Sprinkles Cupcakes—the world’s first cupcake bakery, which recently added its first vegan cupcake. How did it feel to have your vegan treats singled out by Nelson?
CC: I’ve always looked up to Candace as the ultimate pastry entrepreneur and to hear her say that my cupcakes changed her perception of vegan desserts was the biggest honor. As I stood before her while she raved about my cupcakes, I was thinking, “Pinch me this must be a dream!” I go to Sprinkles all the time because they are making a killer vegan red velvet cupcake!
VN: You catered 1,000 vegan cupcakes for an OK! Magazine celebrity party in Beverly Hills. Tell us more!
CC: The party happened right after the win at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, so it was a huge rush! It was so exciting to walk on the red carpet and see celebrities coming back for seconds and thirds of my cupcakes. From the OK! Magazine execs to the star guests, everyone loved the fact that my cupcakes were vegan, and all 1,000 cupcakes were wiped clean. I even found out that some of my favorite celebs were vegan themselves, such as Chelsea Hightower from Dancing with the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance. It was surreal to have people that I’ve always admired appreciating my cupcakes.
VN: As a vegan, did you feel like Food Network was receptive and encouraging of dairy-free desserts?
CC: Absolutely! At first, I was unsure if Food Network would even cast me on the show with vegan cupcakes, but they treated me like every other contestant and were totally cool with it. I definitely think that mainstream media is catching up with the public interest in lighter, healthier, plant-based cooking.
VN: What do you hope audiences take away from your appearance on Cupcake Wars?
CC: Quite honestly, I think most people were shocked that the judges would choose a vegan cupcake over a “traditional” one. Let’s face it—it was a huge risk! Even one of the other contestants admitted to me in the middle of the competition that they expected me to go home first because my cupcakes were vegan. I hope everyone who watches is reminded to believe in themselves, even when no one else does.
VN: Now that you’ve taken mainstream media by storm with vegan cupcakes, what’s next?
CC: Right now, I’m enjoying being a professional eater. I’m either in my kitchen experimenting with something or working on my blog. Who knows what’s in store for the future!
To read more about Chef Chloe check out VN’s July+August Anniversary issue, on newsstands July 1!
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Posted: Jun 23 2010 16:17PM By Minnie
This is so exciting to hear! I only found out about Chloe yesterday as I stumbled on two pages talking about her accomplishments and her appearance on Cupcake Wars. I was so upset last night because I don't have cable so I couldn't watch the show. But it's great to hear she won! I'm going to look for the show online and watch it later. Congrats to Chloe! I would love to eat at one of the restaurants she's worked at! Best of luck to her, even though she doesn't need it! :D
Posted: Jun 23 2010 16:54PM By Sandra
Congrats to Chole! I'm glad that she won, now people can see that vegan desserts are just as good or better than regular. They are also healthly for oyu.
Posted: Jun 23 2010 18:35PM By Kristine
I watched Chloe on Cupcake Wars the other day and was THRILLED that she won! I tried her chocolate orange cupcake recipe that VegNews posted and it rocks the world :D
Posted: Jun 23 2010 23:48PM By Sadaf
Go vegan power!!! Just watched the show and I am so proud of Chloe. Let's bring on the vegan cupcake movement.
Posted: Jun 25 2010 13:45PM By Anonymous
She even has a Facebook page! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Chef-Chloe-Coscarelli/127518240617275?ref=ts
Posted: Jun 26 2010 09:26AM By Vegan Traveler
Congratulations. This is great news! Go Vegan for your health, the environment and those who have no voice.
Posted: Jun 28 2010 05:49AM By Corsetcrush
This is really cool to hear! Not too long ago I was rather frustrated that Food Network seemed to broadly ignore a growing part of their potential audience of vegans. Maybe now they will sit up and take notice!
Posted: Jun 29 2010 12:22PM By Alison
I was so excited to see a vegan cupcake maker on the Food Network and the cupcakes and display from Chloe looked so great. I hope that they are more receptive to vegans now.
Posted: Jun 29 2010 19:17PM By Carol
This is absolutely wonderful - take THAT Food Network nay sayers! I am SO proud that a Vegan Chef won! Her savory recipes are equally as delicious, but there's just something about those little packages of cupcake happiness!
Posted: Jun 30 2010 11:38AM By Becky
Was it just me, or did Cupcake Wars seem like a competition between Snow White (Chloe) and the Evil Queen? Chloe is just so gorgeous, and the other finalist was just bug-eyed.
Posted: Jul 01 2010 16:44PM By meg
Way to change attitudes Chloe! I reckon she's done us about a decade's worth of work to get the vegan message our there by baking her way to the top! I wish this lovely woman every success in her career and pursuits. <3
Posted: Jul 02 2010 12:31PM By Melissa
To me, this is a huge win for the vegan community. This show was broadcasted nationally on a station that is one of the most watched cable stations there is. It has also been a station that, for the most part, has turned its nose up at the vegetarian/vegan community. While I (and everyone else reading this article) need no persuading, this win adds legitimacy to the vegan lifestyle with the mainstream population. Meg was exactly right, Chloe has advanced the vegan lifestyle by about a decade with this win.
Posted: Jul 04 2010 09:10AM By Rachel
Hi Chloe, Congratulation on winning. I would like to try vegan cupcakes. Would you please send me the recipes of the ones you did on cupcake wars. I love the fact that you won. I certanally was pulling for you to win. Thank you Rachel Michaud of Maine
Posted: Jul 30 2010 09:17AM By Alicia
Hey this episode is playing again on these dates: * Aug 24, 2010 9:00 PM ET/PT * Aug 25, 2010 12:00 AM ET/PT * Aug 29, 2010 5:00 PM ET/PT Check it Out! I know I will be.
Posted: Aug 03 2010 12:21PM By jeannie
Congratulations!! I was so happy you won! Kudos for all your success :) This is definitely a plus for the veggie community, I can't wait until there are more vegan sweets everywhere!
Posted: Aug 07 2010 15:30PM By Mary
I love that show and always search for a comptetitor bakinbg vegan cupcakes. I can't believe a missed this episode and and am reallly happy.
Posted: Aug 24 2010 22:14PM By anynomos
i just saw tht episode and i loved it shannon really got on my last nerves! go chloe!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted: Aug 26 2010 09:32AM By Richard Sain
My granddaughter (7 years old) e-mailed me (yes e-mailed) from Detroit because she saw the Cupcakes War episode on the Food Network and she wants to go to wherever Chef Chloe is in Santa Monica the next time she visits me. I think she thinks that Chef Chloe has a bakery/restaurant there but I can't find anything leading me in that direction. Please help a grandpa look good and give me a lead as to where I can find Chef Chloe and her cupcakes. :-) Thanks, Richard (she calls me Toppa) :-)
Posted: Aug 30 2010 15:02PM By Kat
where can I buy some of them?????
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