King of Cakes

Catching up with pastry guru Jonathan Elias

By Sarah Kittle

When we last spoke with Jonathan Elias, aka the “Pastry Guru,” he was knee deep in wedding cake. On the cover of the December 2017 issue of The Chaldean News, the chef was fresh off the Food Network, eventually placing second on the channel’s fanciful Halloween Baking Championship. In the cover photo he held in his hand a simple cake that he was sure he could teach us all to bake. As if... Jonathan’s baking wizardry is a gift he seems to have been born with and for that, he is thankful.

“I am grateful to God for everything,” says Elias, “He always puts things in place for me.” His deep Catholic faith and strong family foundation are the pillars upon which his business is built. He baked his first cakes for family and they were the ones who encouraged him to bake more. He found out fairly quickly that he enjoyed the process and went on to earn a degree in pastry arts, starting his own business. 

And thus, the Pastry Guru was born. 

“It’s a very difficult field,” said Elias in the 2017 interview. “You should chase the dream though. Don’t be scared.” For Elias, the dream is making engaged couples’ dreams come true by designing wedding cakes that fit their vision - usually the bride’s vision. “Grooms care more about flavor than the look,” says the baker.

But Elias does more than bake the cakes. Among other tasks, he consults with couples, meets with planners, stocks supplies, and promotes his brand on social media. Elias admits that social media has been very, very good to him: “It’s huge - a free form of advertisement!” In fact, it was through social media that the Food Network found him and also where videos of one of his custom-made wedding cakes descending from the ceiling went viral.

“People were asking me, ‘Where’s the cake?’” Elias recalled, laughing at the memory. “I replied, ‘I don’t know. I set it on a table and walked away…’” At that instant a collective gasp could be heard as the cake descended from amidst the flowers on the ceiling. “It was the greatest moment!” 

That moment was the culmination of the collaborative efforts of the Pastry Guru and Top That Table, an event design team consisting of Lawrence Yaldo, Andrew Keina and Steve Potres.  As events become more and more experiential, these kinds of partnerships will become vital.

“Height and weight restrictions were noted and calculated,” says Elias. It would have been a huge fail if the gigantic wedding cake had fallen from the sky; and no laughing matter as it weighed hundreds of pounds.  It was a stressful moment for all involved. “Things are generally pretty stressful,” Elias says of weddings in general which rarely allow for do-overs if something goes wrong. “Much more so than any other kind of event, it’s supposed to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing.”

That cake’s descent was a surprise to everyone except the planners and the bride and groom. “It was funny to think that whole time, the cake was up there and none of the guests knew,” said Elias. “It was nerve-wracking for all of us that were aware. It wouldn’t work at just any venue but the end result was fantastic! All the phones were out, taking pictures and video.”

Currently wedding cakes are becoming simpler and more sophisticated says Elias; more clean lines and less rosette waterfalls. Of course, there is always that one cake... 

Sometimes the Pastry Guru can get a client to understand that what they want isn’t reasonable or even feasible. “I offer them another option,” he says. “Fads don’t last. I ask them if they’d still love it in 20 years.” In order to tailor-make his creations, Elias prefers being shown the wedding invitations, flowers and other chosen decor that help him get a feel for the couple’s tastes in order to make their cake special and uniquely suited to them.

Elias also hopes that his story will inspire others within the community. Growing up in a Chaldean household, entrepreneurship and hard work were qualities that were encouraged, and ones that have served him well in his work. But there aren’t many Chaldean artists, and ‘artist’ was the Pastry Guru’s stock answer as a child to the question being asked of children around the world: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Cake creation is definitely an art; one where Elias, with his ‘artistic hands,’ has found a calling.

Pricewise one might think that the Pastry Guru is out of their league because of the fame and notoriety brought about by the televised competition and the press. It’s true that people recognize Elias in public, but it’s also true that his prices remained steady in the years following his first appearance on television and only began to rise this year due to market and demand.

Nowadays, the Pastry Guru’s business includes an experiential component for the wedding guests as well. Dessert tables have evolved; they’re now dessert “stations,” becoming more interactive by offering options for sauces and fillings; allowing consumers to apply their own toppings, thus providing a personalized exchange for each guest. It’s all about the experience.

Asked if he had a favorite station, Elias doesn’t hesitate. “Crème Brulee,” he says with feeling. “It’s clean and classy, and perfect for a wedding - just the right amount of fancy.” Other options include custom crepes, cannoli — even a Krispy Kreme ice cream sandwich station! If you can dream it, it will likely make its way to a dessert station.

When asked about his favorite cake, more often than not it will be the last cake that Elias has created. Currently, it is an enormous confection that towers over its creator. “There’s this trail of sugar flowers, but other than that, it’s very clean. The edible gold leaf and the sheer size make a bold statement. It has presence.”

Bold statements are ‘in’ for wedding fashion and Elias likes the trend. Even as extravagant as Chaldean weddings tend to be, the move toward clean lines and unfussy icing is undeniable. Simple and elegant cakes featuring geometric shapes are becoming more commonplace.

If there’s one thing the Pastry Guru wishes he could communicate to his clients it’s this - different doesn’t necessarily mean better. Asked about the future of wedding cake styles and trends, Elias predicts even more bold styles with daring colors and other extras that ‘make a statement.’ Is he looking forward to that? “We’ll see,” he replies with a laugh.