Bill and Jen Ehninger were on a trip to Budapest when they discovered the inspiration for their business: Kürtőskalács. Kürtőskalács are cone-shaped pastries cooked to a caramelized finish and rolled in cinnamon sugar or nuts or filled with jam, chocolate, or cream. Hundreds of vendors sold these pastries in Budapest, and when the Ehningers fell in love with them, they decided that they needed to bring them to the United States. So, the couple attended a one-day class at the Kurtos Academy in Murska Sobota, Slovenia where they learned the art and became certified chimney cake bakers.
In 2022, they opened Chimney Cakes, a boutique mobile bakery business, and attended several farmers markets. They decided to give it a year to see how it did – and they met with success as they have added more farmers markets and even offer catering! Chimney cakes are yeasted sweet dough wrapped around a wooden stick before being cooked on their imported gas chimney cake grill to get a caramelized finish. The Ehningers have added their own twist by incorporating orange zest and juice in the sweet dough and even offering some savory chimney cakes. These are a fun and unique dessert, and “people love them because they’re new and different, and they also like to see the process from beginning to end, and they taste wonderful!” as Jen explained.
The Ehningers discovered something that they loved and found a new niche in bringing it to the US. They were dedicated to their idea, getting certified in chimney cake baking, but they also added their own unique twits. Additionally, they recognized their lean start up when they decided to give Chimney Cakery a year to test their idea. They created a business which engages customer who can watch the whole process and even create their own chimney cake. Bill and Jen Ehninger have shared their love of this Hungarian pastry by bringing Chimney Cakes to north-west PA.
Visit their website at https://www.chimneycakery.com/.
Great post! You provided lots of information about where the idea for Chimney Cakes came from. It was interesting a read about Bill and Jen Ehninger’s story and see how they turned their love of these pastries into a business. I like how you talked about the twists that they bring, like using orange zest in the dough and offering savory pastries, to make their business unique. These entrepreneurs found a product that they loved but didn’t exist in the United States, and they were able to find innovative ways to make it better. Bill and Jen Ehninger are great examples of successful entrepreneurs, and I am sure they will continue to grow and innovate!
– Kaitlyn Kuscevic
This is a great post! I have seen desserts like this on social media and have always wondered what they were! I really liked this story because the Ehninger’s capitalized on something they really enjoyed and brought it home with them for everyone. They capitalized on the treat that was not common in the US and put their own spin/touch on it. They didn’t create a whole new treat but made the one they loved even better. Stories like these are inspiring and show how life experiences and changes to existing things can be an opportunity for success and innovation. Great Job!
Awesome post, aside from the product itself, the customer service aspect is also important so being able to watch your product be made is part of the fun. Also love seeing a couple tackle a business together, seems like it would be fun but maybe challenging too.