Chimney Cakes Are Worth The Wait At This Lafayette Bakery

WITH A DOLLAR and a dough maker, Nicolle and Damon DeWitt sought to do something that few in the country have done: become European chimney cake bakers.

 

Inspired by a trip they took to Prague in 2022, the couple returned home to open Indiana’s only chimney cake bakery, called Kürtőskalács after the Hungarian name for the pastry, in downtown Lafayette.

 

“We thought they were amazing, and we were surprised that you couldn’t find them in the U.S. We had this idea that one day, we should start a chimney cake bakery, but it was just something that we threw out there as a hope for the future,” Nicolle says.

 

Originating in Transylvania, chimney cakes are made from yeast dough and baked in a cylindrical cooking roll. They are then caramelized with sugar and filled with toppings of the diner’s choice.

 

The DeWitts’ chimney cakes come in sweet or savory flavors, the latter option including bacon crumbles, seasonings, or cheeses as coatings. The sweeter variety is coated with sugar or sprinkles and filled with fruit, ice cream, or other sugary treats.

 

Before Damon narrowed down the toppings and fillings, he first had to hammer out the nuts and bolts of what became their signature recipe. This endeavor, he says, called for many taste tests.

 

“It’s hard to put a number on it, but it’s a large one,” he says. “I would just go in, make a bunch, and hand them out at the end of the day. It took me weeks to refine what flour I wanted to use to get the exact consistency. That’s the major part of the chimney cake. You want it to have a nice crust on the outside with crunch, and then soft and a little chewy on the inside. It’s a completely different texture from outside to inside, but it took a lot of work to master that combination.”

 

This time last year, Damon was teaching sixth grade at a local school, and Nicolle had recently graduated with her MBA from Purdue University. However, they didn’t have to build from scratch when starting Kürtőskalács. They were able to equip their bakery with the aid of Dober Kürtős, a niche company based in Slovenia that specializes in supplying in materials needed to run a chimney cake bakery, including equipment and training on the best baking practices.

 

“It was helpful in finding them,” Damon says. “We were doing research, and there isn’t a lot to find about chimney cakes. There’s only a handful in the U.S.”

 

“It’s hard enough to start a business, but then to start a business around a product that nobody is familiar with makes it even more of a challenge,” Nicolle adds.

 

While starting the bakery was a challenge, the moments since its opening on March 14 have been nothing short of rewarding as the DeWitts have seen how the community has embraced them. Whether it’s partnerships with local photographers or muralists or the upcoming collaboration with a local candle company, the couple has enjoyed receiving their neighbors’ support.

 

“We’re learning so much about how important community is,” Nicolle says. “The more you work within the community, the more they’re going to work with you. It’s been constant teamwork with everyone around us.”