Pastry Chef Adesuwa Elaiho: From Grandmother’s Kitchen to the
Food Network
By Lee M. Hurley
Adesuwa Elaiho has become a confection sensation in San
Antonio in recent years with her exceptional wedding cakes and pastries, garnering a devoted following and a place in the spotlight. Her journey from local pastry chef to national recognition reached an apogee when joining the cast of the Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship, a multi-episode series premiering last September and still available to watch online.
Growing up, Adesuwa didn’t exactly know all along that she wanted to become a pastry chef, but she knew she wanted to have culinary skills. Her love of cooking began with her grandmother who made chicken and dumplings and peach cobbler.
“I was her shadow in the kitchen,” Adesuwa once wrote, “sucking my thumb and following her around.”
And so, she pursued her love for food and cooking with determination and eventually found herself studying Food Science at Colorado State University. Next up, Adesuwa took a significant leap in her culinary journey by enrolling at the prestigious Le Cordon Bleu in Paris. Remarkably, she became the first student to complete all three culinary degrees offered at Le Cordon Bleu. That experience found her learning under Michelin rated chefs with high expectations but who “treated her kindly” albeit through a translator.
“When I messed something up, their attitude was, ‘There are no problems in pastry only solutions.’ And I knew I had the skill to fix those problems,” she says.
Upon graduating from Le Cordon Bleu, Adesuwa spent the next
five years working with national restaurant brands, including the likes of Hard Rock Café and Longhorn Steakhouse. This experience allowed her to hone her culinary skills and gain valuable insights into the restaurant industry. However, her true calling lay in the world of pastries so she allowed her head to follow where her heart had already gone.
Asukar is Born.
This dedication to cakes, pastries and other confections led to the creation of Asukar (the word means sugar), a growing custom order business in San Antonio. Adesuwa experiments with shape and form, drawing inspiration from the art that surrounds her, and from her customer’s lives and ideas.
In her efforts to create pieces that reflect her clients’ special days — from birthdays to anniversaries and weddings - Adesuwa created a Pallet Night (bluebonnet wedding cake) made with ganache instead of buttercream, a confection that won several awards. Adesuwa has a talented team at Asukar to help her turn vision into reality. She enjoys working with students who bring fresh ideas into the kitchen while she in turn provides mentoring to the next generation of pastry chefs.
Giving back to the community that gives to her is proof that Adesuwa’s dedication to her craft extends beyond the kitchen. She actively serves on boards like the Texas Restaurant Association, helping support black female-owned businesses.
“I feel like in San Antonio we are a big, small city and it’s important to be involved in the community,” she says.
In 2021 she became president of the Alamo Area Hospitality Association, a position she still holds. Chris Koval, previous board president says, “Leading and running an association during COVID was not easy. It took a lot of effort especially given the hospitality industry and environment fell into complete disarray. Adesuwa is a strong woman who is determined
to excel and succeed.”
While her designs are often floral and feminine, depending on the celebrant, she took a different festive turn during the ninth season of the Food Network's Halloween Baking Championship which featured Adesuwa and a diverse group of bakers competing in various challenges, all with a Halloween twist. The road to the Halloween Baking Championship was no cakewalk either. She dedicated weeks to preparing for the series, anticipating the judges' unpredictable challenges. Not only do contestants have to create spooky treats like pumpkin carrot cake and eyeball donuts, but they have to do so with a sense of humor. Interestingly Adesuwa was
not alone in representing San Antonio on the Food Network show. She was joined by Mandi Tel Toro, another talented female baker, putting San Antonio on a
national platform. Adesuwa describes the experience as “validating, showing me I belong in this arena. It was a competition but we walked away as friends and better bakers.”
Adesuwa has carved a niche for herself as one of San Antonio's leading culinary artists — not to mention an important role in the philanthropic leadership of the community and someone who mentors others. These character traits are being passed along to 11-year-old daughter Chiara who is already showing promise in drawing and cake decorating. It’s an occupation that’s 1 cup of fun and 3 cups of hard work.
“It’s fun but demanding! We work when everyone else is off (holidays), and we’re doing our best work when others are not working. Yet, I find it so rewarding to be a part of making memories for people.” The people concur.
Find this talented chef at myasukar.com.