“This show is so much fun! It really leaves you guessing. It’s interesting to see how different minds decipher the same clues,” Gampp tells Parade.com. “It’s no secret that I’m a fan of humor and baking.” That’s a good thing, because she fit right in on set! When we ask if she has any funny stories from set to share, she says, “Do you have all day?” “They are both great,” she says of her costars, Curtis Stone (her co-judge) and McHale. “It’s obvious that Curtis’s passion is food, but you might be surprised to hear that Joel and I are epicureans ourselves. We talked at length about food and wine, even in the midst of our daily sugar comas,” she shares. “One minute Joel would be telling us about the best croissants in LA, and next thing you know there would be a box on set! They were even better than described. I miss those croissants. I empathize with my makeup artist who had to pick every crumb off my lips with tweezers after she works so hard at giving me the perfect red lip.” Gampp goes deeper than sweets, though. “I adore food. I went to culinary school straight out of high school thinking I would become a chef. Although I took a detour into baking as a career, food remains to be one of my passions,” she says. Believe it or not, even though baking cakes is her job, cooking is no longer her cup of tea! “I don’t enjoy the act of cooking anymore, especially after long days filming in the kitchen, but, boy, do I love eating!” When the workday is done, though, she’s off the clock! “My father was an amazing cook and so is my husband, who does the cooking in our house. He is magical with pasta and that makes me very happy.” While the series, premiering May 26, marks the first time that the How To Cake It cofounder is a permanent judge on a show, she’s no stranger to TV. Gampp has appeared as a guest judge on Cake Wars, Best Baker In America and Nailed It. She also whips up desserts on her Webby Award-winning YouTube channel How To Cake It, which boasts over 4 million subscribers. “At How To Cake It, we strive to be light-hearted, uplifting and encourage everyone to try and try again,” she says. Continue reading for more on Crime Scene Kitchen and Gampp’s realistic cakes!
What drew you to Crime Scene Kitchen?
Crime Scene Kitchen is different. Most baking shows follow the same guidelines. The idea of the contestants having to work through clues intrigued me because it adds an unexpected element that’s hard to predict. I am a permanent judge on the series and I’ve only been a guest judge before. I love that I get to witness the growth of the teams throughout the season. I had an absolute blast and truly enjoyed the whole experience. All that and I got to eat dessert every single day.
After working on a show like this, do you have to do a dessert detox, or is it all about moderation?
I love food, always have. It’s about moderation and balance. I’d say the scale was tipped a little more to the sweet side while filming with long dessert-filled hours on set. But I’m working on restoring the balance.
Given the title, do you think the show will appeal to fans who love crime podcasts and crime shows?
I think so. It seems like an unlikely mashup of genres, but it works.
Are you a fan of crime podcasts and crime shows?
I used to be before I became a mom. Now everything fills me with worry. Who am I kidding–I’ve always been filled with worry. But I can handle a baking crime.
Realistic cakes (e.g. hands, food) went viral during covid. What’s your favorite realistic cake you’ve made? Have you ever been fooled by one?
I’m known for making realistic cakes, especially cakes that look like food. My Thanksgiving Roasted Turkey, Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich, Chili Pepper and Bread cakes are my personal favorites. Oh, and watermelon, how could I forget Walter! I was once fooled by my own cake! Someone reposted my Popeye’s Chicken Sandwich cake and I thought, that sandwich looks good! https://www.instagram.com/tv/COx4koLr4Fu/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Years ago I made a wine bottle cake for a client, and the birthday boy broke it as he attempted to pick it up. That feels like a win! Although, I’m glad I didn’t have to witness hours of my work being destroyed with one move. I also made a wedding cake that looked like a set of luggage, and let’s just say it was poked and prodded by the guests. Why do people poke cake!?
Have you faced challenges being a Black woman in the food world?
Yes. I think it’s always there. At How To Cake It we strive to be light-hearted, uplifting and encourage everyone to try and try again. Some of our audience reacted negatively to the fact that we spoke up during the height of BLM, which was not surprising to me, but disappointing. I am happy and proud to be the representation that many young kids need, but I’m fully aware that not everyone understands that or even tries to. We press forward by focusing on the community members who were thrilled when we spoke up about BLM. The ones that were positively impacted. The ones that felt seen by it. That’s all that matters to us. Hungry for more? You need to see the best baking shows streaming.
