We first became fans of Babycakes NYC when we were living in New York and developed an allergy to gluten. Babycakes was a savior in those days, as it was one of the only bakeries in town that was making baked goods that were not only delicious, but were also catering to those of us with food allergies.

Of course, even if you didn’t have a food allergy you would be a big Babycakes fan because it is delicious and doesn’t make you feel sick after a cupcake. It’s no wonder publications like NY Mag voted them the best cupcakes in town amid a city that is filled with too-sweet confections. And you couldn’t go to Babycakes without falling in love with the adorable décor and fantastic staff, all led by founder and head baker, Erin McKenna.

McKenna starred in their joyful promo videos and went on to write two of our favorite cookbooks ever! So when we moved out west, we were thrilled that she also opened her first bakery in Los Angeles, where we could snag her signature cupcakes, wonderful waffles and her now famous donuts. Of course, the baked goods are only part of the story – Erin is one of the loveliest humans we’ve ever met and she’s equal parts hilarious and totally committed to building a business that is as authentic as possible and is in tune with her values and her awesomely good taste.

For our first video, we wanted to interview this inspiring lady about how she’s grown her business and scaled it in a way that works for her. We also picked her brain on what projects she has in the pipeline – a kids book, working with a school lunch program in Chicago and a baby, to boot! – and asked her to give us a tour of her awesome, brand spanking new Larchmont locale! Enjoy!

To see Erin McKenna’s responses to our TCM Q & A, make sure to click here to see her awesome answers!Music courtesy of Princeton