Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Caryn Lyles. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Caryn, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I’m happy with starting the same time I did.

After graduating from culinary school in 2014, I decided I wanted to gather as much experience as possible before opening my own bakery. In a perfect world, I would work in every type of pastry environment — from small independent bakeries, to large hotels and catering kitchens with specialty desserts, maybe even a cruise ship. I wanted to learn every detail of the industry. I imagined that one day, after starting a family and raising my kids, I would finally open my bakery.

In March of 2020, I was working as the pastry chef and kitchen manager at a local brunch spot when indoor dining shut down. Overnight, everything I had planned for my career came to a halt. I lost my job, and suddenly I was baking at home every day just to stay grounded. Within a few months, I found a new position at a local gluten-free restaurant that focused on scratch-made recipes. This becomes important later. The owners supported my creativity and nurtured my entrepreneurial spirit.

By September of that year, a local wedding venue reached out in need of someone to make wedding cakes. My employer encouraged me to take the opportunity. I fell completely in love with the wedding industry and soon had the ambition to create Baked by Caryn. Specializing in wedding cakes became my passion.

Then life threw me a curveball. A few months into taking wedding cake orders, my doctor recommended I switch to a gluten-free diet. Baking was my life, so I was afraid of what that would mean for my career. After a lot of thought (and conversations with my husband), I made the change — and it ended up being one of the best decisions I ever made. The training I had received at the gluten-free restaurant suddenly became invaluable. I learned how to adapt, substitute, and eventually, create my own gluten-free products.

If I had started sooner, I might have burned out or doubted myself. It took the world shutting down to push me to trust my own abilities.
If I had started later, I may never have gone into wedding cakes at all — or I might have gone in a completely different direction.

But where I am now? I wouldn’t change it for the world.
The good, the hard, and the uncertain were all worth it the moment I see a bride’s face light up at her dream cake.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I fell in love with baking at a young age, making brownies and cookies in the kitchen with my mom. That joy turned into a calling, and in 2014 I graduated with an Associate Degree in Baking & Pastry Arts. I spent the next several years working in a variety of bakeries, studying not just how desserts were made, but why people loved them. Was it richness? Texture? A nostalgic flavor combination? I wanted to understand what made something truly memorable.

In 2020, I was introduced to the wedding industry and began designing wedding cakes — and something just clicked. I dove in headfirst. Wedding cakes quickly became more than simply dessert to me. They’re a centerpiece, a reflection of a couple’s personality, and a moment in time worth remembering. My goal became clear: create wedding cakes that are as delicious as they are beautiful.

We’ve all been to weddings where the cake is stunning…but the flavor is disappointing — dry, bland, or simply forgettable. I never want that experience for my clients. If I’m making it, it should taste as magical as it looks. I am proud that my clients know me for cakes that are flavorful, tender, thoughtfully balanced — and unforgettable.

Every cake I create is customized from the inside out. With cake tastings, couples can tailor every flavor to their taste, and then we work together to design a cake that’s meaningful. I pull inspiration from their Pinterest boards, florals, venue aesthetic, and even elements from the wedding dress — weaving personal details into the final design. It becomes more than icing: it becomes a memory.

What sets my work apart is my commitment to craft and care. I design with intention, bake with purpose, and treat every cake as if it’s the only one that matters — because to my clients, it is.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

I believe my reputation has grown from two things: consistency and care. I have always been intentional about making cakes that taste just as amazing as they look. Word travels quickly when guests are surprised that the wedding cake is actually delicious. Many of my clients come to me because they heard, “You have to try her cake.” Pair that with a very personalized experience — from custom tastings to thoughtful design conversations — and my clients feel taken care of from start to finish.

I also show up in my community. I attend local entrepreneur meetups, collaborate with other vendors, take part in local events, and love surprising people with sweet treats during their workday — because no one can turn down a little joy in the form of dessert. Those small interactions matter, and over time, they’ve helped build genuine relationships and trust.

Have you ever had to pivot?

One of the biggest pivots in my career came when I had to transition to a gluten-free lifestyle myself. As a pastry chef, that felt like a major shift — baking wasn’t just my job, it was a core part of who I was. I worried what it would mean for my craft and for my business, especially since I still created traditional wedding cakes and pastries for clients.

Instead of viewing it as a setback, I treated it as a challenge to expand my skills. I leaned on my experience working at a gluten-free scratch bakery and began developing gluten-free recipes at home that didn’t feel like a compromise. My goal was never to make something that was “good for gluten-free” — but simply good, period. I wanted my gluten-free offerings to stand right alongside my traditional cakes with the same richness, texture, and joy.

This pivot didn’t change my bakery into a fully gluten-free business — but it did make my brand more inclusive and thoughtful. Now, I am able to serve a wider range of clients: some choose gluten-free because they need to, others because they’re curious or thoughtful about guests. Either way, they’re getting desserts I’m proud of.

What I once feared would limit my creativity actually pushed me to become a stronger, more intentional baker. And every time someone tells me, “I never thought I would enjoy cake like this again,” it makes the pivot worth it.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Bakedbycaryn.com
• Instagram: @bakedbycaryn & @glutenfreebakingessentials
• Facebook: @bakedbycaryn
• Other: Stan.store/bakedbycaryn for gluten-free recipes

Image Credits

Wright Photography & Video
Rebecca Ann Esthetics