Meet Rylan Herald | Self-Made Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rylan Herald and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rylan, what do you want people to remember about you?
I want my legacy to be remembered as someone who was just as sweet as her desserts, just as precise as her measurements, and just as bold as her flavors. I want to be remembered as someone who tried to do it all, tried to balance all the ingredients of life, while in the end creating the most beautiful and decorative story. I want to be remembered as someone who took the risk when they were down in life to pursue a passion and a dream for baking. Someone who made that dream a reality and did everything they could to perfect and polish their talents. Someone who never wasted time on what could have been.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career starts as a dental assistant but it does not end there. I also have a bakery called Cake And Crumbs Desserts. My passion for baking started in 2020 in a hospital bed. I know what you’re thinking, that’s not so sweet, well it’s not. I was diagnosed freshly 18 during peak COVID with Guillan Barre after contracting mono. Guillan Barre syndrome is an extremely rare autoimmune disease most doctors only read about in medical school. The body’s immune system attacks its own nerves causing muscle weakness and sometimes paralysis. Since the condition is so rare, when warned about the very very minute chance of contracting it from the mono no one would have guessed I would ever get it. What started as burning sensations all throughout my feet, traveled up my legs and got to a point I could not walk anymore. My mom wheeled me up in a wheelchair to the neurologist and within seconds I was in a hospital bed, admitted, and having a 22 gauge needle poked through my spine to fully diagnose my condition. Sure enough I’d have the highest spinal protein count the Dr had ever seen. I started plasma transfusions due to the fact at this point I had paralysis in my hands, feet, and everything from the waist down. All this to say, that during this time of stillness if you will, all I could do was watch TV or movies. I was completely alone in my room due to it being COVID no one could visit. So what did I do? I watched Martha Stewart, The Great British Baking Show, Food Network, you name it. I knew when I finally got better I would recreate everything with my own hands. Flash forward to today I am doing what I love and what I said I would always recreate. So now every time I stand in my kitchen baking for hours and my back still hurts from that spinal tap, I am reminded of a time when I could only watch the sweetness being made.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I actually just moved here from Lebanon, Indiana with my fiance who is from Monrovia, Indiana in October of 2024, so I don’t quite have some secret spots yet. However, I can go through a list of things, places, restaurants, etc. that I am loving right now. The first hike I did after moving here was near Golden and I believe it is Mount Galbraith Loop via Cedar Gulch Trail and I love the lookout and really what the whole trail has to offer. There is also a little tiny cart in downtown Denver by the 16th St mall called Ichigo Matcha that has the most AMAZING matcha, strawberry, or twist of both, soft serve ice cream. You can get the ice cream served in a nutella stuffed Taiyaki (fish shaped) cone and topped with a macaroni and Pocky sticks. I also am loving a restaurant on Broadway called BurnDown. They have amazing food and such a large array of drinks to order.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are an array of people to thank for there encouragement, support, purchases, and love. I want to thank Sasha Smothers for being my first customer after moving to Colorado from Indiana when I wasn’t sure if my customer base would transfer to a new place with new and different tastes. She is a shining star who should be appreciated for her caring nature of supporting a small business like mine. I want to thank my fiance for always supporting and taste testing for me even in the beginning when I’m sure my buttercream was on the tad too sweet side. I also want to thank my parents of course for encouraging me to keep pursuing my passion even while working a full time job in dental. I also can’t end with thanking Mary Berry from the Great British Baking Show for all the tips and tricks on all the great British delights. Lastly I want to thank Martha Stewart for being the first chef I ever loved and always being my greatest inspiration. It is my dream one day to meet her or God willing bake with her!

Website: https://cakeandcrumbsdesserts.my.canva.site/cake-and-crumbs-desserts?fbclid=IwY2xjawIKY0dleHRuA2FlbQIxMAABHdNy7EHgcXydKa0QK1SbuRB4xlLgVC8dn5BefOpn8mIuzOVoFe_yGQ4lbg_aem_X_e8ITFy6XOECqdNzeMUMA

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