JUST BAKED
The Dessert Table Deserves More Credit
If you've been to a Central Coast wedding in the last decade and gasped at a stunning cake, there's a good chance Libby Ryan made it.
Libby is the owner of Just Baked, a beloved Paso Robles bakery that has become one of the most decorated and recognized names in the SLO County wedding vendor community. And she'll be the first to tell you: dessert doesn't get the respect it deserves.
"Sometimes dessert is looked over or not taken as seriously as other elements in the wedding or event — and it should be," she says. "I wish I could advocate more for this as a whole in our industry." Consider this her advocacy moment.
From Single Mom Side Hustle to Central Coast Icon
Libby's story doesn't start with culinary school or a family bakery passed down through generations. It starts with a birthday cake she couldn't afford.
In 2010, as a single mom, Libby taught herself cake decorating to make her son's birthday cake. That small act of creativity quietly grew into She Makes Cakes — a business she built over five years before she ever set foot inside Just Baked.
When Annie, Just Baked's original co-founder, needed to sell the Santa Margarita shop due to a sudden move, she had one person in mind. Libby wasn't entirely sure she was ready — she was a decorator, not a baker — but she took the leap.
"I learned so much over the years," she says. "What I haven't changed is everything being made from scratch with love. Every single item here is truly made from our hearts with you in mind, every time."
That was then. Today, Just Baked has a flagship location in downtown Paso Robles on the park, an expanded breakfast and coffee menu, and a trophy shelf that would make any vendor jealous.
The Kind of Résumé That Speaks for Itself
Libby has been featured on Food Network's Chopped: Sweets, appeared on Pickler + Ben to create Iron Chef Cat Cora's wedding cake, and has won Best of North SLO County awards in categories including Best Desserts, Best Cake, and Best Bakery — every year since 2018.
She's also taken home California Wedding Day's Best Wedding Cakes and Desserts recognition in 2019, 2020, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026, along with the Travel Paso Visitor Experience Award for Hospitality and Best of SLO Gold Bakery honors in 2026. For couples searching for Central Coast wedding vendors who bring both artistry and credibility to the table, Just Baked is a natural fit.
The Hospitality Is the Point
Just Baked isn't just about beautiful cakes — it's about how people feel.
Most of Libby's wedding couples are from out of town, and she's honest about the fact that communication can sometimes be slower than they'd like while she juggles running a full bakery. But what she may lack in instant replies, she more than makes up for in thoughtful touches on the wedding day itself — the kind her repeat couples and planners have come to expect and rave about.
In the shop, her staff greets every customer like a local. Locals, in turn, are greeted by name.
"We want every single person in here to know how hospitable Paso Robles is," she says. "We LOVE our town and we want everyone else to as well."
More Than a Baker
Before sugar and buttercream, Libby spent years in Human Resources and Fashion Merchandising for brands like The Gap, Wet Seal, and Bath & Body Works. She still teaches cycling and aqua aerobics at Kennedy Club Fitness. She has five grandchildren. She is, in her own words, a true people person.
And that people-first energy is exactly what makes Just Baked stand out in a crowded field of Central Coast wedding vendors.
"I think people forget how much emotional energy goes into hospitality," she says. "I am not just creating products — I am constantly striving to create moments people remember."
Ready to Work With Just Baked?
Visit justbakedslo.com to fill out an inquiry form, or better yet — stop by the shop on a weekday morning, say Libby sent you, and see what all the fuss is about.
Find them on Instagram at @justbakedpaso, serving Paso Robles and all of SLO County.