Delco Profile: Dan Langan of ‘Baked by Dan’ Channels Creativity into Cakes, Cookies and Other Confections

In 2015, Dan Langan applied to be on a Food Network baking competition show. After a few rounds of camera testing, he got a spot on the show “Spring Baking Championship,” and it changed his life.

Being on television wasn’t a natural fit for Langan. 

 

 

“I was terrified to be on camera, but I thought maybe I could win some money and open a bakery,” he says.

 

He’d recently attended a week-long personal empowerment retreat, which helped him let his guard down, and, being out of his comfort zone, he courageously faced the Food Network experience. Though Langan made it to the finale, he didn’t win. However, the connections he made began to open new doors for him. 

 

“From that, I got introduced to people at the Food Network; after the competition, they contacted me and said they liked me on the show, and asked if I’d like to meet them to discuss working together more,” he said. “It was one of the things in life that happens when you’re ready for it.”

 

 

Langan grew up spending time in the kitchen with his mom and grandmom, both hobby bakers who filled their Havertown home with delicious aromas and kept friends and family supplied with treats. Baking was a practice that he always associated with togetherness and comfort.

 

Years later, while living in New York City during and after college, Langan tried different jobs: he worked for a time as a realtor, a personal trainer, and for a fancy cupcake shop. He moved back to Delco in 2013 and picked up a gig baking for Antonella’s Italian Kitchen in nearby Rosemont, PA. Though it wasn’t exactly his plan, he ended up becoming the head baker for the Antonella’s shop and catering company for a decade. That’s where he honed his skills and gained the confidence to apply to “Spring Baking Championship.”

 

After meeting with the Food Network producers, Langan began shooting weekly cake decorating tutorials on Facebook Live for Food Network’s page. In 2018, he became a judge on over 20 Food Network shows, and hosted two seasons of a YouTube show, “Dan Can Bake It.” These opportunities led to meeting some of his baking heroes, like Giatta De Laurentiis and Martha Stewart, as well as a book deal. 

 

 

The trajectory of his career still surprises him.

 

“Ten years ago, I did not set out to do TV other than something to do to win money. I just wanted to be a baker and own a bakery,” Langan remembers. “I would have laughed if you said I’d have a job that included public speaking, and this has forced me to become more confident and comfortable with myself. As a shy, young gay kid, I spent a lot of time hiding, and now that I get to do some of this stuff, it’s a really interesting flip, and it’s kind of therapeutic.”

 

During the pandemic, the catering business was sold, and many of Food Network’s projects paused or ended. He did more live social media demonstrations from his home kitchen and worked on his cookbook. He focused on growing his own social media presence (he’s now at almost 250,000 followers on Instagram and over 40,000 on YouTube), enthusiastically walking his followers through all kinds of baking projects, like perfect vanilla cupcakes, gooey chocolate chip cookies and homemade sprinkles. 

 

 

In 2023, Langan released “Bake Your Heart Out,” a collection of recipes he created to help passionate home bakers up their game. A second cookbook, “Short and Sweet” will come out in the fall of 2026; this one will focus on how to bake without specialized ingredients or equipment.

 

“My focus has shifted to making things a little simpler,” he says. ”I’m always thinking of my sister who has two daughters, she’s a nurse, she’s super-busy. Seeing her experience has informed the second book to be for people who like to bake but need something less elaborate.”

 

 

Langan continues baking in his home studio, consulting for brands, and navigating social media brand partnerships. He’s also been dabbling with ceramics, and some of his homemade pottery will be featured in his new cookbook. In the summer of 2024, he started co-hosting a food talk show on QVC, “Dishin’ It.” Though he doesn’t own his own bakery (yet!) he is, by all accounts, a professional baker. It’s not how he may have originally envisioned it, but he’s grateful for how his journey has helped him build relationships and share his love of baking with a wider audience.

 

“I’m always trying to remind myself that success and careers aren’t really linear anymore,” he says. “A goal for me is to look back on the things I’ve done and connections I’ve made, and try to share things about my life more authentically. Whoever resonates with that, that’s awesome.” 

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Want to know more about everything Delco? We’re more than just your source for good eats — we’re your source for where to stay, what to do and more in Delaware County, Pennsylvania. We’re Visit Delco, PA. They say we’re A LOT…and they’re right! Contact us at (610) 565-3679, by email or online.

– Emily Kovach

 

Featured photo and headshot photo of Dan Langan by Rikki Snyder, 2023

All photos courtesy of Dan Langan