Michigan Spotlight: Cakesbythelb Is a Detroit Bakery Built From Healing and Hard Work

Monique Porter’s story does not begin with a passion for baking. It begins with a job loss, a rare illness, and a decision to keep going anyway.

In 2013 Monique lost her job. Shortly after she was diagnosed with a rare muscle inflammation disorder. While managing her health, she continued her academic journey and earned her PhD in Health Services, backed by over 30 years of education and more than 15 years of customer service experience. She was writing her dissertation. She was writing a book to help other PhD students. And she was also building something new: a bakery, built from her bed, during what she describes as her hardest season.

She taught herself everything through prayer, persistence, and countless hours of recipe testing. Today she is a self-taught Executive Pastry Chef and the founder of Cakesbythelb, a growing Black-owned bakery serving Metro Detroit known for rich, handcrafted pound cakes and bakery-style cookies made from premium ingredients.

Monique recently transitioned into a commercial kitchen in Detroit and is actively expanding into local markets. She brings the same precision to baking that she brings to research: intentional, thorough, and committed to getting every detail right.

She says delay does not mean denial. Cakesbythelb is proof of that in the most delicious way possible.

Find Cakesbythelb at cakesbythelb.com or on Facebook at cakesbythelbllc.