Jenna Lepley

Jenna Lepley, entrepreneur and baking extraordinaire, first opened Jenna’s Cakes at 14-years-old, but her affinity for baking began when she was just a little girl. 

“I always baked with my grandmother,” Lepley said. “I’d cook with my mom all the time, but I’d bake with my grandmother. We would make cookies and cupcakes. My grandmother loved baking. It was a very special memory I had with her.” 

During the Covid pandemic, Lepley, now 17-years-old, took the opportunity to hone her baking and decorating skills. 

“During Covid, a lot of people started their own businesses and it got me thinking,” she said. “I baked a lot during that time. Originally, I’d just make them for the girls who worked in my mom’s office. My mom is a doctor and she has her own family practice in Highland Township.”

Lepley’s confectionery creations were wildly successful. So, with the encouragement of her mother, who is also an entrepreneur, Lepley decided to open her business and try selling her cakes. 

“My mom was like, ‘Why not charge for them?” she said. “In my freshman year, I had a lot of time to start the business. So I decided to start Jenna’s Cakes.”

Word of Lepley’s beautiful, meticulous cakes, and baking acumen, spread quickly. 

“When I started my business, I was a little scared to advertise,” Lepley said. “But, I started advertising on the Next Door app. I also have a Tik Tok account and an Instagram account that I advertise on. Now there’s a network of people who know Jenna’s Cakes. The majority of my customers are from my school.”

Lepley makes birthday cakes, cakes for baby showers and even wedding cakes. 

“I also make cakes for the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Christmas,” she said. “Last summer I was really busy with graduation cupcakes.” 

Although the talented young baker concocts beautiful, professional baked goods, she had never had any formal training. 

“I’ve always been very artistic. That's my favorite part of baking cakes. I love decorating,” she said. “And, I think I watched every cake show on the Food Network. I used to watch all the cake-off shows. But, mostly I practiced. That’s how I got good at making cakes. I had to learn how to get it precise and straight. That took a lot of practice. There was a lot of trial and error.” 

Currently, Lepley is keeping her business small so she can focus on school. 

“I am planning on advertising my second semester of senior year and the summer before I go to college.” 

In addition to running her business, Lepley volunteers as an assistant teacher for the underprivileged. 

“I volunteer for Brilliant Pontiac,” she said. “I also do Bound Together. That's a tutoring program for students in Pontiac. I really love the kids there and it’s so much fun.” 

Lepley is in the National Honor’s Society at Bloomfield Hills High School. She has been a Bloomfield Hills resident for 12 years and loves her community.

In terms of the future, it is her dream to follow in her mother’s footsteps and become a physician. 

“I want to go into pre-med,” she said. “I want to go into pediatrics and own my own practice just like my mom.”

Story: Katey Meisner

Photo: Laurie Tennent