In the heart of Germantown's Maplewood Mall, Lily of the Valley Cupcakery & Cafe serves up handmade treats from its cozy storefront at number 26, where the scent of fresh-baked goods draws customers through its doors.

"How often do you enter a bakery and see all of the ingredients on the table and made right in front of you?" a customer who goes by J.B. posted on Yelp. "I went to the back, where all of the precious desserts were being shelved and stored, and my eyes grew large ... Those cookies were hands down the best I've ever had, and they trump 4th Street Cookies by a few miles. Soft, buttery and full of fresh ingredients. I couldn't help but eat a few on the way home."

"How did I miss this place since I've been in Philly?," posted a Center City customer who goes by Jerry C. "Good thing I know now. While in Germantown today, I parked in front of this bake shop. I indulged and enjoyed a freshly baked chocolate salted caramel cupcake and a fresh to-go cup of whole milk. The cupcake was dense and rich, delicious dark chocolate with a delightful fluffy buttercream icing, caramel drizzle and mini salted pretzel – and the young lady who served me was friendly and helpful. Did I mention I was on my way to the gym?"

Behind these enthusiastic reviews is a story of perseverance. "My brother, a pastor, came up with the name Lily of the Valley," said Terrance Baldwin, who owns and operates the business with his wife, Rashida. "He preached a sermon about lilies of the valley, and it seemed to fit."

Terrance, a West Philadelphia native, painted houses in the Philadelphia area for 20 years, and Rashida, who grew up in Mt. Airy, worked for a pharmaceutical company for 20 years. "I thought I was going to be laid off," she said, "and I am a self-taught baker, so I taught Terrance the baking, and we opened a small place, just 500 square feet, on Limekiln Pike in Glenside in 2013. But as it turned out, I did not get laid off until three years later, so for those three years Terrance ran the business by himself."

A survey by a local newspaper rated Lily of the Valley as the "Best Cupcakes in Montgomery County," but the small size of the property was not sufficient to accommodate the increasing business, so the couple moved into a larger facility on Keswick Avenue, near the Keswick Theater, for seven years.

"I wanted to go back to Philly to a more diverse area," Rashida said. "We found a building on Chelten Avenue and were there for six months, but then Covid hit. Now we have been in Maplewood Mall for one and a half years where the Germantown Espresso Bar used to be. Some of our customers from Chelten Avenue followed us here.

"Of course, we did not know that Covid-19 would hit us less than a year into our previous location, but with the grace of God we made it through with many bumps and bruises. Our business took a hit, but we are determined to get back to where we were before Covid.

"Through fasting and praying, my husband and I are building a happy home at 26 West Maplewood Mall in Germantown. We believe that everything happens for a reason and that you should never give up on your dreams. If entrepreneurship was easy, then everyone would do it. We pride ourselves on baking everything from scratch and using nothing but the best ingredients. And we love this block. The business owners here are like a close-knit family."

In addition to more than 40 different gourmet cupcakes, Lily of the Valley offers homemade muffins, pies, cookies, cakes and soups. On Friday, March 7, 6 to 8 p.m., there will be a pistachio tasting open to the public.

For more information, call 267-437-4176 or visit lilyofthevalleycupcakery.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com.