As a hobby decorator, I have no problems with my friends asking me if I can offer up tips on techniques (like how to get smooth icing or how to make MMF ) But a friend of a friend sent me an email today saying that she saw a picture of a cake (fondant) on my FB and she was wondering if I can email her not only tips but a step by step process/directions of how to do that cake... how much buttercream does she need, what colors (um, look at the picture?), etc... but she said she doesn't do fondant and asked how to do it with buttercream? And the cake is for tomorrow.

So I wrote: Here's what I did: I baked the cake. I frosted it and covered w/ fondant. Then I decorated it with more fondant. So I have no idea how to do it in BC since I did it with fondant. This took me 2 days and more than 8 hours. Good Luck!

I wanted to write: "Google it!" I was really put off by it...

Loved your response.

Perfect response.

That's an excellent response!

It boggles my mind the nerve of some people. LOL

Great response!

I loved Duff's response to that question once -- "you just figure it out like I did."

That is a good answer! I get people asking me my buttercream recipe all the time! (especially here...) or they will just leave me an email "send me directions to how you did such and such cake" THESE ARE PEOPLE I DONT EVEN KNOW! I understand being helpful, but sometimes it a bit too much...

And I love Duff's response too!!

I totally don't mind people asking questions (I ask them too!) but I hate the lazy type of questions..."Please send me a list of steps how to do your cake."

They want me to take 20 minutes to write out a tutorial? No thanks. haha.

Luckily I don't follow "steps" when I do cakes anyway..I just do whatever works at the time!

I LOVE helping people with specific questions like "how did you support the cake inside" or "How did you make the border" or something.

Its lazy not to at least try to figure out some of the cake before asking for help....at least in most cases, I think.

I would have said,"Sure I just need a money order or cashier's check in the amount of &250. When I recieve it, I will forward instructions". Hey, thats the best I can do for a friend of a friend.

Ha ha! I am a photographer and I get questions from friends and friends of friends all the time about my photoshop techniques. It really makes me crazy mad. I've spend thousands of hours learning everything that I know about photography and then someone just steps in and wants all the answers handed to them. So....I understand how you feel.

Hilarious response!!

Hhm... I feel like I am one of those people who asks for step-by-step instructions sometimes. I am completely self-taught, I have never taken a class. I just buy the materials then follow tutorials online. I ask for step-by-step instructions so I can learn the correct way to do it and then go off of that. Usually I just ask for help on details such as making a certain flower because I have the basics down. It helps to get detailed instructions, especially when I don't have anyone showing me how to do it!

Once upon a time at a wedding I did the cake for, some lady would NOT leave me alone -- How did you do this? How did you do that? How long did this take? Did you use this? on and on and on she went! Finally I told her "you know, I teach a fabulous class on how to do this cake using these techniques. It's really much easier for you to take the class and learn those techniques that way." Then I gave her a price for the class -- and she melted away into the crowd!

Gads I hate the question on HOw long did it take you to make that cake. Do they mean the baking part? Or that I did the gum paste flowers weeks ago? Do they mean that too?? Why do they ask that?

I always get asked what is your cake recipe? Can I have it? I always say I start with a box mix and then doctor it with added ingredients to make it even better. It does kind of get old.

I like to just laugh it off and say with a giggle " oh... EVERYBODY wants to know my secrets now!!!!" and it usually lightens the situation long enough to get us off the subject.

I get the recipe question all the time too. A few times I've just said a flat out "no" to people when they ask if they can have the recipe. It's hard though when it's friends who ask. At least I find it tough to tell friends no. It is a big piss off though grr.

I give away my doctored cake mix recipe to friends but not my scratch recipes.... although I have shared my scratch ones with a couple family members/friends who live wayyyyyy across the country.

haha...great response!

I say, "I could tell you, but then I'll have to kill you...." (insert other person's laughter as if I just told a joke) and then I say (deadpan), "no, really...I'll have to kill you." Haven't given away any tips and haven't had to kill anyone yet.