So I have a "friend" who asked me to help her make a cake for her child. I did, long story short she calles me this week to tell me she is opening a bakery!!! She knows this is my dream, what I am working towards. But now all of sudden she has the cash on hand and after 3 cakes she has found a place and opening a shop!!!!

She did ask me if I wanted to go into it with her, but I feel so betrayed. First the cake that we made together she took all the credit for until someone called her out. Next she has agreed to do cakes for a some of my regular clients for cheaper!! NO WAY could I go into this with her. I can't trust her.

I have been pouring my heart into learning all that I can about cakes and decorating, got my license and now after 3 cakes she is an expert!!!

I'm just hurt and now I realize that sometimes our husbands are right! LOL! He told me she would do this and now 5 months later, he was proven right!

Just because she is opening a shop doesn't mean that she will be a success. It might be fun to watch her fail, especially if she's taking orders for cakes that she can't do, for customers she took from you. You need to remember what she did to you, and resist the urge to help her when she asks...because you know she will end up asking.

Don't worry! Opening a bakery is a lot moooore way than just baking for family, friends, neighbors, etc. etc. and just because she has the money on hand to do it she is an expert now?...just wait...I don't like to sound "mean" but it's the truth, just my two cents...DON'T FEEL BAD!!!

Karma is a beautiful thing. Don't sink to her level or wish her ill will, just don't bail her out when she asks for it either. People who go into business on a whim most often fail. She's obviously insecure and maybe just looking for attention or maybe jealous of you and trying to show you up. Hold your head high and feel sorry for her.

ok, so i really only bake for family and a few close friends and one of those close friends thought she was gonna give making cakes a try too. she made one for her daughter and thought it was so much fun, i even gave her some of my recipes..BIG MISTAKE. then she calls and says..i loved making the cake and i think i might start doing like you.

well, just like the PP posters said, if she has only done 3 cakes she has no idea what goes into it and will probably fail.

my friend only made one more cake..for her niece before she figured it out that it takes more than a heart cutter and a box of store bought fondant to make cakes that other people order!

Good riddance to her! As a PP said: karma's a beautiful thing" just let it go and don't answer when she calls you crying because she's way over he head.

Oh man I'm sorry! That is not your friend. I bet she thinks there is nothing to it. She probably feels like it is a breeze since you were there helping her.

Let her open up her bakery and let it fail...It might not, but it might. I'd leave her alone and let her know that you can not give out secrets, recipes since you are about to open up your bakery. Let your reg, clients try her out and I bet they come running back. Just because she's cheaper doesnt mean she is better than you!!!!

I made some cake balls for a lady at my wk. REALLY nice. She asked for my recipe and said she wouldnt share it with anyone.. Well she didnt but now she is making them for the one Department that ordered from me on a REGULAR basis... And she didnt even have the nerve to tell me... Hasnt even been in my office since. Oh well! I learned and I wont give out my recipes anymore.

Don't worry. Karma has a way of righting things!

I'll put down $50 that she's not open for 6 months (if she opens at all).

Just keep doing your thing and let her fail. When she comes crying to you for help, you're not available. Tough love is a wonderful thing.

This just plain stinks! I know how you feel, I have been working on my cake dream for years, and during those years I have seen so many little bakeries open, then close. Have faith that when it is the right time for your dream to come true it will. Use this experience as fuel to make yourself better...just keep on keepin' on and it will all be good in the end.

Aww come on.... don't sweat it. YOU have more experience, YOU have the customers, YOU have the license.

Let her open her shop, scramble around and freak out on her own. And WHEN she does confide in you and ask for help, simply say, "You're telling me?!"

Karma baby. Karma.

Just hang in there and wait for the walls to come tumbling down around her ears and she ends up on her duppa with buttercream on her face. She will find out in a big hurry how hard it is and all of the work involved in producing a high quality beautifully deocrated cake. Those customers of yours that have jumped the fence for a cheaper cake - they will be back - just lie low and don't stoop to her level and wait for them to return. If they don't then good ridance and let them eat their cheap cakes.


Whatever you do - like other posters said.....do not bail her out if she needs help (you are busy), do not share recipes, do not lend her any of your equipment and do NOT OFFER ADVISE! Let her find out on her own. I know - sounds mean but ... hey... what goes around comes around!

Be sure to post some of the cakes that you have made - we would love to see them.

I agree with Peridot post some pictures of the cakes that you have made, We would love to see them! I'm sorry this happened to you but I agree with everyone that she probably won't last. Also, don't help her out. DON"T You can but your butt that she'll be a calling for your help in some way or another. Don't do it. She is not a friend.

Keep your head up and post pictures of some of those cakes

Ten bucks says she's going to come crying to you to help her out. You can just say "sorry, it's not possible for me to do that."

You know what they say about karma...

So sorry about what happened... I know what is like to have a dream and being held back by not having the monetary investment needed....

She has no idea what she has coming now... it's a lot more than "baking" we all know that as u see by the others posts.... and things always have a way of making "it" right WITHOUT you having to do anything... she will get what she deserves... you just sit tight and continue doing your cakes and working towards your dream....

She is NOT a friend... she is a person you happen to know... that's all...

Good Luck.. Keep you Head Held High... & Keep On CAKIN'!!

don't worry about it...........you've obviously held yourself to a higher standard with your cakes by making sure that you've spent ample time practicing and perfecting your techniques, which she obviously hasn't done in 3 cakes!


I know someone who has the same thing, less experience than me, less practice than me and owns a full on bakery with all the bells and whistles and her business is sslllllloooooooooowwwwwwwwwww and I'm turning down orders....have even referred people to her and they just wind up coming back to me and BEGGING me to do their cakes (They also get their orders in good and early so that I CAN do their cakes now)............it'll work itself out in the end.

If she hasn't had practice with the cakes, the customers won't continue to buy from her no matter how cheap they are....if they don't look and taste good, they're not worth ANY amount!

I agree...if she does your client's cakes for cheaper I guarantee its the ONLY cake she makes for them before they come back to you begging for the next cake!!!

I know it must feel like such a slap in the face watching her just throw easy money at something that is beyond your reach but you just keep on keepin' on and it will show!!!!

I'd love to even just own my own home with a garage I can turn into a bakery but right now I'm just thankful its legal to work from my regular kitchen. I'll just take it a day at a time...

Chin up!

WOW...this is gonna be hard, but just sit back and watch. It will be worth it. I promise.

oh my gosh, she is one of those people I make fun of ......

"I've made a whopping THREE cakes so that qualifies me to run a business!"

Baking cakes .... running a business ...... Two opposite ends of the spectrum.

Wait until she finds out how three cakes won't pay the rent or the electric bill ... or the insurance coverage ... or the fire inspection ..... or the commercial auto insurance ..... and all those LITTLE things that have nothing to do with baking a cake! (I want a picture of her face when she has to buy that commercial grade mop bucket! )

No one else addressed this but, I want to know what happened when she took all the credit for the cake you helped with and was called out. What did the person calling her out say? Just knowing that let's you know this is the beginning of the end for her. I can't stand people like this. Keep us informed; I'll have my popcorn ready; this seems like it's going to be a very funny movie and I love comedies.

Thank you ladies so much for the encouraging words. I am a regular poster on the board by chose anonymity because she frequents the boards but has never posted. Not that it would be too hard to figure out but..........

Saying no is my biggest problem but I have learned my lesson with this one. She and her investor and are running full steam ahead. Get this she doesn't even know anything about number of cake servings in a cake pan!! Blows my mind!

When she was called out about the other cake, she just laughed it off and and said "yep she's the secret giver!". I knew I should not have trusted her at that point. Yall this was my BEST friend at one point. It hurts, but God doesn't honor theives and that is what she is. She stole my dream and made it her own. I will keep yall posted.

My father used to say that in life you will have an abundance of acquaintances but true friends are rare. Obviously, this woman is not a friend. Sometimes outside eyes can see people's true colors (like your husband did).

Maybe it would feel good to tell her exactly what you think of her and how she's treated you and tell her that there's no way in hell you would help her.

Good luck!

I think everyone is being a little hard on the friend. Did she actually steal all of the OP's recipes and secrets? She didn't really STEAL the bakery, unless she swooped in and rented where you were about to rent. Tactless, sure, but not exactly evil. I would be awfully tempted, if I were the OP, to figure out a profitable hourly rate -- e.g. at least 1.5 times what I made on my own cakes -- at which I might be available on a part time basis for hire if she needed assistance on a cake. Hee hee.

Just sit back and watch her crash and burn.

She will, trust me!

Who cares!! Let her open her stupid bakery and fall on her face because her cakes probably suck. Just stand back and watch her fail. Then buy her business when she has to sell it off cheap, lol Just be grateful you know who your friends are and aren't.