I made my cake balls (I call them cake truffles) for a scrapbooking party at my friend's house last month. She is completely obsessed with them....LOVES them.....thinks they will be my best seller........She said after she tasted them that all it will take is someone tasting them and they will wonder what my cakes are like........Well she was right, a lady that came that night and tried them called me 4 days later and placed an order for a 3D cake.......
Now, she has been "offering" for me to come over and do cake truffles with her ever since.....She has a HUGE granite island in her kitchen that is 3 or 4 times the size of mine--no granite by the way. But I'm apprehensive.... It would be great to do this and visit while we work on them, but is it wrong of me to worry about her knowing my recipe??? Obviously it's not like it's an original recipe, and tons of people do them on here--we share and share alike. But I'm the only one in my area that does these and I feel like if she knows how I make them, she will probably make them herself for her gatherings and she may be persuaded to share the recipe....and then all of a sudden, EVERYBODY can make them and there will be no demand to order from me....
Am I worrying over nothing? I'm supposed to go over to her house on Wednesday to work on them and I was thinking of making them up at home and taking them over to her house to dip and decorate them. I don't think she's the kind of person that would try to sabotage my growing business, but I like the fact that I'm the only one in the area that does these.
Should I just do them with her and let her know how they are made? or should I make them at home and just dip them at her house (and say I wanted to save some time because they have to set up for 2 hours before they are dipped...which is true)???
Am I an awful person for wanting to keep this to myself??? She's sooooo nice and a great friend...
What would you do????
Thanks
Michelle
that would be a tough one for me. I don't know that Iwould share my recipe!!! If she is a good friend, I am sure she will understand, right??!!!
Besides, like you said, if she did a google search (and she probably will once you politely say no!!) she will find the recipes!!!
good luck with whatever you do!!!
I see and understand why you don't want to let her know. Maybe you should just tell her that she can know the recipe but you really don't want her to share because you want your business to grow.... to me if someone told me that then I would respect thier rule and not tell and just say well my friend makes them.... Also if you tell her what I said above- she might be able to help you when you start to pick on your business... just a thought.
I think your idea of rolling them ahead of time is great. I've had several people ask me how to make them too, and I'm just so excited about them, I usually blurt it out and then regret it later, thinking they might steal it. If she's a really good friend though, you might just be honest with her...tell her you'll share but that you don't want everyone in the world to get the recipe.
mcdonald is right. I just googled it myself and there are many links where she can find the recipe if she wants to find it bad enough. This is a tough call. Best of luck in your decision 
honestly, she should understand about not sharing it.. im like that too..
the way i think of it, mcdonalds and rather popular resteraunts arent giving out there recipies are they? no..y? because thats how they make there money!
its the way u make ur money and there is NOTHING wrong with keeping it that way.. i wouldnt give it away.. i think making them before is the best idea
hope that helps
I'm all about sharing recipes and I read this headline and thought "oh geez, another selfish person not wanting to share a simple recipe"...but I get what you're saying. It's different when you're the only one around who makes them and it could definitely be a business booster.
If you're definitely going to go into a real business, then I wouldn't share it with her and I'd make them ahead. I'm sure she won't even flinch when you say they take 2 hours to set up. The dipping and decorating is the fun part anyway, right?
If you're just doing the cakes as a side thing and there's no real promise in a full fledged business, then share and share alike 
Yup! I just googled it and there are tons of links. Thank you all for easing my mind about this one. There's no reason I shouldn't let her know........knowing her, she's probably already googled them. 
I'm worrying over nothing! People that want the recipe bad enough will get it on their own. People that don't want to hastle with it, can order from me. Thanks guys, I've been beeting myself up over nothing.
I'm all about sharing recipes and I read this headline and thought "oh geez, another selfish person not wanting to share a simple recipe"...but I get what you're saying. It's different when you're the only one around who makes them and it could definitely be a business booster.
If you're definitely going to go into a real business, then I wouldn't share it with her and I'd make them ahead. I'm sure she won't even flinch when you say they take 2 hours to set up. The dipping and decorating is the fun part anyway, right?
If you're just doing the cakes as a side thing and there's no real promise in a full fledged business, then share and share alike
Thank you!!! It has taken me 3 days to decide to even put this on here as a topic because I even thought it sounded selfish!!!
I do want to turn this into a business. My 3rd and final child will be in school in 2 years. I've been home with my children for 8 years now and decorating cakes and making yummy desserts and goodies is my passion. My plan is to build up a clientell and open a business within the 2 year time frame. That gives me plenty of time to way the options of building a commercial kitchen in my basement or getting a commercial space....High hopes, maybe, but definately a goal.
I think I will make the fancy flavors ahead of time (because they do indeed take 2 hours to set up--tried doing them right away and it was a mess!!) but I will save some scraps and let her help with the basic recipe. That way they can set up while we dip the ones that are ready.
I think there's a better reason MacDonalds don't publish their recipe...
I think there's a better reason MacDonalds don't publish their recipe...
You think it would cause people to flinch at the pig snouts and horse hooves that we have been eatig for all of these years????
I like your idea to help her with the basic recipe, but keeping the fancy flavors to your self. If she's that good of a friend, then she will understand. Also, you might want to let her know that this is a cornerstone for you and would she mind keeping it as a secret recipe.
If it were me, I would do the balls at home, then bring all the supplies needed to decorate them. Then when you get to her house, get all excited and tell her you did all the hard work already, and now you guys can do the fun stuff together. If she has a problem with that just explain that the truffles have to sit for 2 hours before decorating, and tell her that you thought she would like the decorating better. Good luck.
So, I reached this thread after the DAY. What did you do? I would have suggested maybe to give her a call before, just to let her know ahead of time that you were making them up at home because of the set-up time.
That way she wouldn't be taken by "surprise" when you showed up with the BALLS IN HAND 
Ok, sorry about that, I couldn't resist.
For real, how did it go?
I think there's a better reason MacDonalds don't publish their recipe...
haha...I just about died laughing when I read this comment....the ONLY thing that I will touch at McDonald's is a Big Mac...there's too much stuff on it to actually taste the "meat".
Well, it does "BURN MY SHORTS" when someone asks me for a method or recipe.
( not really my peers because the community is small and we all go back and forth with recipes and tips...today you may teach me something tomorrow I may teach you something. )
I'm talking about RANDOM people...I've spent close to 25 years in this business, I have been CERTIFIED and just spent close to 40g's on a degree in Baking and Pastry.
When I got ceritified..each of the courses and books cost me 1g each!!
In the words of the teacher teaching that course...he said to tell people when they ask you for a recipe...
"Sure, I'll share...if you pay me what I paid for it...."
He taught me NEVER to undervalue my work, no matter HOW nice you are there is no need to SHARE SOO DARN MUCH! lol With random people, that is.
Each one of us in this community works his or her finger to the bone, baking, researching, decorating, maintaining our homes and family...and a LOT of us depend on our " PRODUCT" to put food on our tables...
To have some RANDOM person walk up to me at an event or party and ask me for a recipe...just BLOWS my little mind!!!!!!!!
but, for some reason I don't really feel that way about a peer...I guess because I feel that if I needed help I know I can ask them...and I hope they feel they can come to me.But, if I find that they are not doing tit for tat, that will be the last time I offer any help!
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What I don't care for is someone asking "HOW TO TIPS" when they are sooooooo obviously out of their league!!
I do not understand someone who is not even done with the Wilton course one, taking on a wedding cake for like....250 people and not have the basic idea how it's done, and then expect all of us to drop everything to "help" them out because the cake is due on SATURDAY....
I say, learn to crawl before you think you can fly...
NOW THAT REALLY BURNS MY SHORTS>...heehehe!
I just shake my head in amazed amusement. and sigh!!!!!!
Ok..so call me selfish...but.......then...you can also pay my 2g monthly lease on my shop! lol
(not posted to ofend anyone or to start a message board war...just expressing my thoughts on this..as "UNPOPULAR" as they may be...sowwy!!!)
I would personally let her know that they are extremely time consuming and you two would have to spend all night to get them done so you went ahead and got the cake end of it done and thought it would be fun for the two of you to experiment in the decorative dipping and sprinkles etc. I don't blame you for not wanting to share the recipe!
risquebusiness, I totally agree!!! I don't mind sharing on here but I hate when random people just start trying to pick your mind at a party once they here you do desserts or are in culinary school 
:e ever since I've bought my text books that are loaded with recipes just about everyone has asked me to give them to them. uh-no!!!! the chefs told me to not share them with anyone because if they really wanted them they would go to school for culinary or pastry and would have to pay all the $$$$ out that I have! I just had to laugh when they told me this today in class.
risquebusiness, I totally agree!!! I don't mind sharing on here but I hate when random people just start trying to pick your mind at a party once they here you do desserts or are in culinary school
:e ever since I've bought my text books that are loaded with recipes just about everyone has asked me to give them to them. uh-no!!!! the chefs told me to not share them with anyone because if they really wanted them they would go to school for culinary or pastry and would have to pay all the $$$$ out that I have! I just had to laugh when they told me this today in class.
OMG ..thank you , thank you. I was told the SAME Thing! lol I was afraid that I was going to offend someone to the point they would start to get rude. But, thank goodness you also posted what I was talking about.
It's not fair to any of us that bust our hump, researching, baking and perfecting our recipes..even if it's just to add cake mix extender to our box of Duncan Hines to have people think they have the right to pick our brains.
Information is posted on MANY PUBLIC DOMAIN sites that they can research.
I don't mind sharing some things, but I worked too hard to just be GIVING away all my trades secrets to random people!
They wouldn't value them anyway!
Maybe just download something for her? Not sure just a tough call.
Amen sister!!!!! I don't mind sharing, like I said, to anyone who seriously is wanting to learn and has the desire, but I'm not helping if it's for someone who is too lazy to go to a computer to find out the info or if available in their area, take a class. I have friends who never plan on taking a class but truelly want to make their kids cakes themselves for sentimental reasons and that's cool with me, I help them. However, my family who askes for recipes just to have them that they could easily look up themselves and find, no way I'm giving it too them. I'll even tell them what site to join to find a technique or where to find a recipe and they will tell me "But it's sooo much easier if you could just do it for me". No thank you, I once gave a recipe to a neighbor for a cake that I don't give out (except here on CC) and she was ungreatful and I haven't seen here since, that was about 5 months ago! I've learned my lesson on this one. sorry, I hope I didn't upset anyone, but this is just the way I feel about it.
OK, here's how it went.--trying to summarize long story--I ended up going over to her house early and made the truffles there. Before we got started, I said "I am swearing you to secrecy here. If people want to know how these are made they can google and find their own recipe (with a half-joking smile)." She said she completely agreed. She offered to do the grunt work. We seperated the cake into seperate bowls and crumbled it all up. Then she offered to chop nuts while I added the flavors. She had her back to me while I was making flavors, then she started rolling into balls while I made more. I think she purposely kept herself busy so she couldn't see exactly what I was doing.
Anyway, we started around 1 p.m. and didn't get done until around 9 p.m. (we took a few breaks and went out for dinner, but still time consuming). She finally realized why I wanted to charge $8/doz(I'll charge less/doz for bulk orders)!!! Before, she thought there is no way people would pay more than $6/doz, but after seeing how much time and detail goes into them, she has a new respect for what I'm doing.
All in all it worked out well. I'm not worried about her trying to "steel" my secrets or share them with the world--more importantly--my possible clientell.
I've had lots of people ask me for other recipes--especially carrot cake!!!
When they ask "can I have the recipe?" I say "actually, it's for my business. I'm playing around with recipes and hope to open a shop in 2 years" They usually ask "oh really, what else do you do?" and tell me "good luck"............. so far that's the nicest way I've come up with to avoid telling them a recipe without outright saying "NO".
This site is the only place I share my "sweet secrets". I get great ideas and help here, and I share the wealth when I can!!!
If you're in/were in a culinary program, you could easily say, "gosh, I wish I could give you the recipe, but professional recipes are all done by weight, not volume, and are scaled for commercial use. They really don't work in a home kitchen, without all the commercial scales and commercial sized mixers! There are some wonderful recipes on allrecipes.com, though." It gets you out of having to give away your recipes, but you still look like the good guy. 
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