diane...welcome back. Like "indydebi" and yourself and possibly others here...I too have been in that kind of situation and sometimes that baggage stays with you until one day you realize..."What the heck!" and then you move your life into a happier direction and throw that baggage in the dump. The people here are truly wonderful and are very helpful and caring. I have learned soooo much from this site and the people here that share their wealth of knowledge. And as for your original post, I know of a recipe that I've tried from another site for cheesecake...if you would like it then just PM me.

Thank you, Diane! It's easy to lose it when I stressed and overwhelmed - I'm known for snapping under pressure.

I was hoping you wouldn't really leave CC, as this is the best place out there for information and most of us here are more than willing to help.

Now, as for recipes, no one can really tell you what is to die for because tastes vary so widely! That said, find a few recipes and fiddle around with them to make them "yours".

My "secret" ingredients are using flavored coffee creamers and LoRann extracts in my cakes, fillings and frostings .

Okay, I may have started this side track on the business issue, but I was not trying to be discouraging. I was simply alarmed that I THOUGHT Diane was trying to open a shop in 5 or 6 days, and didn't know what products she was going to sell. I know what it is to start a shop from the ground up and I was concerned about her $$$ investment.

I don't sell anything except cakes in my store. At first, I had no room for any kind of over-the-counter sales. After 8 years in business, I completed my second expansion and added a refridgerated case and began selling ready-to-go cakes. Now six years later, I sell an average of $1500+ a week just in those cakes, along with all our custom orders. We do over 550 weddings a year.

I started by doing what I do best....cakes. We have always strived to sell a great tasting cake and have immaculate design work. I am in a large metropolitan area and there are not a whole lot of people doing really quality work here. We actually have more demand than we can keep up with and turn down orders a good share of the year. I have pondered expanding our line, but then I have always come back to the premise...do what you do best and don't overextend yourself.

A well known bakery downtown decided to open a store kitty corner from me in the "burbs" several years ago. At first, I kind of panicked, because they were so well known and I (for a second) was worried about the competition so close to me. The more I thought about it, the less I worried. I knew that our cakes were light years ahead of them. I also felt that their bakery products were no better than the area grocery stores and the Panera Bread that was right down the street.

The owner of the bakery and I are friends and I have nothing but respect for him. When I saw him at a Retail Bakers annual meeting I asked him how he was doing. (I already had an idea what his answer would be.) He told me, "It sucks." To make a long story short, he closed the store after less than 2 years, he was stuck with a 5 year lease and all the expansion costs, and he paid about $70,000 just in additional rent with no revenue until the space was taken by another business.

His business did not succeed because he had nothing new to offer to the area. My store is located in one of the top wealthiest counties in the nation. Many residents have expendable income. But as that owner told me, "They will spend whatever it takes to get what they want, and if they don't want it, you can not even give it away."

So all that was to say this...start with what you do best to get people in the door. Then add some products and see how they go. If they don't go over, then get rid of it and try something else. Try your best to develop a "signature" item that you are known for.

I also buy from Sysco and my son used to sell for them. There are alot of good products out there to help you get going. Pillsbury carries a great Cream Cake mix that you can tweak and add many things to to get a wide variety of products...great for Bundt cakes, coffee cakes, and great muffins.

We use the commercial Pillsbury cake mix in 50 pound bags. We buy white, chocolate, and yellow mix. From that mix we make over 30 flavors of cake by adding various ingredients. The mix already has ingredients to give it the "pudding" and eggs. We don't crack eggs...thank God. In the wedding season, we bake around 750 -800 pounds of cake every week. Can you imagine cracking 2000-3000 eggs each week!

Look to see what others in the area are offering and find something better or different. Make just a few things and make them GREAT!
Take extras to the people you do business with...the bank, your hairdresser, the dentist office, your boy's school, etc. Word will spread fast.

Join groups of experienced people to help you. CC is a good start. Retail Bakers of America is a great baking resource. Members can join an online community of professional bakers and you can get about any recipe you want. They have an E-group where you can ask questions about any aspect of running a bakery. They also have some help with things like insurance, credit card servers, etc. Commercial baking is different then making good things at home. There are products out there to give you better consistency and longer shelf life then the things you bake at home.

Good luck in whatever you do and don't give up!

Hi everyone. Since CC was down for a couple of days, I couldn't respond. Thanks so much for your encouraging words, PMs and great recipes! I really do appreciate you guys!!!

I just wanted to thank everyone here at CC for all the help and advise given. I am so thankful to have a group of people willing to share their experience, knowledge and friendship. I have gotten soooo much help. I was going INSANE when i couldn't get on the site. Diane, best wishes on your new adventure.