To think this is a really fucking weird thing to do?

[SummersB]

Brought a cake into work the other day - Banana & Blueberry, it was bloody lovely!
One of my colleagues asked me where I had the recipe from and I told her the author. I’ve previously made this before and have shared the recipe with a few of my colleagues, but in the interest of full disclosure I had no intention of sharing it with this particular one because to be honest I can’t stand her (she is a higher banding - band 6 nursing staff - and due to a massive chip in her shoulder she makes junior staff’s working life a misery by being patronising and belittling at every opportunity and is therefore really unpleasant to work with).
Another colleague just told me that a few days after I had brought my cake in she came into work with exactly the same cake, obviously having google searched the recipe and attempted to recreate it. We had a bit of a laugh about it because apparently it was shit as she’d burnt it and managed to make it really dry. But am I right in thinking that’s a really odd thing to do? Who tastes a cake their workmate baked, goes home, looks the recipe up online and comes in two days later saying “ta-da, look, you know the cake you made the other day - well I could have made any other cake in the world but I’ve decided to look it up and make exactly the same one and bring in to work too”? Or is it just me?

[Bignosenobum]

sounds like she is insecure. Maybe she is trying emulate you as she has low self esteem. That is what usually happens with bullies.

[AnastasiaVonBeaverhausen]

Maybe it was so nice she wanted it again.

[smackbangwhollop]

A different cake is acceptable as everyone liked having a cake treat. The exact same cake is weird. She does not sound like a particularly nice, kind person so I doubt it was done with good intentions. Just wanted to prove a point, no doubt. Maybe she thought it was a way of making people like her.

[ralfeesmum]

At least she burnt it, SummersB. That'll teach her to try and pull rank in the cake-baking competition of life!

Cheers.

[Awhoosh]

I think it’s a bit weird. From what OP says, this is a not very nice colleague who thinks she is better than others,
So in that context she might be trying to be competitive.

Of course OP is writing from her viewpoint but I wouldn’t automatically assume she’s lying, like some posters

[PierreBezukov]

What she did wasn't weird.

You and your colleague sound really bitchy and unpleasant, sorry OP

[headinhands]

I just nicked the Lancashire hotpot recipe from the recipe are here. Someone somewhere must be furious with me?

[Aridane]

A BBC recipe here

www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1572/banana-and-blueberry-muffins-

[Aridane]

Yum

livforcake.com/blueberry-banana-cake/

[Aridane]

It's a mumsnet recipe made today!

[Aridane]

Look, look !!

www.mumsnet.com/food/recipe/2358-Blueberry-and-banana-cake

[Aridane]

If she nicked "your" recipe OP, then instead of a nasty post here, you should have reported it Stollen

[emilybrontescorsett]

I think it is wierd.
I also think it's fine to say it's xs recipe and let her Google it.

[ThatssomebadhatHarry]

Onemoremakesthree lets do a poll!

Hands up mumsnetter if you would eat more cake two hours later never mind two days?

[Cheeeeislifenow]

That's not off I often try and recreate recipes. You don't own the recipe and I think you were mean to laugh at her attempt.

[Onemoremakesthree]

Of course it's weird... she didn't make the cake to eat at home, she brought it in to the same workplace and it wasn't months later it was two days!!!
Whatever personality issues or differences the OP and the colleague have, that is bad form to bring in an identical cake two days later; apart from anything else variety is the spice of life

[Smileymoon]

Have only read the OP but no, I don't think that is weird. Maybe she doesn't realise you don't like her and just tried making a cake she liked. Seems normal enough.

[Italiangreyhound]

It is so weird.... I would be really surprised if anyone I worked with did this.

[ThreeAnkleBiters]

It sounds like it's all in the back story. I think it's odd to not want to share a recipe with someone in the first place (unless perhaps it's a very old family recipe) but something you just looked up from Nigella or whatever you should just tell them the recipe.

I think bringing in the same cake isn't that odd. She liked it, people enjoyed it so she thought she'd make it too. Usually cake making for colleagues isn't a competitive sport so I wouldn't interpret it that way.

Obviously you know her and we don't so perhaps knowing her personality I'd think differently.

[BlueSlipperSocks]

Or is it just me?

Umm... from your OP yes it's just you.

[psychedelicleggings]

Yes, that is odd. I would be weirded out by it.

[ChakiraChakra]

@Renster

I am SO glad somebody else was thinking along those lines!

But it took so long to make it.
And I just bet she'll never have that recipe again. Oh no.

[WhenISnappedAndFarted]

Very good! @gilchrist168

[MummyofTw0]

OP are you ok? You sound crazy

[manicmij]

Sounds like she is looking for approval. With people saying they liked your cake well maybe they would like hers too. From how you describe her are you sure she isn't just insecure. The bossy holier than thou nature is usually a sign of insecurity and wanting to be liked. Think of her cake as a compliment.