Nebraska Baker Shared Her Cake Pop Recipe Online. Then Was Crying in a Walmart Parking Lot After a Creator Publicly Came for Her: ‘I Never Thought’
What started as a simple cake pop tutorial quickly snowballed into one of TikTok’s biggest baking controversies of the week.
Nebraska baker Ashley of Sweet Treats by Ashley posted an emotional video from a Walmart parking lot after fellow creator Cakes by Kaity publicly accused her of sharing a copyrighted recipe. The tearful clip struck a chord with viewers, who overwhelmingly rallied behind the smaller creator before the dispute ultimately ended with a public apology and reconciliation.
Ashley Says She Never Had The Recipe She Was Accused Of Copying
Fighting back tears, Ashley explained that she’d only started making cake pops a couple of weeks earlier and often looked to other creators for inspiration. She said she used cake mix ratios Kaity had previously shared in public videos before improvising the rest of the Fruity Pebbles cake pop recipe herself.
“I never bought your cookbook,” Ashley said in the viral video. “I don’t have your recipe. How can I steal something I don’t have?”
Ashley said Kaity contacted her, accused her of posting a copyrighted recipe, and warned that she would pursue legal action if Ashley didn’t remove the video. Ashley immediately deleted the recipe because she “didn’t want any of this energy,” but Kaity’s audience soon flooded her page with criticism, leaving her devastated.
“I just started this new hobby,” she said. “I have a full-time job. Spend all my spare time making cake pops for people, and now a huge creator just bashed me.”
The emotional video quickly spread across TikTok, with many viewers sympathizing with Ashley over what they saw as an intimidating response from a much larger creator.
The Controversy Quickly Became A Debate Over Recipe Copyright
Kaity later shared her side of the story, explaining that she believed Ashley copied a recipe from her paid digital cookbook after she saw the post online and noticed Ashley had tagged her in the video.
She explained that she regularly shares free recipes on social media while also selling a recipe book, and said previous legal advice led her to protect its copyrighted contents whenever she believed someone had redistributed them online. Although Kaity acknowledged that Ashley later told her she had never purchased the cookbook, the situation had already sparked widespread discussion across TikTok.
Many commenters pushed back on Kaity’s claims, arguing that copyright can protect an entire cookbook but generally doesn’t extend to individual recipes. Chef creator Albert Can Cook joined the conversation with one of the video’s most-liked comments, writing, “Recipes are not copyrighted.”
Others echoed the point, including one commenter who said they’d authored two cookbooks and explained that copyright protects the book itself rather than individual recipes.
Another pastry chef criticized how Kaity handled the situation, arguing that experienced bakers should encourage aspiring creators instead of publicly accusing them. They added that mentorship )not gatekeeping) helped them build their own career.
As criticism mounted, Kaity disabled comments on her response video.
Kaity Apologized After Learning She Misunderstood The Law
The following day, Kaity returned with another video, acknowledging that she had handled the situation too quickly and admitted she misunderstood how recipe copyright works.
“I handled the situation poorly,” she said, explaining that she’d been acting on legal advice she’d previously received regarding her cookbook’s copyright.
She said viewers quickly corrected her, explaining that copyright protects a cookbook as a complete work but generally doesn’t extend to individual recipes.
“I didn’t lead with my heart. I didn’t lead with kindness,” Kaity said. “Ashley didn’t have bad intentions. I should’ve taken the time before reacting.”
Kaity also revealed that the viral controversy brought her hundreds of abusive messages, including death wishes, racial slurs targeting her family, and messages telling her she should be sterilized.
While taking responsibility for how she initially approached Ashley, she said the experience had become a lesson in slowing down before reacting publicly.
Ashley Publicly Accepted The Apology
The dispute appears to have ended on good terms. In the comments beneath Kaity’s apology video, Ashley confirmed that Kaity had reached out privately.
“She did reach out to me privately with an apology,” Ashley wrote. “After gathering my emotions for a bit I have since accepted it. Kaity I hope you are well and wish nothing but the best for you and your family, I hope we can move forward.”
Kaity replied simply, “Thank you for hearing me out.”
Although the controversy began with accusations over a cake pop recipe, it ultimately became a larger conversation about copyright misconceptions, the speed at which online disputes can escalate, and the consequences of directing a large audience toward a much smaller creator. By the end of this feud, both bakers had publicly expressed a desire to move forward – even if TikTok is likely to keep debating who was right long after the cake pops are gone.
(featured image: sweettreatsbyashley)
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