AITA for putting sprinkles on all my cakes?

A Redditor shares their experience of baking three cakes, feeling excited and creative in the kitchen. However, when their mom enters and expresses frustration over the amount of sprinkles they used, the situation quickly turns sour. Despite the Redditor’s intention to make the cakes enjoyable, their mom accuses them of being selfish for not following her request to limit the sprinkles. Upset and feeling misunderstood, the Redditor retreats to their room. Read the full story below.

‘ AITA for putting sprinkles on all my cakes?’

So I (17f), was baking three cakes today! Two were smaller self-serve kinda cakes, and one was a single layer round. My mom has told me beforehand not to put a lot of sprinkles on the cakes, and she was laughing and joking around with me, so I thought she wasn’t being serious. Also, why do some sprinkles matter that much?

After baking and frosting, I put some sprinkles on each one, and as I was cleaning up the kitchen my mom walked in. No hey or anything, just “You didn’t throw sprinkles all over the cakes, did you?” When I told her I put SOME (I made sure there wasn’t a big gapping hole without sprinkles, but it was by no means a lot), she scoffed at me!

She responded with, “But I told you not to. Baby these cakes aren’t just for you, even if you think they are right?” I started to cry, but responded with a mumbled “yes ma’am”. And then she went, “Gosh, sometimes you’re just so s**fish about things like this!” And then she went back to doing laundry.

I get not always liking sprinkles, but why are you calling me s**fish over it? She’s the only one who’s having an issue with sprinkles, and no one else care, they’ll just eat it! I was tempted to just tell her to pick them out, but decided against it and now I’m in my room.. AITA?

Here’s what people had to say to OP:

Apart-Ad-6518 −  NTA. After baking and frosting, I put some sprinkles on each one. Sounds like you baked some pretty delicious cakes imho. Gosh, sometimes you’re just so s**fish about things like this!” That’s an out of left field reaction I just don’t get. not to put a lot of sprinkles on the cakes. If she wanted some of the cakes *without* sprinkles she should’ve said so.

Heavy_Cricket_2561 −  NTA. OP has said these cakes were not for a special event or a family meal, just something she made for fun. Teenagers are allowed to do creative projects (including baking) just for themselves and not cater to everyone else’s opinion.

Nobody would be disputing this if OP was 25 and her roommate, partner or sibling was the one complaining about sprinkles. OP, please don’t listen to the Y-T-A votes – Reddit just hates teenage girls, especially sensitive or neurodivergent ones. You’re not the first teen girl to get treated unnecessarily harshly by grown men on this subreddit over a completely trivial issue, and unfortunately you won’t be the last.

RickyDiscardo −  INFO: Were the cakes intended for everyone to enjoy? If they *were* intended for everyone to enjoy, then I hate to say this, but your mom may have a point (albeit a shittily communicated point). If your mom doesn’t like sprinkles, asked not to have a lot of sprinkles on the cake, and you put a lot of sprinkles on all the cakes, then she’s unable to have any cake.

Also, why do some sprinkles matter that much? The same reason that a food or ingredient *you* don’t like would matter to *you*. It’s not much different from someone cooking a communal meal for the family that might include an ingredient you don’t like; not just an ingredient, but one that is easy enough to *not* add.

You request that some portion not have that ingredient added, and that request is subsequently disregarded. You might feel put out, or as though the person cooking that meal were a bit s**fish for disregarding the request.

visceral_sensations −  Sorry to talk s**t about your mom… buttttt… how childish for her to expect her indirect roundabout way of telling you no sprinkles (which she did not say) to be taken directly? And how dramatic and mean spirited to turn sprinkles into a marker of selfishness?

Even if you’re a b**t, which who knows, maybe you’re s**fish in other areas and this is spillover resentment, a parent has to check their resentment and learn when to have a direct conversation about your patterns and what they commmunicate to others. You can tell someone they’re being an a**hole with love. Your mom was the a**hole

Rybread025 −  NTA. but I have autism, and she originally asked for “not a lot of sprinkles”, not “no sprinkles”. I have Autism too and that would absolutely trip me up as well.

No_Magician_6457 −  Your mom calling you s**fish is such an overreaction

rmric0 −  NTA. If someone offers you cake you don’t like, you are free not to eat free cake.

CanadiangirlEH −  NTA. If she meant *without* sprinkles then she needs to clearly say *without* sprinkles. “Not a lot” is a subjective request. And calling you s**fish after you’ve literally baked 3 cakes for everyone to enjoy is just snarky. I’d be upset too.

StAlvis −  NTA. I get not always liking sprinkles. #I DON’T. If your mom cares so much, she’s free to bake her own damn cakes.

bamf1701 −  NTA. This is a miscommunications – your mother told you not to put a lot of sprinkles on the cake, not none. If she meant none, she should have said none. Also, was this really so important that it was worth making you cry and calling you s**fish? I don’t think so. Your mother was unnecessarily cruel over a small issue. I’m kind of stunned that she chose this issue as the hill she wants to die on.

Was the Redditor justified in adding sprinkles to the cakes despite their mom’s request? Is it fair to label them as selfish for wanting to express their creativity in baking? How would you handle a situation where a simple disagreement about food leads to hurt feelings? Share your thoughts below!