1 hour 55 minutes
Dot Cakes (Viral Copycat Recipe)
Dot Cakes are the hand-held viral treats that have fully taken over TikTok! These fun, colorful desserts have layers of fluffy cake and creamy frosting with a top that’s packed full vibrant crunchy sprinkles, a tasty trend that’s super easy to recreate at home!
Make the Viral Dot Cakes At Home!
If you’ve done any scrolling lately, then you’ve likely seen the satisfying TikToks of spoons scraping and tapping the tops of these sprinkle-covered cakes! This sugary sensation took off in New York at the Butterfield Market where people now wait in line for hours to get their hands on Dot Cakes!
Thanks to this copycat recipe, we can all skip the lines and head to our own kitchens to easily whip up these trendy treats! To make the best copycat Dot Cakes recipe, I didn’t just want the sprinkle-loaded tops; I wanted bakery-level taste, too.
Therefore, these Dot Cakes are made with layers of fluffy homemade sweet vanilla cake and creamy vanilla bean frosting! And of course, the top is PACKED tightly with vibrant sprinkles! And taste WAY better than the copycat you see using boxed cake mix.
Rebecca’s Recipe Review
Taste: Sweet vanilla cake!
Texture: Fluffy, creamy, and crunchy!
Ease: 4/5
Pros: Such a fun little treat and easy to make with different cake and frosting flavors to mix it up a bit!
Cons: Lots of steps, but they’re not hard to make.
Would I Make This Again? Yes, I can definitely see this being a favorite of my kids for birthdays!
Dot Cake Ingredients
- Cake Flour – If you don’t have any on hand, this cake flour substitute is easy to make in 5 minutes or less using just 2 ingredients.
- Granulated Sugar
- Powdered Milk
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter – For best flavor, I really recommend splurging on a European-style butter such as Kerry gold.
- Large Eggs
- Large Egg Whites
- Whole Milk
- Vanilla Bean Paste – Vanilla bean paste gives the cakes a slightly warmer, richer, and intense vanilla flavor than extract. It’s worth the splurge for the bakery-level flavor it serves up! However, you can also replace the paste with an equal amount of vanilla extract, and the cakes will still be delicious!
- Powdered Sugar
- Heavy Cream
- Nonpareils – I use these Supernatural Spinkles Nonpareils because they are dye-free and have such pretty colors!
How To Make Homemade Dot Cakes
- Prepare the vanilla cake by preheating the oven and greasing the baking pan.
- Mix cake flour, granulated sugar, powdered milk, baking powder, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer that’s fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Add unsalted butter to the dry ingredients and then mix until the ingredients turn to a sandy texture.
- Mix in the large eggs and large egg whites, one at a time. Mixing after each addition.
- Add in the vanilla bean paste and then mix in the whole milk in three parts, mixing after each addition.
- Pour the vanilla cake batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top. Then bake the cake in the preheated oven until the edges begin to pull away from the pan and then top springs back when touched. Lastly, allow the cake to cool completely before cutting and assembling.
- Prepare the vanilla bean frosting by first creaming the unsalted butter, vanilla bean paste, and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Mix in the powdered sugar a cup a time, alternating with heavy cream at an ounce to a time. Mix at low speed after each addition.
- Increase the mixer speed and whip the frosting until it becomes light and fluffy. Then transfer the frosting to a piping bag to assemble the cakes.
- Assemble the Dot Cakes by first adding the nonpareils to a wide bowl or lipped plate and setting it aside.
- Cut the cooled cake into round slices by using a biscuit cutter or round cookie cutter.
- Place one round cake layer in the bottom of your jar or cup and then pipe frosting on top of it. Add a second cake round on top of the frosting and top it with frosting again. Smooth the top layer out and then flip the cup of cake upside down into the nonpareils, pressing gently to get the sprinkles to adhere to the frosting.
Rebecca’s Dot Cake Tips
- When greasing the baking pan, I prefer to use Cake Goop (Magic Pan Release), it’s made with 3 pantry staple ingredients, and my baked goods never stick! If you prefer you can also use non-stick cooking spray and then line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
- This recipe calls for a 13×18-inch baking pan to fit all of the cake better. However, if you don’t have a pan that size you can just divide the batter up between two 9×13-inch baking pans or cake pans. Do not try to fit all the batter in one smaller baking pan, the cake will not turn out!
- You can use a kitchen thermometer to check the cake for doneness. To do this, insert the kitchen thermometer into the center of the cake, when the cake is done baking the temperature should be 200 degrees F.
- If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use an electric hand mixer.
- If the frosting looks wet or grainy, add an additional ½ cup of powdered sugar. Or if the frosting appears to be too stiff, add in a tablespoon of heavy cream.
- A 2 5/8-inch cutter will make 12 servings and a 2 ¼-inch cutter will make 15 servings. However, you can make whatever size cakes you want based on the containers you have.
- To get those nice full, sprinkle cake tops it’s important to smooth the top layer of frosting out evenly. I like to use a bench scraper and start by placing it in the middle of the frosting and then scraping it towards the edges to fill in any gaps and create an even, smooth top.
More Viral Dessert Recipes
- Grandma’s Chocolate Chip Cookies – No fancy ingredients or special kitchen tools needed!
- Viral 2-Ingredient Japanese Cheesecake – An easy viral recipe to try that’s made in just 5 minutes!
- Almond Croissant Cookies – Buttery, sweet treats stuffed with an easy, creamy frangipane filling!
- Ina Garten’s Brownie Pudding – A rich, fudgy, and gooey brownie pudding that’s effortless to make!
- Dubai Chocolate Bars – Delivers an epic culinary experience for its taste and texture!
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Viral Dot Cakes Recipe
These homemade Viral Dot Cakes are the colorful bite-sized dessert taking over social media! Soft cake coated in sweet vanilla frosting and sprinkles creates a fun, easy party treat made with simple pantry staples and playful colors.
Ingredients
Vanilla Cake
- 3½ cups cake flour 420g
- 2 cups granulated sugar 400g
- 2 tablespoons powdered milk 10g
- 4 teaspoons baking powder 16g
- 1 teaspoon salt 7g
- 1 cup unsalted butter 227g, room temperature, very soft – see notes
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Vanilla Bean Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter 227g, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 4 cups powdered sugar 500g
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 1 cup nonpareils
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease a 13×18-inch baking pan with cake goop (or non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment paper), and set aside.
- Add 3½ cups cake flour, 2 cups granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons powdered milk, 4 teaspoons baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt to a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment and mix for 1 minute.
- Add 1 cup unsalted butter and mix at medium-low speed until the mixture becomes sandy in texture.
- Add the 2 large eggs and 4 large egg whites one at a time, mixing after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, then 1 cup whole milk in three parts, mixing for 1 minute after each addition and scraping down the bowl. Mix until the batter is smooth.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth out the top of the batter and bake for 23 to 28 minutes (see notes) until the edges of the cake begin to pull away from the pan and the top springs back when touched. A cake tester should also come back clean from the center, and the cake should read 200°F on a kitchen thermometer.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting and assembling. About 1 hour.
Do not use as a smaller pan–the amount of batter *just* fits in the 13×18. If you don't have a pan that size, you could also divide the batter between two 9×13-inch baking pans. You can also make one 9×13-inch cake to make thicker, single-layer dot cakes.
Frosting
- Cream 1 cup unsalted butter 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste, and ½ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer or a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment (recommend this method).
- Add 4 cups powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, alternating with ¼ cup heavy cream 1 ounce at a time. Mixing at low speed after each addition just until incorporated.
- Increase speed to high and whip for 2 to 3 minutes until light and fluffy. If the frosting looks wet or grainy, add an additional ½ cup of powdered sugar, if it's too stiff, add 1 tablespoon of heavy cream.
- Transfer the frosting to a piping bag for assembling the cake.
Assembly
- Add 1 cup nonpareils to a bowl with a base wider than the containers you'll be building the cakes in and set aside.
- Use a round biscuit cutter to cut out cake rounds.
- Place one of the cake layers at the bottom of your jar/cup, then add some frosting on top to create a thin middle layer. Repeat with one more layer of cake and frosting. You can pipe this on and smooth it out with a bench scraper or knife. I start by placing the bench scraper in the middle of the frosting, then I scrape towards the edge to fill any gaps and smooth the top.
- Flip the cup/jar upside down to press the top of the frosting into the nonpareils.
If you're using 8-ounce disposable containers like these plastic or these paper cups (great for farmer's markets, bake sales, or parties) I recommend a 2⅝-inch cutter, which will make 12 servings. If you're using 4-ounce mini mason jars, use a 2¼-inch cutter, which should make about 15 servings. You can really use whatever size you want and just use the biscuit cutter that works best.
Notes
- I recommend using European-style butter and letting it sit out overnight before using it for the best results.
- There is a wide range in the doneness time because different ovens and pans bake differently. I recommend starting with 25 minutes, checking for doneness, and adding a few minutes at a time as needed. The center of the cake should be 200°F when fully done.
- You can make the cake a funfetti cake by adding 2 tablespoons of nonpareils to the batter right before transferring to the pan.
Nutrition
Calories: 800kcal | Carbohydrates: 115g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 339mg | Potassium: 260mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 87g | Vitamin A: 1103IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 1mg
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