Those Viral “Dot Cakes” Made from a Boxed Mix Are the Perfect Little Treat

“Dot cakes” have taken over all of my social media feeds. From influencers taste-testing the new flavors hitting shelves, to people re-creating their own versions at home, I can’t seem to scroll for long without encountering a sprinkle cake or two. 

Even though the dessert seems simple, there’s something about it — the fluffy cake, creamy icing, and crunchy sprinkles — that makes it look and sound (the crunch is real!) irresistible. I checked in with Culinary Producer Rachel Perlmutter and Social Media Manager Andrea Kaufman, who made their own version of the dot cakes, to see if the treats really are worth the hype. Here’s what they said.

If this is your first encounter with the viral dot cakes taking over social media feeds, allow me to introduce them to you. They’re $11 cake-filled cups (not to be confused with cupcakes) that are completely covered on top with nonpareils. In the past few weeks, influencers in New York City have been running to the upscale grocery store in the Upper East Side called Butterfield Market to find them. And now everyone else is, too. Butterfield Market is now imposing a two-per-customer limit and has been posting updates about when more dot cakes will be delivered. 

Part of the flair of these cakes is the ASMR-like scraping sounds the spoon makes when you drag it across the layer of sprinkles. You can hear the crunch of the small pearl-like sprinkles as the creators take a bite. One creator, @gretalouisetome, described the cakes as “extremely fluffy,” saying the contrast with the sprinkles works wonderfully. She also claims that part of what makes dot cakes so good is that they taste like Betty Crocker, not homemade. “It tastes like a childhood birthday party,” she explained. 

Even though the dot cakes are everywhere, they definitely have the internet divided. There are always comments on taste test videos, with people confused as to why these cakes are getting so much hype. “It’s just cake with a thin layer of icing and a whole thing of sprinklessss,” one user wrote on Greta’s post. “So it’s a cake…… with icing… and sprinkles.. in a cup,” another stated. 

Other commenters, though, are sharing how they really want a taste for themselves. “I have never seen dot cakes until recently and now I want one,” said one person. “Y’all are hating, but I want this so bad,” said another. Because we couldn’t score a dot cake from Butterfield Market, we decided to make it ourselves to see which side is right. 

Start by baking your favorite boxed cake mix, but instead of using a cake round, pour the batter into a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan or a 9×9-inch baking pan. Let it cool completely. 

Once the cake is cool, you’re going to need multiple circular containers to stamp out the cakes. This could be a ceramic ramekin or small glass Mason jar (like we used), or even disposable plastic cups, if you’re really trying to capture the authentic dot cake look. Push the container directly into the cake like you were cutting a cookie, but leave the cake inside the jar. Repeat until all of your jars are full. 

Add a thin layer of store-bought or homemade vanilla buttercream on top of the cake. Pour a container of rainbow nonpareils onto a plate. Then, dip each jar directly onto the plate so the sprinkles completely coat the frosting. Once every cake is covered in nonpareils, dig in! 

I hate to admit how much I loved these dot cakes. I understand that it really is just boxed cake with a layer of icing and some sprinkles, but there’s something so special about it. Rachel, who has tried the real dot cakes before, says it’s the nostalgia factor that makes them so good. I have to agree with that. 

Rachel was aligned with the creator Greta in that the real dot cakes also taste like box cake mix. So the ones you make at home will taste super similar to the real thing. For her DIY version, Rachel used Betty Crocker Delights Super Moist Triple Chocolate Fudge, which actually won our boxed chocolate cake taste test, and Betty Crocker Favorites Super Moist Vanilla Cake Mix.

A tip I saw in a few videos was to bake thin layers of cake so you could do two layers of cake in the containers with a thin layer of frosting in between. As someone who loves frosting, I am definitely not opposed to trying that next time. But if you want to be a purist, Rachel said the OG cakes actually have a pretty thin layer of frosting. 

The best part of these homemade dot cakes really is the sprinkles. Something about the slight crunch in every bite is just so satisfying and delicious. Everyone in the office jumped at the chance to try a bite of the DIY dot cakes, and there was not a single complaint. We all couldn’t get enough. So if you’re looking for your next sweet treat, look no further than the boxed cake aisle and give this TikTok-inspired trend a try. 

This post originally appeared on The Kitchn. See it there: Why Everyone Is Making "Dot Cake" from Boxed Mix Right Now (It's So Good)