Meet the viral sensation on Tik Tok – a ‘dotcup’. I first learned about Dot Cakes from Food & Wine a couple of weeks ago. They are the rage on TikTok and have spread all over social media. They are... The post What is a Dot Cake? appeared first on Sharp Eye.

Meet the viral sensation on Tik Tok – a ‘dotcup’.

I first learned about Dot Cakes from Food & Wine a couple of weeks ago. They are the rage on TikTok and have spread all over social media. They are a single serving of sponge cake layered with frosting up to the top of the cup. They are then dipped in hard, round, tiny, multi-colored sprinkles, also called nonpareils.

It all began at a bakery in Roslyn, NY called The Dotcakes. Once Dotcakes went viral on social media, the numerous variations emerged, sparking a wave of competing recipes.

Here are what the originals look like. The small ones (8 oz. single servings) are $11.00 each, fun for kids and adults, and can be purchased at the Roslyn, NY store if you are lucky enough to live nearby. The bakery does ship, but currently they are swamped with orders. They also come in a large cake size, in four cake flavors, and gluten free, dairy free and egg free. All cakes have vanilla frosting. They can be customized.

Many other bakeries are now making their own versions. The southern grocery chain, Publix, has released its own version called a Sprinkle Crunch Shortcake. They make their ‘dupe’ in either yellow cake with vanilla buttercream, or chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream and chocolate bits instead of multicolored sprinkles. A single serving of their viral ‘Dotcup’ goes for $5.00 each.

Dotcups can be made at home:

The shortcut way is to buy a ready-made vanilla sheet cake, like the ones that Trader Joe’s sells. You can also purchase the frosting and the sprinkles.

To bake your own, most of the recipes I read used a cake mix or a doctored cake mix to make the cakes. Many cooks prefer to use a Funfetti cake mix. For a completely from scratch recipe click here.

How to Make Viral Dot Cakes with a cake mix:

Preheat your oven to 325°F and generously coat a 9 ×13-inch pan with non-stick cooking spray or cake release.

In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, 1 large egg, ½ cup oil, water or milk, sour cream (optional), and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Mix until smooth and fully combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely.

Once the cake has cooled, use your Mason jars or ramekins as cutters. Simply press each jar down into the cake and lift.

Note: A 9×13-inch cake yielded exactly 12 cake portions for 4-ounce Mason jars. If you want an 8 oz serving, it will yield fewer.

To make the buttercream, beat 1½ cups softened butter until fluffy. Gradually add 5-5½ cups powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Add 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract and 4-5 tablespoons of milk, then beat until smooth. Add more or less milk depending on the consistency you like.

Layer cake and frosting until you reach the cup rim. The last layer will be frosting so the sprinkles will stick.

Pour the rainbow sprinkles onto a shallow plate or dish.

Turn each frosted cake upside down and gently press the frosting into the sprinkles until completely covered.

Chill before serving for 30 minutes. It firms up the frosting and keeps the sprinkles in place.

This recipe comes from Rosebakes.com

These cakes are very popular, and many of the chefs of the recipes I read admitted that they were pleasantly surprised how delicious the cakes were. The cakes are great for birthdays and celebrations. Kids and adults alike love them.

Notes: Cake can be made 1-2 days ahead and frosted before serving.

Unfrosted cake can be frozen for up to 2 months.