Now you can make viral Dot Cakes at home with homemade cake, homemade frosting and rainbow nonpareils for a fun, colorful viral TikTok-inspired dessert.
This recipe is even better than the viral TikTok recipe because it’s made with homemade cake and homemade buttercream frosting, no box mix!
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Viral Cake Recipe
Have you seen those adorable little cakes covered in rainbow sprinkles taking over TikTok and want to make them yourself?
These viral Dot Cakes are such a fun dessert trend, and now you can make them at home!
Inspired by the popular TikTok Dot Cake craze, my version elevates the original viral recipe by using homemade cake and homemade frosting instead of using a processed box cake and canned frosting.
Each individual cake is two layers of soft, tender and flavorful cake nestled between creamy frosting and topped with a colorful layer of rainbow nonpareils.
The combination of fluffy cake, creamy frosting and crunchy sprinkles makes every bite fun to eat and so pretty to look at.
Trust me when I tell you that these sweet little cakes topped with a layer of rainbow nonpareil sprinkles will put a smile on your face and make your tastebuds jump for joy!
Homemade Dot Cakes are perfect for birthday parties, celebrations, showers, bake sales or just when you need a little sweet treat.
They're so much fun to serve because everyone gets their own individual little cake.
Whether you're making homemade Dot Cakes because you fell down the viral TikTok food trend rabbit hole or simply love a good sprinkle-covered dessert, these homemade mini layer cakes are a sweet treat worth making.
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How to make viral Dot Cakes at home
This is a quick overview of how to make this viral TikTok Dot Cake recipe. Scroll down for the full recipe instructions and ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
- Step 1: Preheat your oven to 350F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Combine the ingredients for the cake batter.
- Step 2: Spread the cake batter in the prepared pan and bake until golden.
- Step 3: Meanwhile, prepare the frosting.
- Step 4: Using a round cookie cutter, jars or ramekins, cut out cake layers. Place one layer in each jar, top with frosting, another cake layer and more frosting. Smooth the frosting and dip into nonpareils.
Hint: You can make these mini cakes in short mason jars, ramekins or any fun container that you can layer the cakes in!
Why You'll Love This Viral Dot Cake Recipe
- Made from scratch – My homemade cake and homemade frosting recipes make these Dot Cakes extra special.
- Colorful and fun – These little cakes get their signature look from pretty rainbow nonpareils.
- Perfectly portioned – Everyone gets their very own individual mini layer cake.
- A viral dessert at home – Now you don’t have to search for or wait in line on the upper east side in New York City or at your local bake shop for these trendy cakes.
- Great for celebrations – Perfect for birthdays, parties, baby showers, wedding showers and special occasions.
- Easy to customize – You can easily change the cake flavor, frosting or sprinkles to create your own version.
Expert recipe tips
- Let the sheet cake cool completely - Make sure your homemade cake is completely cool before assembling with the frosting.
- Use lots of rainbow nonpareils - The signature look of a Dot Cake comes from a generous sprinkle topping. Don’t skimp on the sprinkles!
- Chill before serving - Giving the assembled Dot Cakes a little time to chill helps the frosting to firm up.
- Make them ahead - Dot Cakes are a great make-ahead dessert for parties because they can be assembled in advance and refrigerated until you're ready to serve.
Substitutions
- All-purpose flour - You can use your favorite cup-for-cup all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for a gluten-free cake.
- Salted butter - Unsalted butter can be substituted for salted butter if you want more control over your salt intake.
- Milk - Whole milk will give the richest result, but your preferred milk can be substituted.
- Oil - Be sure to usea neutral-flavored oil such as vegetable oil, canola oil or avocado oil.
- Vanilla extract - Pure vanilla extract is my first choice, but you can use vanilla bean paste instead for a deeper vanilla flavor.
- Rainbow nonpareils – Classic rainbow nonpareils give these cakes their signature look but you can use any color or combination of nonpareils. You can also use classic rainbow sprinkles and seasonal sprinkles are an easy way to customize these cakes.
Variations
- Chocolate Dot Cakes - Swap the vanilla cake for your favorite homemade chocolate cake and make a chocolate version. You can use a vanilla or chocolate frosting.
- Funfetti Dot Cakes – Make this recipe using rainbow sprinkles instead of nonpareils for a “Funfetti” version.
- Holiday Dot Cakes – You can easily change the rainbow nonpareils to seasonal sprinkles for Christmas, Valentine's Day, Halloween, Easter or any special occasion.
- Lemon Dot Cakes – Stir grated lemon zest into both the cake batter and the frosting and add a layer of lemon curd under the frosting for a refreshing citrus twist on this viral dessert.
- Monochromatic Dot Cakes - Use one color or several colors of nonpareils instead of rainbow sprinkles for special occasions, such as pink nonpareil pastel sprinkles for a shower, red and white nonpareils for Valentine's Day or orange and black nonpareils for Halloween.
Storage
- Refrigerate - Store your assembled Dot Cakes covered in the refrigerator. This recipe is made with homemade cake and homemade frosting, so keeping them chilled helps maintain their texture and freshness.
- Before serving - For the best texture and flavor, let refrigerated Dot Cakes sit at room temperature to soften slightly before serving.
FAQ
Dot Cakes are individual layer cakes filled and topped with frosting and covered with colorful rainbow nonpareils. They are a viral dessert trend that became popular on TikTok and other social media platforms.
The name “Dot Cakes” comes from the colorful "dots" created by the layer of tiny nonpareil sprinkles that cover the frosting and give these mini cakes their crunchy topping.
Absolutely! And that's exactly what this recipe does. My Dot Cakes are made with homemade cake and homemade frosting for a from-scratch version of the viral TikTok dessert.
Definitely! Rainbow nonpareils create the classic look that these cakes are known for but you can use different colors and combinations and other types of sprinkles to match holidays, birthdays or any celebration.
Yes, you can bake and assemble the cakes ahead and store them covered in the refrigerator until you're ready to serve.
Ingredients
Ingredients for a homemade dot cake recipe
- Flour - All-purpose flour creates the structure for these homemade cakes.
- Baking Powder - Baking powder helps the cakes rise for a light and fluffy texture.
- Salt - Salt balances the sweetness and enhances all of the flavors in the cake and frosting.
- Salted Butter - Salted butter adds a rich, buttery flavor to the homemade cake creating a tender crumb and is the base of the buttercream frosting.
- Oil – The oil helps keep the cake moist and soft, making it easy to cut into circles.
- Sugar - Granulated sugar adds sweetness and helps to create the soft texture of the cake.
- Vanilla Extract - Vanilla extract gives the cake and frosting that classic, warm vanilla flavor.
- Eggs - Eggs provide structure and richness helping create a tender cake.
- Milk - Milk adds moisture to the batter.
- Confectioners' Sugar - Confectioners' sugar creates a smooth, sweet frosting.
- Rainbow Nonpareils - Rainbow nonpareils are the star of the show! These tiny colorful sprinkles create the signature "dot" topping that adds a fun little crunch to every bite.
Easy Dessert Recipes
What to serve with dot cakes
Dot Cakes Recipe
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Equipment
Ingredients
HOMEMADE CAKE
- 2 1/3 cups flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 8 Tablespoons salted butter melted
- ¼ cup oil
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup milk
- 2 Tablespoons nonpareils optional stir-in
HOMEMADE FROSTING
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
- 1 pound confectioners’ sugar about 4 cups
- 3 Tablespoons milk
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups rainbow nonpareils
- 12 4-ounce mason jar
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Instructions
HOMEMADE CAKE
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line a large baking sheet, (15 x 10 inches) with shallow sides, with parchment paper. In a small mixing bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a larger mixing bowl, combine the melted butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract, stirring until blended.
- Add the eggs and milk and stir until combined.
- Add the flour mixture and stir until a smooth batter forms. Stir in 2 Tablespoons nonpareils, if desired.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking sheet, spreading evenly.
- Bake for 25 minutes or until golden and baked through.
- Cool completely on a wire rack.
- Using a 2 1/4-inch cookie cutter, biscuit cutter or the edges of the mason jars you are using, cut 24 circles to make 12 layered dot cakes.
HOMEMADE FROSTING
- Beat butter until creamy. Gradually add confectioners sugar and beat until blended.
- Add milk and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes.
- Attach piping tip and pastry bag and fill with frosting.
ASSEMBLY
- Using 12 mason jars (4 ounces each) place one cake layer in bottom of each mason jar. Pipe and spread a layer of frosting on each cake round.
- Top each with another cake layer and frost with the remaining frosting.
- Smooth the frosting with the flat edge of a knife or an offset spatula.
- Place the nonpareils in a bowl and dip the tops of each cake into nonpareils to completely cover the frosting.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.
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