Last updated: October 22, 2026
This dot cake recipe turns one soft vanilla sheet cake into individual cakes in cups, each one finished with smooth buttercream and a crunchy coat of rainbow nonpareils. Everything you need is explained below, and the full recipe card is waiting further down the page.
What Makes This Dot Cake Recipe So Popular
A dot cake is a single-serve cake built in a small cup, with vanilla cake and buttercream layered inside and a thick blanket of tiny round sprinkles on top. The cups went viral on TikTok and Instagram thanks to the crunchy sprinkles, the neat flat frosting, and the satisfying moment a spoon breaks through the dots.
This homemade version bakes one 9×13 inch vanilla cake, cuts it into 12 rounds, and builds each cup by hand. You need no decorating skills, only a round cutter, a piping bag, and a shallow bowl of sprinkles.
Dot Cake Recipe Ingredients and Substitutions
The Vanilla Cake
The cake uses 3 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon of salt, whisked together first so the leavening is spread evenly. The richness comes from 1 cup of softened unsalted butter, 1 3/4 cups of granulated sugar, 4 large eggs at room temperature, and 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract.
One cup of room temperature whole milk loosens the batter into a smooth, pourable texture. Buttermilk works in the same amount if you like a slightly tangy crumb, but the card below uses whole milk.
The Buttercream
The frosting uses 1 1/2 cups of softened unsalted butter, 6 cups of sifted powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 3 tablespoons of whole milk. This is a classic American buttercream, firm enough to hold its shape and sweet enough to balance the plain vanilla cake.
Sifting the powdered sugar matters here because lumps clog a piping tip and leave a bumpy surface under the sprinkles. Softened butter should dent easily under a finger but never look shiny or greasy.
The Nonpareils and Cups
You need about 1 1/2 cups of rainbow nonpareils, the tiny round sprinkles known in the UK as hundreds and thousands. Choose nonpareils rather than long jimmies, because the round shape is what creates the dotted look.
Twelve 8 ounce paper cups hold the finished cakes. Small jars or ramekins of the same size work just as well.
How to Make the Dot Cake Recipe Step by Step
Bake the Vanilla Cake
Heat the oven to 350 degrees F, then grease a 9×13 inch pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Beat the butter and granulated sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy, then add the eggs one at a time followed by the vanilla.
Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk and starting and ending with flour. Stop mixing as soon as no dry streaks remain.
Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift it out and cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour in total.
Make the Buttercream
Beat the butter for 3 minutes until pale and creamy, then add the powdered sugar one cup at a time on low speed. Add the vanilla, salt, and milk, then beat on medium-high for 3 minutes until fluffy and thick.
Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. A zip-top bag with one corner snipped off works if you have no piping bag.
Cut and Assemble the Dot Cakes
Cut 12 rounds from the cooled cake with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, or use the rim of a drinking glass of the same size. Crumble the trimmings and press about 1/2 inch of crumbs into the bottom of each cup.
Pipe a thin layer of buttercream over the crumbs and set a cake round on top. Pipe more buttercream until it sits just above the rim, then smooth the top flat with a small offset spatula.
Coat the Dot Cakes in Nonpareils
Pour the nonpareils into a shallow bowl that is wider than the cups. Turn each cup upside down, press the frosted top into the sprinkles until it is fully covered, and lift it out gently.
Chill the finished dot cakes for 30 minutes so the buttercream sets, then serve each one with a spoon.
Dot Cake Recipe Variations
Seasonal Sprinkle Colors
The coating is the easiest part to change. Pastel nonpareils suit spring and baby showers, red and green suit Christmas, and orange, purple, and black suit Halloween.
Funfetti and Chocolate Versions
For a funfetti dot cake, fold 1/3 cup of rainbow jimmies into the batter at the very end. For chocolate buttercream, beat 1/2 cup of sifted unsweetened cocoa powder into the finished frosting along with one extra tablespoon of milk.
The card below leaves both of these out, so treat them as optional. Everything else stays the same.
Storing and Making Dot Cakes Ahead
Store the finished dot cakes covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving so the buttercream softens.
Wrap the unfrosted cake tightly and freeze it for up to 3 months. Skip freezing the finished cups, because the nonpareils bleed color into the frosting as they thaw.
Where Dot Cakes Came From
Dot cakes trace back to The Dotcakes, a family-run bakery in Roslyn, New York, founded by Alex Posner and her mother Sondra. Alex started decorating cakes with nonpareils in 2017, and the bakery sells single-serve 8 ounce cups that it calls dot cups.
Those cups went viral because they look like the rainbow sprinkle cakes that were everywhere in the late 2010s, which gives them a strong nostalgic pull. This recipe is an independent home version inspired by the trend, not the bakery’s own recipe.
Use the recipe card below to bake your own batch of dot cakes.
Viral Dot Cake Recipe
Soft vanilla cake and fluffy buttercream layered in a cup and pressed into crunchy rainbow nonpareils, a homemade version of the viral dot cakes.
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (for buttercream)
- 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (for buttercream)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (for buttercream)
- 3 tablespoons whole milk (for buttercream)
- 1 1/2 cups rainbow nonpareils (hundreds and thousands)
- 12 eight-ounce paper cups
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat 1 cup butter and the granulated sugar for 3 minutes until pale and fluffy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then mix in 1 tablespoon vanilla.
- Add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the 1 cup milk, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until no dry streaks remain.
- Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out and cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour in total.
- For the buttercream, beat 1 1/2 cups butter for 3 minutes until pale and creamy. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time on low speed.
- Add 2 teaspoons vanilla, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 3 tablespoons milk, then beat on medium-high for 3 minutes until fluffy and thick. Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip.
- Cut 12 rounds from the cooled cake with a 2 1/2 inch round cutter. Crumble the trimmings and press about 1/2 inch of crumbs into the bottom of each paper cup.
- Pipe a thin layer of buttercream over the crumbs and set a cake round on top. Pipe more buttercream until it sits just above the rim, then smooth the top flat with an offset spatula.
- Pour the nonpareils into a shallow bowl wider than the cups. Turn each cup upside down and press the frosted top into the nonpareils until fully covered.
- Chill the dot cakes for 30 minutes to set the buttercream, then serve with a spoon.
Notes
Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days and let sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving. Freeze the unfrosted cake wrapped tightly for up to 3 months, but do not freeze the finished cups because the nonpareils bleed color as they thaw. For the brightest dots, coat the cakes the day you serve them. Bake and cool the cake a day ahead, wrap it tightly, and keep it at room temperature until assembly. Small jars or ramekins can replace the paper cups.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1 dot cakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 900Total Fat: 40gSaturated Fat: 25gSodium: 280mgCarbohydrates: 130gFiber: 1gSugar: 105gProtein: 6g
Dot Cake Recipe Questions
Can you make dot cakes without a round cutter?
Yes, the rim of a drinking glass about 2 1/2 inches wide cuts clean rounds. Press straight down without twisting so the edges stay neat.
Why did the nonpareils bleed color into the frosting?
Moisture is the cause, and it shows up most when finished cakes sit in the refrigerator for several days or are frozen. For the brightest dots, coat the cakes the day you serve them.
Can you use boxed cake mix for this dot cake recipe?
Yes, bake a boxed vanilla or funfetti mix in a 9×13 inch pan, cool it completely, and cut the rounds the same way. Our from-scratch cake has a richer butter flavor, but the assembly is identical.
What if you do not have 8 ounce paper cups?
Small jars, ramekins, or clear plastic cups of about the same size hold the cake just as well. Just make sure the opening is wide enough for a 2 1/2 inch round to fit inside.
Can you make dot cakes ahead for a party?
Bake and cool the cake a day early, wrap it tightly, and keep it at room temperature. Assemble and coat the cups on the day of the party for the crunchiest sprinkles.
Why This Recipe Works
Beating the butter and sugar for 3 minutes traps tiny air bubbles in the batter, and that gives the cake its soft, even crumb. Adding the eggs one at a time keeps the mixture smooth so the fat and liquid stay blended.
Alternating the flour and milk, starting and ending with flour, keeps the batter from being overworked. The baking powder gives a gentle, reliable rise, so the cake stays level and cuts into tidy rounds.
The buttercream pairs 1 1/2 cups of butter with 6 cups of powdered sugar and just 3 tablespoons of milk, which keeps it thick enough to hold a flat, raised top. Pressing the cups upside down into the nonpareils coats every edge evenly, with no sprinkles wasted on the table.
Make This Dot Cake Recipe for Your Next Party
This dot cake recipe delivers the look of the viral bakery cups with a soft vanilla cake, creamy buttercream, and a crunchy rainbow coating. Bake the cake, assemble the cups, and press each one into the nonpareils for a dessert that gets smiles before the first spoonful.
Try it this weekend, then tell us in the comments which sprinkle colors you chose.
