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These adorable chocolate dot cakes are made with decadent chocolate cake and creamy vanilla buttercream, then dipped in rainbow nonpareil sprinkles for that signature crunch. Perfect for parties, or birthdays, these individual sized desserts are as fun to make as they are to eat!
Table of Contents
What is a Dot Cake?
The viral dot cake is a single serving cake cup made with layers of moist cake and buttercream frosting, then rolled in colorful nonpareil sprinkles for that fun polka-dot look and a little crunch. I’ve seen all kinds of flavors, including Funfetti, vanilla, chocolate, and red velvet.
Most people seem to make them with boxed cake mix and store-bought frosting, but in my opinion, homemade from scratch tastes so much better.
INGREDIENT NOTES
See the recipe card below for ingredient quantities and complete instructions.
- Butter – You’ll need unsalted softened butter for the buttercream.
- Sprinkles – If you’re going for the viral Dot Cake look, you’ll need rainbow nonpareil sprinkles, but feel free to use any sprinkles you like.
- Hot Coffee – Deepens and intensifies the chocolate flavor without making the cake taste like coffee.
- Buttermilk – Adds moisture and tenderness.
What Type of Cups Should I Use?
Most plastic or paper disposable party cups in 8-9 ounce sizes work best. These are great for parties and gatherings.
Top Tips
- Chill the cake before cutting for cleaner, more even pieces.
- Use a piping bag or zip top bag for piping the frosting, then use an offset spatula to flatten the tops.
- Brown sugar gives extra moisture from the molasses, deepens the chocolate flavor, and creates a softer crumb and a fudgy richness. If preferred, omit the brown sugar and increase the granulated sugar to 2 cups total.
- Using oil in the cake rather than butter will keep the cake soft and moist, especially when refrigerated.
- Buttermilk creates a tender, moist cake.
- Using hot coffee or water in the batter will “bloom” the cocoa powder, intensifying the chocolate flavor.
- The batter will be runny, and this is normal.
- Cutting the cakes with the cookie cutters will be quite messy. Spraying a little spray oil on the cookie cutter will help a little. These don’t have to be perfect circles, they’ll still look and taste amazing.
- The thickness of the cake layer will depend on the size of your pan, but mine were about 1½ inches thick.
Storage:
Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Freezing:
Freeze cake before coating in nonpareils for up to 2 months by wrapping each cup tightly in plastic wrap, then place in an airtight container.
Thaw in the fridge overnight and then let sit at room temperature for 15-30 minutes. Coat with nonpareils.
Tried these dot cakes? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page. Also, please consider following me on Facebook or Pinterest!
Dot Cakes Copycat Recipe
Equipment
- 9×13 inch baking pan
- mixing bowls
- Whisk
- stand mixer or hand mixer
- Rubber Spatula
- measuring cups and spoons
- cooling rack
- offset spatula
- Piping Bag
- paper, plastic, or glass cups
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- ¾ cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 cup hot coffee or hot water
For the Frosting and Decorating
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3.5 cups powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- 2 tsp vanilla bean paste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 4.6 ounce container of nonpareils (about 1 cup)
- paper cups
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and line the bottom with parchment paper. For the most even bake, use a light-colored metal baking pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the buttermilk, oil, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla bean paste. Whisk until mostly combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Gradually pour in the hot coffee while whisking until the batter is smooth. The batter will be thin. Do not overmix.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center springs back when lightly touched, and a toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
- Let the cake cool completely to room temperature. For cleaner cuts, place the cooled cake in the freezer for 20-30 minutes before assembling.
For the Frosting
- Place the softened butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with electric mixers until smooth, creamy, and pale in color.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed, then increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy.
- Add the heavy cream, vanilla bean paste, and salt. Beat until smooth, then mix on medium-high speed for 2 minutes until light and airy.
For Assembly
- Lightly grease a cookie cutter that is slightly smaller than your serving cups, then cut rounds from the chilled cake. Cutting the cakes can be messy. Place one round into each cup and gently press into the bottom, leaving about ¼-½ inch below the rim for the frosting.
- Pipe a layer of frosting to the rim of the cup. Smooth the tops with an offset spatula or butter knife.
- Carefully pour the nonpareils in a shallow bowl. Invert each cake and place the frosting side down into the nonpareils until completely coated.
Notes
- The papercups I used can be found on amazon!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
