Dot cakes have captured the hearts (and feeds) of millions of TikTok users. Here’s everything to know about the colorful viral desserts
Credit: The Dotcakes/Instagram; DaniellePheloung/TikTok
NEED TO KNOW
- Dot cakes, which are mini sprinkle-topped cake cups, have gone viral for their unique look and satisfying crunch
- The Dotcups from The Dotcakes bakery in New York sell out quickly at New York City store Butterfield Market, a spokesperson for the store told PEOPLE
- Influencers are trying the cakes and recreating the viral treats at home, showcasing how the cakes can be made with boxed cake mix and frosting
A colorful, sprinkle-studded sweet treat has gone viral.
Dot cakes, which are mini cake cups topped with a layer of nonpareils, have garnered millions of fans on social media, with influencers and home bakers recreating their own versions of the colorful dessert at home.
Technically referred to as Dotcups, the original dot cakes come from The Dotcakes, a bakery based in Roslyn, N.Y. The treats are small cups of either classic white, chocolate, vanilla chip or red velvet cake topped with a layer of frosting coated in rainbow nonpareils.
Per the Dotcakes website, the 8-oz. Dotcups are customizable and start at $32 for four cakes.
The cakes went viral in May 2026 for their aesthetically pleasing layer of nonpareils that offer a satisfying sound when scraped with a spoon, along with a crunch to balance out the soft cake underneath.
Influencer Danielle Pheloung garnered 7 million views for her video trying three flavors of the viral cake.
“Guess what I have,” Pheloung says before showing two stacks of cakes. “11 dot cakes.”
She proceeds to try a spoonful of each flavor, brushing her spoon across the sprinkles to show the texture.
“It tastes like a funfetti cake with a lot of crunch,” she says about the white cake. “It's really, really, really, really, really good.”
@daniellephe
Wowowoooww @Butterfield Market ty @Greta Louise for making me crave these
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She holds her hand over her face and closes her eyes in disbelief as she tries the red velvet flavor. “This is unreal,” she says.
In another video, she tries the vanilla chip dot cake, which she says tastes like “a chocolate chip muffin with funfetti frosting.”
“This is the best thing I've ever had in my entire life,” she says.
Per The Dotcakes' website, customers can purchase Dotcups at Butterfield Market, a boutique grocery store in New York City, on Wednesdays at 11 a.m. and Saturdays at 1 p.m. They can also pick up cakes in person at The Dotcakes Roslyn from Tuesday to Friday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. or Saturday at 10 a.m.
The brand noted on its website that it is not currently accepting custom orders “due to extremely high demand.”
Butterfield Market partnered with The Dotcakes in fall 2025, a spokesperson for the store told PEOPLE in an email.
"We thought the cakes were fun, nostalgic, beautiful and genuinely delicious – and our customers immediately connected with them,” they said. “They've always done well for us, but over the past few weeks the demand has exploded.”
“We currently receive about 625 cakes per store on delivery days and they've been selling out incredibly quickly — sometimes within an hour,” they added. “It's been really exciting to watch a product from a local business become such a nationwide viral sensation while still feeling special and personal in our stores.”
A video shows people waiting in line down the block as Butterfield Market employees restock the viral cakes.
The caption says that the first people got in line starting at 12 p.m. for the Saturday restock.
But you don't have to travel to New York City and wait in line to have a dot cake of your own. Many influencers have shared videos of how to recreate the viral cake cups — and the recipe is super simple.
TikToker Anna Sitar showed how she made her own chocolate-flavored dot cakes at home due to a specific craving.
“What is a dot cake?” Sitar asks in her video, which now has 2.5 million views. “And why is it all over my for you page during my luteal phase?”
@annaxsitar
MY NEW FAVORITE DESSERT UNLOCKED.
♬ Cooking, bossa nova, adults, light(950693) – Kids Sound
She then assembles her ingredients, along with mini jars to keep the cakes in. She bakes a sheet pan of boxed chocolate cake mix, then pipes canned chocolate frosting onto the bottom of the jars.
Sitar then uses a jar to cut a circle into the cake, before adding a layer of frosting, another cake layer and a final frosting layer. She dips the top of the cake into the nonpareils.
“That looks so good, oh my gosh, I need a bite of it now,” Sitar says, grabbing a spoon.
She throws her hands in the air and says, “that is exactly what I needed today” after trying the cake, which she says is “still warm and gooey.”
Ashley Markle, who goes by @ashleymarkletreats on TikTok, posted a dot cake recipe video that now has 15.8 million views.
Markle says in her caption she used boxed funfetti cake mix, eggs, water and oil for the cake, along with funfetti vanilla frosting and rainbow nonpareils for the topping.
She uses a ramekin to form and hold two cake layers before topping each with frosting and dipping the top in the nonpareils. She says in her caption she let the cake chill in the fridge to harden the top into the distinct dot cake texture.
@ashleymarkletreats
so we can officially make the viral dot cake at home and it’s my new favorite little treat 🧁🌈 Ingredients: 1 box @Funfetti cake mix 3 eggs 1 cup water 1/2 cup oil funfetti vanilla frosting rainbow nonpareils sprinkles Instructions: In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix, eggs, water, and oil until well combined and transfer to a greased square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes, covering with foil halfway through. Allow to cool completely, then press greased ramekin into the center and twist to remove. Allow mini cake to slide out of ramekin and slice through the center to create 2 layers. Place bottom layer back in ramekin, top with a layer of frosting, then place top layer of cake with another layer of frosting spread evenly to the edges. Cover in rainbow nonpareils, allow to chill and slightly harden in the fridge, then take a center bite and enjoy! 😋 #cake #recipe #baking #dessert #creatorsearchinsights
♬ original sound – ashleymarkletreats
The dot cakes have caused viral debate, with some people expressing confusion over the popularity of the simple treats and others saying the cakes are just a version of another cake.
“It's a cake with sprinkles why is everyone acting like it's a new f—ing invention,” one impassioned commenter wrote on Markle's video.
“‘Dot cake' and its just cortadillo,” another said, referring to the popular Mexican yellow cake topped with pink frosting and rainbow sprinkles.
“Im really not trying to be rude but is it just a cake with sprinkles..?” one commenter asked Pheloung under her review of the dot cakes.
“😂😂😂 they are moist and crunchy and sweet,” Pheloung replied.
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