Dot cake recipe: how to make the viral dessert that’s taking over social media | Canada Voices

What makes certain dishes “go viral” is a modern-day mystery – often it’s an epic cheese pull or dramatic crunch, and sometimes it’s just cake topped with icing and sprinkles presented in a slightly different way.

The dot cake was created by Alex and Sondra Posner, owners of the Dotcakes bakery in Roslyn, N.Y. Its appeal is largely nostalgia: the flavours of cake and frosting – some say using a mix is essential for the store-bought quality they remember from their childhoods – and the textural contrast between soft cake, creamy frosting and the crunchy top crust of sprinkles. The single-serving cakes are typically assembled in short, round disposable containers – a layer (or two) of cake topped with a layer of frosting, spread flat and flush to the rim of the container, then dipped in colourful nonpareils – the tiny round rainbow ones also known as hundreds and thousands. Short, wide containers allow for maximum surface area and total dot coverage – not just a sprinkle.

I admittedly questioned their popularity, but once I made them realized they are simple and adorable, and there is an appeal to single-serving cakes that don’t require assembling and slicing. They’re portable, perfect for summer camping and picnicking – with no dishes left over if you use disposable containers. They freeze well, so are ideal to stash away for cake emergencies. (I would freeze them without sprinkles and dip them once thawed.) Though the flavours tend to lean toward nostalgic – vanilla, chocolate, red velvet – you can use any kind of cake base and frosting, so they could easily be vegan or gluten-free. Best of all, even those of us who have little patience for cake decorating can easily make them look perfect.

Chocolate Dot Cake with Vanilla Frosting

This basic chocolate cake batter is great for cupcakes or a sheet cake – baked in a 9×13-inch or even larger pan, it’s ideal for cutting into rounds to tuck into jars to make dot cakes.

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3/4 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup coffee (instant is fine, also decaf)

Frosting:

• 1/2 cup butter or shortening, softened
• 2-3 cups icing sugar
• 2-4 tbsp cream or milk
• 1-2 tsp vanilla
• round rainbow sprinkles (hundreds and thousands)

Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a measuring cup, combine the milk and lemon juice or vinegar; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the milk, oil, eggs and vanilla and whisk or beat until well blended and smooth. Add the coffee and whisk just until blended.

Pour into a parchment-lined 9×13-inch pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, until springy to the touch. Let cool completely, then cut into rounds (using a cookie cutter or glass rim) to fit into jars or other containers.

To make the frosting, beat the butter, 2 cups of icing sugar and about 2 tbsp milk or cream along with the vanilla until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. (You may need a bit more sugar or milk to achieve a creamy, spreadable frosting that’s not too soft or too stiff.) If you like, spoon it into a ziplock bag and snip off one corner to pipe it into the jars or containers.

Tuck rounds of cake into jars or other round containers and top with frosting – if there’s room, you could do a thin layer of frosting and a second cake layer (slice your cake rounds horizontally, if you want thinner layers), then top that with frosting. Once the frosting is level with the top of the container, spread it flat and flush to the edge of the container using an offset spatula, pastry scraper or knife.

Put plenty of sprinkles into a shallow dish or plate and dip the tops of the frosted cakes in the sprinkles to completely coat. Makes about 8 3-inch cakes, plus scraps.