If your social media feed looks anything like ours right now, it’s basically a wall-to-wall kaleidoscope of tiny, crunchy rainbow sprinkles. Welcome to the era of the Dot Cake, the internet’s latest, most fiercely debated dessert obsession that is starting to make its way to Toronto bakeries.
For the uninitiated, a Dot Cake is essentially a single layer of cake tucked neatly into a cup or container, topped with a perfectly flat, level layer of buttercream frosting, and buried completely under a dense sheet of tiny nonpareil sprinkles. The appeal is all about the texture — you take a spoon and break through that thick, crunchy layer of sprinkles into the soft cake and icing underneath.
Naturally, Toronto’s baking scene is already putting its own spin on the trend. If you want in, a few local spots are leading the charge.
First up is Mily Sweets Co., a micro home bakery run by two sisters in midtown Toronto. They’ve adapted the trend into small pots available through weekly Google drop forms. At $10 each, they’re baking up five nostalgic flavours, including classic funfetti, carrot, chocolate, vanilla bean, and a rotating weekly feature. Just note there’s a two-item minimum—probably a blessing in disguise, or you might end up trying all the flavours.
For something a bit more substantial, check out the legendary Short & Sweet Bakeshop. Founded by Orli Levy, this staple has been making scratch-made treats with high-end Belgian chocolate and pure vanilla since 2009. They recently changed the game with their massive Cake Tins — their elite signature cakes packed into a metal tin so you can easily transport them or eat them standing up without sharing. On Tuesday May 26, they are officially launching mini versions of these tins, bringing that exact satisfying, spoon-friendly Dot Cake energy straight to your fridge.
And the trend isn’t just stopping at cake. The cookie masterminds over at Andrea’s Cookies (who have spots on Bloor West, Ossington and Midtown) just announced they are getting in on the action, too. They’ve been teasing the upcoming launch of their own “dot cake cookies” on Instagram, dropping in June. They are currently testing out vanilla and chocolate chip bases heavily frosted and loaded with sprinkles, though they’ve hinted that a red velvet version might be making its way to the menu based on taste tests. Keep your eyes on their page to see which flavours make the final cut!
