Have you seen those social media videos of people dragging a spoon through a thick, crunchy layer of colorful sprinkles to reveal fluffy, frosting-filled cake underneath. Yes, I'm talking about the viral "Dot Cake" trend!
Today I'm teaching you how to make a super easy gluten free dot cake so you can enjoy this trend while staying gluten free!
If you're not gluten free, don't worry. You can use your favorite gluten-filled cake mix.
What is a Dot Cake?
In short, it’s a nostalgic, sprinkle-covered dream.
The trend typically features a soft vanilla cake, a generous layer of frosting, and a thick, crunchy top coating of rainbow nonpareils (also known as hundreds and thousands).
A huge part of the viral appeal is the satisfying, ASMR-like crunch when your spoon breaks through the sprinkles. It tastes exactly like a childhood birthday party!
Where did the dot cake trend come from
While the internet is now flooded with at-home hacks, the trend originated at a bakery called The Dotcakes, based in Roslyn, New York, and founded by mother-daughter duo Alex and Sondra Posner.
Their signature "Dotcups" (individual cake cups coated in those iconic nonpareils) became an overnight sensation when they began selling them at Butterfield Market on NYC's Upper East Side.
People lined up around the block, and once the satisfying cake-scooping videos hit TikTok, the trend went completely global.
Instead of making individual cups, I’m sharing a fun, shareable sheet-cake hack version of the Dot Cake.
You use dessert cups to create frosting-filled "wells" inside the cake before the whole thing is inverted into a tray of sprinkles for that signature crunchy topping!
A quick note before you bake: I tried saving a cake for my family while I finished the photo shoot, and after a few hours I noticed some of the color from the sprinkles had started to bleed slightly into the frosting.
It still looked pretty, but it definitely wasn’t as crisp and vibrant as when it was freshly made!
I would also not recommend freezing this cake, as the sprinkles can become soft and the colors may run once thawed.
Eat it fresh for the best crunch!
Gluten free dot cake ingredients
This recipe shows using pre-made buttercream for simplicity's sake. I prefer making my own. It's easy and delicious!
If you want to make your own amazing frosting, please see this recipe for small batch wedding cake cupcakes.
Some dot cake recipes use small mason jars. You can do that if you have them on hand, but it's more economical to use paper treat cups, like what you might serve ice cream in.
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For the Cake
- 1 box gluten free vanilla cake mix (or "regular" cake mix, if you're not gluten free)
- Ingredients called for on the box (typically eggs, oil, and water)
- ⅓ cup nonparallels or sprinkles (the round nonparallels are most authentic)
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- Our mixes are carefully crafted in our test kitchen through meticulous taste-testing and blending to replicate our favorite recipes
- This gluten-free cake mix can makes two 8" or 9" round layers, one 9" x 13" sheet cake, or 24 cupcakes
Getting a bulk bag of nonpareils is the most economical way to make your own dot cakes, but I prefer to use Watkins nonpareils made without artificial coloring.
*Note* If you're not gluten free, you can use a Funfetti cake mix instead of making your own funfetti style cake by adding nonpareils.
- Perfect for Decorating: Ideal as a topping for birthday cakes, donuts, cookies, and ice cream, adding vibrant color and fun to any dessert.
- Tiny Rainbow Nonpareils: Dots of colorful candy sprinkles, known as rainbow nonpareils, for a playful touch to your treats.
- Great Taste: Deliciously sweet, these sprinkles enhance both the taste and appearance of baked goods and frozen desserts.
You can buy gluten free funfetti cake, but you get less mix for the same price! It's cheaper just to make your own.
For the Frosting
• 2 tubs vanilla frosting or 1 batch homemade buttercream
- Contains: 1 Container of Organic Frosting
- FLUFFY, CREAMY, AMAZING - Whipped to perfection, this balanced sweet, creamy, delicious frosting tastes like it was made from scratch
- ORGANIC, NON-GMO - Made with only the best ingredients to make for the best, from-scratch taste
For Decorating
• 1-2 cups rainbow sprinkle nonpareils (also called hundreds and thousands)
- Perfect for Decorating: Ideal as a topping for birthday cakes, donuts, cookies, and ice cream, adding vibrant color and fun to any dessert.
- Tiny Rainbow Nonpareils: Dots of colorful candy sprinkles, known as rainbow nonpareils, for a playful touch to your treats.
- Great Taste: Deliciously sweet, these sprinkles enhance both the taste and appearance of baked goods and frozen desserts.
How to make a gluten free dot cake
1. Preheat your oven according to your cake box's instructions.
2. Combine the cake mix with ⅓ cup of sprinkles.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients as indicated by the cake mix box and stir until combined.
4. Pour the cake mix into a prepared pan and bake according to the package instructions.
5. Allow the cake to cool completely.
6. Turn small cardboard dessert cups upside down and press them into the cake to create evenly spaced circular holes. Depending on the size of your pan and cups, you may fit 4-8 holes.
7. Press each cake circle down slightly to create deeper wells.
8. Spoon vanilla frosting into each hole until completely filled.
9. Spread additional frosting over the entire cake, smoothing the surface until flat and even with an icing spatula.
10. Pour rainbow nonpareils into a large shallow bowl or tray.
11. Carefully invert the cake onto the sprinkles so the frosted side is facing down.
12. Gently press the cake into the sprinkles to coat the entire surface.
13. Lift the cake away from the sprinkles and place onto a serving board.
14. Enjoy immediately!
Don't get frosting on your phone! Print out the recipe using the recipe card below:
Gluten Free Dot Cake
This recipe shares a gluten free twist on the viral dot cake trend!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 box vanilla cake mix
- Ingredients called for on the box (typically eggs, oil, and water)
- ⅓ cup nonparallels or sprinkles (the round nonparallels are most authentic)
For the Frosting
- 2 tubs vanilla frosting or 1 batch homemade buttercream
For Decorating
- 1-2 cups rainbow sprinkle nonpareils (also called hundreds and thousands)
Instructions
1. Preheat your oven according to your cake box's instructions.
2. Combine the cake mix with ⅓ cup of sprinkles.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients as indicated by the cake mix box.
4. Bake according to the package instructions.
5. Allow the cake to cool completely.
6. Turn small cardboard dessert cups upside down and press them into the cake to create evenly spaced circular holes. Depending on the size of your pan and cups, you may fit 4-8 holes.
7. Press each cake circle down slightly to create deeper wells.
8. Spoon vanilla frosting into each hole until completely filled.
9. Spread additional frosting over the entire cake, smoothing the surface until flat and even with an icing spatula.
10. Pour rainbow nonpareils into a large shallow bowl or tray.
11. Carefully invert the cake onto the sprinkles so the frosted side is facing down.
12. Gently press the cake into the sprinkles to coat the entire surface.
13. Lift the cake away from the sprinkles and place onto a serving board.
14. Enjoy immediately!
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