How To Make Viral Dot Cakes Using Cupcakes

Name: Easy Dot Cakes Using Cupcakes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 1 box yellow cake mix; 1 box instant vanilla pudding mix (3.4 ounce); 3 large eggs; 1 cup water; 1/2 cup butter (melted); 3 Tbsp. sour cream; 1 1/4 cups butter ((2 1/2 sticks, softened)); 6 cups powdered sugar; 1 Tbsp. vanilla extract; 5-6 Tbsp. heavy cream or milk; nonpareils rainbow sprinkles

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Learn how to make viral dot cakes using cupcakes instead of a traditional cake! Quick, easy, and ultra-moist, made with the best doctored-up cake mix.

You might also like my copycat Starbucks cake pop recipe, copycat Hostess cupcakes, or copycat Star Crunch cookies.

I saw these viral dot cakes on social media and couldn't wait to make my own version! They are so charming and simple. I made them even simpler by using cupcakes instead of cake. My cupcakes are moist and fluffy, and when topped with buttercream, they become so rich and smooth. If you've used my cake mix hack to make birthday cake pops, you know it's a good one and makes the BEST cake and cupcakes.

Why I Like This Recipe

Better with cupcakes! No need to bake a sheet cake and cut it into circles to fit the dessert cups. Use cupcakes! I made larger cupcakes by filling my regular cupcake pan almost to the top and baking them a couple of minutes longer. Worked like a charm to make 12 cupcakes (instead of 24), the perfect size for dot cakes. Simply drop a cupcake into a cup, then cover with frosting and sprinkles!
Easy to customize. Use any cake flavor, any frosting flavor, and any color combination of nonpareils. These dot cakes are so fun and easy to customize!
Perfect for parties. Everyone loves individually-sized desserts. They are fun to serve and fun to eat. These darling dot cakes are perfect to serve at parties and are the equivalent of eating two frosted cupcakes.

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Why I Like This Recipe
Tips and Tricks
Ingredients
How To Make Dot Cakes
Viral Dot Cake FAQS
More Cake Recipes To Make
Easy Dot Cakes Using Cupcakes

Baked yellow cupcakes in pan and cupcakes in white cups.

Tips and Tricks

Moist cupcakes: For the absolute best cupcakes, doctor up the cake mix using butter, sour cream, and pudding mix, and make sure to not overbake the cupcakes.
Fill the cupcake pan to the top. Normally, a box of cake mix makes 22-24 cupcakes. Today we're making 12 using that same boxed mix. Instead of filling each cupcake cavity ½ way, divide the batter evenly amongst the 12 cavities to bake 12 larger cupcakes, which are the perfect size for dot cakes.
Use any small cup: These 8-oz dessert cups are perfect for making dot cakes, but you can use any cup or small jar that you'd like. I used some that I had on hand, also 8 ounces, and they have plastic lids. If yours are smaller or bigger than mine and the cupcake doesn't fit perfectly, no problem! Simply break the cupcake into small chunks and drop them into your cup, then cover the top with frosting.
Easy frosting application: Spoon the frosting into a large plastic bag, cut off the corner, and pipe the frosting over each dot cake, smoothing it out with a metal spatula or butter knife.

Ingredients

Box of cake mix, box of vanilla pudding mix, bowl of sour cream, cup of water, 3 eggs, bowl of frosting and bowl of rainbow sprinkles.

Cake mix: Use any flavor you'd like! I used yellow cake.
Pudding mix: Any flavor you'd like to add moisture and richness. I used vanilla pudding mix.
Eggs: For richness and texture.
Butter: I used melted butter for richness, but you can also use oil.
Water
Sour Cream: Adds moisture and richness.
Frosting: I'll share my homemade buttercream frosting recipe in the recipe card below. It makes the perfect amount of frosting for all 12 cakes. You can also use store-bought frosting.
Sprinkles: For a copycat look, use rainbow nonpareils.

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Dot Cakes

Step 1: Mix cake mix with pudding mix, eggs, water, melted butter, and sour cream in a large bowl on medium speed with a mixer, or beat vigorously by hand for 2 minutes.

Step 2: Divide cupcake batter into a greased cupcake pan, filling all 12 cavities evenly. They will be full.

Step 3: Bake for 20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then carefully remove and place on a cooling rack. Use a butter knife to loosen edges.

Step 4: Place cooled cupcakes in 8-ounce dessert cups or bowls.

Step 5: Beat frosting ingredients together until creamy and smooth. Squeeze frosting over the cupcakes in the dessert cups.

Spatula spreading frosting over cupcake in a cup.

Step 6: Spread flat using a metal spatula or butter knife. The top of the cup needs to be completely smooth so that the sprinkles adhere evenly.

Hand-pressing dot cake into a bowl of sprinkles.

Step 7: Press the tops of the cups into rainbow nonpareil sprinkles.

Plastic spoon gliding over top of dot cake.

Step 8: The tops will be smooth and hard. Store at room temperature or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Note: If adding the same lids that I used, the sprinkles and frosting will smush down slightly, but the frosting will not stick to the lid. You can also use this style of container and lid.

Viral Dot Cake FAQS

What is a viral dot cake?

Dot cakes gained popularity on TikTok this year. They get their name from their signature top layer: a thick, smooth coating of frosting entirely covered in crunchy rainbow nonpareil sprinkles. The dessert initially gained attention on TikTok and Instagram from the New York-based bakery The Dotcakes.

Can I make dot cakes using cupcakes?

Yes! Using cupcakes is an easy alternative to a traditional dot cake. Dot cupcakes are perfect for parties, easier to serve, and create the same colorful viral look.

What frosting works best for dot cakes?

Buttercream frosting works best because it pipes clean and smooth and sets up sightly, holding the nonpareils perfectly.