Name: Red White and Blue Vanilla Dot Cakes
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 60 min
Ingredients: 1 box vanilla cake mix; 1/2 cup canola oil; 1 cup milk; 3 eggs; 2 Tbsp sour cream; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1/2 tsp almond extract; 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature; 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar; 2 tsp vanilla extract; 3-4 Tbsp heavy whipping cream; Pinch of salt; Red White and Blue Nonpareils

Make those viral dot cakes at home as an easy 4th of July dessert. Soft and fluffy vanilla cake with vanilla frosting are layered in mini cake dishes and topped with nonpareils. These single serve cakes are so fun, and you’ll be surprised at how easy it is to make a homemade dot cake recipe!

Vanilla Dot Cake Recipe

Dot cakes have been making the rounds on social media, and while they’re essentially cake with sprinkles on top, I have to admit, I’ve been loving them. They’re incredibly adorable and cheerful, and as someone who is the ultimate sucker for a sprinkle dessert, these are right up my alley.

The viral dot cake recipe comes from a bakery in NYC at Butterfield Market, and they have been an internet sensation with locals lining up for hours to snag one of the sprinkle treats. They are known for having a thick layer of nonpareils that entirely cover the buttercream frosting and are level with the top of the dish you’re using so all you can see is a layer of “dots.” It’s visually appealing, as the tiny sprinkles, especially when multicolored, really stand out.

This homemade dot cake version is not only easier than hopping on a plane to NYC, but it’s also cheaper than the $11 price tag per mini cake. And, I loved the idea of turning the dot cake into a festive 4th of July dessert by using red, white, and blue sprinkles as my mini cake topping.

No matter how you feel about the popularity of dot cakes, you have to admit these red, white, and blue vanilla dot cakes are pretty stunning.

What I Love About These Red, White, And Blue Dot Cakes:

Easy: We make these dot cakes with boxed vanilla cake mix, but you can go the from scratch route if you prefer. If you make these dot cakes from cake mix, the recipe is incredibly simple. If you make dot cakes from scratch, it’s a couple more steps, but equally as delicious.
- If you want to make these dot cakes from scratch, I’d use this vanilla cupcake recipe (and bake the batter in a sheet cake pan) or this yellow cake recipe.
Vanilla Buttercream: While I don’t mind a boxed cake mix every now and again, I am kind of a firm believer in homemade frosting. It elevates any frosted dessert, and it’s so much tastier. And it takes these dot cakes to the next level. Soft, fluffy vanilla cake with creamy vanilla frosting is one of the best classic cake combinations.
Sprinkles: To make the viral dot cake recipe, you have to use the nonpareil sprinkles. They’re the tiny round ones that are crunchy, and not only do they cover the frosting in its entirety, they also have a tiny crunch to them, which adds a lot of texture.

Other sprinkle desserts I love include these Chocolate Sprinkle Cupcakes, this Funfetti Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake, and this Funfetti Strawberry Cake.

Ingredients:

Vanilla Cake Mix: You can use any vanilla cake mix you prefer, or you can make a homemade vanilla cake, if desired.
Canola Oil: Oil gives the cake a really soft, spongy texture.
Milk: I prefer to use whole milk or 2%, if possible.
Eggs
Sour Cream: This adds a body and richness to the cake, which makes it feel more bakery style than a typical boxed cake mix.
Vanilla Extract
Almond Extract: This is my vanilla cake secret ingredient, because the almond adds a depth of flavor without making it taste like almond.
Unsalted Butter
Powdered Sugar
Heavy Cream
Salt
Nonpareils: These are the tiny circle sprinkles that give these mini vanilla cake their “dot” look. I used red, white, and blue ones to make these 4th of July dot cakes, but you can use any color you like.

How To Make These Vanilla Dot Cakes At Home:

Vanilla Cake: First things first, don’t follow the instructions on the back of the box. To elevate the boxed cake mix, we use different ingredients (it makes boxed cake mix 10x better). So in a large bowl with an electric mixer (or your standing mixer), mix together boxed cake mix, canola oil, eggs, milk, sour cream, and both vanilla and almond extracts.

Sheet Pan: Line a half sheet pan (18×13) with parchment paper or grease the pan very well. Spread the batter evenly in the sheet pan.

Pro Tip: If you don’t have a sheet pan this size, you can divide the batter between two smaller pans. You just want the cake relatively thin because you are going to have two cake layers in each mini cake ramekin.

Bake: Bake for about 15 minutes, or just until the top of the cake is lightly golden and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool: Allow the cake to cool completely before making the frosting and assembling the dot cakes.

Vanilla Buttercream: Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter until it is light and fluffy. Add in the powdered sugar, heavy cream, pinch of salt and vanilla extract. Mix until fully combined.

Assembly: Using a circular cookie cutout that is roughly the same size of your ramekins (or whatever mini dessert container you’re using), cut the cake into small circles. Place one circle in the bottom of each ramekin, pipe a layer of frosting on top. Top with another circle of cake, and top with frosting. Spread the frosting in a thin, even layer, making the frosting level or almost level with the ramekin. Then, cover the frosting entirely in the sprinkles.

Storage Tips:

Store the dot cakes loosely wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge. Alternatively, they can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days, but they last longer in the fridge.

Other Red, White and Blue Desserts:

Dot Cake Final Tips and Tricks

Ramekins: So I used 6 oz white ramekins, but you could use small mason jars (like I did with these Mason Jar Shortcakes), or you could use small disposable foil containers.
Cookie Cutter: To make it easier on yourself, I like to use a circle cookie cutter that is roughly the same size as my ramekin to cut out the cake. Of course, you can just eyeball it.
Sprinkles: You want to try your best to leave a little bit of space between the frosting and the very top of the ramekin so that you can fill that spot with sprinkles, and the sprinkles can be level with the top of the ramekin.