The viral Dot Cakes, made at home and upgraded! Moist chocolate cake topped with creamy vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles, but instead of mason jars, we’re serving these mini desserts in shallow cocktail glasses. I’m calling them Cocktail Cakes and they’re about to be your new go-to party dessert!
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Have you seen the viral dot cakes taking over social media? Tiny jarred cakes covered in frosting and rainbow sprinkles that somehow manage to feel both wildly nostalgic and chic at the same time?
The original dot cakes are from a bakery called The Dot Cake, stocked at the gourmet grocery store Butterfield Market in NYC. Adorable. Worth the hype. But you absolutely do not need to hop on a plane to try them. You can make DIY dot cakes at home.
But… I had to take it one step further.
Introducing: Cocktail Cakes!
Impossibly moist chocolate cake, topped with a perfectly smooth layer of frosting and a satisfying coating of rainbow sprinkles. But instead of mason jars, we’re serving these beauties in shallow cocktail glasses that make them look straight off a restaurant dessert menu.
Elegance meets chaos. My favorite combination.
They’re perfect for dinner parties, birthdays, baby showers, wedding weekends, holiday tables or honestly just dramatically eating cake with a spoon while standing in your kitchen.
Start With My Best Chocolate Cake
We’re making my favorite chocolate cake recipe, but with one key difference: instead of baking it in round cake pans, we’re baking it in a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan. The thinner bake means it’s done in 20 to 25 minutes and gives you the perfect depth for cutting rounds that fit neatly into your cocktail glasses or jars.
No jelly roll pan? No problem! Bake the batter in a 13×9-inch pan instead. Just know that the recipe makes slightly more batter than a 13×9 can hold, so you’ll need to reserve about ⅓ of the batter and bake it separately as cupcakes.
Then, Choose Your Frosting
I opted for my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting, which is made with just butter, vanilla extract, heavy cream and powdered sugar. It’s hard to beat the classic combo of chocolate cake and vanilla frosting…
But you could absolutely use my chocolate buttercream (hello, double chocolate dot cakes!) or, if you love coffee as much as I do, my coffee buttercream is a must.
Whatever you choose, make sure the frosting is at room temperature and spreadable. Too stiff and it won’t smooth out level, which means the sprinkles won’t adhere evenly.
Overview: How to Make Dot Cakes (a.k.a. My Cocktail Cakes!)
Once the cake is completely cooled, press your cocktail glass (these are the ones I used) or container directly into the cake to cut out your rounds. No knife required here. Place the cake round inside the container, leaving about ½ inch of space between the top of the cake and the rim. Then slather on the frosting, smoothing it level with the top of the container.
Success tip: You can use any small container for this recipe, from mini mason jars to ramekins. The technique works the same regardless of vessel, just make sure you leave enough room for the frosting.
Now for the fun part! If you’ve ever watched my slice-and-bake cookies being rolled in nonpareils, you already know how satisfying this next step is. Pour your nonpareils (the tiny round sprinkles, not jimmies, not stars, just the classic little spheres) into a shallow bowl or plate.
Flip the frosted container upside down onto the sprinkles, pressing down gently, then lift. And, voilà! A perfect, even coating of colorful dots on every surface. It never gets old.
I have quickly become obsessed with these Cocktail Cakes and can see making them with every cake flavor imaginable, and swapping the rainbow sprinkles with themed ones to match every holiday (think red and green for Christmas, pastels for Easter, red and pink for Valentine’s Day).
And if you love the idea of mini desserts in cups, you’re going to want to bookmark these too: brownies in a jar, banana pudding cups (my husband’s absolute favorite!), no-bake cheesecake parfaits, strawberry pretzel dessert cups and chocolate mousse cups.
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 cups sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/2 cup brewed coffee or coffee liqueur
- 1 cup mini chocolate chips
For assembly:
- 1 batch frosting of your choice (see below for recipe links)
- Nonpareils (rainbow or your preferred color), for coating
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating between each addition. Add the sour cream and vanilla and beat until combined.
- In a liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and coffee.
- With the mixer on low, alternately add the milk mixture and flour mixture in three increments, mixing just until combined. Fold in the mini chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it into an even layer.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling.
Assemble:
- Using your container as a guide, cut rounds (or shapes) from the cooled cake and place them inside. There should be roughly ½ inch of space between the top of the cake and the rim of the container.
- Add frosting and smooth it level with the top of the container.
- Pour nonpareils into a shallow bowl or plate. Invert the filled container onto the nonpareils, press gently, then lift. The sprinkles will adhere to the frosting in an even, beautiful dot pattern. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
Kelly’s Notes
- Container options: Shallow cocktail glasses are my favorite for an elevated look. Mason jars, ramekins or any small cup work great, too. Note that the number of cakes you’ll get depends on the size of your container.
- No jelly roll pan? Use a 13×9-inch pan instead, but reserve about ⅓ of the batter to bake separately as cupcakes since the recipe makes slightly more than a 13×9 can hold.
- Frosting options: Vanilla Buttercream (pictured), Coffee Buttercream or Chocolate Buttercream.
- Use nonpareils specifically: The small round shape creates the signature dot pattern. Other sprinkle shapes won’t give the same effect.
- Make ahead: Bake and cool the cake up to 2 days ahead. Assemble and invert just before serving for the freshest look.
- To store: Refrigerate assembled cakes for up to 3 days. The nonpareils may bleed color into the frosting slightly over time but they’ll still taste delicious!
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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