Ube Funfetti Dot Cake

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The Dot Cake

If you keep up with the food scene on social media, you may have seen something called “Dot Cakes” going viral. To put it simply, they’re cake cups topped with nonpareil rainbow sprinkles, and they’re sold at Butterfield Market in NYC. The highlights of it are the fluffy cake and the crunch from the sprinkle topping. I haven’t tried the original Dot Cake, so I may be judging a book by it’s cover when I say I don’t think there’s anything mind-blowing about it. It’s simply cake in a cup. Regardless, the world is raving about it and as a food content creator, I obviously had to take part and make my own unique version. So today I bring you Ube Funfetti Dot Cakes with a little surprise…they’re ice cream cakes! Moist ube cake is layered with funfetti ice cream and topped with whipped cream and sprinkles. This may not be the original Dot Cakes, but it’s certainly a Dot Cake that gets me excited.

The Easiest Ube Cake

We’ll start by making the ube cake, which is incredibly easy because we’re using box cake mix. A lot of people who have tried Dot Cakes say the cake tastes similar to cake made from box mix. I love this because it makes cake prep so much easier, and you can always rely on box cake mix to taste good. For this recipe, I used Betty Crocker’s Vanilla Cake Mix for this recipe. I highly recommend sticking to the same box mix I used because every brand has different ratios of ingredients. If you change the brand, please note that the cake may not turn out the same as I based my recipe off of the Betty Crocker box.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Spray a 9×13 inch rectangular pan with cooking spray and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Add the ube halaya, eggs, vegetable oil, water, and ube extract into a large bowl. Mix with a whisk until well combined and there’s no more lumps of ube halaya. Add in the cake mix and whisk until combined and the batter is smooth. Pour it into the prepared cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

So Much Fun-fetti

When the cake has cooled, pour the heavy cream into a large bowl. Add in the powdered sugar. Using a hand mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the mixture on high speed until it forms whipped cream. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and let it sit out for a few minutes to soften. It should be soft enough to spread but not melted.

Cut out as many circles as you can from the cake that are the same size as your cups. Layer one slice of cake into the bottom of the cup. Add in a few spoonfuls of the ice cream. Spread it into an even layer. Top with another slice of the cake. Use a knife to spread a layer of the whipped cream on top so that it completely coats the top of the cake. Gently press the knife against the rim of the cup so that you get a smooth even layer. Pour the nonpareil sprinkles into a shallow dish or bowl. Press the top of the cakes into the sprinkles so that the top is completely coated. Place them in the freezer to harden. When ready to eat, let them sit out for 15-20 minutes so the cake softens.

Dot Cakes At Home

Until I have the chance to try the original Dot Cakes myself, I’d say these Ube Funfetti Dot Cakes are more worth the hype! These would be so fun for a party, and you can make them ahead time so they’re ready to serve. The ube cake is incredibly moist and fluffy with the perfect level of ube flavor. The vanilla-esque flavor profile pairs so well with the sweetness of the funfetti ice cream. I love that they’re topped with whipped cream instead of icing because it makes them a little bit lighter and not overly sweet. If you’re not sold on the Dot Cakes craze or don’t have them available where you live, try out these Ube Funfetti Dot Cakes instead!