The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the views of Spoon University.
Like all college students out of school for the summer, I spend a fair bit of time scrolling TikTok and looking at everything the app has to offer, but recently, my FYP led me down a dot cake rabbit hole that rocked my world, but not for the reasons you’d think.
Crunchy and colorful, the dot cake has Gen Z rushing to Butterfield Market in New York City to buy the viral treat or attempting to make one on their own. But at its core, these dot cakes are simply glorified cupcakes with extra frosting and sprinkles. Spoon writer Jada Denaud covered this trend a few weeks ago, and when her article revealed that these cakes are $11 each, I realized that I’d never understand the hype. I mean, it’s just an aesthetic cupcake, right?
Now, don’t get me wrong, I love aesthetic food in jars as much as the next person, and I am a lover of all things miniature, desserts included, but…are you paying for the cake or the aesthetic visual? TikTok user @mallorykil asked in her TikTok “Why are they viral?” and Mallory, I’m wondering the same thing.
Basic Flavors & Store-Bought Sprinkles
Vanilla cake and nonpareil sprinkles. It’s classic, it’s tasty, but it’s not special, and it’s certainly not worth the $11 price tag. TikTok user @justpeers points this out when they mention that nobody can convince them “that people are buying the dot cake for the actual taste of the cake”, and honestly, I totally agree. Anyone can make a vanilla cake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. And as a college student on a budget, if I’m paying for dessert, it better be something I can’t easily recreate at home. I’ve been making microwave cakes in mugs since high school, and I’m not totally convinced that this trend isn’t an overpriced rip-off of something I’ve had before and could probably make better. In fact, TikTok user @elyse9438 notes that she’s seen people make these at home and they look ten times better than the viral NYC ones. With the dot cake flavors being limited to the basic vanilla and chocolate we know so well, this is one trend that I just can’t get behind.
The Hype Origins
Every time I see one of these food trends, like the viral cucumber salad trend from a few years ago or the recent influx of everything coming in a pickle flavor, I have to wonder where the hype truly lies. In the case of the cucumber salad, it was no doubt because of how easy it was to make and the amount of customizing you can do (this is one trend I loved before it was cool, with a classic cucumber salad recipe being in my family for generations), and the pickle craze came on the heels of savory girl snack plates and the olden days of girl dinner trending. But for the dot cake, it truly seems to be the aesthetic of a round cake covered in sprinkles, and by this time next week, a new aesthetic will no doubt dethrone the dots for good.