A TikTok dessert sensation can now be scored in the Publix bakery.
Well, a take on the viral treats, anyway.
The Lakeland-based grocery chain just rolled out what it’s calling the Sprinkle Crunch Shortcake, hopping on the dot cake trend that has flooded social media in recent weeks.
A TikTok video with 900,000 views and counting from influencer Danielle Pheloung is credited with sparking the craze around dot cakes, a signature item of The Dotcakes, a New York-based bakery. They’re a simple confection: mini cakes packed in small cups, topped with frosting and dipped in rainbow nonpareil sprinkles.
The colorful cake cups have inspired home bakers and bakeries, including some in Tampa Bay, to create their own dupes.
Available in vanilla and chocolate, Publix’s version is by no means an exact replica of the internet-famous dessert. Neither flavor is served in a cup (each comes in a plastic clamshell container). They’re not covered in a particularly thick layer of sprinkles, which seems to be a key feature of dot cakes based on the satisfying sound you hear when a spoon is scraped across the top of the treats.
The Sprinkle Crunch Shortcake layers buttercream frosting between two small rounds of cake topped with more buttercream and a crunchy coating that varies by flavor. The vanilla is sprinkled with rainbow nonpareils, while chocolately, rice cereal-type crispies adorn the chocolate.
Both options are tasty — with fluffy, moist cake, sweet frosting and good crunch. Nothing super groundbreaking, but they scratch the dot cake itch for $5. I prefer the vanilla flavor. Some of y’all might find the chocolate to be superior (like my partner did), as it’s reminiscent of a whoopie pie.
If you want to taste what the fuss is about without busting out the mixing bowls, here are a handful of other local places to snag a dot cake:
