Strawberry Frosted “Dot Cake”
Seeing the viral dot cake all over our feeds obviously made us want to recreate it, but we also knew we wanted to make a version that felt a little more exciting than the classic vanilla cake and vanilla frosting combination. We’ve never really been plain vanilla on vanilla people, so for summer, we decided to switch things up with strawberry frosting instead. Not only does it add the cutest pop of pink, but it also gives the cake such a fresh, sweet flavor that makes the whole dessert feel even more fun and nostalgic. Even Livia, who has never really been a huge strawberry fan, was surprised by how delicious the strawberry frosting turned out. Of course, you can never go wrong with the classic version, and if vanilla frosting is your thing, we definitely won’t judge. But if you’re feeling a little extra creative this summer, we highly recommend trying this strawberry twist on the viral dot cake!
Mini Magic
Our recipe is perfect for making a couple adorable little 4-inch cakes that feel straight out of a bakery window. Once cooled, you can easily remove them from the pans, slice them in half or even thirds, and layer them beautifully with frosting for the cutest mini layer cakes. Don’t have mini cake pans? No problem. Simply bake the cake in a parchment lined sheet or cookie pan and cut your circles afterwards using a jar, cookie cutter, or small bowl just as easily. Either way, you’ll end up with the sweetest little cakes that look impressive but are surprisingly simple to make!
After plenty of testing, tweaking, and way too many spoonfuls of frosting along the way too many spoonfuls of frosting along the way, we finally landed on the perfect strawberry frosting for these little dot cakes, and it completely made the recipe. It’s smooth, fluffy, creamy, and packed with the perfect strawberry flavor that pairs perfectly with the fluffy vanilla cake layers. This recipe makes just enough for these mini cakes, but if you’re planning to make a larger layered cake or cupcakes, you can head over to our full strawberry frosting recipe for a bigger batch. trust us, it’s one of those frostings you’ll want to keep making long after the dot cakes are gone!
From Basement Kitchen to This Recipe
Back in the peak of Covid quarantine, Livia and I started baking simply because we were bored and wanted something fun to do, but somehow it quickly tunred into a complete obsession. I would bake cakes behind the camera during Zoom classes, making them one at a time in our makeshift basement kitchen while our real kitchen was under construction. Our “setup” was basically just a folding table with a microwave, hot plate, toasted oven, and mixer. The cakes definitely weren’t always pretty, but I had plenty of time to test, tweak, and figure out what actually made a cake soft, fluffy, and delicious.
After countless batches, I finally landed on this vanilla cake recipe and genuinely haven’t turned back since. It’s perfectly fluffy, incredibly easy to make, and uses ingredients I almost always already have sitting in my kitchen.
Why I Measure in Grams (and You Might Want To, Too)
If you’ve ever made the same recipe twice and gotten two totally different results, the measuring method is often the reason.
Professional bakeries almost always measure by weight, not volume. Measuring cups leave room for inconsistency—especially with ingredients that pack differently depending on how you scoop or pour them. A scale removes all of that guesswork.
One of the biggest offenders is sugar. Different sugars (and even the same sugar measured by different people) can vary wildly in volume, but 100 grams is always 100 grams. Measuring by weight gives you repeatable, bakery-consistent results and cuts down on extra dishes at the same time.
A food scale is one of the best (and most affordable) investments you can make for your kitchen if you love baking and want your recipes to turn out exactly the same every time.
Ingredients To Prepare
Before baking, take a few minutes to gather the ingredients below and to ensure that its soft, fluffy, and perfectly refreshing!
Once you have all of the ingredients ready to go, you’re officially set up for strawberry dot cake success. I always recommend measuring everything out ahead of time so the process is smoother, and you can focus on making the best dot cake possible!
Strawberry Frosted “Dot Cake”
Ingredients
- 3/4 stick butter
- 1/4 cup buttermilk (or milk with dash of white vinegar)
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tbsp egg whites or 1 egg
- 1 tbsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 & 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp strawberry extract
- 1/2 cup freeze dried strawberries (blended)
- 1 tbsp heavy cream
- pinch of salt
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and line one 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- If making buttermilk from scratch, in a small bowl or measuring cup, combine the milk with a small dash of white vinegar. Let it sit for about 10 minutes to slightly curdle and create homemade buttermilk.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and baking soda until evenly combined.
- In a separate bowl, combine the melted butter, prepared buttermilk, water, egg whites (or egg), and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Pour half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whip or mix well until the batter becomes lighter in texture and slightly fluffy. Add the remaining wet ingredients and gently fold until fully combined and smooth, being careful not to overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top evenly. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10–15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack or other platform to cool completely before frosting or decorating.
- To create the classic “dot cake” look, use a small jar, biscuit cutter, or mini round cake pan to cut circles out of the cooled cake.
- Add a small layer of strawberry frosting to the bottom of your mini cake pan, jar, or mold. Continue layering cake circles and strawberry frosting until filled to the top.
- For the final layer, spread a smooth, flat layer of strawberry frosting over the top. Finish with sprinkles by either generously scattering them over the frosting or gently dipping the frosted top directly into a bowl of sprinkles to fully coat.
- Chill slightly for cleaner layers if desired, then enjoy your soft, nostalgic little dot cakes packed with strawberry sweetness and colorful sprinkle crunch.
