In an online world saturated with weird, wonderful and occasionally nauseating viral food trends, this one takes the cake – literally.

It originated in New York, where mother and daughter Alex and Sondra Posner first started making and selling their “dot cakes” from a home kitchen nearly 10 years ago, then went on to set up a bakery business called The Dot Cakes.

But it was when the cakes recently hit the shelves of New York’s Butterfield Market chain of upmarket grocery stores – and, in turn, TikTok – that the cakes really took off.

“The line starts as early as 6am and goes around the block,” the New York Times reported of the dotcake frenzy across New York.

“People wait for hours in the rain. Some of them cry when it doesn’t work out.”

So what exactly is a dot cake – and why is it sending people dotty?

To most people under the age of 30 – and especially Australians who grew up getting their sugar buzz from fairy bread – it is essentially a small round cake covered in icing and hundreds and thousands.

What we know as hundreds and thousands or sprinkles, however, the Americans call “nonpareils” (“having no equal”), which sounds a whole lot more sophisticated.

The Dot Cakes bakery cakes being sold through Butterfield come in five flavours – vanilla, red velvet, chocolate, vanilla choc chip and funfetti (a cake actually made with rainbow sprinkles).

“What makes this so good is that it doesn’t taste homemade at all – it tastes like Betty Crocker. It tastes like a childhood birthday party,” content creator Greta Louise enthused while trying one of the cake.

In a video that has amassed more than 8.3 million views, she adds that the “container situation” – the dotcakes are sold in a small container like a single-serve ice-cream tub – is partly what makes them so good.

“It being so level on the top is very, very satisfying to eat. Kind of like an ice-cream… but in cake version.”

Not everyone is so impressed.

“‘Viral dot cake’ – it’s a cake with sprinkles,” commented one Tiktoker.

“Literally cupcakes,” sneered another social media user.

But plenty of people are fascinated by the fun trend. According to Google Trends data, internet searches for “dot cake” increased more than 850 per cent in the final week of May, and there’s no indication interest is waning.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Nectorious Papi (@nectoriouspapi)

It has also reached Australia, where some bakeries have been quick to jump on the bandwagon.

Melbourne’s La Manna supermarket has been selling its own dot cakes in flavours such as red velvet, choccy mud with Nutella and funfetti, while Brisbane’s Honey & Yolko went full dotty with a range of cake flavours including tiramisu, Dubai pistachio chocolate, apple pie, mango tango, chocoholic and banana pudding.

“Call it fairy bread, call it a dot cake, call it 100 & 1000s. Either way, it’s here, it’s elevated and it’s only for this weekend,” Honey & Yolko wrote on Instagram.

In what the Times dubs a “dotcake cliché”, many TikTokkers post videos of themselves running a spoon over the hundreds and thousands-covered surface of a dot cake before digging out a modest spoonful and gushing over the taste experience.

Amateur bakers are also putting their own twist on the trend with homemade versions, from trifle dot cakes to choc-chip versions.

In a post viewed almost 24 million times, American content creator Ashley Markle shares a recipe for dot cakes made with funfetti cake mix, while in another video she makes them with cookie dough.

@ashleymarkletreats so we can officially make the viral dot cake at home and it’s my new favorite little treat 🧁🌈 Ingredients: 1 box @Funfetti cake mix 3 eggs 1 cup water 1/2 cup oil funfetti vanilla frosting rainbow nonpareils sprinkles Instructions: In a large mixing bowl, mix cake mix, eggs, water, and oil until well combined and transfer to a greased square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes, covering with foil halfway through. Allow to cool completely, then press greased ramekin into the center and twist to remove. Allow mini cake to slide out of ramekin and slice through the center to create 2 layers. Place bottom layer back in ramekin, top with a layer of frosting, then place top layer of cake with another layer of frosting spread evenly to the edges. Cover in rainbow nonpareils, allow to chill and slightly harden in the fridge, then take a center bite and enjoy! 😋 #cake #recipe #baking #dessert #creatorsearchinsights ♬ original sound – ashleymarkletreats

The team at Australian website taste.com.au tried three different versions: A red velvet dot cake with cream cheese icing, a strawberry matcha dot cake, and a “freckles”-inspired cake made with Coles chocolate mud cake.

“Are dot cakes really all that new and exciting? Not really! But these dot cakes were super fun to make and were visually appealing too…” wrote Georgia Mahood.

The mother and daughter whose business started the trend in the US seem slightly bemused by how their dot cakes have now gained global fame, saying their bakery team is working long hours to meet the rise in demand.

“I started this as a senior in high school,” 27-year-old Alex Posner told Fox5 News.

“We used to blow through like a hundred units [dot cakes] per week. We’re now at thousands.”

The pair acknowledge that the cake is indeed “just cake and sprinkles”, with Sondra Posner explaining their original vision was to create a design that would help people celebrate all different types of events.

Their own Instagram page shows cakes with a variety of messages and images on the top, and sprinkles in different colour combinations beyond the familiar rainbow version

“The point is to celebrate, to come together and have a moment of fun,” Sondra said.