Viral Dot Cake
This Viral Dot Cake puts a bright twist on the NYC trend with lemon olive oil cake, silky mascarpone cream, and your choice of sprinkles, pistachios, or cookie crumbs.
Servings: 4 cakes
Ingredients
The Cake
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup sugar
- ½ cup light olive oil
- 1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt
- zest of 2 lemons
- 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
The Mascarpone Cream
- 8 ounces mascarpone cold
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- lemon zest optional
Additional Toppings
- sprinkles alternatives: crushed pistachios, toasted coconut, crushed graham crackers, crushed cookies, etc.
Instructions
Make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for about 1 minute, until light and frothy. You can also use a hand mixer.
- Add the vanilla, olive oil, sour cream (or Greek yogurt), lemon zest, and lemon juice. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Sift the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and gently fold together using a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 27–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before assembling.
Make the Mascarpone Cream
- In a bowl, combine the mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and lemon zest if using.
- Mix until smooth and thick. Chill for 15 minutes if needed before piping.
Assemble
- Once the cake has cooled completely, use a wide paper dessert cup to press firmly into the cake, cutting out individual rounds. Gently lift each cake piece out using the cup.
- If desired, carefully slice each cake round in half horizontally to create layers.
- Pipe or spread the mascarpone cream onto the cake rounds. If layering, add cream between the layers and on top.
- Dip or roll the tops into sprinkles, crushed pistachios, or cookie crumbs until coated.
Video
Notes
- Different toppings: You don't have to use sprinkles. Alternatives include crushed pistachios, toasted coconut, crushed graham crackers, crushed cookies, etc. Or nothing at all!
- No mascarpone? Try whipped cream cheese + powdered sugar (not tested; likely tangier + stiffer).
- No lemon? Use orange zest + juice 🍊.
- Chocolate version: Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder and reduce flour by 2 tbsp (you may need to adjust sweetness).
- Themed toppings: Swap sprinkles for holidays, parties, or team colors.
- Different pan: Bake in a 9x13 pan; cake will be thinner.
- Storage: Refrigerate up to 3 days, freeze unfrosted cake rounds up to 2 months, and assemble close to serving since sprinkle colors can bleed.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 cake | Calories: 779kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 60g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 156mg | Sodium: 393mg | Potassium: 103mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1093IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 184mg | Iron: 2mg
