$11 Cupcake Has New Yorkers Lining Up at Dawn

NYT Reports on the Dotcake Craze Taking Over Social Media
"The Sound of Crunchy Toppings Breaking Is Like ASMR"

Colorful sprinkles with a crunchy texture—this dessert is the 'dotcake' cupcake that New Yorkers are currently obsessed with.

According to the New York Times on June 5 (local time), New York residents are lining up as early as 6 a.m. to buy a dotcake, which costs $11 per piece (about 16,000 won). The line often wraps around an entire block. People wait for hours to get the cupcakes, even in the rain, and some shed tears if they cannot buy one due to it being sold out. Online, millions of people watch videos featuring the cupcake’s vibrant appearance and the distinctive sound made when its toppings break apart.

Dotcake. Screenshot of Dotcake Instagram

In essence, dotcake is a simple dessert. It features cream and sprinkles as toppings, and its taste is very similar to that of a cake made from a commercial cake mix. Alex Posner, 27, owner of the 'Dotcake' bakery in Roslyn, New York, told the New York Times, "People say that dotcake is just cake with sprinkles on top, and that's actually true."

Despite its simple appearance, dotcake has become a sensation on social media over the past month, gaining explosive popularity. Customized dotcakes have appeared for life's major moments such as weddings, engagements, and bar mitzvahs, as well as for all kinds of anniversaries. Other bakeries and companies are releasing imitation products, and now there are countless variations, extending to ice cream, donuts, bagels, and even nail art.

The most divisive aspect of dotcake is the sprinkles. The cupcake’s sprinkles are hard, round beads known as nonpareils—an ingredient that previously received little attention in baking. Dotcake comes in various flavors, including vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, vanilla chocolate chip, and funfetti. Those who get their hands on a dotcake usually enjoy it in a similar way: they tap or scrape the sprinkle-covered hard surface with a spoon to create a crackling sound before digging in. The colorful, closely packed round sprinkles and the crisp sound of the solid sprinkles breaking apart create an ASMR-like effect, which is why dotcake is considered the perfect dessert for the TikTok era. For those unwilling to wait in line, this cake is also easy to make at home.

Alexa Matthews, a food influencer and marketing manager at Butterfield Market, which has exclusive retail rights to dotcake products, described dotcake as "an experience that satisfies all five senses," emphasizing that this is what has taken the dotcake craze to the next level. On the other hand, Carmel Hagen, founder of the baking ingredients company Supernatural, commented, "It's a little bit ridiculous how this cake went viral by word of mouth."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.