Viral Funfetti Dot Cake Jars
These Funfetti Dot Cake Jars take the sprinkle-packed birthday cake layers you loved as a kid, stack them into cute little jars, and cover them in a thick, satisfying layer of crunchy rainbow nonpareils. Since they’re individually portioned, you get a mix of moist cake, fluffy whipped vanilla frosting, and joyful crunch in every spoonful without ever having to slice a messy sheet cake!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
- Recipe Name: Viral Funfetti Dot Cake Jars
- Ready In: 80 minutes
- Serves: 8 Cake Jars
- Main Ingredients: box Funfetti cake mix, whole milk, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, container
- Why You'll Love It: Skip the lines in New York City and make the internet's favorite treat right at home! Perfect for birthday parties or a fun weekend project, these Funfetti dot cake jars feature sheets of moist, vanilla-infused cake stamped into rounds, layered inside glass jars with a cloud of whipped buttercream, and finished with the iconic, heavy-handed blanket of crunchy sprinkles.
The Kids Are Alright
If you have spent even five minutes scrolling through your social media feeds lately, you have probably seen those gorgeous, sprinkle-packed little treats taking over TikTok. People are lining up around the block on the Upper East Side of New York City at the famous Butterfield Market, waiting hours just to snag one of the original dot cakes. They are cute, I’ll give them that, but they cost a pretty penny.
Well, bless your heart, you don’t need to catch a flight to New York or stand in a rainstorm to get your hands on these delightful creations. Today, we are bringing that exact viral dot cakes magic straight to your kitchen with these easy Funfetti Dot Cake Jars! (hopefully saving you some money along the way!)
‘Course, some of you may be saying, “What are you even talking about?” Well, from what I’ve seen, this is a hybrid between a thick slice of sheet cake and a portable cupcake, but packed into mason jars, so it is infinitely easier to eat with a spoon. These kids are all about convenience, and I don’t blame ‘em! These kind of remind me of my birthday cake cookies, which, if you haven’t tried yet, you’re missing out!
Ingredients For Funfetti Dot Cake Jars
- Funfetti cake mix
- Whole milk
- Melted butter
- Large eggs
- Vanilla extract
- Vanilla frosting
- Rainbow jimmies sprinkles
- Rainbow nonpareils sprinkles
Expert Tips from My Kitchen
- Ditch the Water and Oil: I found that the way to make a boxed mix taste as if it came from a fancy New York grocery store is all in the dairy! Replace the water called for on the box with whole milk, and swap the vegetable oil for melted butter. It creates a rich, melt-in-your-mouth crumb!
- The Right Tool for the Job: To get those clean, satisfying layers inside your mason jars, use a round cookie cutter or a biscuit cutter that matches the width of your jar opening. If you don’t have one, just use the rim of one of your empty glass jars to stamp out the cake rounds!
- Don’t Rush the Cool Down: Please ensure you let the sheet cake cool completely to room temperature before assembling. If the cake is even a little bit warm, your beautiful white frosting will melt into a sad, runny puddle at the bottom of the jar, and that doesn’t look very pretty on camera.
“I just made this for my daughter’s birthday, and it was a huge success.”
“Everyone loved it and commented on how good it was. Will definitely follow this recipe again, thanks!” – Jessica
How to Make Funfetti Dot Cake Jars
1. Bake the Cake
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 13×18-inch sheet pan or jelly roll pan with parchment paper and give it a light spray with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine your Funfetti cake mix, whole milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk with a hand mixer until completely smooth. Pour the batter onto your prepared sheet pan and spread it evenly into the corners.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched. Let the cake cool completely. I like to keep some cinnamon-roasted almonds nearby for times when I get a little downtime and need a snack.
2. Whip the Frosting
While the cake cools, scoop your store-bought vanilla frosting into a clean mixing bowl. Splash in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk or heavy cream. Grab your mixer and whip it on high for an extra minute until it is light, airy, and easy to pipe.
3. Assemble and Decorate
Using a round cookie cutter or the rim of a jar, stamp out circles from your cooled sheet cake. Place one cake round firmly into the very bottom of each of your glass mason jars.
Pipe or spoon a generous layer of your whipped vanilla frosting right over the cake. Toss in a small handful of regular rainbow jimmies sprinkles for a surprise pop of color.
Press a second cake round gently down on top of the frosting layer. Pipe a final layer of frosting on the very top of the cake and smooth it perfectly flat with a butter knife. Press your colorful frosting dots across the surface, and bury them completely under a thick, dense layer of crunchy nonpareil rainbow sprinkles to achieve that viral, edge-to-edge TikTok look!
Funfetti Dot Cake Jars FAQs
Honestly, that’s just the nature of the internet today. They completely blew up on TikTok because of that satisfying crunch sound you get when a spoon cuts through that thick, solid layer of nonpareils on top. Once people saw how cute they looked packed into those little Upper East Side bakery windows, everyone wanted a bite!
Technically? Yes. But emotionally? Absolutely not! True Funfetti has that very specific “birthday cake” flavor. It usually comes from using clear artificial vanilla or a tiny drop of almond extract. It’s sweeter and punchier than a standard elegant vanilla.
If you’ve ever ended up with a cake that has a sad, gray layer of melted sludge at the bottom, you know the struggle. The trick is using a thick batter so the sprinkles can’t sink while it bakes. Also, you have to use classic, oblong rainbow jimmies. If you try to bake with the tiny round nonpareils, they will instantly bleed and turn your cake batter into a muddy tie-dye mess.
Both, but for different parts! For those beautiful pops of color inside the cake layers, you gently fold the jimmies into the wet batter right before it goes into the oven. But for that iconic, solid “dot” crust on top, you absolutely have to wait until the cake is baked, completely cooled, and covered in frosting.
Similar Recipes
I’ve already touched on my birthday cake and birthday cake cookies, but if it’s candy toppings you’re after, you may also enjoy these Crumble-style Halloween candy cookies, or even my simple, good old-fashioned M&M cookies for a real blast to the past.
If you give these adorable Funfetti Dot Cake Jars a try, please leave a star rating and a comment down below to let me know how they turned out!
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 box Funfetti cake mix
- 1 cup whole milk
- ½ cup melted butter
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Frosting
- 1 container 16 ounces vanilla frosting
- 1 2 tablespoons milk
For Decorating
- Rainbow jimmies sprinkles
- Rainbow nonpareils sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 13×18-inch sheet pan or jelly roll pan with parchment paper and lightly spray with nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the Funfetti cake mix, milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix with a hand or stand mixer until smooth. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
- Bake for 15–18 minutes, or until the cake springs back lightly when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling.
- Place the vanilla frosting in a mixing bowl. Add 1–2 tablespoons of milk and whip until light, fluffy, and easy to pipe.
- Using one of the jars, cut circles from the cooled cake. Place one cake round into the bottom of each jar.
- Pipe or spread a layer of vanilla frosting over the cake. Sprinkle a small handful of rainbow jimmies over the frosting layer. Add a second cake round.
- Pipe a final layer of vanilla frosting on top and smooth gently. Decorate with colorful frosting dots across the surface.
- Finish with a light sprinkle of rainbow nonpareils for extra color and sparkle. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to enjoy. Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.