“The Dotcakes” Origin + Lafayette Dot Cake Bakeries

A 2017 Cake for a Friend Turns Viral Nine Years Later

3 hours ago

Alyssa Schiaffino,

Macro view of colourful array of tiny of confectionary sprinkles

Getty Images

Chances are you’ve heard the phrase “dot cake” multiple times in the last few weeks, probably more than you ever have in your life – and maybe even for the first time. Recently, the popular confection has taken the internet by storm.

You may be an early adopter, someone who tried a version of the dot cake as soon as the trend became viral in May, or maybe you’re a “viral” skeptic and need to know more before considering it.

Regardless, I’ve done a little bit of digging to discover what exactly a dot cake is, how it became viral and, most importantly, where you can find dot cakes to try in Lafayette.

*Now that we are in the latter half of the dot cake trend, make sure to check with each local bakery about availability.

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Origins of the Dot Cake
The “Dotcake” Leads to Dot Cakes Everywhere
Dot Cakes in Lafayette

Origins of the Dot Cake

From what I’ve gathered, the “dot cake” has now become a generic term for a cake covered in icing and a thick layer of round sprinkles on top, creating the appearance of a container of dots.

However, The Dotcakes is an actual bakery with origins of its now-famous “Dotcake” tracing back to 2017. According to The Dotcakes website, the brand and the concept of the Dotcake began when Alex, the daughter of the mother-daughter duo behind the bakery, made a Dotcake for a friend’s college commitment.

From that one order, Alex received a number of inquiries and made more and more of her Dotcakes. While Alex was away at college, her mom, Sandra, kept up with the newfound demand. And finally, in 2019, The Dotcakes bakery was born in Westbury, New York.

From The Dotcakes Facebook, 2017

The “Dotcake” Leads to Dot Cakes Everywhere

While this is a sweet story of the mother-daughter Dotcake brand, you might be wondering how we got from a bakery opening in 2019 to a viral internet trend nearly seven years later.

Surplus of Collaborative Reels with Influencers: May 18 – Now
- I investigated The Dotcakes social media pages, including the tagged posts, and, while The Dotcakes Instagram [@thedotcakes] has been posting since its inception in 2017, the only two reels posted on the page before the viral trend kicked off were collaborative posts by other accounts from Nov. 2024 and Aug. 2025.
- After the 2025 reel, you can see reel after reel on the @thedotcakes page from May 18 until five days ago, showing influencer after influencer trying the Dotcake. So, what changed?
Butterfield Market and The Dotcakes: Sept. 2025
- In my research, I found a video of creator @nyfoodsharings referring to the Dotcakes as “viral” as early as May 4. And in another, earlier video on May 4, @shreyachowdhary shares her love for Dotcakes. Both videos mention getting the Dotcake at Butterfield Market & Catering in New York City.
- From there, I found myself on Butterfield Market’s Instagram page and noted that the store does dessert drop posts on the weekends, featuring several items in-store from various dessert shops. What’s interesting is that Butterfield has sold Dotcakes since September 2025, yet none of the Butterfield Dotcakes posts have as much traction as the May 2 post.
- So, what changed? At first, I thought it was because the May 2 Butterfield post was a collaboration with creator @sofiaeatsnyc, but I then found an earlier Oct. 3 post with @sofieatsnyc with 10x less engagement than the May 2 post. While we may never know what the exact turning point for Dotcakes was, I would guess it was the “right” voices discovering and advocating for the brand all around the same time. But who really knows? Maybe Butterfield moved Dotcakes to a more prominent spot in stores in May? Maybe people eat more cake in May? Regardless, The Dotcakes leveraged its fame perfectly.

Photo by @sofiaeatsnyc

The Dotcakes First TikTok: May 18
- On May 18, The Dotcakes added the perfect fuel to its success by posting its first TikTok video, writing, ” If you loved us in @Butterfield Market, you’ll love us even more on TikTok. Welcome to @thedotcakes.”

Whether you find internet trends infuriating or exciting, you can’t help but be touched by The Dotcakes story of a student who started making cakes for friends – with her mom’s support – to now being the person behind a viral bakery and entire cake concept.