SUNSHINE DOT CAKE
I am really not a viral-trend kind of girl.
But then I saw the dot cake. The sprinkles got me.
I loved all that color, but instead of making one big cake, I kept thinking about how fun it would be to turn it into individual little cakes layered in cups. Since it was the middle of summer and 110 degrees outside, I decided to go with a citrus cake.
Basically, I wanted a little cup of sunshine.
So I made a soft orange cake layered with orange curd and topped it with a marshmallow buttercream. The combo was giving me orange creamsicle vibes. A bright and citrusy middle, but soft, sweet and creamy on top.
A little cake all to yourself
I think my favorite part might actually be the size.
There’s something really fun about handing everyone their own little cake instead of cutting slices from one big one. I love ice cream, the layers give me a little bit of that Talenti layered gelato feeling — except, obviously, it’s cake.
Cake. Orange curd. Cake. Marshmallow buttercream.
And then sprinkles!
I went with the naturally colored nonpareils because I love their softer color tones. If you’re not a fan of the crunch you get from nonpareils, though, you could use a softer sprinkle instead.
One tiny cake, endless possibilities
I originally made these for summer, but while I was putting them together I realized how many different versions you could make.
For fall, I’m already planning to test a spice cake layered with apple filling and topped with brown butter buttercream. Or maybe pumpkin cake with a pumpkin spice cream and cream cheese buttercream.
Then change the sprinkle colors for the seasons.
A few tips before you make them
These aren’t difficult to make, but there are a few steps, so give yourself a little time. You’ll make the cake, orange curd and buttercream separately before assembling everything.
Once the cake is cooled, I use the little serving container as my guide to cut perfectly sized cake rounds. Then you will do the layering:
cake → orange curd → cake → marshmallow buttercream
Dip each cake into plenty of sprinkles.
Because of the orange curd, keep the assembled cakes refrigerated. Before serving, I like to let them sit at room temperature for about an hour. The cake softens and that marshmallow frosting becomes soft and scoopable.
Sunshine Dot Cake
Ingredients
Orange Cake
- 1 1/2 cups (180 g)all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (30 g) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter 1/4 cup / 57 g melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Juice of 1/2 orange
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup milk
Orange Curd
- 50 g brown sugar
- Zest of 1 orange
- Juice of 1 orange freshly squeezed
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter 1/4 cup / 57 g ,cold and cubed
Marshmallow Buttercream
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter 3/4 cup / 170g, room temperature
- 1 cup marshmallow fluff
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Assembly
- Colorful sprinkles as needed
Instructions
Orange Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 × 13-inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, and orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugars with your fingertips until fragrant.
- Add the melted butter and mix until smooth. Add the eggs and stir until combined.
- Stir in the vanilla, fresh orange juice, sour cream, and milk.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
- Bake for approximately 20–25 minutes, beginning to check around 20 minutes. The cake is done when the edges begin pulling slightly away from the pan and the center is set and no longer jiggles. Avoid overbaking; the cake will continue cooking slightly from the residual heat of the pan.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before assembling.
Orange Curd
- Combine the brown sugar and orange zest. Rub the zest into the sugar with your fingertips until fragrant.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs until the yolks and whites are completely combined.
- Add the orange sugar, fresh orange juice, eggs, cornstarch, and salt to a saucepan and whisk until smooth.
- Cook over low to medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.
- As the curd begins to thicken, continue stirring across the bottom and around the edges of the pan so it cooks evenly.
- Continue cooking until the curd reaches approximately 165°F and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Place the cold, cubed butter in a clean bowl. Pour the hot curd through a fine-mesh sieve directly over the butter. Stir until the butter has completely melted and the curd is smooth.
- Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled.
Marshmallow Buttercream
- Beat the room-temperature butter and marshmallow fluff together until light and fluffy.
- Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing between additions.
- Continue beating until smooth and fluffy.
Assembly
- Once the orange cake has cooled completely, use an 8-ounce jar as a guide to cut 12 cake rounds.
- Place one cake round into the bottom of each jar.
- Add a layer of chilled orange curd.
- Top with a second cake round.
- Add a generous layer of marshmallow buttercream.
- Pour the sprinkles into a shallow bowl or plate. Carefully dip the buttercream side of each cake into the sprinkles, gently pressing until the top is completely covered.