Dot Cakes have gone from a niche bakery item to a line-forming obsession in New York, with shoppers waiting at Butterfield Market for the sprinkle-topped desserts and social media videos drawing millions of views. Danielle Pheloung helped fuel that rush on May 22 when she posted a video saying she had 11 Dotcakes.

That clip landed at a moment when people were already searching for the mini versions, called Dotcups, and trying to figure out what all the fuss was about. Dotcakes are layers of cake, frosting and crunchy nonpareils, and the company’s four flavors — classic white, chocolate, vanilla chip and red velvet — have become part of the draw as the treats spread online.

The company behind them, The Dotcakes, was founded in 2019 by Alex Posner in Roslyn, New York. It started a partnership with Butterfield Market in October, and Posner said the grocery in the city now receives about 1,250 units twice a week, with the physical store selling about 2,600 cups in the past week alone.

The demand has been visible at the counter and in the comments. Matt Benfield said he waited about 45 minutes at Butterfield Market for his Dotcakes, while a May 23 video caption said the first people in line for that Saturday’s restock showed up at 12 p.m., 10 hours before the treats could be bought. Posner said the company saw a crazy increase in orders around April 24, and the pace has made the Wednesday and Saturday restocks feel more like events than routine bakery runs.

Not everyone has been charmed by the frenzy. Some online critics say the treat is too simple for the attention it is getting, even as the videos keep piling up and lines keep forming. Benfield summed up that split plainly, calling the obsession with cake topped in sprinkles “so stupid” while also admitting he was willing to stand in line for it himself.

That divide has not slowed the sales. A May 14 review from Cyrus Veyssi described seeing the viral cakes everywhere and, after trying one, said it was not dry but very moist. Danielle Pheloung called the taste like a Funfetti cake with a lot of crunch, and others have compared it to cortadillo, a soft Mexican cake with pink frosting and nonpareil sprinkles. For now, the question is not whether Dotcakes are simple. It is whether a dessert this basic can keep drawing crowds when the next Wednesday and Saturday restocks arrive.