A colorful dessert that has been lighting up social media feeds is now getting a distinctly local makeover in Brooklyn. According to News 12, the so-called dot cake, a sprinkle-covered treat that some say was invented on Long Island, has gone viral, and a number of neighborhood bakeries are putting their own creative spin on the trend.
One of those spins carries a strong Italian accent. At Churko's pastry shop in Bushwick, a baker named Anthony leaned into his roots to create a cannoli dot cake, blending the viral format with the flavors of a classic Italian pastry, complete with touches like cannoli cream and red-and-green coloring.
Anthony said he approached the treat in the traditional style with a little twist, and the result has resonated with customers. The cannoli dot cake has quickly become a hot item at the shop, with people coming in and even calling to ask whether he could ship the individual cups, each topped with a thick layer of colorful sprinkles.
For Anthony, jumping on the trend was partly a family decision. He said he could not take all the credit for embracing the viral craze, explaining that it was his wife and kids who told him he needed to get a little more trendy and give the popular format a try.
A short distance away in Williamsburg, another baker has taken the concept in a different direction. At Settepani Bakery, the owner turned to one of Italian baking's signature items, deciding that the panettone was the obvious choice to transform into what he calls a Dot Panettone, with the traditional dried fruit replaced by a generous helping of sprinkles.
For the Williamsburg shop, the trend is also a bridge between generations. The bakery, which has been making its sprinkled butter cookies for more than 80 years, sees the viral treats as a way for a younger generation to discover and appreciate the kinds of things older generations enjoyed, a taste of tradition reimagined for the social media age that the bakers hope will keep customers coming back.