Sourdough Vanilla Dot Cake

Name: Sourdough Vanilla Dot Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup sourdough discard, unfed; ½ cup whole milk; 2½ cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon salt; ½ cup unsalted butter, softened; 1¼ cups granulated sugar; 4 large eggs; 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

May 31, 2026

The viral Dot Cake trend is everywhere—and for good reason! These adorable cake cups are layered with fluffy vanilla cake, creamy frosting, colorful frosting dots, and crunchy sprinkles. Our Sourdough Vanilla Dot Cake adds a homemade twist, using sourdough discard to create a soft, moist cake that's as delicious as it is cute.

Perfect for birthdays, baby showers, graduations, or just because, this easy dessert starts with a simple vanilla sheet cake and transforms into fun, individual treats that are guaranteed to impress. They're festive, playful, and almost too pretty to eat!

Why Everyone Loves Cake Jars

Cake jars have become incredibly popular because they're:

Easy to transport
Perfectly portioned
Great for parties
Less messy than traditional cake
Easy to decorate
Beautiful for gifting
Fun for kids and adults

What You'll Need

Tips for Perfect Cake Jars

Freeze the Cake First

Chilling or freezing the cake for 20–30 minutes before cutting helps create clean circles.

Use Thick Buttercream

A slightly stiffer buttercream creates cleaner layers that won't slide.

Pipe Against the Glass

For picture-perfect layers, pipe frosting directly against the sides of the cup.

Don't Overfill

Leave about ½ inch at the top for decorating and adding a lid.

Refrigerate Before Serving

Chilling the jars for an hour allows the flavors to meld together beautifully.

Best Occasions for Cake Jars

These adorable desserts are perfect for:

Birthday parties
Baby showers
Bridal showers
Church gatherings
Teacher gifts
Mother's Day
Easter celebrations
Graduation parties
Bake sales

Make-Ahead Tips

Cake jars can be assembled up to 3 days in advance.

Store covered in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

EASY Chocolate Dot Cake Tips

I made these for my daughter's birthday party and not only did I need more dot cakes to serve, I wanted a variety! So I used the same vanilla cake recipe here and added a double shot of espresso along with 1/3 cup of cacao powder to make it simple but still delicious!

Sourdough Vanilla Dot Cake

Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users

Cuisine

American

Author:

Courtney Moody

Servings

6

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

35 minutes

Calories

659

These Sourdough Discard Dot Cake Jars are moist vanilla cake layered with fluffy buttercream and finished with colorful sprinkles for the cutest handheld treat. They're perfect for birthdays, baby showers, church events, bake sales, and gifting.

Best of all, they're made using sourdough discard, making them a delicious way to reduce food waste while creating something beautiful.

Ingredients

1 cup sourdough discard, unfed
½ cup whole milk
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1¼ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9x 13 baking pan, or line it with parchment paper for easy removal.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar using an electric mixer on medium speed (or you can use your stand mixer) until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Then, mix in the vanilla extract and sourdough discard until fully combined.
Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients, alternating with the whole milk until everything is combined. Avoid overmixing so your cake has the fluffiest texture!
Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, smoothing the top with a spatula. Tap the pan gently on the countertop to remove any air bubbles.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The cake should be golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
Once baked, remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
Take a small mason jar or cup and flip it upside down so the rim of the glass is now cake cutter. Press down into the cake until a circle comes out and place it inside your jar.
A 9x13 cake will make 5 - 6 dot cakes, depending on how much cake you have made, or how big your containers are, you can layer these with the outside scraps of cake.
Pour your non perel sprinkles into a bowl and top your cake with your favorite icing, making sure it is flush with the top of the jar.
Flip your jar over directly into the sprinkles so it is entirely covered with no icing peeking through.
Continue with all of your jars and enjoy your new favorite treat - a dot cake!

Recipe Note

Chocolate Cake Tips

if you wanted to make a double serving of this cake for a party or special occasion - use this recipe but add a double shot of expresso and 1/3 a cup of cocoa powder. This keeps it simple but also easy to make two different cake bases for a lot more dot cakes!

Make-Ahead Tips

Cake jars can be assembled up to 3 days in advance.

Store covered in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1
per serving: Calories; 659

Amount/Serving % Daily Value

Carbs: 103 grams; 34%
Protein: 14 grams; 29%
Fat: 20 grams; 31%
Saturated Fat: 11 grams; 70%
Trans Fat: 1 grams
Cholesterol: 167 milligrams; 56%
Fiber: 2 grams; 9%
Sugar: 43 grams
Sodium: 671 milligrams; 29%
Iron: 4 milligrams; 24%
Potassium: 144 milligrams; 4%

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Hi, I’m Courtney! 👋 Wild for Jesus, my husband and our 3 babies. We homeschool, hike and have learned to grow food in a tiny backyard. My goal is to help you find joy and be productive wherever you are and make sourdough a little less scary.

Sourdough Vanilla Dot Cake

Sourdough Vanilla Dot Cake

Why Everyone Loves Cake Jars

What You'll Need

Tips for Perfect Cake Jars

Freeze the Cake First

Use Thick Buttercream

Pipe Against the Glass

Don't Overfill

Refrigerate Before Serving

Best Occasions for Cake Jars

Make-Ahead Tips

Sourdough Vanilla Dot Cake

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