The most controversial cake trend of 2026 has finally hit UK supermarkets

The cakes went massively viral over the summer in the US (Picture: Craig F. Walker/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few months, you’ll likely have heard of dot cakes. The colourful cakes went viral over the summer, as they proved to be a feast for the eyes, as well as the taste buds. Created by The Dot Cakes, a New York-based cakery, the treat is pretty simple: a cup is filled with cake, spread with frosting, and finished with a perfect layer of colourful rainbow dots (AKA hundreds and thousands) on top. They’ve well and truly taken the internet by storm, with social media users across the US filming themselves eating them, and people in the UK desperate to try them. If you’ve been wanting to give them a go, you’re in luck, as they’re about to launch in a UK supermarket. Where will you be able to buy the Dot Cakes? Co-op is the first national UK retailer to bring the cake trend to the UK, launching its own version of the sweet treat in two different flavours. First up, there’s a Raspberry & Vanilla Dot Cake (166g), which sees vanilla flavour sponge layered with raspberry jam and vanilla flavour frosting. This is then topped with even more frosting and multi-coloured sugar decorations. For those who prefer chocolate, there’s also a Chocolate & Salted Caramel Dot Cake (177g), with a chocolate flavour sponge, salted caramel sauce, and a chocolate and caramel frosting. Ask Metro Use AI to go deeper into the stories you care about – powered by Metro and trusted publications. As you’d expect, this is finished with frosting and a layer of milk and white chocolate crispy balls. The cakes cost £2.50 each and will be hitting the shelves in more than 1,600 Co-op stores across the UK from Monday, October 26. The cakes launch on October 26 and cost £2.50 each (Picture: Co-op) Speaking about the launch, Kevin Sargent, senior product development manager for cake at Co-op, told Metro: ‘We’re excited to be hot on the heels of one of this year’s biggest food trends by being the first retailer to bring them to shops across the UK. ‘They tap into everything people love right now – aesthetically pleasing, nostalgic treats that are as fun to eat as they are to share online. ‘With two delicious flavour combinations and that signature crunchy topping, we’re making it easier for shoppers across the country to get their hands on the viral treat and see what all the fuss is about!’ Not everyone is a dot cake fan, though… While thousands of people have jumped on the dot cake bandwagon, the trend has also proved rather controversial online. Some are struggling to understand why such a simple thing has gone so massively viral, while others think it’s just been overhyped. On Reddit, u/Shuttup_Heather said: ‘It’s just sprinkles on cake, I don’t get the novelty, it’s not new.’ Similarly, u/Sapiosexual2018 wrote: ‘I’ve been watching this trend for the last couple of weeks, and trying to understand why so many people think that this is an extraordinary dessert. […] This is pretty much a pass for me.’ And u/Suspicious-Taste1572 agreed: ‘I am confused by the obsession with it.’ While u/XennialQueen added: ‘It’s nothing groundbreaking, and the trend will die when the next one comes along.’ What did Metro’s specialist food writer think of the cakes? I got an early taste of Co-op’s new cakes ahead of their launch, and here’s my honest verdict… When it comes to first impressions, there’s one strikingly obvious difference between the viral dot cakes and the Co-op version – the sprinkles in the UK don’t hit as hard as in the US. You’ll notice the topping on the Raspberry & Vanilla Dot Cake looks more muted in colour. This is because the UK has strict laws about which artificial colourings can be used in food and drink. It’s well known (thanks to Get Baked’s infamous Sprinklegate) that in the US sprinkles often contain the food colouring E127, a bright pink shade, which is banned here. It’s not Co-op’s fault they can’t use brighter colours, but it’s disappointing nonetheless. The Raspberry & Vanilla was my favourite of the two (Picture: Courtney Pochin) As for the taste, both cakes are incredibly sweet, so much so that I wasn’t able to finish a whole one. A few mouthfuls were more than enough. Of the two, the Raspberry and Vanilla was my favourite, as it felt super nostalgic. The combination of creamy frosting, sprinkles, sponge, and raspberry jam transported me straight back to the fairy cakes and birthday parties of my childhood. It’s (unsurprisingly) very heavy on the frosting, with a thick layer on top and another layer in the middle of the pot, and this is the main thing you can taste. It’s very nostalgic, but didn’t do it for me (Picture: Courtney Pochin_ I think this would have benefited from a slightly sharper jam, and more of it in the middle. This would have cut through some of the intense sweetness, to give the whole thing a little more balance. As for the chocolate one, I’m sorry to say I just wasn’t a fan. I liked the crispy chocolate balls on top, which reminded me of a Muller Yoghurt, but otherwise it just tasted artificial to me. Will you be giving the dot cake craze a try? Let us know in the comments. Do you have a story you’d like to share? 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