One of baker Madeleine Witham's friends wanted to support a community business hit in the pandemic and knew it would unlikely be anytime soon that they could delight in The Little Cupcake sweet treat.

So, the friend bought a mix-of-the-day dozen online and asked Ms Witham to find an unassuming recipient; someone unlikely to be buying or delighting in these little cupcakes.

Random acts of cupcakes, as Ms Witham has called it, has begun to catch on the past fortnight as word of the cupcake surprises spread, leaving a trail of crumbs in potential ideas.

One recipient wrote to the Eureka Street cupcakery saying she could hardly believe Ballarat people's kindness. The recipient was a single mum, new to the city and living in transitional housing with her two children, one with special needs. She filmed her sons' reactions to share with Ms Witham.

The cakes had been bought anonymously by another single mum.

Another delivery went to a crisis support accommodation centre in Ballarat where delighted residents decided to pay the concept forward and buy a couple of boxes for police.

Ms Witham finds places to send cakes based on people's stories or organisations she might have read about or heard about from friends and contacts.

"It's all unexpected acts of kindness, a chance for people to pay it forward and it's helping our business, too. We think it's a thing lots of other Ballarat businesses could do," Ms Whitham said.

"People don't know exactly who has sent them. We're spreading joy one cupcake at a time, that's our motto."

The Little Cupcake offers free delivery and Ms Witham said her deliverers said dropping off these cupcakes were one of the nicest jobs, just to see people's faces when the colourful, buttery treats arrived.

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