Cotton Candy Cake (Print version)
A fluffy pastel layer cake infused with cotton candy flavor and topped with swirled buttercream and real cotton candy.
# What you'll need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
03 - 1/2 tsp salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tbsp cotton candy flavoring
08 - 1 tsp vanilla extract
09 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk, room temperature
10 - Pink and blue food coloring, as desired
→ Cotton Candy Buttercream
11 - 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
12 - 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
13 - 1 1/2 tsp cotton candy flavoring
14 - 2–3 tbsp whole milk or cream
15 - Pink and blue food coloring, as desired
→ Decoration
16 - Fresh cotton candy, to garnish
# How to make it:
01 - Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy, about 3–4 minutes.
04 - Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the cotton candy flavoring and vanilla extract.
05 - With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three parts, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.
06 - Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. Tint one portion pink and the other blue with food coloring. Drop spoonfuls of each color alternately into the prepared pans for a marbled effect. Swirl gently with a skewer or knife.
07 - Bake for 25–28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat the butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, beating on low. Add cotton candy flavoring and milk until smooth and fluffy. Divide and tint pink and blue as desired.
09 - Once cakes are cool, layer and frost with the buttercream. Swirl pink and blue together for a cotton candy effect.
10 - Just before serving, top with fluffy pieces of fresh cotton candy. Serve immediately.
# Expert suggestions:
01 -
- The marbled pink and blue batter looks like a sunset before it even goes in the oven.
- That first bite transports you straight to a summer fair with the sweet cotton candy flavor baked right in.
- The buttercream is dreamy and you get to swirl two colors together like you are painting.
- Garnishing with real cotton candy at the end makes everyone gasp every single time.
02 -
- Wait until the cakes are completely cool before frosting or your buttercream will slide right off into a melty mess.
- Never put the cotton candy on more than a few minutes before serving because moisture from the cake will dissolve it into a sticky puddle.
- Gel food coloring is far superior to liquid for getting vivid pastel shades without ruining the batter consistency.
03 -
- Chill your frosted cake in the fridge for twenty minutes before adding the cotton candy garnish because a cold surface slows down the melting process.
- If you cannot find cotton candy flavoring you can substitute with a blend of vanilla and strawberry extract for a similar sweet fruity profile.