Cotton Candy Cake (Print)
Fluffy pastel cake with cotton candy flavor, swirled buttercream, and real cotton candy topping.
# What You Need:
→ Cake
01 - 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
05 - 2 cups granulated sugar
06 - 4 large eggs, room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon cotton candy flavoring
08 - 1 teaspoon 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 teaspoons cotton candy flavoring
14 - 2-3 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
15 - Pink and blue food coloring, as desired
→ Decoration
16 - Fresh cotton candy, for 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 all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
03 - In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together using an electric mixer until pale, light, and fluffy, approximately 3 to 4 minutes.
04 - Add the eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. Blend in the cotton candy flavoring and vanilla extract until evenly distributed.
05 - With the mixer running on low speed, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the whole milk in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined to avoid overworking the batter.
06 - Divide the batter evenly between two bowls. Tint one portion pink and the other blue using food coloring. Drop alternating spoonfuls of each color into the prepared cake pans, then gently swirl with a skewer or knife to create a marbled effect.
07 - Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
08 - Beat the softened butter until creamy and smooth. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar on low speed, then incorporate the cotton candy flavoring and milk, beating until light and fluffy. Divide the buttercream and tint one portion pink and the other blue as desired.
09 - Once the cake layers are completely cool, stack and frost them with the tinted buttercream, swirling the pink and blue together for a cotton candy-inspired effect.
10 - Just before serving, arrange generous pieces of fresh cotton candy on top of the frosted cake. Serve immediately to preserve the cotton candy texture.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The marble effect is easier than it looks and makes people gasp every single time you cut into it.
- Cotton candy flavoring transforms a basic vanilla cake into something genuinely magical without any extra effort.
- That moment when you crown the whole thing with real cotton candy right before serving is pure theater.
02 -
- Never put the cotton candy on the cake until you are literally walking it to the table, because frosting moisture and humidity will shrink it into nothing within minutes.
- Gel food coloring is the way to go, since liquid coloring thins both batter and frosting and you will end up with a sad, pale result no matter how much you add.
03 -
- Tap each filled cake pan firmly on the counter twice before baking to release trapped air bubbles that cause uneven doming.
- If your kitchen is warm, chill the frosted cake for twenty minutes before adding the cotton candy so the surface is firm enough to hold it without sliding.