Spectacular Cotton Candy Cake: A Whimsical Delight!
Prepare to be dazzled by this show-stopping cotton candy cake, a dessert far more exciting and vibrant than any ordinary birthday treat! Imagine layers of irresistibly sweet, cotton candy-flavored cake, generously frosted with a cloud-like buttercream, swirled in dreamy technicolor hues. While it appears like a masterpiece straight out of a fairy tale, this delightful cake is surprisingly straightforward to bake from scratch, making it accessible for home bakers of all skill levels. Get ready to create a truly unforgettable confection that will capture hearts and taste buds alike!
Top Reader Review
“I followed the exact directions and my cake came out perfectly! I used gel food coloring.” -Dana P.
Experience Childhood Nostalgia with Every Slice
This vibrant and flavorful cotton candy cake transports you straight back to the carefree days of childhood with every bite! The unmistakable, sweet essence of cotton candy infuses every aspect of this dessert, from the tender cake layers to the luscious buttercream. Its brilliant, celebratory colors make it an ideal centerpiece for whimsical birthdays, festive baby showers, or any event where you want to add a touch of magic and fun.
Crafting this bright and colorful layered cake is an effort well worth making when the goal is to create a truly memorable impression. We achieve its signature look using both blue and pink food coloring to create delightful swirls that mimic the fluffy confection. Beyond its striking appearance, the cake boasts an authentic cotton candy taste, thanks to a special flavoring. To complete this showstopper dessert, we love to adorn it with soft, airy puffs of real cotton candy, making it an absolute delight that will make anyone feel extra special on their big day!
Pro Tip for the Perfect Cake Texture!
For the lightest, most ethereal cake layers, using cake flour is highly recommended. Its finer texture and lower protein content contribute to an incredibly tender crumb. However, if you find it difficult to source cake flour at your local grocery store, don’t fret! You can easily create a homemade cake flour substitute using all-purpose flour and cornstarch. This simple trick works wonders in achieving the desired fluffy texture for this scrumptious cake.
Cotton Candy Cake Recipe
30 minutes
20 minutes
50 minutes
12
slices
Print
Rate
Ingredients
For the Cake
-
4 cups cake flour -
1 tablespoon baking powder -
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt -
1 teaspoon baking soda -
1 cup unsalted butter room temperature (2 sticks) -
3 cups granulated sugar -
5 large eggs room temperature -
1¾ cups milk room temperature* -
1½ teaspoons cotton candy flavoring (2 drams LorAnn)** -
Blue and pink food coloring optional***
For the Buttercream
-
2 cups unsalted butter room temperature (4 sticks) -
7 cups powdered sugar -
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt -
¾ teaspoon cotton candy flavoring (1 dram LorAnn) -
Pink and blue food coloring optional
Metric
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale (optional)
- 3 8-inch Round Cake Pan
- Stand Mixer
- Piping Tip Set (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray them with nonstick spray. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.4 cups cake flour,
1 tablespoon baking powder,
1¼ teaspoons kosher salt,
1 teaspoon baking soda
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on medium-high for about 1 minute.1 cup unsalted butter,
3 cups granulated sugar - Add in the eggs, milk, and cotton candy flavoring. Beat on high for another 1 minute.5 large eggs,
1¾ cups milk,
1½ teaspoons cotton candy flavoring - Add in the flour mixture and stir just until the flour has been incorporated. Divide evenly into 2 smaller bowls and color with blue and pink food coloring if desired.Blue and pink food coloring
- Alternately spoon blue and pink batter into the cake pans and gently swirl them together. Don’t swirl too much as the batter will turn purple and bake into a brown color. Place into the oven to bake for 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven, place onto a cooling rack, and let cool to room temperature.
- While the cakes are cooling, make the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, powdered sugar, salt, and cotton candy flavoring together. Beat first on low for about 2 minutes, or until the powdered sugar is almost completely incorporated, to avoid it from flying out of the bowl. Increase speed to high and let it whip for 4 minutes to create a smooth buttercream.2 cups unsalted butter,
7 cups powdered sugar,
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt,
¾ teaspoon cotton candy flavoring - Separate the frosting evenly into 3 bowls. Color 1 bowl pink, 1 bowl blue, and leave the last bowl white.Pink and blue food coloring
- Once the cakes are cooled, place 1 layer onto a cake stand or plate. Top with about ¼ cup of buttercream and spread to the edges. Place a second layer of cake on top and frost. Place the last layer of cake on top. Frost the top and sides of the cake with buttercream. Alternate between white, blue, and pink frosting for a cotton candy, rainbow effect.
- For neat multi-colored frosting swirls, alternately spread some pink and blue buttercream onto the sides of a piping bag fitted with your choice of tip. Once you are happy with the mix of colors, fill the remainder of the bag with white buttercream. Pipe in a clock formating, piping 1 swirl each at 12:00, 6:00, 3:00, and 9:00. Continue in that fashion around the perimeter of the cake.
- If desired, top with clouds or pieces of cotton candy.
- Once the cake is frosted, slice and serve!
Notes
**If you can’t find it locally, I recommend ordering some from LorAnn.
***While totally optional, I used pink and blue food colorings to make both the cake and the frosting super vibrant! I added a little bit of yellow in mine, too, but doing just pink and blue is the easiest!
Tips:
- Make sure the cake is fully cooled before frosting it. I like to bake the cake the day before and decorate it the next day so I know it’s fully cooled.
- If your cakes are a bit flat, that’s most likely because you didn’t add enough baking powder. Also, be sure to check the expiration date on your baking powder! If it’s expired, it just won’t do the trick.
- A dry cake can be caused by two things. You may have measured the ingredients incorrectly, or you might have over-mixed the batter. It’s important to scoop and level your ingredients if you’re not using a scale, and it’s important to have a light hand when mixing the batter.
- If your buttercream frosting is too thin, chill it for 10-20 minutes, then whip again. If it is still too thin, add powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency. If your buttercream is too thick, add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it reaches the desired consistency.
- If you plan to top your cake with cotton candy, wait until just before serving. The moisture from the buttercream will start to melt the cotton candy pretty quickly.
Storage: Store cotton candy cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Calories from Fat 450
Becky Hardin
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How to Bake Your Dream Cotton Candy Cake: A Step-by-Step Guide
Creating this whimsical cotton candy cake is a rewarding experience, and following these detailed steps will ensure your cake is a show-stopping success. From preparing your pans to the final flourish of frosting, each step is designed for ease and perfection.
Prepping Your Pans and Dry Ingredients
Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C). This ensures the oven is at the correct temperature for even baking from the moment your cake goes in. Take three 8-inch round cake pans; line the bottoms with parchment paper, then generously spray both the bottoms and sides with a nonstick baking spray. This crucial step prevents sticking and helps your cake layers release effortlessly after baking. Set these prepared pans aside as you move on to the dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 4 cups of cake flour, 1 tablespoon of baking powder, 1¼ teaspoons of kosher salt, and 1 teaspoon of baking soda. Sifting these ingredients together ensures they are thoroughly combined and helps create a light, airy cake structure. Having your dry ingredients ready in advance streamlines the baking process.
Creaming Butter and Sugar to Perfection
Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat 1 cup of unsalted butter (at room temperature for optimal creaming) and 3 cups of granulated sugar together on medium-high speed for approximately 1 minute. This process, known as creaming, incorporates air into the mixture, which is essential for a tender and light cake crumb. The mixture should become pale and fluffy.
Incorporating Wet Ingredients for Flavor
Next, add 5 large eggs (also at room temperature), 1¾ cups of milk, and 1½ teaspoons of cotton candy flavoring into the butter and sugar mixture. Continue to beat on high speed for another 1 minute. Ensure all ingredients are well combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed to guarantee a uniform batter. The cotton candy flavoring is key here, infusing the cake with that iconic sweet aroma and taste.
Folding in Dry Ingredients and Coloring the Batter
Gently add the reserved flour mixture to the wet ingredients. Mix on low speed just until the flour is incorporated. Be careful not to overmix, as this can lead to a tough cake. Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour too much. Once the batter is smooth, divide it evenly into two separate smaller bowls. If you desire vibrant, colorful layers, tint one bowl of batter with blue food coloring and the other with pink food coloring. Gel food colorings work best for achieving rich, bright hues without thinning the batter.
Swirling and Baking Your Colorful Layers
Now for the fun part: creating the signature swirl! Alternately spoon dollops of the blue and pink batter into your prepared cake pans. Once both colors are in the pans, use a knife or skewer to gently swirl them together. The key is to swirl minimally – over-swirling can cause the colors to blend too much, resulting in a dull purple or even a muddy brown color after baking, rather than distinct, vibrant streaks. Place the pans into your preheated oven and bake for 20-23 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a cake; it should come out clean or with moist crumbs attached. Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and immediately transfer them to a wire cooling rack. Allow them to cool completely to room temperature before attempting to frost, as warm cakes will melt your beautiful buttercream.
Crafting the Fluffy Cotton Candy Buttercream
While your cake layers are cooling, it’s the perfect time to prepare the delectable cotton candy buttercream frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine 2 cups of unsalted butter (again, at room temperature), 7 cups of powdered sugar, ⅛ teaspoon of kosher salt, and ¾ teaspoon of cotton candy flavoring. Begin by beating the mixture on low speed for about 2 minutes. This initial low-speed mixing is crucial to gradually incorporate the powdered sugar, preventing a sugary cloud from erupting from your bowl! Once most of the powdered sugar is blended in, increase the mixer speed to high and whip the frosting for a full 4 minutes. This vigorous beating will transform the mixture into a remarkably smooth, light, and fluffy buttercream, ready for decorating.
Coloring Your Buttercream for a Rainbow Effect
To achieve the iconic cotton candy aesthetic, divide your freshly made buttercream frosting evenly into three separate bowls. Tint one bowl with pink food coloring, another with blue food coloring, and leave the third bowl white. This trio of colors will allow you to create stunning, swirled frosting patterns on your cake, enhancing its whimsical appeal and vibrant presentation.
Assembling and Decorating Your Masterpiece
Once your cake layers are completely cool, it’s time for the grand assembly! Place the first cake layer onto a cake stand or serving plate. Spoon about ¼ cup of the white buttercream onto this layer and spread it evenly to the edges. Carefully place the second cake layer on top and repeat the frosting process. Finally, add the last cake layer. Now, generously frost the entire top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. For a captivating cotton candy or rainbow effect, alternate between the white, blue, and pink frosting as you apply it, gently blending the colors.
For a beautifully neat multi-colored swirl design, grab a piping bag fitted with your favorite decorative tip (a large star tip works wonderfully). Alternately spread streaks of pink and blue buttercream along the inside edges of the piping bag. Once you’re pleased with the color distribution, fill the rest of the bag with the white buttercream. Pipe swirls around the perimeter of the cake, imagining a clock face: pipe one swirl at 12:00, then 6:00, then 3:00, and finally 9:00. Continue this pattern, filling in the spaces until the entire cake is adorned with lovely, colorful swirls. For the ultimate whimsical touch, just before serving, crown your cake with fluffy clouds or small pieces of real cotton candy. Remember, cotton candy melts quickly, so this is a last-minute addition!
Tips for Cotton Candy Cake Success
To ensure your cotton candy cake turns out perfectly every time, consider these valuable tips:
- Cool Completely: Always allow your cake layers to cool entirely before applying frosting. A warm cake will cause the buttercream to melt and slide off, ruining your beautiful decoration. Baking the layers the day before and frosting the next day is an excellent strategy to guarantee they are fully chilled.
- Prevent Flat Cakes: If your cake layers come out flat, the most common culprit is insufficient or expired baking powder. Always check the expiration date on your leavening agents; fresh baking powder is essential for proper rise. Ensure accurate measurements as well.
- Avoid Dry Cake: A dry cake usually results from either incorrect ingredient measurements or overmixing the batter. When measuring dry ingredients, especially flour, use the “scoop and level” method (unless using a kitchen scale for precision). Mix the batter just until the ingredients are combined; overmixing develops gluten, leading to a tough, dry texture.
- Perfect Buttercream Consistency: If your buttercream frosting is too thin, try chilling it in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes, then re-whipping it. If it still needs to thicken, add powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Conversely, if your buttercream is too thick, gradually add milk (or cream), one tablespoon at a time, until it becomes smooth and spreadable.
- Timing for Cotton Candy Topping: If you plan to decorate your cake with actual cotton candy puffs, wait until just before serving. The moisture from the buttercream frosting will cause the delicate cotton candy to dissolve and melt surprisingly quickly.
Storage Instructions
To keep your cotton candy cake fresh and delicious, store it in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. For extended freshness, transfer it to the refrigerator, where it will remain delightful for up to 4 days. Before serving, allow refrigerated cake to come to room temperature for the best flavor and texture.
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