Fluffy Cotton Candy Cake (Printable)
A whimsical pastel layer cake with cotton candy flavor and fluffy buttercream frosting.
# What goes in:
→ Cake Batter
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, at room temperature
07 - 1 tablespoon cotton candy flavoring
08 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
09 - 1 1/4 cups whole milk, at 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 to 3 tablespoons whole milk or cream
15 - Pink and blue food coloring, as desired
→ Decoration
16 - Fresh cotton candy, for garnish
# Directions:
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 with 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 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; do not overmix.
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.
08 - Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Beat the softened unsalted butter until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar on low speed, then increase to medium and beat until incorporated. Mix in the cotton candy flavoring and whole milk or cream, beating until light and fluffy. Divide the buttercream and tint portions pink and blue as desired.
10 - Once the cake layers are completely cool, stack and frost them with the tinted buttercream, swirling the pink and blue together to create a cotton candy effect.
11 - Just before serving, arrange fluffy pieces of fresh cotton candy on top of the frosted cake. Serve immediately to preserve the cotton candy texture.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The marbled pink and blue batter looks like a sunset inside every slice.
- Cotton candy flavoring is unexpectedly delicate and nothing like the cloying sweetness you might expect.
- Kids lose their minds when you bring this to the table and adults secretly want a second piece.
02 -
- Cotton candy dissolves the instant it touches moisture, so never place it on the frosted cake until you are literally walking it to the table.
- Overmixing the batter after adding flour will give you a tough crumb instead of the tender sponge you want.
03 -
- Gel food coloring gives you saturated pastels without watering down your batter or frosting.
- A turntable makes the swirling buttercream finish ten times easier and ten times prettier.