Cotton Candy Cake is full of fun bright colors and amazing flavor. Make this as a birthday cake or for any special occasion and top with more cotton candy.
Cotton Candy Cake Recipe:
Your kids are going to love this cotton candy layered cake. It is perfect cake to curb your sweet tooth because of the amazing flavor. The pretty marbled cakes are layered and topped with a delicious buttercream frosting.
Celebrate someone special with the cotton candy cake. The cake is soft and has amazing texture. Feel free use different colors to create your own.
We love making this cake because of the fun colors and textures. The bright pink, blue and purple colors is just what you need to make someone’s day.
Where Can I find Cotton Candy Flavoring?
Cotton candy flavoring gives your made from scratch the perfect amount of sweetness. We love to add it and usually find it at our local craft store or on amazon.
Ingredients:
Serves: 12
For the Easy Cake:
- All Purpose Flour
- Baking Powder
- Salt
- Unsalted Butter (softened)
- Granulated Sugar
- Large Eggs (room temperature)
- Cotton Candy Flavoring
- Milk (room temperature)
- Pink, Blue and Purple Gel Food Coloring
For the Frosting:
- Unsalted Butter (softened)
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk
- Cotton Candy Flavoring
- Pink, Blue and Purple Gel Food Coloring
Toppings:
- Pink, Blue and Purple Cotton Candy
How to Make Cotton Candy Cake::
For the Cotton Candy Flavored Cake:
- Step 1 – Heat the Oven – Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Then grease and flour 3 6 inch round cake pans.
- Step 2 – Mix Dry Ingredients – In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Step 3 – Combine Butter and Sugar – In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Mix with a hand held mixer or stand up mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and cotton candy flavoring. Mix until combined.
- Step 4 – Add in Flour Mixture – Then slowly add in the flour mixture and milk. Alternating between each one, until both are fully incorporated.
- Step 5 – Divide Batter – Then pour the batter evenly into 4 bowls. Color one of the bowls pink, one blue and one purple and then the 4th bowl undid.
- Step 6 – Add Batter to Baking Pans – Spoon the batter randomly into each of the 3 baking pans. Gently swirl the batter together to make a marble pattern (be careful not to over mix).
- Step 7 – Bake Cakes – Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Step 8 – Cool Cakes – Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes. Then turn them over onto wire racks and cool completely.
How to Make Cotton Candy Buttercream:
- Step 1 – Beat Butter – Beat the butter with a hand held mixer or stand mixer in large mixing bowl. Beat for approximately 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Step 2 – Add in Powdered Sugar – Reduce the speed on the mixer to low. Then gradually add in the powered sugar until combined. Then mix in the milk and cotton candy flavoring until combined.
- Step 3 – Divide Frosting – Divide the frosting evenly into 3 bowls. Dye one bowl pink, one bowl blue and one bowl purple.
Assemble Cotton Candy Cake:
- Step 1 – Level Cake – Level each of the cakes with a serrated knife.
- Step 2 – Place on Cake Stand – Place one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand. Add about ½ cup of frosting on top and continue this process with the remaining 2 cakes.
- Step 3 – Add Frosting – Place a thin layer of frosting around the top of the cake. Add on the outside of the cake for the crumb layer. Then place in freezer for 10 minutes.
- Step 4 – Add Cake Layers – Once the crumb coat is set. Add another layer of frosting to the sides and top of the cakes. Alternate between the colors on the frostings to get the swirl effect on the frosting.
- Step 5 – Color Frosting – Then place each color of the frosting onto the sides of a piping bag. Fitted with a large star tip and pipe multi-colored swirls around the top of the cake.
- Step 6 – Serve and enjoy – When ready to serve, style with cotton candy on the top. Add around the sides of the cake. Then the cake is ready to slice, serve and enjoy.
Recipe Tips:
- Level Cake – If your cake is domed shaped once you bake it, level the cake with a serrated knife. This will help the layers to stack evenly.
- Cool Cakes – The layers need to cool completely before adding frosting or it will slide off.
- Room temperature Ingredients – The frosting will combine smoother if the ingredients is room temperature.
- Combining Ingredients – Combine the cake ingredients until just combined. Mixing the ingredients excessively will make the cake dense instead of soft and fluffy.
- Leave in Pans – The cake needs to cool slightly before removing from the pan. This will help it to come out easier and not fall apart.
- Food Coloring – You can add as much or as little food coloring as you prefer. The colors can be as vibrant or as faint as you desire.
- Swirling Cake Batter – To make the fun pink and purple swirling colors in the cake.
Cotton Candy Birthday Cake Variation Ideas:
- Change Cake – We love making our cakes from scratch but feel free to make a white cake mix instead. The cake will still fun and festive.
- Sprinkles – Add your favorite sprinkles to add texture and fun colors.
- Food Coloring – You can easily use different colors of food coloring and cotton candy for the topping.
How to Serve Cotton Candy Cake:
This cake is the perfect birthday party cake. It is even perfect for a gender reveal cake using pink and blue food coloring. Serve with a side of ice cream for the perfect party cake.
How to Store Leftovers:
Store the leftover cake at room temperature, covered, for up to 3-4 days.
Print Recipe for Cotton Candy Cake:
Cotton Candy Cake
Cotton Candy Cake is full of fun bright colors and amazing flavor. Make this as a birthday cake or for any special occasion and top with more cotton candy.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups All Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 cup Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups Granulated Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon Cotton Candy Flavoring
- 1 cup Milk room temperature
- Pink Blue and Purple Gel Food Coloring
For the Frosting:
- 2 cups Unsalted Butter softened
- 6 cups Powdered Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons Milk
- 2 teaspoon Cotton Candy Flavoring
- Pink Blue and Purple Gel Food Coloring
For Serving:
- Pink Blue and Purple Cotton Candy
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease and flour 3 6 inch round cake pans.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, cream together the butter and sugar with a hand held mixer or stand up mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the eggs and cotton candy flavoring. Mix until combined.
- Then slowly add in the flour mixture and milk, alternating between each one, until both are fully incorporated.
- Then pour the batter evenly into 4 bowls. Color one of the bowls pink, one blue and one purple and then the 4th bowl undid.
- Spoon the batter randomly into each of the 3 baking pans. Gently swirl the batter together to make a marble pattern (be careful not to over mix).
- Bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes and then turn them over onto wire racks and cool completely.
For the Frosting:
- Beat the butter with a hand held mixer or stand up mixer for approximately 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Reduce the speed on the mixer to low and gradually add in the powered sugar until combined. Then mix in the milk and cotton candy flavoring until combined.
- Divide the frosting evenly into 3 bowls. Dye one bowl pink, one bowl blue and one bowl purple.
To Assemble:
- Level each of the cakes with a serrated knife.
- Place one of the cakes on a serving plate or cake stand. Add about ½ cup of frosting on top and continue this process with the remaining 2 cakes.
- Place a thin layer of frosting around the top and outside of the cake for the crumb layer and freezer for 10 minutes.
- Once the crumb coat is set. Add another layer of frosting to the sides and top of the cakes. Alternate between the colors on the frostings to get the swirl effect on the frosting.
- Then place each color of the frosting onto the sides of a piping bag fitted with a large star tip and pipe multi-colored swirls around the top of the cake.
- When ready to serve, style with cotton candy on the top and around the sides of the cake. Then the cake is ready to slice, serve and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
Store the leftover cake at room temperature, covered, for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 828kcal, Carbohydrates 106g, Protein 5g, Fat 44g, Saturated Fat 28g, Polyunsaturated Fat 2g, Monounsaturated Fat 12g, Trans Fat 2g, Cholesterol 156mg, Sodium 200mg, Potassium 94mg, Fiber 1g, Sugar 85g, Vitamin A 1398IU, Calcium 92mg, Iron 2mg
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