4.4 from 58 votes
Cotton Candy Cake Recipe
The Cotton Candy Cake is a layered cake that combines classic cake ingredients with a distinctive cotton candy flavoring. It features a mix of vanilla-based cake batter divided and colored in pastel blue and pink swirls, creating a visually appealing and lightly flavored cake. The recipe includes a rich buttercream frosting that also carries the cotton candy flavor, complementing the sweet, soft cake layers. The texture offers a tender crumb with just enough sweetness to highlight the whimsical cotton candy essence, ideal for special occasions or themed celebrations.
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings:
12
slices
Calories:
1072 kcal
Course:
Dessert, Cake
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 4 cups cake flour (see note)
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1¼ teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup butter room temperature (2 sticks, unsalted
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 5 egg room temperature, large
- 1¾ cups milk room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons cotton candy flavoring (2 drams LorAnn)
- Food Coloring optional, blue and pink
For the Buttercream
- 2 cups butter room temperature (4 sticks, unsalted
- 7 cups powdered sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ teaspoon cotton candy flavoring (1 dram LorAnn)
- Food Coloring optional, pink and blue
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.
- 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. Add in the eggs, milk, and cotton candy flavoring. Beat on high for another 1 minute. 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.
- 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.
- Separate the frosting evenly into 3 bowls. Color 1 bowl pink, 1 bowl blue, and leave the last bowl white.
- 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!
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Store the finished Cotton Candy Cake in an airtight container at room temperature for maximum of 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days to keep it fresh.
Nutrition Information
Serving
1slice
Calories
1072kcal
(54%)
Carbohydrates
152g
(51%)
Protein
9g
(18%)
Fat
50g
(77%)
Saturated Fat
30g
(150%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
2g
(12%)
Monounsaturated Fat
13g
(65%)
Trans Fat
2g
(100%)
Cholesterol
194mg
(65%)
Sodium
512mg
(21%)
Potassium
138mg
(3%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
120g
(240%)
Vitamin A
1576IU
(32%)
Calcium
134mg
(13%)
Iron
1mg
(6%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 12 slices
Amount Per Serving
Calories 1072
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1slice | |
| Calories | 1072kcal | 54% |
| Carbohydrates | 152g | 51% |
| Protein | 9g | 18% |
| Fat | 50g | 77% |
| Saturated Fat | 30g | 150% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 2g | 12% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 13g | 65% |
| Trans Fat | 2g | 100% |
| Cholesterol | 194mg | 65% |
| Sodium | 512mg | 21% |
| Potassium | 138mg | 3% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 120g | 240% |
| Vitamin A | 1576IU | 32% |
| Calcium | 134mg | 13% |
| Iron | 1mg | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.