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Fluffy Pastel Swirl Cotton Candy Cake with Homemade Frosting

A slice cut from a fluffy cotton candy cake showing layers of white cake marbled with pink and blue coloring, covered in white frosting.
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Create a visually stunning, whimsical cotton candy cake with light, fluffy layers swirled in pastel pink and blue. This recipe uses simple ingredients to deliver that nostalgic carnival flavor in a showstopper birthday cake.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cotton candy extract (or more to taste)
  • 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
  • Pink gel food coloring
  • Blue gel food coloring
  • For the Frosting:
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon cotton candy extract
  • 2–4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • Pinch of salt
  • Extra cotton candy for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this dry mixture aside.
  3. In a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. This step incorporates air, which helps make your cake fluffy.
  4. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla and cotton candy extracts.
  5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix only until just combined after each addition. Do not overmix the batter.
  6. Divide the batter evenly into three separate bowls. Leave one bowl white. Add a few drops of pink gel coloring to the second bowl and mix gently until you have a light pink swirl. Add blue gel coloring to the third bowl and mix gently for a light blue swirl.
  7. Spoon the batters randomly into the prepared cake pans, alternating colors to create a marbled or swirled effect. Do not mix the colors together in the pan.
  8. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Prepare the frosting: Beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, mixing on low speed until incorporated.
  11. Add the vanilla extract, cotton candy extract, and salt. Beat on medium speed. Add the heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.
  12. Once the cake layers are completely cool, place the first layer on your serving plate. Spread a layer of frosting over the top. Repeat with the second and third layers.
  13. Frost the entire cake with the remaining cotton candy frosting. For a whimsical look, you can swirl the frosting colors slightly with an offset spatula.
  14. Top the finished cake with strands of fresh cotton candy just before serving.

Notes

  • For the best cotton candy flavor, use a high-quality cotton candy extract. Extracts vary in strength, so taste your frosting before applying it.
  • To keep the cake truly fluffy, make sure your butter, eggs, and milk are at room temperature before mixing.
  • Apply the fresh cotton candy topping immediately before serving, as it dissolves quickly when exposed to humidity or moisture.
  • If you want deeper pastel colors, use more gel coloring, but add it slowly to avoid thinning the batter.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://tastethisplate.com/cotton-candy-cake-recipe-fluffy-swirl/