Description
This Cotton Candy Cake is a whimsical and delightfully sweet dessert featuring pastel-colored layers infused with cotton candy flavoring. Moist and fluffy, this cake is perfect for celebrations and adds a fun, nostalgic twist to a classic layered cake with its vibrant colors and dreamy taste.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp cotton candy flavoring
- Pastel food coloring (to desired shades)
Frosting
- 3 cups whipped frosting (store-bought or homemade)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pans: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two round cake pans with nonstick spray and dust lightly with flour to ensure the cakes do not stick.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set this mixture aside for later incorporation.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar together until creamy and light in color, about three minutes.
- Add Eggs and Flavoring: Add the eggs one at a time to the butter-sugar mixture, mixing on low speed after each addition to maintain a smooth batter. Stir in the cotton candy flavoring evenly.
- Incorporate Dry Ingredients and Milk: Gradually add the dry mixture into the wet ingredients, alternating with the whole milk. Mix gently until just smooth to maintain the fluffy texture of the batter.
- Color the Batter: Divide the batter into separate bowls and add pastel food coloring to each to achieve your desired shades for the cotton candy appearance.
- Layer and Bake: Spoon the colored batter into the prepared pans in layers or swirls as preferred to create a multi-colored effect. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool and Frost: Allow the cakes to cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely. Once completely cooled, frost generously with whipped frosting to finish your cotton candy cake.
Notes
- Make sure the butter is softened to room temperature for easier creaming with sugar.
- You can customize pastel colors by mixing different food coloring shades.
- Test doneness with a toothpick as oven temperatures can vary.
- For a homemade whipped frosting, whip heavy cream with powdered sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
