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The Ultimate Fluffy, Pastel Cotton Candy Cake Recipe with Homemade Cotton Candy Frosting

A cross-section slice of a colorful cotton candy cake showing pink and blue layers, topped with fluffy frosting.
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Create a magical cotton candy cake that is wonderfully sweet and fluffy. This easy recipe delivers soft, pastel-colored layers and a homemade cotton candy frosting, perfect for birthdays and fun celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 teaspoon clear cotton candy flavoring oil
  • Pink gel food coloring
  • Blue gel food coloring
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
  • 4 cups powdered sugar, sifted (for frosting)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (for frosting)
  • 1/2 teaspoon clear cotton candy flavoring oil (for frosting)
  • Pinch of salt (for frosting)
  • Pink and blue cotton candy, for topping

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two 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 aside.
  3. In a large bowl, cream together the granulated sugar and softened butter until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and cotton candy flavoring oil.
  4. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between two bowls. Add a few drops of pink gel food coloring to one bowl and blue gel food coloring to the other. Gently fold the color into each batter until you achieve a light pastel shade.
  6. Pour the pink batter into one prepared pan and the blue batter into the other pan. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  7. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Prepare the Cotton Candy Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until smooth. Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar, alternating with the heavy cream, mixing on low speed until combined.
  9. Add the cotton candy flavoring oil and salt. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and beat for 3 to 5 minutes until the frosting is light and fluffy.
  10. To assemble the cake, place one cooled cake layer on a serving plate. Spread about one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Place the second cake layer on top.
  11. Frost the top and sides of the entire cake with the remaining frosting. For a whimsical look, you can swirl small amounts of remaining pink and blue coloring into the white frosting before applying the final coat.
  12. Top the finished cake with fluffy pink and blue cotton candy just before serving.

Notes

  • For the fluffiest cake layers, make sure your milk and eggs are at room temperature before mixing.
  • Do not add the cotton candy topping until immediately before you plan to serve the cake, as it will dissolve quickly, especially in humid conditions.
  • If you want a stronger cotton candy flavor, you can gently fold a small amount of finely crushed, dry cotton candy into the frosting just before the final spread.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://cookerycommand.com/cotton-candy-cake-recipe-fluffy-pastel/