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Cotton Candy Cake

Cotton Candy Cake is a whimsical, colorful treat with the sweet nostalgia of carnival cotton candy. Perfect for birthdays, baby showers, or just bringing a little magic to your table.

  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 12 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale
    • For the Cake Layers
    • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
    • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
    • 2 cups granulated sugar
    • 4 large eggs
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 1 tsp cotton candy extract (or more to taste)
    • 1 ¼ cups whole milk
    • Pink and blue gel food coloring

 

    • For the Frosting
    • 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
    • 5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
    • 2–3 tbsp heavy cream
    • 1 tsp cotton candy extract
    • Gel food coloring for pastel swirls

 

  • For Decoration
  • Cotton candy tufts (added right before serving)
  • Sprinkles, edible glitter, or lollipops

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line your cake pans with parchment paper.
  2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
  3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
  4. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla and cotton candy extract.
  5. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and milk, mixing until combined.
  6. Divide the batter into two bowls. Tint one pink and the other blue.
  7. Swirl both batters into the pans for a cotton candy effect.
  8. Bake for 25–30 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.
  9. For frosting, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar.
  10. Mix in heavy cream and cotton candy extract until fluffy. Color as desired.
  11. Layer cakes with frosting in between. Frost and smooth the outside.
  12. Decorate with swirls, sprinkles, and add cotton candy right before serving.

Notes

  • Add cotton candy tufts only right before serving—they dissolve quickly.
  • Use gel food coloring to avoid thinning your batter or frosting.
  • Chill frosted cake for 20 minutes before final decorating.
  • Use cake flour instead of all-purpose for a lighter texture.
  • Add sprinkles to the batter for a funfetti variation.
  • Author: Your Name Here
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 slice
  • Calories: 520
  • Sugar: 56g
  • Sodium: 220mg
  • Fat: 24g
  • Saturated Fat: 15g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 8g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 72g
  • Fiber: 0g
  • Protein: 5g
  • Cholesterol: 115mg

Keywords: cotton candy cake, birthday cake, carnival dessert, pastel cake