Description
Sweet Cotton Candy Cake celebrates childhood nostalgia with layers of pink-tinted sponge and fluffy buttercream. Carnival-inspired dessert promises delightful memories and sugary excitement for guests of all ages.
Ingredients
Scale
- 4 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups (315 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cotton candy extract
- ½ tsp salt
- Food coloring (pink and blue or your choice of colors)
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsps heavy cream or milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp cotton candy extract
- Food coloring (optional)
- Cotton candy (store-bought or homemade)
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Oven Preparation: Preheat oven to 350F (175C) and prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by buttering and lining with parchment paper.
- Dry Ingredient Blend: Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a mixing bowl, setting aside for later incorporation.
- Butter Mixture: Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, creating a voluminous base. Add eggs one at a time, thoroughly integrating after each addition. Mix in vanilla and cotton candy extracts until uniform.
- Batter Development: Alternately fold dry ingredients and milk into the butter mixture, starting and ending with dry ingredients. Gently mix to maintain batter’s delicate texture. Divide batter into separate bowls and tint with pastel food coloring, carefully folding to preserve airiness.
- Baking Process: Evenly distribute colored batters into prepared pans, smoothing surfaces. Bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Rest cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a cooling rack.
- Frosting Creation: Whip butter until creamy, gradually incorporating powdered sugar and heavy cream. Beat until achieving a silky, cloud-like consistency. Enhance with vanilla and cotton candy extracts, optionally adding food coloring.
- Cake Assembly: Position first cake layer on serving plate, spreading a delicate frosting layer. Repeat with remaining layers, fully enrobing the cake with frosting to create smooth, even coverage.
- Final Flourish: Decorate with cotton candy wisps and playful sprinkles just before serving to prevent premature melting and maintain visual whimsy.
Notes
- Maintain Precise Oven Temperature: Ensure exact 350F (175C) for even baking and consistent cake texture, using an oven thermometer for accuracy.
- Prevent Overmixing Batter: Gently fold ingredients to maintain airiness, stopping when dry ingredients are just incorporated to avoid dense, tough cake layers.
- Color Batter Strategically: Add food coloring sparingly and fold gently to preserve batter’s delicate structure, creating soft pastel swirls without deflating mixture.
- Handle Cotton Candy Decoration Carefully: Add cotton candy garnish immediately before serving to prevent melting and maintain delicate, ethereal appearance.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 460
- Sugar: 54 g
- Sodium: 210 mg
- Fat: 26 g
- Saturated Fat: 16 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 57 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 105 mg