Cotton Candy Cake
A light, fluffy vanilla cake marbled with pastel colors, layered with cotton candy-flavored buttercream, and crowned with real cotton candy. Perfect for birthdays, baby showers, or any celebration needing a magical touch!
Ingredients
- 1 box white or vanilla cake mix or your favorite from-scratch recipe
- as needed pastel gel food coloring pink and blue recommended
- 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened for buttercream
- 4 cups powdered sugar for buttercream
- 2-4 tablespoons milk or heavy cream adjust for frosting consistency
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional, for buttercream
- as needed real cotton candy for decorating
- optional sprinkles, edible glitter, pastel candies for decoration
Instructions
- Prepare cake batter according to package directions or your recipe. Divide into two bowls and tint one pink and one blue with gel food coloring.
- Spoon alternating colors into prepared cake pans and gently swirl with a toothpick for a marbled effect.
- Bake according to cake mix or recipe instructions. Cool completely and level layers if needed.
- To make the buttercream, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, milk or cream as needed, and cotton candy flavoring. Add optional vanilla extract.
- Layer cakes with frosting between each layer. Apply a crumb coat and chill briefly, then frost the cake with a thick final layer.
- Decorate with real cotton candy right before serving. Add sprinkles, edible glitter, or pastel candies if desired.
Notes
Cotton candy melts quickly with moisture, so add it at the last minute. Store the undecorated cake at room temperature, tightly covered. For cupcakes, simply adjust baking time to 15-18 minutes. This cake is perfect for birthdays, baby showers, or whimsical events!