Description
A light, fluffy vanilla cake with a nostalgic cotton candy flavor, layered with silky cotton candy frosting and topped with real cotton candy for a showstopping dessert. Perfect for birthdays, baby showers, and carnival-themed parties!
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- 2 ½ cups (310g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp cotton candy extract
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, room temperature
- ½ cup (120ml) buttermilk, room temperature
- Pink and blue food coloring
- For the Frosting:
- 1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (480g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 ½ tsp cotton candy extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- Pink and blue food coloring
- For Decoration:
- Cotton candy (for garnish)
- Sprinkles (optional)
- Instructions
Instructions
-
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line three 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
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In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
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In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla and cotton candy extract.
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Alternate adding the dry ingredients with the milk and buttermilk, mixing until just combined.
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Divide the batter into two bowls. Tint one pink and the other blue. Pour into prepared pans.
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Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.
-
For the frosting, beat butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, heavy cream, and cotton candy extract. Beat until smooth. Divide into two bowls and tint one pink and the other blue.
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Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Frost with blue frosting. Add the second layer and frost with pink frosting. Repeat with the third layer.
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Cover the entire cake with alternating swirls of pink and blue frosting. Smooth with a bench scraper.
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Decorate with cotton candy and sprinkles. Serve immediately.
Notes
-
Add cotton candy just before serving to prevent it from dissolving.
-
Chill cake layers before frosting for easier assembly.
-
Use cake flour for an even softer texture.
- Prep Time: : 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25–30 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12servings
- Calories: 520
- Sugar: 54g
- Sodium: 180mg
- Fat: 24g
- Saturated Fat: 14g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 72g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 90g