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Cotton Candy Cake Fluffy Layers Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 100 reviews

This Cotton Candy Cake features fluffy, vibrant layers of pink and blue cake with a light cotton candy flavor infused throughout. The moist cake is paired with a sweet, creamy buttercream frosting tinted in pastel shades, crowned with a whimsical cotton candy topping for a magical dessert experience perfect for celebrations.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups (265g) sifted cake flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 4 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy Artisan Flavor
  • 1 1/4 cups (300ml) full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 drop blue food coloring (optional)
  • 1 drop pink food coloring (optional)

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients

  • 2 cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 7 cups (840g) powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy Artisan Flavor
  • 4 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 small drop blue food color gel
  • 1 small drop purple food color gel

Decoration

  • 1 cup cotton candy

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake Pans and Preheat Oven: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment circles to prevent sticking.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside for later use.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the room temperature butter on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat at medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and paddle as needed to ensure even mixing.
  4. Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Reduce mixer speed to low and add egg whites one at a time, mixing just until combined after each addition. Scrape the bowl and paddle to incorporate all ingredients. Add vegetable oil and Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy Artisan Flavor, then beat on high speed again for 1 minute to blend thoroughly.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Turn off the mixer and add the dry flour mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Gradually pour in the buttermilk, continuing to mix until the batter is uniform and slightly thin.
  6. Color the Batter: Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. Add pink food coloring to one bowl and blue food coloring to the other. Stir each until the color is evenly distributed.
  7. Layer and Bake the Batter: Alternately spoon the pink and blue batter into the prepared pans using a 1/2 cup measuring cup to create colorful layers. Bake for 28–32 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cakes cool for 5 minutes in the pans before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.
  8. Prepare Buttercream: In a stand mixer, cream the unsalted butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar at low speed, scraping the bowl down after each addition. Add whole milk and salt, mixing on medium speed until smooth and spreadable. Reserve 1 cup of this buttercream if you plan to tint it into pastel colors.
  9. Add Cotton Candy Flavor: Stir the Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy Artisan Flavor into the remaining buttercream. If making pastel colors, divide the reserved buttercream into two bowls and tint one with blue and the other with purple food color gel.
  10. Assemble and Frost Cake: Level the cooled cake layers to ensure flat tops. Stack them with about 3/4 cup of buttercream between each layer for even coverage. Apply a crumb coat over the stacked layers and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. Finish frosting the cake using the pastel and pink buttercream to create a watercolor effect. Use a piping bag to add decorative swirls.
  11. Add Cotton Candy Topping: Just before serving, top the cake generously with cotton candy. Be aware that the cotton candy will begin to shrink or dissolve after about one hour, so add it shortly before presentation for best effect.

Notes

  • Room temperature ingredients such as butter, egg whites, and buttermilk are essential for proper mixing and texture.
  • To achieve vibrant color layers, use gel-based food coloring as it is more concentrated than liquid coloring.
  • Ensure the cake is completely cooled before frosting to prevent the buttercream from melting.
  • Reserved buttercream allows for creating tinted pastel colors for decorative effects.
  • Place cotton candy topping just before serving, as heat and humidity can cause it to melt quickly.
  • Use parchment paper and a cake leveler for smooth layered stacking.

Keywords: cotton candy cake, fluffy cake layers, colorful cake, cotton candy flavored cake, pastel buttercream, layered cake recipe, birthday cake

Find it online: https://kitchenbyclara.com/cotton-candy-cake-fluffy-layers-recipe/