Introduction

This Cotton Candy Cake is a delightful treat that combines light and fluffy layers with a dreamy cotton candy flavored buttercream. Its pastel hues and whimsical taste make it perfect for celebrations or anytime you want a sweet escape.

This is a tall, round cake with three main layers covered in smooth pastel pink, blue, and purple swirled frosting. Around the top edge, there are eight evenly spaced twirls of frosting in the same pastel colors, each with a mix of pink, blue, and purple shades, creating a soft striped effect. At the very top center of the cake, there are fluffy chunks of pink and light blue cotton candy, adding height and a cloud-like texture. The cake sits on a white round cake stand with a pink base, and the background features a white marbled surface with some soft pastel-colored objects and white candles blurred in the distance. Photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Ingredients

2 1/2 Cups (265g) sifted cake flour*
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp 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 Tbsp 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)
2 Cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature (for buttercream)
7 Cups (840g) powdered sugar
1 tsp Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy Artisan Flavor (for buttercream)
4 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
1 small drop blue food color gel
1 small drop purple food color gel
1 Cup cotton candy (for topping)

Instructions

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with baking spray and lining the bottoms with parchment paper circles.
Step 2: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
Step 3: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until creamy, about 2 minutes. Add granulated sugar and beat together on medium-high until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl once.
Step 4: Reduce mixer speed to low and add egg whites one at a time, mixing just until combined. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Add vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy flavor, then beat on high for 1 minute.
Step 5: Turn off the mixer and add the flour mixture all at once. Mix on low speed until just combined. Slowly pour in the buttermilk while continuing on low speed for about 30 seconds until uniform. The batter will be slightly thin.
Step 6: Divide the batter equally into two bowls. Add one drop of pink food color gel to one bowl and whisk until even in color. Add one drop of blue food color gel to the other bowl and whisk. Note that the blue may look purple mixed with the pink batter.
Step 7: Using a ½ cup measure, alternate scoops of pink and blue batter randomly into each prepared pan until all batter is used.
Step 8: Bake for 28 to 32 minutes. Cakes are done when they spring back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then remove and cool completely on wire racks.
Step 9: For the cotton candy buttercream, beat 2 cups of room temperature butter on medium-high speed until creamy and light in color, about 7 minutes.
Step 10: On low speed, gradually add powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add milk and salt, mixing on low until fully incorporated.
Step 11: If making pastel colors: reserve about 1 cup of buttercream and set aside. Add 1 teaspoon of Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy flavor to the remaining buttercream and mix on low until color turns natural pink.
Step 12: If not making pastel colors: add 1 teaspoon of Amoretti flavor to the entire buttercream and mix until fully combined.
Step 13: Once cakes are cooled, level the tops as desired. Place a small amount of buttercream on a cardboard cake circle and set the first cake layer on top.
Step 14: Spread about ¾ cup of buttercream evenly on the layer to a thickness of ½ inch. Continue stacking and filling with buttercream layers.
Step 15: Apply a crumb coat of buttercream around the whole cake. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set.
Step 16: Divide the reserved white buttercream into two bowls. Tint one with purple food color gel and the other with blue food color gel. Using these alongside the pink buttercream, frost the cake with a watercolor effect.
Step 17: Refrigerate the frosted cake for 20 minutes to firm up the buttercream. Fill a piping bag fitted with Wilton Tip 4B with remaining buttercream and pipe swirls along the top edge.
Step 18: Just before serving, top the cake with a generous mound of cotton candy. Note that cotton candy topping lasts about one hour before shrinking.

Tips & Variations

For homemade cake flour substitute, remove 2 tablespoons of flour per cup and replace with cornstarch; sift well to combine.
Make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar to 1 1/4 cups whole milk and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes before using.
If you prefer less intense cotton candy flavor, reduce the Amoretti flavor slightly in the buttercream.
To keep cotton candy from shrinking quickly, add it just before serving or photographing the cake.

Storage

Store the cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving for the best texture. Cotton candy topping is best added fresh as it will lose volume and dissolve quickly in humidity. Leftover buttercream can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week and rewhipped before use.

How to Serve

The image shows a tall, round cake with three smooth layers that blend pastel colors of light pink, lavender, and soft blue in a marbled pattern all over the sides. On top, there is a ring of swirled dollops of frosting in shades of light purple, blue, and pink arranged evenly around the edge. At the very center on top of the cake, there is a large, fluffy mound of cotton candy in pastel pink and blue colors that looks airy and soft. The cake stands on a pale pink cake stand, and the background is a simple white marbled texture. photo taken with an iphone --ar 4:5 --v 7

Serve this delicious recipe with your favorite sides.

FAQs

Can I use regular milk instead of buttermilk?

Regular milk lacks the acidity of buttermilk which helps tenderize the cake and activate leavening. You can make a substitute by adding 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to milk and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes before using.

What if I don’t have Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy Flavor?

You can substitute with any high-quality cotton candy flavoring or replace it with vanilla extract for a milder flavor, but the cake won’t have the signature cotton candy taste that makes this recipe special.