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Cotton Candy Cake Fluffy Layers Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 59 reviews

This Cotton Candy Cake features delightfully fluffy layers in soft pastel colors, infused with the natural essence of cotton candy for a whimsical and sweet treat. Built with a tender crumb and smooth, flavored buttercream, it’s perfect for celebrations and those who love a playful twist on classic cake flavors.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake

  • 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

  • 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

Topping

  • 1 cup cotton candy

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake Pans and Preheat Oven: Preheat your 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 paper circles to ensure easy removal of the cakes after baking.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the sifted cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt thoroughly. Set this mixture aside for later.
  3. Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the unsalted butter at high speed for about 2 minutes until creamy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue to beat at medium-high speed until the mixture becomes light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl and paddle as needed.
  4. Incorporate Wet Ingredients: Reduce the mixer speed to low. Add the egg whites one at a time, mixing each in just until combined. Scrape the bowl and paddle again. Then add the vegetable oil and the Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy Artisan Flavor, and beat on high speed for one minute to fully blend these flavors.
  5. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Turn off the mixer and add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined. Gradually pour in the full-fat buttermilk while mixing until the batter is uniform and slightly thin in consistency.
  6. Color the Batter: Divide the batter evenly between two bowls. Add pink food coloring to one bowl and blue food coloring to the other, stirring each until the color is uniform throughout the batter.
  7. Layer and Bake the Batter: In your prepared pans, alternately layer the pink and blue batter using a 1/2 cup measuring cup to create distinct colorful layers. Bake in the preheated oven for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
  8. Prepare Buttercream: In a clean mixer, beat the 2 cups of unsalted butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, approximately 7 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar in increments at low speed, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add whole milk and salt, mixing until the frosting is smooth. Reserve 1 cup of the buttercream if you plan to make pastel colors for decorating.
  9. Add Cotton Candy Flavor to Buttercream: Mix 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 food color gel and the other with purple food color gel, mixing until the colors are even.
  10. Assemble and Frost Cake: Level the cooled cake layers with a serrated knife or cake leveler to ensure even stacking. Stack the layers, spreading about 3/4 cup of buttercream between each. Apply a crumb coat of buttercream over the entire stacked cake and refrigerate for 30 minutes to set. After chilling, frost the cake using the pastel and pink buttercream for a watercolor effect. Use a piping bag to add decorative swirls if desired.
  11. Add Cotton Candy Topping: Just before serving, top the cake with a generous amount of fresh cotton candy for a whimsical finishing touch. Note that cotton candy will begin to shrink and dissolve after about an hour once placed on the cake.

Notes

  • Use room temperature ingredients to ensure smooth mixing and a tender cake crumb.
  • If you don’t have Amoretti Natural Cotton Candy Artisan Flavor, substitute with a cotton candy extract or use vanilla for a milder flavor.
  • Color intensity can be adjusted by adding more or fewer drops of food coloring as desired.
  • Be sure to level cake layers evenly to avoid a leaning or uneven cake stack.
  • Refrigerate the crumb-coated cake to make frosting easier and neater to apply.
  • Serve the cake soon after adding the cotton candy topping to enjoy its fluffiness before it dissolves.

Keywords: cotton candy cake, fluffy layered cake, pastel cake, cotton candy buttercream, birthday cake, whimsical dessert

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