A Sweet Memory
I first made these for my granddaughter’s birthday. She loved the fair. Her eyes got so wide when she saw them. I still laugh at that.
That’s why this matters. Food is more than eating. It’s about making a happy moment. It connects us to people we love. Do you have a favorite treat from a special day?
What Makes Them Special
These cupcakes taste like a carnival. The secret is the cotton candy floss in the batter. It melts right in. You also use a bit of cotton candy flavoring.
Doesn’t that smell amazing? The crunch sprinkles add a fun surprise. They make a little crackle when you bite. Fun fact: Cotton candy was first called “fairy floss” over a hundred years ago.
Mixing the Magic
Let your butter get soft first. This is important. It makes your cupcakes light and fluffy. Cream it with the sugar and that fluffy cotton candy.
Add your egg whites next. Then mix your dry things in a separate bowl. This keeps everything smooth. Add the pink color last, just a drop or two. What color pink do you like best, a soft blush or a bright fuchsia?
The Swirled Frosting
The two-color frosting looks so pretty. It seems tricky, but it’s not. You just put pink on one side of the bag. Put blue on the other side.
Then you pipe. The colors swirl together on their own. Every cupcake will look a little different. That’s the fun part. This matters because cooking should be joyful, not perfect.
The Final Touch
Top each one with more crunch sprinkles. Then add a small tuft of fresh cotton candy. Serve them quickly. The cotton candy will melt into the frosting after a while.
It makes a lovely, sticky-sweet top. They are best shared with friends. Would you make these for a party or just a fun Tuesday? Tell me if you try them.
Ingredients:
| Ingredient | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| unsalted butter | ¾ cup | room temperature; for cupcakes |
| granulated sugar | 1 cup | for cupcakes |
| cotton candy floss | 1 cup | for cupcakes |
| cotton candy flavoring | 1 teaspoon | for cupcakes |
| clear vanilla extract | 1 Tablespoon | for cupcakes |
| large egg whites | 5 | room temperature; for cupcakes |
| cake flour | 2 ½ cups | for cupcakes |
| baking powder | 2 teaspoons | for cupcakes |
| salt | ¼ teaspoon | for cupcakes |
| milk | 1 cup | for cupcakes |
| Cotton Candy Sugar Crunch Sprinkles | ½ cup | for cupcakes |
| Wilton Pink Icing Color | as needed | for cupcakes |
| butter | ¾ cup | softened; for frosting |
| clear vanilla extract | ½ teaspoon | for frosting |
| cotton candy flavoring | 1 teaspoon | for frosting |
| heavy whipping cream | ¼ cup | for frosting |
| powdered sugar | 3 ½ cups | for frosting |
| Wilton Pink Icing Color | as needed | for frosting |
| Wilton Sky Blue Icing Color | as needed | for frosting |
| Cotton Candy Sugar Crunch Sprinkles | for decoration | for frosting |
| Tufts of Cotton Candy | for decorating | for frosting |
Cotton Candy Cupcakes: A Fluffy Dream Come True
Hello, my dear! It’s Anna. Let’s make some magic today. These cupcakes taste like a sunny day at the fair. They are fluffy and sweet, just like a cloud. I remember making these with my granddaughter. Her smile was the best ingredient. Doesn’t that smell amazing? Let’s begin.
Ingredients
- Soft butter
- Sugar
- Cotton candy floss
- Egg whites
- Cotton candy flavoring
- Clear vanilla extract
- Cake flour
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Milk
- Pink food coloring
- Sprinkles
- Powdered sugar
- Heavy cream
Instructions
Step 1: First, warm your oven to 350 degrees. Line 18 muffin cups with pretty papers. Now, grab a big bowl. Beat the soft butter, sugar, and cotton candy floss together. It will look a bit stringy at first. That’s perfectly fine. Just keep mixing.
Step 2: Pour in the egg whites, cotton candy flavoring, and clear vanilla. Mix until it’s smooth. In another bowl, whisk the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to your butter mixture. Mix it on medium speed. Go slowly now.
Step 3: Time for the milk. Pour it in a little at a time. The batter will become beautiful and smooth. Now, add a drop or two of pink food coloring. Mix in your crunchy sprinkles too. (A hard-learned tip: Use clear vanilla so your pink color stays bright and pretty!)
Step 4: Spoon the batter into your papers. Fill them about 3/4 full. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes. They are done when a toothpick comes out clean. Let them cool completely. I still laugh at how I once frosted warm cupcakes. What a sweet, melty mess!
Step 5: For the frosting, beat the soft butter with the extracts. Add the powdered sugar and cream, bit by bit. Whip it until it’s light and fluffy. Divide it into two bowls. Color one bowl pink and one sky blue. Do you think cotton candy is better pink or blue? Share below!
Step 6: This is the fun part. Fit a piping bag with your favorite tip. Spoon the pink frosting down one side of the bag. Spoon the blue down the other side. Now, pipe your swirls onto the cool cupcakes. Top with more sprinkles and a real tuft of cotton candy. It looks like a happy little surprise.
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
Yield: 18 cupcakes
Category: Dessert, Baking
Three Sweet Twists to Try
Once you know the basics, you can play. Here are three fun ideas for next time. They make the cupcakes your very own. I love changing things up in my kitchen.
Unicorn Swirl: Use purple and yellow food coloring in the frosting too. It makes a rainbow on top.
Cotton Candy Ice Cream Cupcakes: Scoop a little vanilla ice cream on top. Then add the cotton candy tuft. It melts so nicely.
Confetti Surprise: Skip the pink color in the batter. Use rainbow sprinkles inside instead. It’s a confetti party in every bite.
Which one would you try first? Comment below!
Serving Your Sweet Clouds
These cupcakes are a celebration all by themselves. But every treat can be part of a bigger party. Think about what makes you smile. I like setting a happy table.
For a real carnival feel, serve them on a striped paper plate. Add a handful of popcorn on the side. The salty taste is perfect with the sweet. You could also place them on a cake stand with fairy lights. It looks so magical at night.
To drink, a frosty glass of pink lemonade is just right. For the grown-ups, a little sparkling rosé wine feels fancy. It’s like a toast to a good day. Which would you choose tonight?
Keeping Your Cupcakes Cloud-Soft
Let’s keep these sweet clouds fluffy. First, cool cupcakes completely. Then, store them in a sealed container. They will stay fresh on the counter for two days.
For longer storage, freeze them unfrosted. Wrap each cupcake tightly in plastic wrap. Pop them into a freezer bag. They will keep for a month. I once frosted cupcakes before freezing. What a sticky, melty mess that was!
Thaw frozen cupcakes on the counter. Frost them after they are soft. This matters because fresh frosting makes everything special. Batch cooking the bases saves big party stress. Have you ever tried storing it this way? Share below!
Fluffy Cupcake Fixes
Sometimes baking has little hiccups. Here are three common ones. First, dense or gummy cupcakes. This often means you over-mixed the batter. Mix just until you see no dry flour.
Second, frosting that is too runny. Your butter might have been too soft. Chill the bowl for ten minutes. Then whip it again. I remember when my frosting slid right off the cake!
Third, colors that are not bright enough. Gel food coloring works better than liquid. Start with one drop. This matters for both looks and fun. Fixing small problems builds your kitchen confidence. Which of these problems have you run into before?
Your Cupcake Questions, Answered
Q: Can I make these gluten-free? A: Yes! Use a gluten-free cup-for-cup flour blend. It works very well.
Q: How far ahead can I make them? A: Bake the cakes one day ahead. Frost them the day you serve.
Q: I don’t have cotton candy floss. A: Just use an extra 1/4 cup of sugar. The flavoring is the star.
Q: Can I halve the recipe? A: Absolutely. Just halve all the ingredients. You will get about nine cupcakes.
Q: Any optional tips? A: Try purple food coloring! Fun fact: Cotton candy was first called “Fairy Floss.” Which tip will you try first?
Share Your Sweet Clouds
I hope you have the best time making these. They are pure joy in a paper liner. I would love to see your creations.
Please share a picture of your pink-and-blue clouds. It makes my whole day to see them. Have you tried this recipe? Tag us on Pinterest! You can find me at @AnnasCozyKitchen.
Thank you for baking with me today. Remember, the best ingredient is always a happy heart. Happy cooking!
—Anna Whitmore.
Cotton Candy Cupcakes : Fluffy Cotton Candy Cupcake Recipe
Description
Fluffy pink cupcakes swirled with sweet cotton candy frosting. A magical, pastel dessert perfect for birthdays and parties!
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
For Cotton Candy Buttercream Frosting:
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with 18 paper liners; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the sugar, butter and cotton candy floss together. Add the egg whites, and both extracts and mix until combined.
- In another bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed. Add the milk a little a time until mixed together. Add the food coloring until you get desired color. Mix in the Cotton Candy Sugar Crunch.
- Divide the batter between the baking cups filling about 3/4 full.
- Bake for approx. 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Cool completely before decorating.
- For the frosting: Cream together the butter, cotton candy flavoring and extract until smooth.
- Add in the confectioners sugar about a cup at a time, alternating with the heavy cream until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Divide the frosting between two bowl. Add blue to one and pink to the other until you get the desired shades you want. Start with one drop and go from there, blending really well in between to ensure that’s the final color result.
- In a piping bag already fitted with desired tip, spoon some of one color of the frosting down one side of the piping bag. Spoon the other color down the other side of the bag. Yes, you will get some colors mixed here and there, and that’s okay. It looks amazing.
- Pipe your frosting onto your cooled cupcake and top with a sprinkling of Cotton Candy Sugar Crunch and a fluffy piece of cotton candy floss.
Notes
- Nutrition Facts (per serving): Calories: 315kcal, Carbohydrates: 47g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.5g, Cholesterol: 35mg, Sodium: 122mg, Potassium: 46mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 38g, Vitamin A: 408IU, Vitamin C: 0.01mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 0.2mg
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