Description
Bring the magic of the carnival home with these Cotton Candy Cupcakes—light, fluffy vanilla cupcakes infused with sweet cotton candy flavor and topped with swirled pastel buttercream. Perfect for birthdays, parties, or whimsical celebrations, these vibrant treats are fun to make and even more fun to eat. Garnish with real cotton candy for an unforgettable dessert!
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp cotton candy flavoring or extract
- ½ cup whole milk
- Pink and blue food coloring
- For the Frosting:
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3–4 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tbsp heavy cream or milk
- 1 tsp cotton candy flavoring (optional)
- Pink and blue food coloring
- Optional: cotton candy tufts, sprinkles, or edible glitter for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, vanilla, and cotton candy flavoring; mix well.
- Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk to the butter mixture, mixing until just combined.
- Divide the batter in half. Tint one half pink and the other blue. Spoon a bit of each color into each cupcake liner to create a swirl effect.
- Bake for 18–22 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.
- For the frosting, beat butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, then mix in cream and cotton candy flavoring. Tint with pastel colors and pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
- Just before serving, garnish with tufts of cotton candy or sprinkles, if desired.
Notes
- For a shortcut, use vanilla boxed cake mix and add cotton candy extract and food coloring.
- Switch up pastel shades to match any party theme.
- Top with edible glitter or shimmer dust for a magical effect.
- Add cotton candy garnish right before serving to prevent melting.
