Description
These Cotton Candy Cupcakes are a whimsical and colorful treat perfect for parties and special occasions. Featuring swirled pink and blue vanilla cupcakes infused with cotton candy flavoring and topped with a fluffy cotton candy-flavored buttercream frosting, these cupcakes capture the fun and nostalgic taste of carnival cotton candy in a delicious baked good.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Cupcakes
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
- ½ cup whole milk
- Pink food coloring
- Blue food coloring
For the Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- ½ teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
- Pink food coloring
- Blue food coloring
- Cotton candy for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt until combined and set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a large bowl, beat the softened butter and granulated sugar together until the mixture is light and fluffy, which usually takes about 2-3 minutes with an electric mixer.
- Add Eggs and Flavorings: Add the eggs one at a time to the creamed mixture, beating well after each addition. Then mix in the vanilla extract and cotton candy flavoring evenly.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Alternately add the dry flour mixture and the whole milk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined without overmixing to maintain cupcake fluffiness.
- Create Color Swirls: Divide the batter evenly into two separate bowls. Tint one bowl of batter with pink food coloring and the other with blue food coloring. In each cupcake liner, spoon small amounts of both colored batters side by side or in alternating dollops to create a swirling effect in the cupcakes.
- Bake the Cupcakes: Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven and bake for 18–20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean without batter sticking.
- Cool Completely: Remove the cupcakes from the oven and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack before frosting so the buttercream does not melt.
- Make the Frosting: Beat the softened butter in a mixing bowl until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing continuously. Stir in cotton candy flavoring and add 2 to 3 tablespoons of heavy cream or milk until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
- Tint Frosting and Decorate: Divide the frosting into two bowls and tint one with pink food coloring and the other with blue. Using a piping bag or spatula, decorate the cooled cupcakes with the colored frosting, creating swirls or patterns.
- Add Cotton Candy Garnish: Just before serving, top each cupcake with a small piece of real cotton candy for an extra festive touch. Avoid adding it too early as it will melt.
Notes
- Add cotton candy garnish immediately before serving to prevent it from melting and becoming sticky.
- Store cupcakes at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days to maintain freshness.
- For longer storage, refrigerate the cupcakes, but bring them to room temperature before serving for best texture and flavor.
- You can experiment with different flavorings or food coloring to customize the cupcakes further.
