Description
Whimsical cotton candy cupcakes bring childhood memories to life with a playful pink twist. Sweet vanilla layers topped with fluffy frosting and delicate cotton candy sprinkles promise pure delight for dessert enthusiasts seeking nostalgic charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 box white cake mix
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
Flavoring and Coloring:
- 1 tablespoon cotton candy flavoring
- Pink food coloring
- Blue food coloring
Frosting and Topping Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons cotton candy flavoring
- 1/4 cup (60 milliliters) heavy whipping cream or milk
- 3–4 cups confectioners sugar
- Blue sanding sugar
- Pink sanding sugar
- Blue cotton candy
- Pink cotton candy
- Popsicle sticks
Instructions
- Warm the oven to 350F and arrange paper liners in muffin tins, preparing for a vibrant baking adventure.
- Create the cake batter by blending cake mix, egg whites, oil, water, and cotton candy flavoring until achieving a silky-smooth consistency.
- Divide the batter into two portions, transforming one half into a soft pink and the other into a playful blue using gel food coloring.
- Carefully layer the colored batters into muffin cups, filling each about three-quarters full to ensure perfect rise and color definition.
- Bake the cupcakes for 15-18 minutes, watching for a golden, springy texture that signals they’re perfectly done.
- While cupcakes cool, prepare the frosting by whipping butter with vanilla and cotton candy flavoring, gradually incorporating confectioners sugar and cream until achieving a light, airy consistency.
- Split the frosting and tint one half blue and the other pink, maintaining the cupcakes’ whimsical color palette.
- Once cupcakes have completely cooled, pipe the two-toned frosting in elegant swirls, creating a mesmerizing color gradient.
- Sprinkle sanding sugar over the frosted cupcakes for an extra touch of sparkle and texture.
- Just before serving, garnish each cupcake with a cotton candy stick attached to a dampened popsicle stick to preserve its delicate structure.
Notes
- Gently layer the pink and blue batters without mixing to maintain distinct, vibrant color separation for a visually stunning cupcake.
- Select gel food coloring to achieve rich, saturated hues that pop and create a more dramatic color contrast.
- Attach cotton candy sticks at the last moment to prevent premature hardening, ensuring a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture and fresh appearance.
- Experiment with alternative flavor extracts like vanilla or strawberry for different taste variations while keeping the playful color scheme.
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 18 mins
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 265 kcal
- Sugar: 34 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 2.5 g
- Cholesterol: 20 mg