Moist cupcakes, packed with that nostalgic cotton candy flavor and pieces of real cotton candy in the batter! The are topped off with a swirl of sweet, melt-in-your-mouth, cotton candy frosting, and finished with a pinch of fluffy cotton candy or one of my cotton candy lollipops!
Even create a swirled look with the frosting, for a fun twist, using blue and pink cotton candy, and food coloring.
Real cotton candy is dissolved with cream to create a cotton candy syrup to infuse the buttercream frosting with! Add a few drops of food coloring and cotton candy flavor oil, to really amp up the color and flavor.
I kept it sweet and simple with a dollop of the perfectly airy, sweet frosting and topped with with a little piece of cotton candy.
You can also top them with sprinkles and my cotton candy lollipops for a really fun look.
The cotton candy lollipops are really easy to make. I have a whole video tutorial on how to make them, too! Just make sure you don't make the lollipops or top the cupcakes with the cotton candy until you are ready to serve, as the moisture will start to dissolve the cotton candy as it sits out.
How cute are these?!
My favorite part is the specks of real cotton candy throughout the fluffy cupcakes. These are perfect for serving at a birthday party, carnival, or any special occasion!
You can also use them as a whole cotton candy theme for a party!
Yield: 13 cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
Frosting
Directions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups.
In a medium bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for about 20 seconds. Add butter and oil and mix for about 1-2 minutes to coat the flour, until mixture resembles wet sand.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg, yolk, vanilla, cotton candy flavor, sour cream and milk until smooth. Beat in food coloring. Slowly add the wet mixture on low speed. Increase to medium speed and beat for about 1 minute until batter is smooth. Break cotton candy into small chunks. Beat in half of the cotton candy until just incorporated.
Distribute the batter between the baking cups, filling about 3/4 full. Add remaining half of cotton candy chunks on top of cupcakes. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (About 10 minutes for mini cupcakes)*. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Cupcakes
- 1 1/4 cup (140g) cake flour, weighed or spooned and leveled
- 3/4 cup (144g) granulated white sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (1/2 stick/57g) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cotton candy flavor oil
- 1/4 cup (60g) sour cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup milk, room temperature
- 6-10 drops pink food coloring
- 1 cup packed cotton candy, divided
Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/4oz) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon cotton candy flavor oil
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups (1/2lb) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1/2-1 cup packed cotton candy
- 2-3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (sub half and half or milk if necessary)
- 6 drops blue food coloring
Directions
Cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350° F. Line a cupcake pan with baking cups.
In a medium bowl or bowl of a stand mixer, mix together cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed for about 20 seconds. Add butter and oil and mix for about 1-2 minutes to coat the flour, until mixture resembles wet sand.
In a small bowl, whisk together egg, yolk, vanilla, cotton candy flavor, sour cream and milk until smooth. Beat in food coloring. Slowly add the wet mixture on low speed. Increase to medium speed and beat for about 1 minute until batter is smooth. Break cotton candy into small chunks. Beat in half of the cotton candy until just incorporated.
Distribute the batter between the baking cups, filling about 3/4 full. Add remaining half of cotton candy chunks on top of cupcakes. Bake for 16-20 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. (About 10 minutes for mini cupcakes)*. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth and pale in color, about 2-3 minutes. On low speed, beat in vanilla, cotton candy flavor oil and salt. Slowly beat in powdered sugar, about a half cup at a time. In a small bowl, dissolve the cotton candy by stirring it together with the cream, until it forms a liquid. Add cotton candy/cream mixture to frosting, adding a few drops of blue food coloring if desired. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for about 3-5 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy. Frost completely cooled cupcakes and top with cotton candy or cotton candy lollipops.
If you give them a try be sure to tag me in a pic @LindsayAnnBakes on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter!
With an electric mixer, beat butter on medium-high speed until smooth and pale in color, about 2-3 minutes. On low speed, beat in vanilla, cotton candy flavor oil and salt. Slowly beat in powdered sugar, about a half cup at a time. In a small bowl, dissolve the cotton candy by stirring it together with the cream, until it forms a liquid. Add cotton candy/cream mixture to frosting, adding a few drops of blue food coloring if desired. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for about 3-5 minutes until smooth, light and fluffy. Frost completely cooled cupcakes and top with cotton candy or cotton candy lollipops.
If you give them a try be sure to tag me in a pic @LindsayAnnBakes on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter!
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WANT MORE FUN PARTY TREATS?!
Candy Themed Cake
