Description
Sweet cotton candy cupcakes bring whimsical childhood memories to life with fluffy frosting and playful pink swirls. Delightful dessert lovers will discover pure joy in each magical bite of this nostalgic confection.
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcake Dry Ingredients:
- 1 ½ cups (360 milliliters) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Cupcake Wet Ingredients:
- ½ cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
- ½ cup (120 milliliters) whole milk
Coloring and Decoration:
- Pink food coloring
- Blue food coloring
- Cotton candy for garnish (optional)
Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ½ cups (420 grams) powdered sugar
- 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
- ½ teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
- Pink food coloring
- Blue food coloring
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 350F (175C) and prepare a muffin tin with cupcake liners for easy removal.
- Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl, whisking thoroughly to eliminate any potential lumps.
- Using an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until the mixture transforms into a light, airy consistency with a pale color.
- Incorporate eggs individually, ensuring each is fully integrated before adding the next. Blend in vanilla and cotton candy flavoring until evenly distributed.
- Gradually introduce the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, alternating with milk. Begin and conclude with dry ingredients, mixing gently to maintain a smooth batter texture.
- Separate the batter into two equal portions. Infuse one section with pink food coloring and the other with blue, creating a vibrant palette.
- Carefully layer pink and blue batters into cupcake liners, using a spoon to create a marbled swirl effect throughout each cupcake.
- Place the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes. Check doneness by inserting a toothpick – it should emerge clean and dry.
- Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack, ensuring they reach room temperature before frosting.
- Whip butter until smooth and creamy, then slowly integrate powdered sugar, cotton candy flavoring, and cream to develop a light, fluffy frosting.
- Divide the frosting and tint one half pink and the other blue. Prepare a piping bag with both colors side by side for a dramatic swirled effect.
- Pipe the multicolored frosting onto the cooled cupcakes in elegant, tall peaks. Garnish with a wisp of cotton candy moments before serving for maximum visual appeal and freshness.
Notes
- Use gel food coloring for vibrant, even colors without affecting batter consistency.
- Softened butter at room temperature ensures smoother mixing and fluffier texture.
- For gluten-free version, swap wheat flour with almond or gluten-free blend and add xanthan gum for better structure.
- Avoid overmixing batter to prevent dense, tough cupcakes; stop mixing once ingredients are just combined.
- Create marbled effect by gently swirling pink and blue batters with a toothpick before baking.
- Refrigerate frosting briefly if it becomes too soft for piping perfect swirls.
- Cotton candy flavor can be replaced with vanilla or strawberry for different taste profiles.
- Use room temperature eggs to prevent batter from curdling and ensure even mixing.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 12
- Calories: 220
- Sugar: 10g
- Sodium: 100mg
- Fat: 7g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 34g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 5g
- Cholesterol: 30mg