Description
Sweet cotton candy cupcakes bring nostalgic carnival flavors to dessert tables with whimsical pastel frosting. Pillowy cake layers and fluffy buttercream invite you to indulge in childhood memories of fairground treats.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 large eggs
- 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsps baking powder
- ¾ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream or milk (240 ml)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1–1 ½ tsps cotton candy flavoring
- 3–4 cups confectioners’ sugar
- Blue and pink sanding sugar
- Blue and pink cotton candy
- Popsicle sticks
Instructions
- Preparation: Center the oven rack and preheat to 350°F (177°C). Line a 12-cavity muffin tin with decorative cupcake liners.
- Batter Creation: Whisk cake mix, egg whites, vegetable oil, water, and cotton candy flavoring in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Divide batter into two equal portions, then gently fold pink and blue food coloring into separate halves to create pastel swirls.
- Filling and Baking: Alternately layer pink and blue batters into cupcake liners, filling approximately 2/3 full. Bake for 16-19 minutes, rotating the pan midway to ensure uniform cooking. Verify doneness by inserting a toothpick – it should emerge clean.
- Cooling Process: Rest cupcakes in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack for complete cooling.
- Frosting Development: Blend cream cheese, unsalted butter, powdered sugar, and cotton candy flavoring in a stand mixer until light and airy. Divide frosting, tinting one half soft pink and the other soft blue using gel food coloring.
- Decorative Finishing: Prepare a piping bag with a large star tip, filling one side with pink frosting and the other with blue to create a two-toned effect. Pipe swirled frosting onto cooled cupcakes, forming an elegant peak. Embellish edges with iridescent sanding sugar and crown each cupcake with a delicate cotton candy stick for a whimsical presentation.
Notes
- Flavor Precision: Use pure cotton candy extract for authentic taste, avoiding artificial substitutes that might create chemical undertones.
- Color Technique: Gel food coloring provides more vibrant, concentrated hues without altering batter consistency compared to liquid versions.
- Baking Accuracy: Rotate muffin tin midway through baking to guarantee uniform heat distribution and prevent uneven cupcake browning.
- Frosting Balance: Allow cream cheese to reach room temperature before mixing to ensure smooth, lump-free frosting with perfect piping consistency.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 19
- Calories: 272
- Sugar: 30 g
- Sodium: 120 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 40 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg