Cotton Candy Cupcakes begin with a moist fluffy vanilla cotton candy cupcake, and are then topped with a creamy cotton candy buttercream frosting, festive cotton candy sprinkle sugar pieces and tiny little fluffs of cotton candy.
Cotton Candy Cupcakes!
I am a cotton candy addict. I was the little girl that didn’t want funnel cakes, soft pretzels, candy apples or caramel corn.
Nope, I wanted those soft fluffy pastel clouds of heaven. I would beg for the huge bags to take home whenever we saw them.
That love has carried over to my adulthood and I am just as enthralled with cotton candy as I was as a small girl.
I think my sweet grandson needs to enjoy my love of cotton candy flavored things so we are always making some treat.
These cotton candy cupcakes are not only adorable but SO delicious!
Super easy to make.
I chose to use Sweets & Treats Cotton Candy Chunky Sugar Crunch both in the recipe as well as on top. This is not necessary but it does add additional flavor.
We decided to try adding some tufts of cotton candy for garnish on each cupcake. Not necessary but sure is cute!
PRO TIP:
If you can find cotton candy sold near you, you should definitely do this. However, do not add cotton candy until you are ready to serve cupcakes.
The moisture from the frosting will cause the cotton candy to melt over time.
It’s Summer Dessert Week! Huge thanks to Angie over at Big Bear’s Wife for creating this event and putting a lot of hard work into the entire event.
If you’ve been following along, you know we have provided you with desserts galore!
We aren’t done yet. We still have two more days left, after today.
Which means you only have a couple of days left to enter the giveaway. (more about that down below)
frequently asked questions
Can I make this into a cotton candy cake?
Yes. You will need to bake for about 40-45 minutes or so at 350 degrees F.
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes. You can make the cupcakes and the frosting up to 24 hours ahead, store separately.
You will need to make the cupcakes and then allow them to cool completely. Store them in an airtight container until the next day.
Make up the frosting and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
When ready to frost, let the frosting warm up to room temperature first. You may need to beat the frosting again with the mixer if it seems too hard/thick to frost.
Cupcake Storage Tips
Unfrosted Cupcakes
Unfrosted cupcakes can be wrapped tightly and frozen for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the fridge.
Frosted Cupcakes
Frosted Cupcakes should be stored upright in a sealed airtight container, preferably in the refrigerator to preserve the integrity of the frosting. Store for about 4 days in the refrigerator.
If you decide to store at room temperature, keep away from heat and they will only last about 2 days.
Summer Dessert Recipes
- Mermaid Pineapple RumDum
- Drumstick Layered Dessert
- Mermaid Milkshakes
- Mojito Popsicles
- Million Dollar Bar Pies
Cotton Candy Cupcakes Recipe
These cupcakes are our FAVORITE ones!
We love them any time of day and I’ve been known to munch on one with coffee for breakfast.
Moist, delicious, light cotton candy flavor, pretty pastel colors and topped with real cotton candy floss on top!
You will ADORE them!
Cotton Candy Cupcakes
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
- ¾ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup cotton candy floss
- 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
- 1 Tablespoons clear vanilla extract
- 5 large egg whites room temperature
- 2 ½ cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup of milk
- ½ cup Cotton Candy Sugar Crunch Sprinkles
- Wilton Pink Icing Color
For Cotton Candy Buttercream Frosting:
- ¾ cup butter softened
- ½ teaspoon clear vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- 3 ½ cups powdered sugar
- Wilton Pink Icing Color
- Wilton Sky Blue Icing Color
- Cotton Candy Sugar Crunch Sprinkles for decoration
- Tufts of Cotton Candy for decorating
Instructions
For the Cotton Candy Cupcakes:
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 muffin tins with 18 paper liners; set aside.
- In a medium bowl, beat the sugar, butter and cotton candy floss together. Add the egg whites, and both extracts and mix until combined.
- In another bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on medium speed. Add the milk a little a time until mixed together. Add the food coloring until you get desired color. Mix in the Cotton Candy Sugar Crunch.
- Divide the batter between the baking cups filling about 3/4 full.
- Bake for approx. 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Cool completely before decorating
For the Cotton Candy Buttercream Frosting:
- Cream together the butter, cotton candy flavoring and extract until smooth.
- Add in the confectioners sugar about a cup at a time, alternating with the heavy cream until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- Divide the frosting between two bowl. Add blue to one and pink to the other until you get the desired shades you want. Start with one drop and go from there, blending really well in between to ensure that's the final color result.
- In a piping bag already fitted with desired tip, spoon some of one color of the frosting down one side of the piping bag. Spoon the other color down the other side of the bag. Yes, you will get some colors mixed here and there, and that's okay. It looks amazing.
- Pipe your frosting onto your cooled cupcake and top with a sprinkling of Cotton Candy Sugar Crunch and a fluffy piece of cotton candy floss.
