My Cotton Candy Cake is a fun birthday recipe, flavored with soda to taste just like cotton candy. Its bright blue color and delicious flavor make it perfect for parties. Imagine biting into a cloud of pure sweetness, a swirl of pastel perfection that melts in your mouth.
If you want more fun birthday cake recipes, try my tastykake peanut butter kandy kake and my orange creamsicle poke cake.
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Why this Cotton Candy Cake Recipe is a Keeper
This white cake recipe tastes like cotton candy. With pink and blue buttercream frosting, sprinkles, and maybe a cloud of cotton candy on top. This fabulous dessert also comes with a buttercream recipe, and the frosting also tastes like colorful cotton candy. If you love cotton candy, here are a few reasons why you’ll want to try this gorgeous cake using pink and blue food coloring:
- Family Favorite: This easy cotton candy cake is sure to be a hit with your kids. My friends have requested for parties for years.
- Adaptable: Easily adjust the ingredients to your tastes and dietary needs.
- Delicious Flavor: This cotton candy cake tastes delicious, and is also topped with a rich, creamy frosting.
What if I Can’t Find Cotton Candy Soda for the Cake Mix?
If you can’t find the soda for the flavor, you can substitute with cotton candy extract. It’s also possible to use cream soda for something similar to the cotton candy flavor.
Pro Tip For a Fluffy Cotton Candy Top
Top the cake with cotton candy. You can create a cloud-like effect or shape it into different forms.
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Ingredient Notes and Variation Suggestions for Cotton Candy Flavor Cake
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Cotton Candy Flavoring: Flavor the cake with cotton candy soda. You may be able to find it at the grocery store or at novelty shops.
- Cream Soda: If you can’t find cotton candy soda, make this cotton candy cake with cream soda instead.
- White Cake Mix: Use your favorite white cake mix to make this cake.
- Cake Layers: If you have time, you can also make the cake from scratch. You can also try a strawberry or red velvet cake mix for a pink cotton candy cake, or make a swirl cake with pink, blue, and purple colored cake mix. Alternate the colors as you pour the batter into the pan.
How to Make Cotton Candy Cake with Buttercream Frosting
Get the full printable recipe with specific measurements and directions in the recipe card below.
- Prep the Cake: Preheat oven to 350F. Then, grease a 9″ x 11″ casserole dish and set aside. In a large bowl, beat together the white cake mix and cotton candy soda batter for 2 minutes, or use a mixer on low. Adjust the color with light blue food dye, if desired.
- Bake the Cake: Bake in a cake pan for 25-30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Prep Soda for Frosting: While the cake is baking, place 1 cup of cotton candy soda in a saucepan and heat until boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1/4 (2 oz of soda should remain). Let the cake cool completely.
4. Make Cotton Candy Buttercream Frosting and Mix on Low: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat together the butter and powdered icing sugar for 2 minutes, then add the cotton candy soda. Mix on low speed, then add the milk as needed to achieve a spreadable texture. Adjust the color with blue food dye, if desired.
5. Frost the Cake: Once the cake is fully cooled, spread the frosting on the top and sides of the cake, then decorate with sprinkles. When you’re ready to display the cake, wait until just before serving, then transfer the cake to a decorative cake stand.
Cake Batter Prep Ahead Suggestions
- Make the cake batter ahead of time, and refrigerate for up to two days before baking. Store the prepared cake batter in an airtight container.
- Let the batter come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
How to Store and Use Leftover Cotton Candy Flavored Cake
- Storing: Store leftover birthday cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator, or wrap and store at room temperature.
- Using Leftovers: Leftover cake should be good for 5-7 days.
Recipe FAQs and Reader Interactions for this Birthday Cake
For a moist cake, whisk the batter cake flour mixture just until combined. Be careful not to overmix.
You can freeze the cake, but the texture might not stay the same. You can also freeze the batter to bake for later.
Yes; just bake the cake batter in cupcake tins to make cotton candy cupcakes. You can also use the flavoring to make cotton candy cookies.
Expert Tips for Making Pink And Blue Vanilla Cake with Cotton Candy Frosting
- Decorations Get creative with your decorations! You can place sprinkles, edible pearls, or even small cotton candy-themed toys onto the cake.
- Parchment Paper: Use parchment paper so the cake comes out cleanly.
- Glitter: Add some sparkle with edible glitter or sprinkles around the cake to make the cake look more magical.
- Layer Cake: Make a tiered cake using 8-inch cake pans. Make each layer of cake a different color, then top with fluffy cotton candy.
- Egg Whites: Try using egg whites in the icing for this vanilla cake recipe.
- Puff of Cotton Candy: Crumb coat the cake, or top the cake with actual cotton candy.
- What to Serve with the Cake: Chocolate Salted Caramel Iced Coffee, Churro Chex Mix Muddy Buddies or Starbucks Pink Drink.
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Cotton Candy Cake
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Ingredients
Cake Ingredients:
- 12 ounces Cotton Candy Soda, can use cream soda, if needed
- 1 box White Cake Mix, 15 ounces
- Light Blue Food Dye, optional
Frosting Ingredients:
- 1 cup Cotton Candy Soda, or use 1 teaspoon Cotton Candy flavor extract
- ½ cup Butter, softened
- 4 cups Powdered Icing Sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons Milk
- Light Blue Food Dye, optional
- Pastel Sprinkles, as desired
Instructions
Cake Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- Grease a 9″ x 11″ casserole dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the white cake mix and cotton candy soda for 2 minutes. Adjust the color with light blue food dye, if desired. (If using, make the cake batter a deeper blue than you want the finished cake to be as it will lighten with baking.)
- Bake for 25-30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Meanwhile, place 1 cup of cotton candy soda in a saucepan and heat until boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer until reduce to 1/4 (2 oz of soda should remain). Allow to cool completely.
Frosting Instructions
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and powdered icing sugar for 2 minutes, then add the reduced cotton candy soda. Beat to incorporate, then add the milk as needed to achieve a spreadable texture. Adjust the color with blue food dye, if desired.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting on the cooled cake.
- To achieve the fun texture shown in the pictures, use short strokes to spread the frosting, then go back over the frosted cake and rough it up a bit.
- Garnish the cake with sprinkles, as desired.
Christina’s Notes
-
- Decorations Get creative with your decorations! You can place sprinkles, edible pearls, or even small cotton candy-themed toys onto the cake.
-
- Parchment Paper: Use parchment paper so the cake comes out cleanly.
-
- Glitter: Add some sparkle with edible glitter or sprinkles around the cake to make the cake look more magical.
-
- Layer Cake: Make a tiered cake using 8-inch cake pans. Make each layer of cake a different color, then top with fluffy cotton candy.
-
- Egg Whites: Try using egg whites in the icing for this vanilla cake recipe.
-
- Puff of Cotton Candy: Crumb coat the cake, or top the cake with actual cotton candy.
- What to Serve with the Cake: Chocolate Salted Caramel Iced Coffee, Churro Chex Mix Muddy Buddies or Starbucks Pink Drink.
For more helpful information about this recipe, such as variations, substitutions and other pro-tips, scroll up on the page.
Do you only use the cake mix and soda even if the cake mix calls for eggs and oil?
Just the ingredients that are listed.