Cotton Candy Cake

Ultra soft and light cotton candy cake is perfect for those sweet cravings! This cake has the perfect cotton candy flavor without being overly sweet, and paired with cotton candy-flavored buttercream makes this cake the ultimate cotton candy cake. In addition, this cotton candy cake is easily dairy and egg-free.

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I use LorAnn Cotton Candy Flavoring to create the best flavor for this cake. You can find it here on Amazon.

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Every year in August, the Wilson County/TN State Fair comes to my town. It is an event that I have attended since childhood. Like any fair, it has everything: rides, food, farm animals, and fun activities and shows for all ages.

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Growing up, I have always LOVED fair food. Fair food is mostly everything you can think of fried, and with an egg allergy, that is just not possible for me anymore. But my favorite sweet guilty pleasure from the fair is cotton candy! So every year, I always make sure to get a bag of cotton candy. This inspired me to make my own dairy and egg-free cotton candy cake!

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THIS COTTON CANDY CAKE IS:

light and moist
full of cotton candy flavor
sweet (but not overly sweet)
dairy and egg-free
paired with delicious cotton candy buttercream

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HOW TO MAKE COTTON CANDY CAKE

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line 3- 6inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease. **I prefer to spray, add parchment paper, and then spray again.** Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Measure one cup of almond milk and mix in the tablespoon of vinegar. This mixture is your dairy-free buttermilk. Allow to sit while you continue making the cake batter.
Beat the butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy in a stand mixer.
While your butter and sugar are mixing, this is when I like to whip up my aquafaba. Using a hand mixer and medium-sized mixing bowl, measure 1/3 cup of aquafaba and whip until light soft peaks form and no liquid is left.
Scrape the bowl and add the whipped aquafaba, vanilla extract, and cotton candy flavoring. Mix on medium for about a couple of minutes until combined.
With the mixer on low, alternate adding in the flour mixture and almond milk mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
***If adding pink and blue food coloring, follow this step; otherwise, skip this step. Split the batter among three bowls: one bowl stays the white color, the next add pink food coloring, and the last add blue food dye. To control the color pattern, you will need to scoop your cake batter into the baking pans.***
Separate the batter evenly into the three 6inch baking pans. **I like using Wilton baking strips on my pans, but that is optional! I think the baking strips keep the cakes from browning on the edges and keep the layers even rather than domed.** Bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 30 to 32 minutes (this will vary depending on if you use baking strips) or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Turn out layers on cooling racks to continue cooling.

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HOW TO MAKE COTTON CANDY BUTTERCREAM

Beat the butter for about three to five minutes until light and creamy.
Scrape down the bowl and sift in the powdered sugar. Do not skip sifting the powdered sugar, or it will change the texture of your buttercream. Mix until combined.
Mix in the vanilla extract and cotton candy flavoring. Continue mixing on medium for about 5 minutes. (If your buttercream is too thick and not spreadable, then add a tablespoon or two of dairy-free milk or heavy whipping cream). Mixing your buttercream on medium for longer will create a lighter and smoother buttercream.
You can separate some buttercream to add pink and blue buttercream, but this is optional.

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TIPS FOR MAKING A LAYERED CAKE

After your cake is cooled, lightly wrap each layer in plastic wrap and freeze for approximately 30 minutes. This extra step will make decorating your cake much more manageable and have fewer crumbs!
You can make your buttercream while your cake layers are in the freezer.
Assemble the cake layers: place the first layer on a serving dish or cake board. Dab some buttercream before the first layer to help it stick. Spread buttercream over the first layer, then place the second layer evenly on top, apply another layer of buttercream, then place the last cake layer upside down.
Apply a very thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the stacked layers and scrape off the excess. This is called your crumb coat. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cover the top and sides of the cake again with another layer of buttercream.

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HOW TO STORE CAKE AND LEFTOVER CAKE

Keep cake refrigerated for up to 7 days.
Once the cake has been cut, finish slicing the cake and wrap each slice in plastic wrap. Then place it in a freezer bag. Refrigerate for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. **If cake layers are exposed, they will dry out. **
To thaw, take out an individual slice, still wrapped, and place it at room temperature for at least an hour.

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You will not regret making this cake; it is one of my favorite flavors! If you make this cake, let me know what you think and tag me @thethreelittlespoons.

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More cotton candy recipes to try:

Cotton Candy Sugar Cookies

Cotton Candy No-Churn Ice Cream

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Ingredients

Cotton Candy Cake Layers:

2 1/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dairy-free butter, room temperature
1/3 cup aquafaba, measured then whipped
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cotton candy flavoring
1 cup dairy-free milk
1 tbsp vinegar
pink & blue food coloring (optional)

Cotton Candy Buttercream:

1 1/2 cups dairy-free butter, slightly cold
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar, measured then sifted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp cotton candy flavoring
1-2 tbsp dairy-free milk or heavy whipping cream
pink & blue food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Cotton Candy Cake:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and line 3- 6inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease. **I prefer to spray, add parchment paper, and then spray again.** Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
Measure one cup of almond milk and mix in the tablespoon of vinegar. This mixture is your dairy-free buttermilk. Allow to sit while you continue making the cake batter.
Beat the butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy in a stand mixer.
While your butter and sugar are mixing, this is when I like to whip up my aquafaba. Using a hand mixer and medium-sized mixing bowl, measure 1/3 cup of aquafaba and whip until light soft peaks form and no liquid is left.
Scrape the bowl and add the whipped aquafaba, vanilla extract, and cotton candy flavoring. Mix on medium for about a couple of minutes until combined.
With the mixer on low, alternate adding in the flour mixture and almond milk mixture, starting and ending with flour. Mix until just combined.
***If adding pink and blue food coloring, follow this step; otherwise, skip this step. Split the batter among three bowls: one bowl stays the white color, the next add pink food coloring, and the last add blue food dye. To control the color pattern, you will need to scoop your cake batter into the baking pans.***
Separate the batter evenly into the three 6inch baking pans. **I like using Wilton baking strips on my pans, but that is optional! I think the baking strips keep the cakes from browning on the edges and keep the layers even rather than domed.** Bake at 325 degrees F for approximately 30 to 32 minutes (this will vary depending on if you use baking strips) or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.
Turn out layers on cooling racks to continue cooling.

Cotton Candy Buttercream:

Beat the butter for about three to five minutes until light and creamy.
Scrape down the bowl and sift in the powdered sugar. Do not skip sifting the powdered sugar, or it will change the texture of your buttercream. Mix until combined.
Mix in the vanilla extract and cotton candy flavoring. Continue mixing on medium for about 5 minutes. (If your buttercream is too thick and not spreadable, then add a tablespoon or two of dairy-free milk or heavy whipping cream). Mixing your buttercream on medium for longer will create a lighter and smoother buttercream.
You can separate some buttercream to add pink and blue buttercream, but this is optional.

** Directions on how to put cake layers and buttercream together, listed above in blog post. **

Recipe Notes

TIPS FOR MAKING A LAYERED CAKE

After your cake is cooled, lightly wrap each layer in plastic wrap and freeze for approximately 30 minutes. This extra step will make decorating your cake much more manageable and have fewer crumbs!
You can make your buttercream while your cake layers are in the freezer.
Assemble the cake layers: place the first layer on a serving dish or cake board. Dab some buttercream before the first layer to help it stick. Spread buttercream over the first layer, then place the second layer evenly on top, apply another layer of buttercream, then place the last cake layer upside down.
Apply a very thin layer of buttercream over the top and sides of the stacked layers and scrape off the excess. This is called your crumb coat. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes.
Cover the top and sides of the cake again with another layer of buttercream.

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