Simple Cotton Candy Cupcakes

Soft and fluffy vanilla cupcakes, piled high with rainbow-coloured, cotton candy-flavoured buttercream. Can you even?
These gorgeous Cotton Candy Cupcakes were actually posted on Sweetest Menu over two years ago but they were in desparate need of a reshoot. So when I made them again this weekend, I took some new photos to do them justice.

When I first developed these vanilla cupcakes, I went a little crazy with the cupcake-making. I made five batches in one week, just to make sure these ones were the easiest and the best. And I love them.

So let’s talk cake. I have a few tips to ensure your cupcakes turn out every time – most of which I have learnt the hard way.

Simple Cotton Candy Cupcakes
Yield: 12 - 14 cupcakes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 48 minutes

Ingredients

Cotton Candy Cupcakes:

•     1 and 2/3 cups all purpose flour
•     1/4 teaspoon salt
•     ½ teaspoon Baking soda
•     1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
•     1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
•     1/3 cup vegetable oil
•     3 large egg whites, room temperature
•     1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar
•     1/2 cup pink cotton candy
•     1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
•     1 and 1/2 tsp cotton candy extract (see notes)
•     Few drops of blue gel food colouring
•     1/2 cup blue cotton candy
•     Few drops of pink gel food colouring

Cotton Candy Buttercream:

•     1 cup Unsalted Butter, softened to room temperature
•     8 cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
•     1/4 tsp salt
•     1 cup Hi-ratio Shortening
•     1/2 cup pink cotton candy
•     1 tsp cotton candy extract
•     1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream
•     Few drops pink gel food colouring
•     Few drops blue gel food colouring
•     1/2 cup blue cotton candy

Topping:

•     Cotton Candy

Instructions

For the Cotton Candy Cupcakes:

1. Preheat oven to 350° F (177°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minutes.
4. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Lower the speed to medium-low and mix in the egg whites, one at a time until just combined. Mix in the vegetable oil and cotton candy extract.
5. Alternately add dry ingredients in 3 additions and buttermilk in 2 additions to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat each addition just until combined, before adding the next.
6. Pour half of the batter into a separate mixing bowl and leave half remaining in the same mixing bowl.
7. Add 1/2 cup of pink cotton candy and a few drops of pink gel food colouring to one half of the batter. Using a hand mixer, beat until the cotton candy and food colouring are fully combined. Do not overbeat.
8. Repeat with the next half of batter using blue cotton candy and blue food colouring.
9. Alternate between adding 1 tablespoon of pink batter and 1 tablespoon of blue batter, then one more tablespoon of each for a total of 4 tablespoons.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 16-18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the cupcake comes out clean.
11. Allow to cool in pans for about 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

For the Cotton Candy Buttercream:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand-held mixer, beat the butter, shortening and salt on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes.
2. Turn the mixer to low, and gradually add half of the sugar one cup at a time. Once incorporated, add heavy cream and cotton candy extract and beat until combined.
3. Add the remaining powdered sugar one cup at a time and mix on low until combined.
4. Once the sugar is combined, increase mixer speed to high and whip until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
5. Add half of the frosting to a separate bowl. Add 1/2 cup of pink cotton candy and a few drops of pink gel food colouring to one half of the frosting. Using a hand mixer, beat until the cotton candy and food colouring are fully combined.
6. Repeat with the next half of frosting using blue cotton candy and blue food colouring.
7. Fit a large piping bag with a large star tip, I used Wilton 2D. (See above post for how to create frosting swirl) Pipe a pink and blue swirl onto each cupcake and decorate with cotton candy. Enjoy!

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