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Cotton Candy Cupcakes

Sara Lane
Course Dessert
Servings 12 cupcakes

Equipment

  • Standard muffin pan
  • Electric mixer
  • Medium-sized mixing bowl
  • Double-boiler

Ingredients
  

For cupcakes

  • 3 cups sifted cake flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter softened
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 eggs room temperature
  • 1 2/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 cup whole milk

For buttercream icing

  • 4 sticks unsalted butter softened
  • 5 large egg whites
  • 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • 1 package store-bought cotton candy
  • red food coloring

Instructions
 

For cupcakes

  • Preheat oven to 350˚. Line a standard muffin pan with cupcake liners.
  • Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time and incorporate well.
  • In a medium bowl, sift together dry ingredients. Alternate adding dry ingredients and milk in batches to the mixture.
  • Spoon batter into each cup, filling about ¾ full. Bake 20–25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before topping or frosting.

For icing

  • Using a double boiler, combine egg whites and sugar, whisking until sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 minutes.
  • Using an electric mixer, beat on high until mixture is completely cool, about 15 minutes.
  • Add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until completely incorporated.
  • Add vanilla and 2 drops of red food coloring to achieve pink color.
  • Before serving, add pinches of packaged cotton candy, about a handful total.

For assembling

  • Frost cupcakes traditionally or scoop frosting into a zip-top plastic bag and squeeze into the bottom. Snip off the corner with scissors, pipe in a swirling motion onto cupcake. Top with a pinch of cotton candy.