Whimsical Cotton Candy Cake (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the Cotton Candy Cake

01 - 2 1/2 cups (265g) sifted cake flour
02 - 2 teaspoons baking powder
03 - 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
04 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
06 - 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
07 - 4 large egg whites, room temperature
08 - 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
09 - 1 tablespoon cotton candy flavoring
10 - 1 1/4 cups (300ml) full-fat buttermilk, room temperature
11 - 1 drop blue food coloring gel
12 - 1 drop pink food coloring gel

→ For the Cotton Candy Buttercream

13 - 2 cups (452g) unsalted butter, room temperature
14 - 7 cups (840g) powdered sugar
15 - 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring
16 - 4 tablespoons whole milk, room temperature
17 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
18 - 1 small drop blue food coloring gel
19 - 1 small drop purple food coloring gel

→ For Topping

20 - 1 cup cotton candy

# Instructions:

01 - Heat your oven to 350 degrees. Spray three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans with baking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper circles.
02 - In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set this aside.
03 - In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed for about 2 minutes until it's creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium-high speed for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl and paddle halfway through.
04 - Turn the mixer to low and add the egg whites one at a time, mixing just until combined and scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the vegetable oil and cotton candy flavoring, then turn the mixer to high and beat for 1 minute.
05 - Turn the mixer off and add all the flour mixture at once. Mix on low speed until just combined, then slowly pour in the buttermilk. Keep mixing on low for about 30 seconds until the batter is smooth and uniform. The batter will be slightly thin.
06 - Split the batter equally between two bowls. Add one drop of pink food coloring to the first bowl and whisk until the color is even. Add one drop of blue food coloring to the second bowl and whisk until uniform. The blue will look a bit purple when mixed, but the pink color bakes off, so only the blue stays visible.
07 - Using a half-cup measuring cup, scoop some pink batter into each prepared pan. Use a separate half-cup to scoop some blue batter into each pan. Keep alternating the colors in a random pattern until all the batter is used up.
08 - Bake for 28 to 32 minutes. The cakes are done when they spring back when touched and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs. Let them cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed for about 7 minutes until it's creamy and almost white in color.
10 - With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition and making sure it's fully mixed before adding more. Add the milk and salt and mix on low until everything is incorporated.
11 - If you're making the watercolor frosting, set aside about 1 cup of plain white buttercream. Add the cotton candy flavoring to the rest of the buttercream and mix on low until combined. It'll turn a natural pink color. If you're not doing watercolor frosting, just add the flavoring to the whole batch.
12 - Once the cake layers are completely cool, level them to your desired height. Put a swipe of buttercream on a cake board and place the first layer on top. Spread about three-quarters of a cup of buttercream on top, smoothing it to about half an inch thick. Add the next layer and repeat. After stacking all the layers, give the whole cake a thin crumb coat with buttercream and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
13 - Divide the reserved white buttercream between two bowls. Mix one small drop of purple food coloring into one bowl and one drop of blue into the other. Use these colors along with the pink cotton candy buttercream to create a watercolor effect on the cake.
14 - Refrigerate the cake for another 20 minutes to firm up the buttercream. Fill a piping bag fitted with a large star tip with the remaining buttercream and pipe swirls around the top edge of the cake. Right before serving or photographing, top with a generous pile of cotton candy. The cotton candy will look good for about an hour before it starts to shrink.

# Notes:

01 - You can make your own cake flour by mixing all-purpose flour with cornstarch.
02 - DIY buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar to 1 1/4 cups whole milk and letting it sit for 15 minutes.
03 - The cake layers can be made ahead and stored wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 2 months.
04 - Buttercream can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 2 weeks. Bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.
05 - Don't add the cotton candy topping until you're ready to serve - it only lasts about an hour.

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