Cotton Candy (Candy Floss) Cupcakes

Yield: 24 cupcakes

Cotton Candy Cupcakes Recipe

Cotton Candy Cupcakes Recipe

These Cotton Candy Cupcakes are all the fun of the fair, without the freaky clowns! Delicious vanilla cupcakes with a cotton candy frosting, topped off with more cotton candy!

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

  • 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 450g (2 cups) granulated sugar
  • 1¼ tsp vanilla extract
  • 4 eggs
  • 375g (3 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 240ml (1 cup) milk

Frosting

  • 225g (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 750g-1kg (6-8 cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar
  • 125ml (½ cup) milk
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 handful of cotton candy (candy floss)

Instructions

  1. To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4, and line 2 muffin trays with 24 paper liners.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then gradually add the vanilla and eggs and mix until incorporated.
  3. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt then add to the butter mixture alternating with the milk, but ending with the flour.
  4. Spoon the batter into the paper liners until around ½-¾ full.
  5. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until firm in the centre and light golden brown on top.
  6. Once baked, allow the cupcakes to cool in the muffin tray for 5 minutes before turning out to cool completely.
  7. To make the frosting, cream the butter until light and fluffy.Gradually add 4 cups of icing (confectioners’) sugar then add the milk and the vanilla extract then continue creaming until light and fluffy.
  8. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar.
  9. Add a few drops of food colouring and mix thoroughly until it is at your desired shade.
  10. Stir in the small pieces of cotton candy, stirring until incorporated. It may melt a little bit into the frosting, this is OK.
  11. Optional topping: tear off chunks of cotton candy and use as garnish; do this last step immediately before serving, because it will wilt if left out.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

24

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 234Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 72mgSodium: 128mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 0gSugar: 22gProtein: 2g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

Leave a Comment

Please leave a comment and consider leaving a star rating for the recipe. Your comments make my day!

20 Comments on “Cotton Candy (Candy Floss) Cupcakes”

  1. Paula @ Vintage Kitchen March 19, 2013 @9:50 pm Reply

    These pics are wonderful Lisa, and it´s a funny post. I didn´t even know you could get cotton candy to decorate!

  2. Jen @ Jen's Favorite Cookies March 19, 2013 @9:53 pm Reply

    This is just dang cute!! Love it!!

  3. Dorothy @ Crazy for Crust March 19, 2013 @10:18 pm Reply

    This is a way better way to eat cotton candy Lisa! So pretty too!

  4. Liz March 20, 2013 @12:39 am Reply

    My kiddies would love these Lisa! I also can't stand those puke-inducing rides.....yuck! Just give me the cupcakes and all's good! :)

  5. Loretta | A Finn In The Kitchen March 20, 2013 @12:59 am Reply

    I love that it's called candy floss over there because hopefully nobody in their right mind would floss with that stuff...

    I always love the pastel colors though!

  6. Joshua Hampton (Cooking Classes San Diego) March 20, 2013 @11:07 am Reply

    I love how colorful these cupcakes are. They look so light and airy. My kids will love them.

  7. Cynthia March 20, 2013 @11:51 am Reply

    These look amazing. I will have to try them in the few weeks.

  8. Jennie @themessybakerblog March 20, 2013 @12:27 pm Reply

    These are stunning! I want that soft, pillowy cotton candy in my mouth. Yum!

  9. Galina V March 20, 2013 @4:54 pm Reply

    I bet my guys would polish them in one go.

  10. Jess @ OnSugarMountain March 20, 2013 @6:02 pm Reply

    THESE ARE SO CUTE LISA! Mine looked crazy puke-inducing blue and I much prefer the way you topped these off with fresh cotton candy :D With the warmer weather approaching these would be awesome at a BBQ !

  11. CCU March 20, 2013 @8:03 pm Reply

    These are the cutest things ever my friend, too delicious though I could take a side of puke-inducing rides with them (love them ;)

    Cheers
    CCU

  12. Kayle (The Cooking Actress) March 21, 2013 @12:43 am Reply

    SO PRETTY AND SO FLUFFY OHEMGEE!! My brother is particularly crazy about cotton candy (I love it too, though, don't get me wrong) and he's adooore these

  13. The Partiologist March 21, 2013 @11:00 am Reply

    Oh Lisa - these are soooo pretty! I had to give up the rides YEARS ago, but I'll never give up cotton candy! Love the stuff - talk about the icing on the cake - this it it! :)

  14. cupcake with filling March 22, 2013 @1:01 am Reply

    love the greenish color of the frosting.. love the cotton candy on top.. love it all..

  15. Sydney Dunn March 22, 2013 @2:36 pm Reply

    WOW!!! These look amazing!

  16. Andrea March 23, 2013 @1:17 am Reply

    What a neat idea! Stopping by from Simply Sweet Home :)

  17. Blessedmama March 24, 2013 @12:27 am Reply

    Love this! So original!

  18. Hayley @ The Domestic Rebel March 27, 2013 @9:32 pm Reply

    Okay, waaaaaayyy too cute, Lisa. Majorly loving these!

    Cotton candy is one of my favorite things evah, but man, am I scared of carnivals and clowns. SO CREEPY.

  19. Erin @ Making Memories April 7, 2013 @6:02 pm Reply

    How fun are these?!?! My daughter would LOVE them!

  20. Pamela @ ReviewInsider UK December 12, 2015 @2:18 am Reply

    I love cotton candy and have especially bought a cotton candy machine to make this at home for my kids. But I've never seen anyone make cotton candy cupcakes. So glad I saw your page!!