🎂 The Best Cotton Candy Cupcakes ✨
Ingredients
For the Cupcakes:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
½ cup whole milk
For the Frosting:
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
2–3 tablespoons heavy cream (or milk)
Gel food coloring (pink, blue, and purple for a rainbow effect)
Cotton candy fluff (for garnish, optional)
Instructions
Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and set aside.
Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add Wet Ingredients: Beat in the eggs one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Mix in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Combine Wet and Dry: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Mix until just combined; do not overmix.
Bake: Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ⅔ full. Bake for 18–20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack.
Prepare the Frosting: In a large bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time, mixing on low speed to avoid a sugar cloud. Add the salt, vanilla extract, almond extract, and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Increase the speed and beat until smooth and fluffy, adding more cream as needed for desired consistency.
Color the Frosting: Divide the frosting into three bowls. Use gel food coloring to tint one bowl pink, another blue, and the third purple.
Decorate: Transfer each color of frosting into separate piping bags fitted with a star tip. Pipe swirls of frosting onto the cooled cupcakes, alternating colors for a fun, carnival-inspired look. Top each cupcake with a small puff of cotton candy if desired.
Serve and Enjoy: Serve immediately for the freshest taste and texture.