Cotton Candy Cake (Sweet Birthday Sheet Cake Idea)
This delightful Cotton Candy Cake is sure to be a showstopper at birthday parties, kids’ parties, baby showers, gender reveal parties, and other gatherings. Plus, it’s an easy recipe that can be whipped up in no time!
When I was a kid, one of my favorite treats was cotton candy.
There were only 2 or 3 times a year that I was lucky enough to have my parents splurge and buy me cotton candy on a stick or in a bag.
Remember the cotton candy on that cardboard cone? Oh, how I loved watching them spin the cotton candy, roll it on that cone and then hand it over to me.
Sticky fingers and all, it was, without a doubt, my favorite childhood treat.
To this day, I still love to pinch off a few bites of that sticky, sugary goodness.
So what’s the next best thing, you ask? Our recipe for Cotton Candy Cake, of course. 😂
This a unique recipe that calls for cotton candy soda, perfect to satisfy any sweet tooth. Yes, simple, easy, and delicious enough to enjoy for any occasion.
This is a great cake idea for baby showers, gender reveal parties, kids’ birthday parties, and any summertime gathering!
Plus, it’s a great way to incorporate some fun colors into your party decorations!
If you love baking fun and kid-friendly cake recipes, try my:
Ingredients Needed For Cotton Candy Cake Recipe
Here is what you’ll need to make this fun and festive birthday cake recipe!
- Cotton Candy Soda – use blue raspberry soda or cream soda, if necessary
- White Cake Mix – any brand
- Light Blue Food Coloring – optional
- Cotton Candy Flavoring Extract – optional
- Butter – softened
- Powdered Sugar
- Milk – 2% or Whole
- Pastel Sprinkles – as desired
How to Make Cotton Candy Cake
Here’s how to make this fun and delicious recipe.
Step 1
Preheat the oven and prepare a 9 x 11-inch casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
Step 2
Add the white cake mix and cotton candy soda to a large mixing bowl and beat for 2 minutes. Add in light blue food coloring and adjust the color according to your preference.
Step 3
Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the frosting.
Step 4
To make the frosting, add cotton candy soda in a saucepan and heat until boiling on medium-high. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer to reduce the liquid. Cool completely.
Step 5
Add the butter and powdered sugar together in a large mixing bowl for about 2 minutes. Add reduced cotton candy soda to the butter and sugar mixture. Mix well to incorporate.
Step 6
Add milk to the mixture in order to make the frosting a spreadable consistency. You can also adjust the color of the blue food coloring if you wish.
Step 7
Using an offset spatula or knife, spread the frosting on the cake. To make your cake look like the photo, use short strokes while spreading the frosting. Then go back and ‘rough’ it up a bit.
Step 8
Add the pastel sprinkles as desired.
Cotton Candy Cake Recipe Notes And Tips
- Change things up by using various flavors you want for this cake! Bubble gum, green apple, etc. Have fun and get creative!
- When using food coloring, make the batter a little darker than you desire because after the cake is baked, the color will lighten up.
- If you are making a double-layer cake, use parchment paper at the bottom of the cake pans for easy removal from the pans.
- Be sure the butter is softened before you begin making the frosting. It will be easier to incorporate with the other ingredients and will produce a more even texture in the frosting.
Variations Of Cotton Candy Cake To Try
- To change up the flavor and color. For example, vanilla cake could become strawberry cake with strawberry cake mix and strawberry soda.
- This is the perfect recipe to use for a gender reveal party. 😁
- Cotton candy cupcakes are just as fantastic and adorable as cotton candy cake.
- This recipe is so versatile that you can literally make it any select flavor you want, from grape, lemon, lime, and watermelon to any other flavor you enjoy.
- Add actual cotton candy to the cake mix (or sticking out of the frosting on top of the cake!).
Cotton Candy Cake FAQs
If you’ve never made a specialty soda cake like this one, you may have a question or two! Here are some of the questions I see readers ask most often.
You can definitely make the cake up to a day ahead of time. I would wait until at least a couple of hours ahead of serving to add the frosting and sprinkles.
This cake can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. Just be sure to keep the cake in an airtight container or storage bag for up to 2 – 3 days.
Absolutely! Simply use two cake mixes and double all other ingredients. You can divide the batter into two pans, make a double layer, or one large cake.
Yes, it can. However, I would recommend that you freeze only the cake. Once you are ready to serve, remove from the freezer, allow to thaw, and then add the frosting and sprinkles.
If your frosting is too thin, you can add in a little bit of powdered sugar until it reaches your desired consistency. If it is too thick, add in a little bit of milk until the frosting is as thick as you wish.
More Fun Cake Recipes To Try
- Mermaid Cheesecake Pops
- Out of This World Easy Galaxy Cupcakes
- Quick and Easy Sunshine Cupcakes
- Summer Berry Cream Cake
- Red White and Blue Poke Cake
Cotton Candy Cake
This fun and colorful Cotton Candy Cake is sure to be a showstopper at any party or gathering. Plus, it’s an easy recipe that quick and easy!
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 355 mL Cotton Candy Soda - can use cream soda, if needed
- 1 - 15oz Box White Cake Mix
- Light Blue Food Dye, optional
Frosting Ingredients
- 1 cup Cotton Candy Soda - or use 1 tsp Cotton Candy flavor extract
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 - 2 tbsp milk
- Light blue food dye, optional
- Pastel Sprinkles, as desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease a 9" x 11" casserole dish and set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat together the white cake mix and cotton candy soda for 2 minutes. Adjust the color with light blue food dye, if desired. (If using, make the cake batter a deeper blue than you want the finished cake to be as it will lighten with baking.)
- Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Meanwhile, place 1 cup of cotton candy soda in a saucepan and heat until boiling over medium-high heat. Reduce to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 1/4 (2 oz of soda should remain). Allow to cool completely.
- In a large bowl, beat together the butter and powdered icing sugar for 2 minutes, then add the reduced cotton candy soda. Beat to incorporate, then add the milk as needed to achieve a spreadable texture. Adjust the color with blue food dye, if desired.
- Use an offset spatula to spread the frosting on the cooled cake.
- To achieve the fun texture shown in the pictures, use short strokes to spread the frosting, then go back over the frosted cake and rough it up a bit.
- Garnish the cake with sprinkles, as desired.
