Cotton Candy Cupcakes
Hey guys! As I write this I am sitting in San Diego Airport on my way to Oakland for a quick two-day visit to my first Bakin’ Friend. This is my favorite part of blogging; meeting incredible women! Like today’s guest Jamie from The Land of Milk ‘n’ Cookies. Jamie and I have quickly become friends and our love for baking doesn’t help our continued plots to make our husbands help with errands over the weekend while we bake and blog.
These little treats feature a cotton candy angel food cupcake, swirled with a light and fluffy dollop of cotton candy marshmallow frosting. These Cotton Candy Cupcakes are perfect.
Hi, everyone! I’m Jamie from The Land of Milk ‘n’ Cookies, and I’m so excited to guest post here on Blahnik Baker while Zainab is spending some time in San Diego. I was delighted and honored when Zainab reached out to me and requested that I share a recipe on her blog. Within just a few days, I knew exactly what I would make: Cotton Candy Cupcakes!
These little treats feature a cotton candy angel food cupcake, swirled with a light and fluffy dollop of cotton candy marshmallow frosting. It’s like biting into a cloud!
I have fond childhood memories of eating cotton candy. When I was in elementary school, the local roller skating rink was a popular place for birthday parties. It was a magical place to spend an afternoon. Between the sparkly disco lights, the peppy music, and the opportunity to limbo, I was in heaven. And of course, the snack bar was a little kid’s dream come true. Our roller skating rink sold popcorn, Icees, soft pretzels, and my personal favorite: cotton candy.
Now that I’m an adult and less likely to spend my afternoons in a roller rink, I’ve toyed with the idea of making homemade cotton candy. But I’m a bit clumsy in the kitchen, so working with that much hot, liquid sugar seems like a recipe for disaster. Instead of risking third degree burns, I decided to recreate a childhood favorite by making it into a cupcake.
This recipe uses one packet of Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Cotton Candy Flavor Mix. I found these packets next to the prepared frosting canisters in the baking aisle at my grocery store. You’ll use ¼ tsp. of the flavor mix in the cupcake batter, and another ½ tsp. in the frosting. I had a little of the powdered mix left over, which I tossed out. As you’ll notice, this recipe also uses a total of 10 egg whites. What to do with all those leftover egg yolks? My husband makes homemade ravioli and pierogi. You could also make Crème brûlée, ice cream, custard, or pudding.
Thanks for reading, folks! If you’re ever in the mood for a nostalgic, whimsical dessert, I’d love to have you stop by my blog. And thanks so much to Zainab, once again, for inviting me to share a recipe!

Cotton Candy Cupcakes
These little treats feature a cotton candy angel food cupcake, swirled with a light and fluffy dollop of cotton candy marshmallow frosting. These Cotton Candy Cupcakes are perfect.
Ingredients
For the Cotton Candy Cupcakes:
- • ¾ cup powdered sugar
- • ½ cup flour
- • 1 packet Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Cotton Candy Flavor Mix (divided)
- • 6 egg whites
- • ¾ tsp. cream of tartar
- • ½ cup granulated sugar
- • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- • ⅛ tsp. salt
For the Cotton Candy Marshmallow Frosting:
- • 4 egg whites
- • 1 cup granulated sugar
- • ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
- • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
- • Reserved portion of Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Cotton Candy Flavor Mix
Instructions
For the Cotton Candy Cupcakes:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a small bowl, sift together powdered sugar, flour, and ¼ tsp. Duncan Hines Frosting Creations Cotton Candy Flavor Mix. Set bowl aside. Reserve remaining flavor mix to use in frosting.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat 6 egg whites and ¾ tsp. cream of tartar on medium speed for about 2 minutes, until foamy. Increase speed to high. Add ½ cup of granulated sugar, in four separate parts. With final addition of sugar, add vanilla extract and salt. Beat for another 7-10 minutes, or until egg whites are stiff and glossy.
- Gently fold flour mixture into egg mixture, in four separate parts.
- Fill muffin tins with heaping ¼ cup batter. Gently smooth tops with rubber spatula. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until top feels dry and springs back at the touch. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool (cupcakes may shrink as they cool).
For the Cotton Candy Marshmallow Frosting:
- Thoroughly clean and dry the bowl and whisk attachment to the stand mixer. Add remaining 4 egg whites, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ tsp. cream of tartar, and ½ tsp. vanilla extract.
- Fill a small pot with 1 inch of water, and bring to a simmer. Place the mixing bowl (from the stand mixer) on top of pot, being certain that water does not make contact with the bottom of the mixing bowl. While water is simmering, heat egg white mixture while stirring constantly with a balloon whisk. Continue cooking for 4-6 minutes, or until egg whites reach 120 degrees.
- Remove mixing bowl and attach bowl to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for approximately 1 minute, while adding in ½ tsp cotton candy flavor mix. Increase speed to medium-high and continue beating for 7-10 minutes, or until frosting is stiff and glossy. Decorate cupcakes as desired.
- Thoroughly clean and dry the bowl and whisk attachment to the stand mixer. Add remaining 4 egg whites, 1 cup granulated sugar, ¼ tsp. cream of tartar, and ½ tsp. vanilla extract.
- Fill a small pot with 1 inch of water, and bring to a simmer. Place the mixing bowl (from the stand mixer) on top of pot, being certain that water does not make contact with the bottom of the mixing bowl. While water is simmering, heat egg white mixture while stirring constantly with a balloon whisk. Continue cooking for 4-6 minutes, or until egg whites reach 120 degrees.
- Remove mixing bowl and attach bowl to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for approximately 1 minute, while adding in ½ tsp cotton candy flavor mix. Increase speed to medium-high and continue beating for 7-10 minutes, or until frosting is stiff and glossy. Decorate cupcakes as desired.
These cupcakes are beyond adorable Jamie. Cotton candy is one of my favorites and never thought of combining the flavors into a delicious cupcake. Now the carnival can be enjoyed right in my house. Love the marshmallow frosting too! Thank you so much Jamie!! You are one of a kind 🙂
Head over to her lovely blog, The Land of Milk ‘N’ Cookies, for more desserts like this and check her out on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest as well. You will love her spin on classic desserts!
MAKING THIS RECIPE? Share it with us on Instagram using #aclassictwist so we can see what you are baking up in your kitchen!
Thank you so much for allowing me to share this recipe with your readers, Zainab! And thank you for all your sweet compliments! Hope you have a wonderful weekend!
No, thank you Jamie for guest posting!! These cupcakes are just fabulous and a great idea for anytime of the year. Thank you so much for sharing!
Lovely post, Jamie! I share your fond memories of roller skating at the ol’ roller rink. In fact, my sister and I skated competitively for years and even ice skated as well. (When Gold Medalist Tara Lipinski admitted her first love was roller skating, and not ice skating, my sister and I could totally relate! We just admired her more for stating so.) Love that you created your cupcakes after your favorite treat, cotton candy. Thanks for sharing! And…thank you, Z, for hosting Jamie!
They are really fun!! Brings back lots of great memories. Thank you Stacy for always being here 🙂
Another fabulous guest post! Great job, Jamie! You know I can never pass up a cupcake 🙂
Thank you Ashley!!
this is such a fun and creative idea. I love all the great food ideas you share- please come live with me and make me yummy treats! 🙂
Karissa
http://www.karissaandcompany.com
Thanks Karissa! I would love to live close to you so you could help me with my closet. A good trade I think 🙂
I had several birthday parties at skating rinks when I was younger, and it’s all coming back to me now. 🙂 These cupcakes look so fun and I love that ferris wheel cupcake stand! So cute and perfect for this post!
I agree, these are just making me think of those good ole days.
Now I just need a cotton candy creme brulee recipe to use all those egg yolks! What a fun recipe and your cupcake holder is adorable! What fun cupcakes and memories Jamie! Hope you are having a great time Zainab!
Love how they are displayed on the ferris wheel!
These look so so adorable, and the presentation is lovely! I can’t get over how great that ferris wheel looks 😀
awww how fun! friends are the best <3
and these cupcakes are TOO cute for words! So delicious and so adorable!
These cupcakes are so fun and adorable! The ferris wheel cupcake stand is simply perfect for these delicious cotton candy treats 🙂
I just ran across your blog. Such a nice blog!! Nice you to meet you.
These almost look too perfect to eat.
Almost. I would totally eat them. 😉
Seriously yum. Popping over from Sitssharefest linky today to say hi!
I used to love cotton candy too! These cupcakes sound awesome and like a great trip back to childhood! And Zainab, I’m soooooo jealous your in CA! Hope your having fun and enjoying the sunshine 🙂
I would eat these up don’t know about baking them I am so not a baker. I will leave that part to someone else lol. Stopping over from SITS
These are so cute and fun to eat! Great job Jamie and Zainab. Pinned! 🙂
Oooo these cupcakes are too cute! I love the flavor. Cotton candy was one of my favorite special treats when I was a kid. Pinned! Thanks for having Jamie share these on your blog, Z!
These cupcakes look so adorable and love the flavors.
Z, you are in Oakland…our neck of the woods. A lovely post by Jamie, will surely stop by your blog.
A Ferris wheel full of cupcakes!?!? Oh goodness, life is great now!
How much fun are these? So much!!!
Cotton candy flavor definitely reminds me of childhood! These would be so full of nostalgia!
Stopping by from Wake Up Wed. LOVE this idea!!!
you can never go wrong with cotton candy anything!
That looks so yummy, I love the fun cupcake stand you have. ~ Lisa
Wow!!!!!!! How creative is thisssssss!!!! Love love love it! 🙂
One day I will learn how to decorate cupackes with icing so that I can make ones as nice as these. For now I will just drool……… Sharing.