355mLCotton Candy Soda - can use cream soda, if needed
1-15ozBox White Cake Mix
Light Blue Food Dye - optional
Frosting Ingredients:
1cupCotton Candy Soda - or use 1 teaspoon Cotton Candy flavor extract
½cupButter - softened
4cupsPowdered Icing Sugar
1-2TablespoonsMilk
Light Blue Food Dye - optional
Pastel Sprinkles - as desired
Instructions
Cake Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.
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 reduce to 1/4 (2 oz of soda should remain). Allow to cool completely.
Frosting Instructions
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.
Notes
Use Strawberry Cake Mix: For a slight flavor modification, you can also use strawberry cake mix which will also give a pink color to the cake.
Make Cotton Candy Cup Cakes: You can also make cotton candy cupcakes by lining a muffin tin and divide batter evenly among slots.
Tie-Dye Cake: To make a tie-dye cake, divide the cake batter in 2-3 bowls and make one pink, blue, and purple; then when you pour cake batters into pan, alternate colors as you are doing so.
Easy Cake Removal: To easily remove cake from casserole dish, line with parchment paper.