It’s finally springtime after a long chill of winter, and how better to relish the season than some sweet cotton candy donuts? 

Now, if you’re wondering how cotton candy and donuts came together in a never before heard fusion, well, there’s no limit to human creativity. 

More so, when it comes to sweet delicacies, our cravings enable our ingenious minds to create the out-of-ordinary sometimes. 

Take whoopie pie, for instance. Who’d have thought in the 1920s that a rather unusual combo of cake batter and frosting would become such a popular dessert? 

And in the same vein, some soft and fluffy donuts combining the flavors of your favorite cotton candy from childhood are sure to bring back those spring carnival memories. 

Even better, you can invite your friends and family over as you bake these (yes, you need not fry them) and enjoy them with some all-season kolaches. 

So without further ado, let’s see what these candy donuts are all about and how you can make them. 

So what’s exactly a cotton candy donut? 

Simply put, these are cake donuts dipped in a frosting made using cotton candy flavors. 

Also, you can find candy donuts with some real cotton candy atop them. Herein, a cake donut is glazed or frosted in chocolate or vanilla and then sprinkled with small pieces of cotton candy. 

However, if you’re making these donuts, we suggest you go for a mix of flavors and real cotton candy. 

You see, while the flavored donuts have a more intense taste of cotton candy, that’s somewhat missing with cotton candy sprinkles. So by having a combination of both, you can savor an in-depth taste of cotton candy and also not miss out on the real thing. 

After all, what’s a cotton candy donut without the overwhelming taste and feel of cotton candy? 

Pro tip – You should bake and not fry cotton candy donuts; here’s why:

The one question that might be daunting is why not fry these donuts. And rightly so, as donuts are supposed to be deep-fried to have the right texture. 

Nevertheless, these are cake donuts we’re talking about. And since you’ll be using cake batter or cotton candy cake mix to make them, baking gives you an edge over a deep fried cotton candy donut in terms of creating the perfect cake texture. 

Not to mention, baking reduces cooking time significantly. 

Furthermore, with the right baking techniques in place, you can make your donuts as light and fluffy as cotton candy itself. 

Sounds awesome, doesn’t it? 

Fun fact: you can satisfy your cotton candy cravings with cake donuts like these.

What ingredients do you need for your candy donuts? 

Getting the cotton candy ingredients right ingredients is the first big step toward making the perfect cotton candy donut. So here’s the cotton candy donuts menu for ingredients: 

1. Cake flour – since you’ve got to bake these donuts, cake flour will ensure that the donuts are tender and soft. 
2. Baking powder – unlike fried donuts that use yeast as the raising agent, baking powder makes the cake donuts rise. 
3. Sugar (either granulated or powdered) – these are sweet donuts, so the dough has to have a lot of sugar. 
4. Salt – you don’t need a lot of it, just a little to balance the sugar. 
5. Eggs – they make the dough stable and help you create the right structure for donuts. 
6. Whole milk – it will enrich the dough and add to the flavors.  
7. Butter – butter provides the required tenderness and richness to donuts, cakes, cookies, etc. 
8. Cooking oil – to help create soft pro dough donuts. 
9. Cotton candy flavor – this is the most important of all ingredients, as it infuses the flavors of cotton candy in a regular cake donut. 
10. Powdered sugar – is perfect for creating the glaze. 
11. Vanilla extract – comes in handy for balancing the flavors. 
12. Food color (optional) – if you want your donuts to have the exact same color as cotton candy. 

Fun fact: cotton candy doughnuts (that’s how they’re spelled across the Atlantic) are equally popular in Europe.

Steps for baking the cake donuts:

Step 1. Take a little shortening and grease your baking pan well. 

Step 2. Preheat your oven between 350 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Step 3. Put the cake flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a bowl, and mix it well. Thereafter, you can add butter, oil, sugar, and eggs to the mixture and mix all the ingredients further together. 

Step 4. Take a second bowl and mix milk and cotton candy flavor well. 

Step 5. You can now take little portions of ingredients from both bowls and start mixing them until a dough is formed. Overmixing the ingredients will make your dough hard, so you should avoid it. 

Step 6. Shape the individual donut doughs and place them on the baking pan. 

Step 7. Bake your donuts for about 15 minutes and let them cool for the next 5-10 minutes. 

Steps for glazing the donuts: 

Step 1. Add the food colors of your choice to the donut glaze, creating the color/s of your favorite cotton candy. 

Step 2. Put your cotton candy donuts halfway into the glaze, coating them with a layer of glaze. 

Step 3. Lift the individual donuts up, letting the extra glaze drip off, and let them cool until the icing gets firm. 

Step 4. Take a cotton candy and break it into small crumbs, making a sprinkle for your donuts. Now, this is an optional step as the cotton candy flavoring would have already infused its taste into the donuts. 

You may also want to read – Donut Bar Catering: Here Are Some Incredible Ideas For Your Next Event. 

Wrapping it up

There’s never a better time to cook some sweet delicacy than when you’re having sweet cravings. And how better to satisfy your cravings than some soft and pillowy cotton candy mini donuts baked to perfection right at your home? 

Want to spend your time binge-watching or soaking in the sun instead? 

Rest easy, as our donuts catering and delivery services have got you covered. 

From laid-back family gatherings to corporate meet-ups to marriage parties to late-night binge sessions, we have custom donuts and catering plans for all. All you need to do is call us up a couple of hours before your event, and we’ll be there at the venue right on time.