This Cotton Candy Birthday Cake is a vibrant, pastel-colored celebration dessert packed with nostalgic carnival sweetness. Featuring cotton candy flavoring in both the cake and frosting, this recipe creates a moist, fluffy vanilla base with a whimsical cotton candy twist. Perfect for birthdays and parties, this cake delivers beautiful layers, creamy frosting, and bold cotton candy aroma — making it a must-try dessert for anyone who loves fun and colorful cakes.

Flavor-dosing note

Measure each flavored component separately before adding the Dolce Flav flavor: cake batter; frosting. For each component, use 0.3–0.6% of that component’s unflavored weight. Weigh the complete component in grams (or sum its actual weighed ingredients if flavor is added before assembly), multiply by 0.003–0.006, then add the resulting flavor grams on top. For a cooked glaze or gel, use its actual weight after cooking and before flavor. Start at the lower end and keep within the range. For example, 500 g of unflavored component gets 1.5–3 g of flavor. Do not base a component’s dose on the assembled dessert or count crust, a separate filling, another topping, or garnish. If blending Dolce Flav flavors in one component, the range is their combined allowance, not a full dose for each.

Pandan Chiffon Cake with Pandan Extract

To create a fluffy pandan chiffon cake with pandan extract, begin by separating the eggs to whip the egg whites into a stable meringue with cream of tartar and half the sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with vegetable oil, coconut milk, pandan extract, vanilla, and remaining sugar until combined. Sift the dry ingredients—cake flour, baking powder, and salt—and fold them gently into the wet mixture. Gradually fold the meringue into the batter in three additions to maintain the light texture. Pour the batter into an ungreased tube pan and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 45–50 minutes until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Cool upside down for maximum fluffiness before slicing. This pandan chiffon cake recipe is airy, fragrant, and moist, perfect for any special celebration or afternoon snack.

Choosing pandan extract for this recipe

Dolce Flav’s water-soluble pandan extract contains propylene glycol and natural and artificial flavors, with no added colors. It supplies pandan flavor rather than green color. Check the current product guidance when adapting a recipe; a concentrate is not a volume-for-volume substitute for pandan paste or pandan leaf juice.

Keep the recipe’s coconut milk and other liquid ingredients. If the finished dessert needs a green appearance, choose a separate food color suitable for the application.

Compare current pandan extract bottle and bulk sizes, or ask about pandan flavoring for larger batches.

Dolce Flav flavor dosing: Use 0.3–0.6% of the weight of the unflavored recipe component that receives the concentrate, adding the flavor on top. Weigh the base in grams, then multiply by 0.003–0.006. For example, a measured 500 g base receives 1.5–3 g flavor; a measured 1,000 g base receives 3–6 g. These are calculation examples, not asserted recipe yields. Start at the lower end and test the finished result. Include all ingredients belonging to that component; calculate separately for any separately flavored component, not from flour or liquid alone. This weight-based guidance replaces the former fixed spoon amount for the linked Dolce Flav concentrate. Spoon volumes require the exact product’s density; do not assume a teaspoon is a fixed gram weight. Other ingredients are unchanged.

Make ube milk tea with black tea, milk, condensed milk and water-soluble Purple Ube Extract. Tapioca pearls are optional: leave them out for an iced milk tea, or cook them according to their package directions for a boba-style drink.

Choose the ube formula for this recipe

Purple Ube Extract contains natural and artificial flavors plus Red #40 and Blue #1. Clear Ube Extract contains natural and artificial flavors without added purple coloring. Natural Ube Extract (No Coloring) uses natural flavors without added coloring. Compare them in our ube extract buying guide; switching formulas can change the amount needed and the finished appearance.

How much ube extract should you use?

Follow the current directions for the exact product selected and measure a small trial batch. Assess the complete tea-and-milk mixture at its serving temperature. Do not transfer a teaspoon amount between formulas or add more flavoring solely for a darker color. Read the flavor extract use guide.

Milk tea substitutions and serving tips

To make a dairy-free version, replace both the milk and condensed milk with suitable dairy-free alternatives, and check the toppings. Adjust sweetness separately from flavor strength. The cooking time depends on the pearl type; the time shown on the card is an estimate.

Ube extract supplies flavor; ube halaya contributes body and other ingredients. Treat a jam topping as a separate addition. Explore our ube flavoring ideas for cakes and desserts.

Flavor-dosing note

Use the linked Dolce Flav food flavor at 0.3–0.6% of the unflavored base weight, adding flavor on top. For this recipe, the base is the brewed tea, milk, condensed milk and optional sweetener drink base, excluding separately served tapioca pearls, serving ice and topping. Weigh the complete specified base in grams, excluding its container, and multiply by 0.003–0.006. If flavor is mixed in before assembly, use the sum of the actual weighed ingredients assigned to this base. Start at the lower end and assess the finished result before adjusting within the range. A measured 500 g base gets 1.5–3 g flavor; this is a calculation example, not an asserted recipe yield. When blending Dolce Flav concentrates, share this one combined allowance rather than giving each flavor a full dose. Ordinary grocery extracts, food colors and other additives are not automatically covered by this guidance. Use a scale; spoon conversions require the exact product’s density.