Decorating cupcakes with cotton candy is red-hot right now, but keeping the cotton candy from melting on freshly baked cupcakes – or even cupcakes that have been sitting out for a while – can be more challenging than you expect.
Especially if you’re dealing with high temperatures or higher humidity. Nothing seems to melt cotton candy down faster than that combination.
Armed with the inside information below, though, you’ll never again have to worry about what it takes to keep your cotton candy from melting on your favorite cupcakes.
We share all the tips, tricks, and bits of info you need to know to keep your cotton candy structured perfectly on your cupcakes – no matter what!
Why Does Cotton Candy Melt?
Two things are going to melt your cotton candy faster than anything else:
- Temperatures higher than 65°F and
- Even halfway high levels of humidity
Worse, if you mix those two things together – warm days with a lot of humidity – you’re going to cause a total meltdown with your cotton candy decorations.
Unless of course you use the info we highlight below to protect and insulate your cotton candy decorations from those threats!
You really don’t have a whole lot to worry about outside of high temperatures and humidity.
The only other thing that could throw a wrench into the mix would be a little bit of rain or a little bit of water. But as long as you keep your cupcakes covered (which is a good general practice no matter what) you won’t have much to worry about in that department!
How to Keep Cotton Candy from Melting on Cupcakes
There are three major things you need to do to keep your cotton candy decorations protected atop your cupcakes:
- One, you have to keep the cotton candy itself as cool and as dry as possible
- Two, you have to make sure that you add your cotton candy to your cupcakes as late in the game as you can get away with and
- Three, you have to make sure that your cotton candy decorations atop your cupcakes are protected from bumps, bruises, and everything else that can get tangled into the cotton candy itself
Square those things away and you won’t have anything to worry about!
Delay Topping Your Cupcakes with Cotton Candy as Long as Possible
One of the best things you can do to keep your cotton candy fresh is to decorate your cupcakes as late in the game as possible.
The last thing you want to do is to put the cotton candy on as soon as you make your cupcakes. That’s going to introduce hot air and moisture into the mix, melting down your cotton candy in a hurry.
You’d be stunned at how fast the cotton candy melts and wastes away if you add the topping to your cupcakes when they come fresh out of the oven.
Instead, you’ll want to keep your cotton candy separate from the cupcakes until they’ve had plenty of time to cool down. You want them to be room temperature (or even a little cooler, if possible) before you add your toppings.
Some people even keep their cotton candy in airtight bags before they absolutely need it. This guarantees protection from extra moisture, the number one threat facing your cotton candy topper.
Use Frosting as “Insulation”
It’s not a bad idea to use your frosting as a bit of “insulation” between your cotton candy and cupcakes that are a little bit on the warmer side of things, either.
Obviously, cupcakes that are too warm are going to melt down your frosting as well (that creates an even bigger mess than melted cotton candy alone) so you don’t want to add this topping too early.
But if you can get a layer of frosting on your cupcakes and then add your cotton candy (as late before people try them as possible) you’re going to get a little bit of a buffer zone that can help maintain the structure and integrity of your cotton candy decorations a little longer than if they set on your cupcakes directly.
Store Your Cotton Candy in an Airtight Container
As highlighted a moment ago, it’s never a bad idea to store your cotton candy – or your cotton candy topped cupcakes – inside of airtight containers.
This doesn’t mean you should be vacuum sealing your cotton candy cupcakes. That’ll just mush everything together and produce plenty of mess all on its own.
But you do want your cupcakes and your cotton candy to be stored inside of a container that traps has a tight, locking seal.
There are plenty of options available on the market today to get your cupcakes into a small, shallow, airtight container without having to break your bank account into tiny little pieces. Snap one up, especially if you make lots of cupcakes (with cotton candy or not).
It’ll pay off big time in the long haul!
Don’t Stick Your Cotton Candy in the Fridge or the Freezer!
Even though heat and humidity are the top two threats that will melt your cotton candy in a hurry, you definitely want to make sure that you keep your cotton candy and your cotton candy cupcakes out of your freezer or refrigerator.
Refrigerators might seem like a good idea – they keep things in a relatively dry environment and our climate controlled for sure. But you’ll end up messing with the structure of your cotton candy once it goes into that environment, and especially once you pull it out.
The shock from the temperature in the refrigerator to the temperature outside (and the excess humidity) will cause a mess almost right away.
The freezer is no place for cotton candy, either. It’ll destroy your treats quicker than you thought possible.
Closing Thoughts
As you can see, figuring out how to keep your favorite cotton candy decorations nice and fresh – and not melted – before you’re ready to use them with your cupcakes is a lot easier than most people realize.
Use the tips and tricks above every time you decorate with cotton candy and you’ll be good to go!-