1-Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 6-inch cake pans, then line them with parchment paper to avoid any sticking disasters like the time I forgot and ended up with a crumbly mess.

2-Whisk together 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a medium bowl. This dry mix is your foundation, so mix it well for even results.

3-Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat 3/4 cup unsalted butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar on medium-high until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. I once rushed this and the cake was super dense lesson learned!

4-Reduce speed and add 3 large eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Then, stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons cotton candy flavoring for that signature taste.

5-Alternately add the flour mixture in three additions and 1 cup whole milk in two additions, starting and ending with flour. Mix just until incorporated to keep the batter from getting tough.

6-Divide the batter into four bowls. Color three with fuchsia, sky blue, and violet gel food coloring using a toothpick. Leave one plain, then spoon the batters randomly into the pans and swirl once or twice with a skewer for a marbled effect.

7-Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks to cool completely.

8-Combine 6 large egg whites and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar in a heatproof bowl. Set over simmering water and whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160°F and the sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.

9-Transfer to a stand mixer bowl and whisk on medium-high until stiff peaks form and it’s cooled to room temperature, about 5-10 minutes.

10-Switch to the paddle attachment and gradually add 2 cups cubed unsalted butter, mixing on medium speed until smooth it might look curdled at first, but keep going!

11-Mix in 1 teaspoon cotton candy flavoring until smooth and creamy.

12-Stack the cake layers on a plate, spreading about 2/3 cup buttercream between each. Apply a thin crumb coat, chill for 20 minutes, then frost smoothly with the remaining white buttercream.

13-Divide the leftover buttercream into four portions: leave one white and color the others with fuchsia, sky blue, and violet.

14-Apply colored frosting patches randomly and use a bench scraper to blend for a watercolor effect don’t chill the cake first for the best results.

15-Pipe a pearl border with the white buttercream along the edges.

16-Add cotton candy for decoration just before serving to keep it from wilting.