Seven Minute Frosting
Today we are sharing a fantastically billowy and flavorful Fluffy White Frosting recipe, which is a seven minute frosting with a twist. This dreamy frosting is light and airy, like marshmallow cream, and has a sweetness that is not overpowering...it is pure heaven!
If you are familiar with 7 minute frosting, this fluffy white frosting tastes identical, however the method is a little different. The traditional way to make seven minute frosting is to heat the ingredients over a double boiler as you mix. This recipe throws that method right out the window (yay), making it much simpler to make.
When swirling my cupcakes with buttercream frosting, I usually keep the swirls low so that it isn't too sweet or heavy. With this light Fluffy White Frosting recipe, I pipe my swirls to the ceiling! I can't get enough of it, and it's just so pretty too!
This fluffy seven minute frosting is not only perfect for cakes, but it's also perfect for cupcakes and high hat cupcakes too!
In the video below, I'm making high hat cupcakes-- you'll see how I mixed up this fluffy white seven minute frosting recipe, as well as how to dip the cupcakes into chocolate for a WOW dessert! For more details on high hat cupcakes, you can find the link beneath our recipe below.
Helpful Tips and notes for Fluffy White (Seven Minute) Frosting
- Make sure that there is no trace of grease on your beaters or in your bowl before whipping your egg whites, or they will not whip up properly.
- After whipping up a batch of this frosting, you'll want to use it soon as it will begin to set up. Do not apply to a warm cake as it may melt.
- In this recipe, we used separated the whites from 4 large eggs (rather than using carton egg whites)
- The frosting may slightly deflate over time.
- To prepare this seven minute frosting, you can use a handheld mixer or a mixer with a whisk attachment.
- This is a pipeable recipe. If you are making high hat cupcakes, you'll want to go ahead and quickly pipe your swirls before the frosting set up. Then, chill for 20 minutes in the freezer before dipping. (You can find all of the details in our Hi hat Cupcake tutorial linked beneath the recipe)
**This recipe makes about 5 cups of frosting, and can be easily doubled if you plan to do a lot of decorative piping or if you plan to swirl your cupcakes high!
Seven Minute Frosting
This light and billowy frosting has a wonderful marshmallow flavor. Perfect for frosting cakes and cupcakes!
Ingredients
- ⅔ cup (150g) water
- 2cup (400g) sugar
- ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar or 1 Tablespoon white corn syrup
- 4 egg whites
- 2 teaspoon (8g) vanilla extract
Instructions
Make sure the mixing bowl and beaters are clean without a trace of grease. Any grease will keep the egg whites from increasing to full volume.
You will be using only the egg whites and if a yolk happens to break and gets mixed in, the recipe will NOT work. Place the egg whites into the bowl of your mixer and add the vanilla. Set aside until time to beat the whites.
In a saucepan, add the water, sugar, cream of tartar (or white corn syrup). Cook on medium/high heat. Do not stir, or stir just enough to distribute the sugar. You don’t want sugar crystals sticking to the sides of the pan. The mixture will begin to boil and become clear. After it boils for a minute or so, remove from the heat, you will be able to see that the sugar has dissolved.
Beat the egg whites and vanilla to the soft peak stage. This happens rather quickly. At soft peak stage, the egg whites will not form peaks but will just fall over, cloud like. At this time, with the mixer beating on low speed slowly pour in a small stream of the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites. Avoid hitting the beaters as you pour because the hot syrup could splash onto you. Increase the mixer to high speed and beat approximately 7 minutes ( it could be longer if using a hand mixer) until stiff peaks form (stiff peaks stand straight up).
The frosting should be used right away as it set up rather quickly. The frosting does not become hard but does form a slight crust. The cake can be kept at room temperature or refrigerated. Leftover frosting can be stored in the refrigerator and remixed, it will still taste good but will be softer and will not hold a stiff peak.
Makes 5 cups frosting
Recipe can be doubled
Want to watch me whip up a batch of Fluffy White Frosting? In this quick Hi Hat Cupcake video tutorial, you can watch the entire process.
Thanks for stopping by! We hope that you love this fluffy white frosting is much as we do! Luscious seven minute frostings are always a crowd pleaser!
Don't miss our full collection of FAVORITE cake and frosting recipes as well as hundreds of free cake tutorials in our Cake Recipes & Tutorial Section!
Hi Elizabeth, We should have that recipe on the site but since we do not I am posting a link below to one that looks good and is easy to
follow. Let us know if it reminds you of your mothers recipe.
https://www.thespruceeats.com/brown-sugar-frosting-3057718
I am so excited to try this frosting. I have a couple of questions: How long does it take for the frosting to set up? I am just wondering how much piping I have time to do on a cake. Also, what temperature should the sugar mixture reach in the boiler before adding it to the egg whites? Thanks.
Hi Rachel, We do not use a thermometer when making this. It will be ready to use when it reaches a rolling boil. It should be used right away but you will have time to do any piping you want to do. You might like to watch Melissa's video making this seven minute frosting. It may be showing on the side of your screen, if not, click on the link below.
https://www.mycakeschool.com/recipes-tutorials/cupcakes-blog-tutorial/
Thank you so much! I will watch the video.
O.K., seriously! This frosting is on my short list from now on! The only thing I did differently was add both cream of tartar and corn syrup. My persnickety frosting testers, i.e., family loved it! Thanks!
Hi DKH, Thanks so much for your nice comments, so happy your family enjoyed it!
I've never had luck with a seven minutes frosting before. My oldest sister was notorious for it on her walnut and coconut cake with fluffy white frosting and was always requested for family gatherings. My sister just passed away and I wanted to make a walnut cake with fluffy 7minute frosting in tribute to her for the funeral meal. bi prayed before I started;it turned out beautifully. I will definitely come back to and use this recipe again. Thanks
Hi Ruth, I am so very sorry to hear about your sister. So glad that the recipe turned out for you xoxo
Hello
Can cakes frosted with this icing be frozen? I have a coconut cake recipe that I would like to frost with this icing but I usually freeze the cake.
Thank you
Hi Charlotte, I'm sorry but the 7 minute frosting cannot be frozen.
hi! how sweet did the frosting turned out? will it complement a coffee or matcha flavored cake?
Hi ladies,
I want to pipe this frosting over cream cheese buttercream. Do you think it would stick okay or do you think it would slip around?
Thank you!!
love helga
Hi Helga- I've never tried frosting this over cream cheese frosting before. Just as a general rule, the larger/heavier the piping is around the sides of the cake, (a large rosette for instance), the more likely it is that it could slide. This is also true if the cream cheese frosting is very soft. So, I think that you could add piped details with the frosting if they are "lightweight", but heavier piping would be more likely to slide.
My mom always made this frosting for her homemade chocolate cake, but it did not harden. It remained creamy & it was always a favorite. She used a double boiler. I wish I had her recipe. Do you have the recipe for it.