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    Home » Desserts » Seven Minute Frosting

    Seven Minute Frosting

    Published: Mar 17, 2021 · Modified: Mar 18, 2021 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Seven minute frosting is a light and fluffy Swiss meringue frosting made from cooked egg whites and sugar that tastes like marshmallow cream!

    A wooden spoon spreading seven minute frosting on a yellow cake.

    This recipe is the seven minute frosting that I grew up on. This frosting was the frosting that my mom used on our coconut cakes at Easter and Christmas.

    This version is really easy to make! It's also delicious. It reminds me of an airier marshmallow cream.

    I've included step-by-step photos, plenty of tips, and lots of other information to help you make perfect light and fluffy seven minute frosting!

    What is seven minute frosting?

    Seven minute frosting (or boiled frosting or white frosting) is basically a Swiss meringue frosting. It's a frosting made from cooked egg whites and sugar.

    The frosting is whipped as it cooks and has a light and airy texture that's similar to a fluffier marshmallow crème.

    How to make

    Hand mixer mixing frosting ingredients in a glass bowl over a pot of water.

    Add the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, water, salt, and cream of tartar to the top of a double boiler. Place top pot over rapidly boiling water.

    Beat the egg mixture with a hand mixer on low for 30 seconds.

    Increase the speed to medium-high, and continue mixing until the egg mixture stands in peaks (see the picture just below).

    Remove from heat. Mix in vanilla extract.

    Use immediately to frost your cake or cupcakes.

    Seven minute frosting stiff peaks.

    What should peaks look like?

    The peaks should stand straight up when you lift the beaters out of the frosting. The peaks shouldn't droop or curl over.

    Tips

    Egg whites: I use cold, from the fridge egg whites. It's really important that you don't get any yolk in the egg white when separating, though, because the frosting won't whip up right with yolk in it.

    Corn syrup: Unfortunately, I don't have a good substitute for the corn syrup in the recipe. 

    Double boiler: If you don't have a double boiler, check out my section just below for tips on faking a double boiler. 

    Salt: A couple pinches of salt help to add balance to the frosting. 

    Cream of tartar: The cream of tartar helps to stabilize the frosting. 

    A glass bowl filled with seven minute frosting.

    How to fake a double boiler

    There are a couple of ways to make a makeshift double boiler.

    Pot-on-pot

    You can stack two pots together. The lower pot will hold the boiling water, and the upper pot will hold the frosting ingredients.

    If you stack the pots, it's important that you don't use a pot with a nonstick coating that will come off while you're mixing the frosting.

    Bowl-on-pot

    You can also use a heat-safe metal or glass bowl placed over a pot of boiling water (pictured in the step-by-step how-to section above). I think this method is a little easier because it gives you more room to mix the frosting while it cooks.

    >>Top tip: It's important that you don't let the bottom of the bowl or pot touch the boiling water.

    Serving suggestions

    Seven minute frosting pairs beautifully with coconut cake. It's also good with yellow cake, white cake, or chocolate cake.

    A 9x13 cake covered with seven minute frosting.

    Storage

    I recommend storing any leftover frosting or frosted cake covered loosely in the fridge. This frosting doesn't hold up as well as a buttercream, and it's best eaten in the first 2-3 days after it is made.

    More frosting recipes!

    • Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Chocolate cream cheese frosting on a white cupcake
      Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
    • Whipped Buttercream Frosting
      Whipped Buttercream Frosting
    • Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

    If you’ve tried this seven minute frosting recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Seven Minute Frosting

    Light and fluffy seven minute frosting recipe.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 2 minutes
    Cook Time: 5 minutes
    Total Time: 7 minutes
    Servings: 24 servings
    Calories: 39kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Equipment

    • Double boiler
    • Hand mixer

    Ingredients

    • 2 large egg whites
    • ¾ cup granulated sugar
    • â…“ cup light corn syrup
    • 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Add the egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, water, salt, and cream of tartar to the top of a double boiler.
    • Place top pot over rapidly boiling water.
    • Beat the egg mixture with a hand mixer on low for 30 seconds.
    • Increase the speed to medium-high, and continue mixing until the egg mixture stands in peaks (see the picture above the recipe).
    • Remove from heat.
    • Mix in vanilla extract.
    • Use immediately to frost your cake or cupcakes.
    • Refrigerate any leftover frosting.

    Notes

    • Egg whites: I use cold, from the fridge egg whites. It's really important that you don't get any yolk in the egg white when separating, though, because the frosting won't whip up right with yolk in it.
    • Corn syrup: Unfortunately, I don't have a good substitute for the corn syrup in the recipe. 
    • Double boiler: If you don't have a double boiler, check out my section about the recipe for tips on faking a double boiler. 
    • Salt: A couple pinches of salt help to add balance to the frosting. 
    • Cream of tartar: The cream of tartar helps to stabilize the frosting. 
    • Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1serving | Calories: 39kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Sodium: 31mg | Potassium: 10mg | Sugar: 10g | Calcium: 1mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!
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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Pokemon Fan

      March 19, 2021 at 11:44 am

      5 stars
      This tastes just like marshmallow fluff. It's amazing!

      Reply
      • Kate

        March 19, 2021 at 12:22 pm

        Thank you so much!

        Reply

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    I’m Kate Dean- mom to five young kids, recipe developer, and photographer. Here at I Heart Eating®, I share my family’s favorite tried-and-true recipes.

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