Seven minute frosting is a light and fluffy Swiss meringue frosting made from cooked egg whites and sugar that tastes like marshmallow cream!
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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Seven Minute Frosting
Equipment
- Double boiler
- Hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup light corn syrup
- 2 tablespoons lukewarm water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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
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Comments & Reviews
Kennedy says
My family has been making “boiled frosting” as far back as I can remember. When you say you don’t have a substitute for corn syrup, I can tell you that we do! The women in my family have always just made a rich simple syrup right in the top of the double boiler, as step one. It does, of course, add around 10 minutes to the process, but we use syrup for a lot of other things, so we make a full pot of it, and pour off all but what’s needed for the frosting recipe.
Kate says
Thank you! This is the way that my family has made this recipe for as long as I can remember! Would you mind sharing your process for making the simple syrup? That would be very helpful as many people are looking for substitutes for corn syrup!
Kennedy says
Oh, it is easy! Just place equal parts granulated sugar and water in the pan, bring to a boil, QUICKLY turn down to simmer (seriously, be quick about it; you DO NOT want this to boil over, and it will come up and over the top in a flash!), Then just simmer until sugar is completely dissolved, and you’ve reduced it by half. You can stop sooner, but this makes what is known as “rich” simple syrup, so more like the consistency of commercial corn syrup.
That is it!
We just store it in glass jars in the fridge.
Note: The syrup will thicken quite a bit after it cools, so keep that in mind when storing the excess.
Anna Garrett says
I make this icing using the microwave.. So much easier.. Put the sugar,water and cream of tartar in microwave and cook until it boils 3 or 4 minutes.. Take out and little by little mix and beat with your egg whites that have already been beaten together.. Thus your icing..enjoy
Kate says
Thank you for sharing that tip!
Kennedy says
Anna, do you just eliminate the syrup, or does that go in with the sugar?
Thanks!
Nikki says
You can substitute a subtle light colored honey for corn syrup. I do it all the time in recipes. I recommend a neutral flavored honey not wildflower, etc, I always have honey on hand for baking and cooking and works out better than corn syrup every time.
Kate says
Thanks!
Pokemon Fan says
This tastes just like marshmallow fluff. It’s amazing!
Kate says
Thank you so much!