Perfect Fluffy Frosting
A simple frosting complete in under 10 minutes that is incredibly light and airy. It is reminiscent of marshmallow fluff, though lighter in texture and flavor. This is best for cakes with a light white cake with lemon curd filling.
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Servings: 4 cups
Calories: 102kcal
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Add 2 inches of water to the bottom of a double boiler (or a large pot), and make sure the heat proof bowl our double boiler you are using does not touch the water to ensure your frosting does not become grainy. Once you have confirmed this, remove the top of the double boiler, and bring your pot of water to a boil.
- Add sugar, water, egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar to the top of a double boiler or a large heat proof bowl on your counter. Using a whisk attachment or a hand mixer, beat the egg mixture for 1-2 minutes until it thickens and starts to get a bit goopy. This will help your frosting to stay light and fluffy, rather than waiting to start aerating it when it's cooking, which is much harder to do.1 1/2 cups sugar, 1/3 cup water, 2 egg whites, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Once the mixture is thickened slightly, add the double boiler to the top of the boiling water and continue beating. Whisk on high speed for seven or so minutes, until the mixture has lightened in color and thickened to the point where it leaves a slight trail in the frosting that doesn't immediately dissipate.
- Remove the bowl from the heat, carefully wiping the bottom with a towel as you pull it away to ensure no water or steam gets into your frosting, which will also make it grainy. Add the vanilla bean paste and beat again until fully incorporated.1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- Let cool for a few minutes while you prepare your cake for frosting by adding strips of parchment paper under the edges of the cake that you will pull out once done to keep your cake plate pretty and clean. Once your cake it ready to frost, add dollops of the frosting to the top of your cake. You always want to add frosting to the top of your cake and carefully pull it over the edges and around the sides. Use a flat offset spatula to pull the frosting around the sides to evenly coat them.
- Once your cake is fully frosted, let sit for just a few minutes before carefully pulling out the strips of parchment paper. This cake is best eaten the same day or stored in the refrigerator because of the egg whites, even though they were mostly cooked.
Notes
- Before bringing your water to a boil, be sure to check that the top of your double boiler will not be resting in water to avoid your frosting turning grainy.
- For more tips and tricks, be sure to read the full article above.
Nutrition
Calories: 102kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 1g | Sodium: 58mg | Sugar: 25g
This site uses an online source to provide nutrition estimates as a courtesy. If you need exact values, please calculate yourself.