Light and fluffy marshmallow frosting. Delicious to eat and easy to make!
Growing up, my mother used to wax poetic about the amazing marshmallow frosting she liked to make as a girl. And now ages and ages later, I’m finally giving it a try.
Okay, this isn’t my mom’s recipe–part of the mystique of her frosting is that the recipe was lost to time–but according to her, this one turned out very similar, so win!
This frosting is so much fun. Watching egg whites and sugar go from clear, eggy liquid to light and billowy clouds of marshmallow deliciousness is like watching a magic trick.
I’ll be using this frosting next in a recipe next week and since cooked frosting always intimidated me when I first started baking, I thought I’d give this one its own post before then and walk through it step-by-step.
You will Need:
Heat-proof glass bowl* or stand mixer bowl
Stand mixer* or handheld electric mixer*
Whisk
Medium to large saucepan for boiling water
First, you’re going to whisk eggs, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a large heat-proof bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Heat an inch of water (fill the pot up to your first knuckle) in a large pot until simmering and place bowl of egg whites over the water. Make sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the boiling water.
Stir eggs over simmering water until they reach 120°F. This will take about 3 to 5 minutes. If you don’t have an instant-read thermometer, one, you should get one*, it will change your life. Two, at 120°F, your mixture will feel hot to the touch, just past the point of comfortable.
Remove bowl from heat and use your stand mixer or hand-held electric mixer to beat the egg whites on high for another 3 to 6 minutes. They should become bright white and fluffy. They won’t be able to form stiff peaks because they are so sticky, but when you lift the beaters out of the mixture, the peaks should stand pretty tall before flopping over.
Transfer to a piping bag or use a large plastic bag with the tip cut off to pipe onto some delicious cupcakes, like maybe my Gooey Chocolate S’mores Cupcakes…
Then very carefully brown under your broiler for a couple of minutes or toast with a kitchen torch. And done!
More Favorite Frosting Recipes
- Small-batch Vanilla Frosting
- Small-batch Chocolate Frosting
- Small-batch Cookie Dough Frosting
- Small-batch Cream Cheese Frosting
Easy Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites room temperature
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Instructions
- Fill a medium to large pot with 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer.
- In a large heat-proof bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), whisk together egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt.
- Place bowl over the simmering water on the stove, making sure the bottom of the bowl is not touching the water. Heat, whisking constantly until eggs reach 120°F.
- Remove bowl from heat and use your hand mixer or electric mixer to beat the egg whites on high for 5 minutes or until light and fluffy with peaks that mostly hold their shape.
- If desired, add vanilla extract and beat for another 30 seconds until well-mixed.
- Transfer immediately to a piping bag or use a large plastic bag with the tip cut off to pipe onto cupcakes.
- Very carefully brown under your broiler or toast with a kitchen torch. This step is optional, but the frosting is quite sticky until toasted.
Notes
Nutritional Information
Adapted From ChowHound
*This post may contain affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission if you make a purchase using one of them. There is absolutely no additional cost to you.
Crystal Brown says
Do you think I could use a kitchen torch to brown the frosting instead of putting them in the oven?
Tracy says
Absolutely. A kitchen torch will work great.
Joanne Stewart says
I guess I really don’t understand the frostings name “Easy Marshmallow Frosting” and I guess that’s because there no marshmallows in it. This is the old, original “7 minute Frosting” that my Mother used to make, so long ago. I’m 75 and I made this quite a bit when the kids were little and we all loved it. So… I guess no matter what a rose is called, lol… it’s still beautiful and so gooood… Thanks for sharing! <3
Tracy says
Honestly, I don’t know either. LOL. It’s always been “marshmallow frosting” in my house and among the people I know who make it. Maybe it’s a regional thing? But I agree, either way, it’s delicious. 🙂
Guy says
It IS marshmallow without gelatin…. thats why you dont add store bought marshmallow.
SR says
Makes a great non-dairy frosting! Love the toasted look.
If I’m not mistaken, this is:
a. 7-Minute Boiled Frosting (which was the original frosting for Red Velvet Cake),
b. Swiss meringue, and
c. how marshmallows used to be made.
Tracy says
Thank you! And I didn’t know that about marshmallows. How interesting!
Sarah says
Hi! I made the s’mores cupcakes a couple years ago for a birthday and they were AMAZING!! I’m making them again tomorrow, but I moved and have a different oven. It’s a gas oven with a super janky broiler drawer at the bottom, I’m not sure the cupcakes will fit in it to broil the frosting. I also do not have a kitchen torch. Any suggestions for alternative toasting methods?
Tracy says
I don’t have any other good recommendations, sorry!! The only thing I can think of is if you wanted to buy a torch, you can usually find butane torches at the hardware store for about $25-ish. They’re typically better quality and cheaper than a lot of kitchen torches.
If you come up with a clever solution, please let me know. And good luck!
Beata says
Would this hold up layered inside of a cake? I’m making a s’mores cake and I know it will work on the outside but I’m nervous the weight of the cake layers will crush this
Tracy says
Hi, Beata, I’m not sure. Sorry! I’ve seen similar frostings used inside layer cakes, so it will probably work fine, but I’ve never tried it, so I can’t say exactly how well it actually holds up. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out!
NANCY says
Hello,
2 questions…what us the difference between this frosting and your homemade marshmallow fluff? I am wanting for smores cupcakes but need to make the frosting ahead of time by days…will this frosting hold up in sealed container? Should it be in fridge? Or should I just go with fluffy? Is there a big taste difference?
Tracy says
Hi, Nancy, they are really different. The fluff (if this is the one you’re talking about https://bakingmischief.com/2017/08/14/homemade-hostess-cupcakes/) uses melted marshmallows and would be too sticky to use as a frosting.
This is basically a meringue and unfortunately cannot be made ahead of time (it deflates and starts to weep in an airtight container). If you have to make the frosting ahead of time, you could try a marshmallow buttercream made with marshmallow fluff like this one: https://www.aprettylifeinthesuburbs.com/marshmallow-vanilla-buttercream-frosting/ You won’t be able to toast the frosting, and I haven’t tried that recipe, but she does say in the comments that it should be fine to make in advance.
Hope that helps!
Amanda Marietta says
I made this frosting. It tastes great but only a few piped out good. Like it got soft. I beat 6 minutes and was still not as stiff as I thought it should be. I live in Ohio so it’s hot and humid. Could this affect it?
Tracy says
Hi, Amanda, glad the frosting tasted good, but sorry it was being difficult! Unfortunately really humid days can make it hard to get a stiff frosting. If you wanted to give it another go, I’d wait for a less humid day. One other thought, if it was only the first few cupcakes that piped out well, the heat of your hands might might also be affecting the frosting. You can try piping it in smaller batches and just refilling your piping bag after every few cupcakes, the way you would work with buttercream on a hot day. Hope that helps!
LaToscia says
Thanks for the marshmallow frosting recipe. Wondering if it freezes well after it’s been piped onto cupcakes and toasted?
Tracy says
Hi, I don’t recommend freezing this frosting. It will weep as it defrosts and the texture suffers.
Sheila says
Hi Tracey, I want to make a s’mores cake, I want to make a chocolate cake, what would you recommend to use for the middle of the cake( I am using your marshmallow frosting to frost the outside) I was thinking maybe a little fluff on the edge, and then like a chocolate pudding mixture on the inner ring( the fluff should hold the pudding in) graham cracker crumbs on top with a chocolate drip
Tracy says
Hi, Sheila, that sounds amazing! And I love the idea of doing a pudding center.