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 tarter, 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!
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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.
Recipe Notes
This makes about 5 cups of frosting, enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes.
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.
Dawn @ Girl Heart Food says
YUM YUM YUM, Tracy! Great recipe so totally pinning, of course! Your piping work? Spot on, girl! My piping is a tad sad, but I would definitely work on to try to make my frosting as pretty as yours 😉 ! Can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂 Have a great weekend!
Tracy says
Ha, thanks, Dawn!! Unfortunately, I’m afraid this frosting is so easy to pipe, it makes anyone look good–my piping skills need all the help they can get. 😉
Hayden Calmese says
freeze it for a little bit
Anita C says
Hi have you tried doubling or even tripling this recipe?
Tracy says
Hi Anita, doubling will work just fine, but tripling would most likely be too much for a stand mixer to process all at once.
Anita C says
Thanks! Going to make it this weekend with your S’mores Cupcakes.
Tracy says
Fantastic. I hope you enjoy them!
Jana says
Hi Tracy,
I was wondering if I have to use the cream of tarter and if I do, do you know any alternatives
Tracy says
Hi Jana. The cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites. Generally, you can substitute the same amount of lemon juice or white vinegar for cream of tartar, but I’ve never tried the substitution with this recipe. If you do try it, please let me know how it works out!
Zoe says
I used this tonight to top some chocolate cupcakes for my dairy free daughter. I didn’t have cream of tartar so I sprinkled in just a tiny amount of plain, powdered gelatin. It set up beautifuly and has a nice glossy shine to boot.
Tracy says
Awesome! I’m so glad the frosting worked out for you!
Jenn says
How long will this keep its shape once toasted?
Tracy says
Hi Jenn, It should be fine in the refrigerator for a couple of days. I made a batch on a Friday afternoon and they still looked (and tasted) good, with no weeping or deflating when we finished them off on Sunday night.
Emilie says
How did you store them in your refrigerator? In a cupcake Tupperware? Do they need to be sealed in a Tupperware to stay good or will that cause the frosting to melt?
Tracy says
I store the cupcakes in the fridge in tupperware. This frosting is pretty stable, especially once toasted, so I’ve never had problems with it weeping, but I’m in dry Southern California. I haven’t ever tested it overnight in a more humid environment.
Criske says
Hi Tracy, must I toast the frosting?
Tracy says
Hi Criske, you definitely don’t have to, but it’s pretty sticky until it is toasted, so just something to be aware of. Hope that helps!
Sofia says
Hi i really like this rwcipe but my frosting is nos coming fluffy wha t can i do to make it fluffy? Help!
Tracy says
Hi Sofia, make sure you are beating it until peaks form, so when you lift your beaters out, the frosting stands before flopping over. It can take as long as 6 minutes using a handheld electric mixer. Hope this helps!!
Gale says
Would this recipe work on a pie or would that be thick and melt?
Tracy says
Hi Gale, this should work just fine on pie since it’s basically meringue topping.
MandyD says
How long will this frosting hold its shape without melting at room temp?
Tracy says
Hi Mandy, this frosting won’t melt at all at room temperature.
Katie Englund says
Looking forward to trying your recipes
Tracy says
Thanks, Katie! I hope you enjoy them!
Christine says
This frosting and the s’mores cupcakes look great! Just one quick question.. by heating the egg white mixture to 120F, are the egg whites “cooked”? (Asking as I am an expecting mama). TIA 🙂
Tracy says
Hi, Christine. Thanks, and congrats on the little one! 🙂 Unfortunately, no. But, if you still want to make these, you could always try something like a marshmallow fluff buttercream. http://www.thekitchn.com/marshmallow-fluff-makes-the-easiest-buttercream-frosting-238182 You wouldn’t be able to toast it, but it doesn’t have any eggs and is super simple. I would just not do big swirls of frosting since the milk chocolate center in these cupcakes is already quite sweet, so a little marshmallow fluff frosting would go a long way. Hope that helps!
Christine says
Thanks for the tip, I will try it out!
Nina says
Hi, Tracy! This recipe looks amazing, and I’ll definitely try it!
Will this fluff be able to stay properly in some s’mores macarons, do you think? Or do you think they will deflate and ooze out of the sides?
Thanks again! 🙂
Tracy says
Hi Nina. Thanks! This is pretty stable on cupcakes, but I don’t think it would hold up well in macarons. You could try straight marshmallow fluff like these here: http://livforcake.com/2015/02/smores-macarons.html Or if you wanted something completely homemade, you could do a Swiss meringue buttercream like: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/12/swiss-buttercream-meringue-frosting-recipe.html which is basically this recipe + butter so you get added stability and richness. Hope that helps! I’ve been meaning to try making s’mores macarons for ages. They sound soooo good!
Sarah says
This frosting was DELICIOUS and it looked so cool. Unfortunately, I must have done something wrong because when I opened the fridge this morning (frosted them last night), the frosting was all runny. Looks like a marshmallow completely melted and oozed all over. Now I need to figure out how to fix this. I’m supposed to take them to a party today. I need to somehow scrape all the sticky frosting off the tops and sides and go buy some to replace it. ☹️
Tracy says
Oh no! I’m so sorry hear that! My guess is that the eggs and sugar weren’t heated quite high enough. If you want to make it again, I would make sure that the egg mixture hits at least 120°F. If it goes a bit hotter than that, it’s not a problem. If don’t want to make it again and still want a marshmallowy flavor, you could always try this Marshmallow Fluff Frosting: http://www.thekitchn.com/marshmallow-fluff-makes-the-easiest-buttercream-frosting-238182. You can’t toast it, but it’s super simple and might be what you’re looking for right now.
I hope you are able to find a solution. Good luck!
Lindsey says
Can you store the frosted cupcakes with this frosting at room temp after they’ve been toasted?
Tracy says
Hi Lindsey, room temp is fine for a little while, but definitely refrigerate overnight.
Emily says
Can i add color to this????
Tracy says
I haven’t done it before, but I did a little research and it looks like you should be able to. Add a couple drops of coloring when the frosting is at its soft peak stage (peaks are just standing and flopping over at the tip) and keep beating until you get to stiff peaks. I don’t think you will be able to get a very dark color though, as too much coloring might keep the frosting from whipping up. If you try it, please report back and let us know how it works out!
Natalie says
Hi, I’m wanting to colour this tomorrow morning and noticed it’s been a few years since this post. Any chance you’ve had any luck attempting this? I’m worried it’ll make it too runny but am thinking to not add the vanilla extract to avoid too much liquid.
Tracy says
Hi, Natalie. I haven’t tried coloring it yet, sorry!! I definitely wouldn’t try and add a ton of food coloring for a really deeply colored frosting, but I would think a few drops wouldn’t hurt, and then you wouldn’t need to cut all the vanilla. If you do try, please let me know how it turns out. Good luck!!
Tina says
Can you use it to frost a cake? Will it stay on the sides of the cake?
Tracy says
Hi, Tina. I’ve never done it, so I can’t say how easy it is to use as cake frosting, but I’ve had people tell me they’ve frosted cakes with it, and their cakes have looked great.
Stacie says
Will it completely ruin it if a tiny bit of egg yolks fell in the whites? Please say no, I only have one egg left!
Tracy says
Hi, Stacie. Egg yolk in with the whites can cause them not to whip up, but otherwise shouldn’t ruin the recipe. I would try to spoon out that bit if you can, give the rest of the recipe a try, and if they whip up into stiff peaks, you’re golden. Good luck!!
Hayden says
I am going to use this to make marshmallow pops with the extra frosting and I used food coloring and it looked great the red looked amazing
Tracy says
So happy to hear, Hayden!
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.
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.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!