Classic, fluffy, meringue-y, marshmallow-y frosting goodness made in almost no time. This old fashioned 7 minute frosting is the perfect topping for devil’s food or almost any kind of cake!
Have you ever had 7 minute frosting? Maybe you have and just don’t know it. It is a fluffy, almost marshmallow like meringue type frosting.
There is no butter or oil in it at all. Just egg whites and sugar whipped up into a crazy fluffy goodness.
This frosting is like a marshmallow frosting. There is no added butter, mostly egg whites, sugar and lots of air.
I used vanilla bean paste instead of vanilla. I just love seeing the little bean dots in my puddings and frostings.
I think it looks extra special, though sometimes pure white is nice too. Either way, you are just seven minutes away from a sweet and super fluffy frosting!
Where it really shines is over a moist chocolate cake. Make a devilishly good chocolate cake and spread a batch of this over it and you’ll be in fine shape!
Tips and Tricks
Seven minute frosting does have a few drawbacks you should be aware of. The first is you need to use it right away.
Email Me The Recipe
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
It is not a frosting you want to whip up in advance and use later. Have your cake ready and as soon as the frosting is whipped up, spread it right over the cake.
The moisture of the cake helps to keep the frosting soft for a couple of days. Just be sure to keep the cake covered to keep all the moisture inside.
After that, cover the cake and store it in the refrigerator for a couple of more days. It is best as fresh as possible though, so this isn’t something you want to make days in advance if you can avoid it.
It is worth making seven minute frosting anyway. It is a classic for a reason and is fat free, which is something most frostings can’t claim!
It seems to be used most frequently on chocolate cake, and I do think that combination is amazing. But really you could use it on any moist cake.
Have you ever made seven minute frosting? What is your favorite baked good to put it on? Let me know in the comments or tell me all about your seven minute frosting adventures on social media.
If you are a frosting fanatic like me, check out my Frosting 101. It goes through the different types of frosting and links to all sorts of delicious recipes!
7 Minute Frosting
Ingredients
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup cold water
- 2 egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In the bowl of a double boiler, combine sugar, water, egg whites, cream of tartar and salt.1½ cups granulated sugar, ⅓ cup cold water, 2 egg whites, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, 1 pinch salt
- Beat on low for 30 seconds.
- Set over boiling water (make sure the boiling water is low enough that only the steam hits the double boiler, not the water.) While over the boiling water, beat on high for 7 minutes or until stiff and glossy.
- Remove from heat, add vanilla and beat an additional 2 minutes.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- For best results, use immediately.
Video
Email Me The Recipe
I’ll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Pinterest and Instagram for more!
Get social!
Recipes in your inbox
Is that powdered sugar
No, it’s granulated sugar. I will specify that in the recipe card, thanks for asking!
So happy to see this particular recipe. When I was a little kid, and even into adulthood, my sweet mama would make chocolate cake with 7Minute Icing for every one of my birthdays, and I always relished it immensely. I have never made it myself, but will certainly give this a try. Thank you for evoking some wonderful memories and giving me the impetus to do it myself!
I absolutely love food memories like that. I hope this lives up to your memories!
This was a staple in my mom's mental recipe box! She made it often, usually to go on dark, rich chocolate mayonnaise ( or Miracle Whip) cake!). She never really had to worry about storing leftovers! 😊
It would be perfect on a mayonnaise cake! A nice moist cake like that helps keep the frosting really soft and fluffy. I've tried it on dryer cookie bars and it can dry out a bit that way, but on a cake like that it will stay good for several days… especially if it is kept covered.
This is something I want to try . My mother made a seven minute frosting but yours seems to be an easier version. I think she beat the egg whites to peak stage and then poured the boiled syrup over. Similar to a divinity and it was humidity sensitive. I am all for easier. Is this method dependent on a dry day?
I think beating the egg whites over the heat helps to stabilize them. I have made it this way several times and so far haven't had an issue with the humidity affecting it. I have had issues with meringues before and know how disappointing that can be. I hope you have great success with this method!
My mil used to make this. It is such a great frosting. It fancys up any dessert. Yum.
I had never had it before but had seen it talked about so many times that I just had to make it!
I've never made 7-minute frosting. It sounds so perfect for these oatmeal bars! Yum! I love my mixer. Can't live without it. 😉
I kept wanting to make it and now I have the proper tools! I wasn't sure I'd use it much because I love my stand mixer so much, but I find myself reaching for it quite a bit already!
This looks really yummy Carlee. Would I be able to substitute honey for the corn syrup? Because I've got plenty of that!
Thanks, Mary! I have never tried it with honey, but I can't imagine why that wouldn't work. Now I really want to give it a try!
My mom made this frosting. One of those unwritten recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Wishes for tásty dishes, Linda
Mmm! I could see how it would easily become one of those unwritten recipes. Thanks for stopping by!
bean for 30 seconds, did you mean beat?
Ha, yes! Fixed it, thanks!