Name: My Mom’s 7-Minute Frosting
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 7 min
Total time: 12 min
Ingredients: 1-1/2 cups sugar; 2 Tbsp light corn syrup; 6 large egg whites; 1/4 cup water; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

My Mom’s 7-Minute Frosting

Jill Nystul · September 17, 2015 · Updated: July 17, 2019

17 Comments

5 from 1 vote

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I have to admit, today’s post is part recipe, and part love letter. :-) “7-Minute Frosting” has been a central part of my birthday celebrations since I was a little girl. There was nothing better than celebrating my birthday by devouring a slice of my Mom’s rich, chocolate cake topped with this fluffy, gooey, marshmallow-y frosting. This special cake and frosting combination has become so intertwined with family birthdays that my mom continues to make it for her grandchildren’s birthdays too, and they all love it as much as I do.

It seems like those recipes deeply ingrained in our family histories are the ones we tend to forget to share. Something about their permanence in our lives makes them easy to overlook. But I recently made this frosting for my sons birthday, and it occurred to me that I needed to share this one on the blog!

My hope is that this special recipe will make its way into your family’s birthday celebrations too. :-)

7-Minute Frosting

1-1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
6 large egg whites
1/4 cup water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Start by setting a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. (Since you’re going to be using an electric mixer in the final step, it’s easiest to just use the bowl from your stand mixer.) Add the sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, and a 1/4 cup of water to the bowl.

Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees (this should take about 5 minutes.) You can use a candy thermometer for this step, but I love using my Thermapen! It’s so easy!

Remove the bowl from the stove and fit it into your stand mixer. Set up the whisk attachment. (If you don’t have a stand mixer, a hand mixer will work just fine too!) Beat the mixture on high speed until glossy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Beat in the vanilla extract, and use immediately.

I love the look of this frosting on bundt cakes, but it doesn’t really matter what your cake (or even cupcakes) look like. Add some sprinkles for a little color, if you want!

All that really matters is that your cake ends up being covered under a mountain of deliciously gooey 7-Minute Frosting. Just ask my kids! :-)

Did you have a favorite birthday dessert when you were a child?

My Mom’s 7-Minute Frosting

Jill Nystul

There is nothing better than celebrating birthday by devouring a slice of our Mom’s rich, chocolate cake topped with this fluffy, gooey, marshmallow-y frosting. This special cake and frosting combination has become so intertwined with family birthdays. My hope is that this special recipe will make its way into your family’s birthday celebrations too. :-)

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 7

Total Time 12

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings

Calories 205 kcal

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup
6 large egg whites
1/4 cup water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water.
Add the sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, and a 1/4 cup of water to the bowl.
Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture reaches 160 degrees.
Remove the bowl from the stove and fit it into stand mixer. Set up the whisk attachment.
Beat the mixture on high speed until glossy and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
Beat in the vanilla extract, and use immediately.