Easy 7 Minute Frosting (No Double Boiler)
Did I just say no double boiler for this 7 minute frosting recipe? You bet I did! Instead of figuring out how the heck to whip egg whites easily over a double boiler, this recipe shows you how to make luscious 7 minute frosting in a pot directly on the stovetop- it can be done! This method is so much easier and results in the same exact super smooth, swoopy, and delicious marshmallowy white frosting that you can slather all over your favorite cakes.
Yes I am a trained pastry chef but honestly I don’t do pastry chef things- instead I find a way to make them easier. Today were talking about making a super easy 7 minute frosting. This is a popular older generation type frosting thats light, airy, and has a dreamy marshmallow flavor. Basically doubling as a Swiss Meringue just slightly differing it how its cooked.
With seven minute frosting you typically whip egg whites and sugar over a double boiler for—you guessed it—seven minutes, until the mixture turns glossy and thick. Unlike Swiss meringue, which is only cooked at the start before being whipped, this frosting is fully whipped while gently heating.
It’s flavored with vanilla and has a much lighter texture than traditional vanilla buttercream frosting mainly because there’s no butter. Instead, the egg whites and sugar are heated and whipped into a soft, fluffy meringue. The gentle heat helps melt the sugar and pasteurize the eggs at the same time.
When I was testing this recipe, the though of whipping egg whites over a double boiler gave me flashes of my bowl falling off the stove and making a huge mess, so I wanted to see if it would work just in a pot instead.
TADA the answer is YES. No more anxiety over unstable pots! This trick worked like a charm. The frosting was just as perfect as if it was made the traditional way. I used it to spread all over this vanilla sheet cake, but it would be delicious over this super moist banana cake, or even this fun pineapple cake.
Best over one layer cakes
This frosting is best spread over one layer or sheet cakes. Because it’s super light and marshmallowy- its not the best when put in between layer cakes. It can make the layers shift around, making it hard to stay stable, and harder to frost the outside of the cake.
You can pipe it but it won’t hold it’s shape for long and definitely wont work for more intricate designs because it doesnt have butter in it to help keep it sturdy and thick.
I literally made a whole round cake and tried to fill and frost it with this and it was a disaster- so now we only use this frosting for one layer or sheet cakes!
Ingredient mentions
Use cream of tartar here to help with stability. I don’t recommend leaving it out or substituting it for something else.
Classically, vanilla extract is used but you can use any extract or flavoring that you want. The key is to whip it off the heat once you have gotten the frosting to have soft peaks.
I do not recommend trying this with carton egg whites. They don’t whip up as well and they wont be as stable.
Clean equipment
Whenever you are whipping egg whites you have to make sure that your equipment is clean and free of any kind of grease. If there are any traces of grease left over in your pot or on your mixer, your egg whites will not whip, and theres no way to fix it.
This goes for the yolk too. Since egg yolks = fat, you have to separate your eggs very carefully and make sure no yolk gets mixed in.
Either clean your stuff really well, or run a cut lemon over everything to clean it before you start.
How to make it directly on the stove
Yield
The frosting makes about 4 cups and can easily frost a 9×13″ sheet cake generously.
Troubleshooting and tips
- If the egg whites didnt whip and look like soup, you may have had some grease on something or there was a drop of yolk that snuck in somewhere.
- Putting this in the fridge won’t firm it up as again there is no butter to solidify like in American buttercream. It actually could make the frosting soft and less likely to hold its shape.
- Use cold eggs to separate, then let them sit for a few minutes at room temperature. Warmer eggs whip better.
- Best served on the day of, do not make ahead!
Easy 7 Minute Frosting ( No double boiler)
Ingredients
- 4 egg whites
- 1 1/4 cup white sugar, 250g
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 tsp water
Equipment
- 1 heavy bottomed pot
Instructions
- In the bowl of a heavy bottomed large pot add the 4 egg whites, 1 1/4 cups of sugar, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar, and 3 tsp water over low- med heat.
- Using a hand mixer on high speed, whip the egg whites for 7 minutes or until it reaches stiff peaks.
- Take the pot off the heat and add in the vanilla extract. Whip again for 30 seconds.
- Slather all over a cooled cake and enjoy!
