7 Minute Frosting Recipe
Did I ever tell you my husband doesn’t eat sugar cookies? Well, he doesn’t. He says he doesn’t like them. He won’t even try one. Do you know how weird that is for me? I make sugar cookies every week and he won’t even try a single little crumb. Sigh.
You may be asking what kind of sweets he likes. He likes cheesecake, ice cream, and cakes made from a box. If I make a cake from scratch or buy one from a bakery, he may eat a small piece and say it was ok but, when I make a cake from a box mix and add 7 minute frosting, he lights up like a Christmas tree.
So here you go honey. I made this for you. I even made them look like they had an ice cream swirl on top for you.
This frosting is great for making spikes, peaks or for getting a cake that looks homemade because the icing can get very stiff and will hold a peak or a knife swirl.
Supplies for 7 Minute Frosting:
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 egg whites
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup Karo Syrup-(Corn Syrup)
1/8 tsp. salt
7 Minute Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 egg whites
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/4 cup corn syrup Karo Syrup
- 1/8 tsp salt
Instructions
- Beat egg whites in a bowl of a KitchenAid Mixer on high using the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.
- In a medium saucepan cook sugar, water, corn syrup and salt over medium-low heat until the syrup is at the softball stage (a drop of syrup into cold water forms a ball at the bottom of the glass).
- Once the syrup is at the softball stage, slowly pour the hot syrup to the egg whites with the mixer on low.
- Once all the syrup mixture has been added to the egg whites, turn the mixer on high and mix for about seven minutes or until stiff peaks form.
- Add vanilla and mix until the vanilla is combined with the icing.
- Ice cake while the frosting is warm.
This frosting is made by combining sugar syrup to egg whites that have beaten to form soft peaks. It isn’t hard to make but, crystallization can occur and can ruin your frosting. I will explain in a minute.
Begin by beating the egg whites with the whisk attachment until they turn white and form soft peaks. If you have a KitchenAid mixer it will do all the work for you but, you don’t have to have one to make this frosting. A hand mixer will work. Once egg whites are ready, just set them aside for now.
Combine the sugar, water, corn syrup, and salt in a medium pot and bring it to a boil on the stovetop. I have a gas stove and feel the need to stir things often to prevent burning. Don’t stir this. I repeat, do not stir this mixture or it will cause it to crystallize and it will make your icing grainy and icky.
What is crystallization you ask?
Crystallization refers to the formation of sugar crystals in sugar syrup. It can occur when a single sugar crystal goes rogue and sticks to the side of the pot. It feels like an outcast and wants to make all the other sugars join his evil plot to turn your sugar mixture back into a grainy sugar from. This sugar crystal will change the texture of your icing. Instead of being a smooth fluffy frosting, it will become grainy and lumpy.
Things that cause crystallizations:
- Some people suggest adding a cold stirring utensil can start the crystallization process. That is why they recommend you don’t stir until the sugar syrup reaches a certain temperature.
- Stirring, in general, can cause a few stray crystals to stick to the side of the pot which can cause crystallization.
This may be more information that you want to know but as they say, knowledge is power.
The recipe calls for you to cookie the sugar syrup until it reaches the softball stage. That is when the sugar syrup reaches 235° or when a drop of the syrup is dropped into cold water and forms a softball. It kinda looks like a tadpole doesn’t it.
Once you get the syrup to the softball stage, begin to slowly pour it into the egg whites with the mixer on low and with the whisk attachment. Don’t pour it in fast because the syrup mixture is hot and can cook the egg whites. Also, the whisk attachment can cause the syrup to sling out of the mixer and burn you. We don’t want that to happen.
Once the all the syrup is poured into the egg whites beat on high speed for about 7 minutes. Stop the mixer and add the vanilla and mix until combined.
Next, frost your cake. You can frost it while the icing is warm. It will be sticky and form a soft crust when it is cool.
Or you can put some on a cupcake and eat it really, really fast and no one will ever know you ate one before dinner.
Bear hugs,
I understand. My family rarely eats my homemade cookies, but everyone is lining up for mistakes. My husband and daughter would rather eat store bought cookies. I don’t get it! My daughter is away at college and I sent her special homemade cookies with her initials and she gave one to a friend and then forgot about them. But she eats store bought cookies while off at college? Go figure family.
My husband will eat just about any dessert, but he is quite critical and always tells me exactly what he thinks of one of my creations and sadly he doesn’t always give me a glowing review. It would be hard if he didn’t like chocolate, as that’s what I make all the time. I dated a guy for several years and he didn’t eat chocolate. That was tough, so I totally understand how you feel.
Your cupcakes look wonderful. I love that frosting!
My hubby likes just about anything and will eat everything that I make (unless it has creamed corn in it. He HATES creamed corn!!) and he tells me exactly what he thinks of everything. It’s really funny because my boys and I like maple syrup on bacon and I’ll eat an egg on top of pancakes with syrup on top and he goes bananas. But….I made some maple bacon cupcakes and he absolutely devoured them!!! And my sons didn’t care for them. Go figure. Any way, if I made something with a box mix, my husband tells me scratch is much, much better. He’s gotten so he doesn’t like box mixes at all any more.
Lisa, after you get the syrup and eggs mixed, on what speed on kitchen aide are you betting for 7 minutes?
Hi Robin,
Once all of the syrup mixture is added to the egg whites, turn the mixer on high for about 7 minutes. Thanks for your question and I added the information to the recipe. 😉
Thanks for both responses, Lisa.
And does this frosting need to be kept in the refrigerator after frosting the cake/cupcake?
Hi Robin,
7 Minute Frosting doesn’t require refrigeration.
The things we do for our “silly boys”! My hubby actually prefers instant cheesecake in a box over homemade! Thank you for the tutorial on the frosting … you make it look so easy 🙂
My husband loves my cookies…he prefers no icing though! Men…go figure!
This sounds like a great recipe!! TFS!
My hubby used to eat my cookies by the dozen, now only one every couple of months. He must have gotten tired of them, why couldn’t that happen to me??? Anyway, my mom used to make 7 minute frosting and I think I tried it once. Looks like I’ll have to try it again!
GORGEOUS Lisa! So going to try this out. I can never get that perfect swirl you have there. I neeed a lot of practice!
I just tried the 7 minute frosting recipe and it is nothing short of amazing. Your directions are impeccable. I just stared at the sugar and resisted the urge to stir, and it came out perfectly. I used you tadpole test to see if it was ready-too cool-it really worked! No tadpoles the first time,a few minutes later they appeared and I knew it was done. I added some peppermint flavoring and red food color to make a peppermint cake. Absolutely delicious. You are now my new “go to” website.
Happy New Year!!
Hi Clare!
It’s nice to meet you! I’m so glad you added peppermint to the recipe. I bet that’s delicious! Thanks for following along and let me know if you ever need anything!
Bear hugs,
Lisa
This frosting came out perfect!! I love it!!! I made it with my daughter and she (and I) made a couple of mistakes and it still came out amazing!!
I’m so glad to hear it turned out well Lisa. Did you ice a cake or cupcakes?
Thank you! I used this to ice an angel food cake and it turned out perfect! Most recipes call for handmixers which I do not own.
Hi I was wondering how well the frosting will hold its shape. I am looking for this to last a few days with out and drooping. Will this recipe work for that ? For cupcakes
Thanks !
Hi Gina,
The frosting will hold its shape very well if you make the icing stiff. So really whip it for the entire 7 minutes or until you think it’s stiff enough.
If you make it with soft peaks, it won’t hold as well. My mother-in-law was really impressed with my cake one day and wanted to know how I got the frosting so fluffy. When I told her it was all in the KitchenAid mixer she was a little sad. She said she didn’t think she could do it with a hand mixer. I don’t know about you but that sounds like a challenge to me. lol
Can you make the icing on a cloudy day. My mother days it will not get hard. Is that true?
Hi Cherri,
Royal icing is a hard icing to understand. If you live in a humid area (like I do) you need to play with it and see how it works. I make royal icing during rainstorms all the time, then I place them in front of a fan so it will help them dry faster. The humidity will cause the colors to bleed together as the icing dries, but a fan will help them dry a little faster and it will help them dry with a shine.
So I guess to answer your question, yes make royal icing when it rains! Decorating will chase the clouds away! lol