This marshmallow frosting is a glossy, fluffy, cooked egg white frosting made with just 4 egg whites, 1 cup of sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. There is no butter and no jarred fluff. It takes about 15 minutes, frosts 12 cupcakes or a 9 inch two layer cake, and tastes like a spoonful of homemade marshmallow creme.
The method is simple: warm the whites and sugar over simmering water until the sugar dissolves, then whip them on high for 6 to 8 minutes until they hold stiff, shiny peaks. It pipes cleanly, stays soft instead of crusting, and toasts beautifully with a kitchen torch.
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- Yield: frosts 12 cupcakes or one 9 inch two layer cake
- Time: 4 to 5 minutes heating, 6 to 8 minutes whipping, about 15 minutes total
- Ratio: 4 large egg whites to 1 cup granulated sugar and ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Heat to: about 160°F, when the mixture feels completely smooth between your fingers
- Texture: glossy, stiff peaks, soft and non crusting
- Best used: right after whipping; do not refrigerate before frosting
Marshmallow Creme Frosting (With Fluff) vs Melted Marshmallows
When people search for marshmallow frosting, they usually mean one of three things. Here is how they compare, and which one this recipe is:
- Scratch marshmallow frosting (this recipe): egg whites and sugar cooked and whipped into a meringue. It is essentially fresh homemade marshmallow creme, spreadable right away. Lightest, glossiest, and it holds piped peaks best. Close cousins are 7 minute frosting and, with corn syrup for a longer life, my homemade marshmallow cream.
- Marshmallow creme frosting with fluff: a jar of marshmallow creme beaten with softened butter and powdered sugar. It is richer and denser, closer to buttercream, and quick to make. My marshmallow buttercream frosting uses 2 cups of marshmallow creme this way.
- Frosting made with melted marshmallows: regular or mini marshmallows melted and beaten into butter and sugar. It works in a pinch, but it sets firmer and stickier as it cools, so it is better for spreading on sheet cakes and brownies than for piping.
Store-bought fluff on its own is too soft to hold a shape on a cake. It needs butter and powdered sugar to become a frosting, and even then it tends to sag in warm rooms and by the second day. If you want tall, glossy swirls, the scratch version on this page is the one to make.
Five Ingredients, Each With a Job
Egg whites create the whole structure: lift, sheen, and body. I always use fresh eggs here. Carton whites do not whip quite the same, and I have had batches fall flat because of them. Keep every trace of yolk out of the bowl.
Granulated sugar sweetens and stabilizes the foam, but only once it is fully dissolved. Any leftover grains make the frosting gritty. Cream of tartar is the safety net that helps the whites whip faster and hold longer; I have skipped it before, and the peaks did not last. A pinch of salt balances the sweetness, and vanilla brings warmth. Vanilla bean paste adds pretty speckles, while clear or regular extract keeps the frosting snowy white.
How to Whip It Glossy and Stable
Wipe the mixing bowl and whisk with a little lemon juice or vinegar. Even a small trace of fat can stop egg whites from whipping.
Put the egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a clean heatproof bowl and set it over a pan of simmering water, without the bowl touching the water. Whisk constantly for 4 to 5 minutes, until the sugar has fully dissolved and the mixture is warm, around 160°F. Rub a drop between your fingers: it should feel completely smooth.
Move the bowl to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on high for 6 to 8 minutes, until the frosting is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks. Add the vanilla in the last minute. Use it right away, while it is at its fluffiest and shiniest. If you are frosting a lot of cupcakes, work steadily and keep the bowl covered with a damp towel between batches.
Common Marshmallow Frosting Mistakes
- Will not whip to stiff peaks: grease or yolk in the bowl, or carton whites. Start again with a clean bowl and fresh whites.
- Gritty texture: the sugar was not fully dissolved before whipping. Heat until it feels smooth between your fingers.
- Runny or weeping: it was underwhipped or left to sit too long. Whip the full 6 to 8 minutes and frost right away.
- Lost volume in the fridge: it was chilled before using. Frost first, then serve.
- Scrambled bits: the bowl touched the water or the heat was too high. Keep the water at a gentle simmer and whisk constantly.
Where This Frosting Shines
It is lovely on chocolate cake and cupcakes, where the light, sweet frosting balances the rich crumb. Try it on a sour cream chocolate cake, swirled over German chocolate cupcakes, or spread on brownies for homemade marshmallow brownies. It also works between sandwich cookies, and I have even filled macarons with it.
For a s’mores effect, toast the swirls with a kitchen torch until they are golden in spots. That light crackle brings out a deeper, toasted marshmallow flavor. In the colder months it tops hot cocoa brownie cups perfectly, and a torched layer of it is a fun twist on the marshmallow topping for sweet potato casserole.
Storing a Frosted Cake
Do not refrigerate the frosting before using it, as the cold makes it deflate. Once frosted, cakes and cupcakes are best within a few hours at room temperature. After that the texture starts to shift and the frosting slowly loses its gloss. It does not crust like buttercream, so it stays soft on the tongue. If you have leftovers, spoon them onto cookies.
If you need a frosting that holds longer, try my ermine frosting for buttery richness, or compare light and airy options like whipped cream frosting and Cool Whip cream cheese frosting.
Quick Answers
Can you use marshmallow fluff as frosting?
Not on its own, because it is too soft to hold a shape. Beat it with softened butter and powdered sugar to make a marshmallow creme frosting, or make this scratch version for piped swirls.
Is marshmallow frosting the same as 7 minute frosting?
They are very close. Both are cooked egg white frostings. This version dissolves the sugar over simmering water first and then whips it in a stand mixer.
Are the egg whites safe to eat?
The whites are heated with the sugar to about 160°F before whipping, which is the temperature usually recommended for cooked egg whites.
Does marshmallow frosting set hard?
No. It stays soft and does not crust like buttercream. It slowly loses its gloss after a few hours.
Can I make marshmallow frosting ahead?
It is best made right before frosting. It loses volume as it sits and should not be refrigerated before using.
Save this marshmallow frosting to your cake frosting board so it is ready for the next birthday or bake sale, and tell me in the comments what you frosted with it.
Marshmallow Frosting Recipe
This marshmallow frosting is a fluffy, glossy cooked egg white frosting made from scratch with egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt, with no butter and no jarred fluff. It takes about 15 minutes and frosts 12 cupcakes or one 9 inch two layer cake. Warming the whites and sugar over simmering water until the sugar dissolves, then whipping them on high for 6 to 8 minutes, gives stiff, shiny peaks that pipe cleanly and taste like fresh marshmallow creme. Use it on chocolate cake, vanilla cupcakes, brownies, or sandwich cookies, and toast it with a kitchen torch for a s’mores finish. For a denser marshmallow creme frosting, beat fluff with butter and powdered sugar instead. Use it right after whipping.
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- PREPARE YOUR MIXING EQUIPMENT: Wipe your mixing bowl and whisk attachment thoroughly with lemon juice or vinegar to remove any grease. Even small traces of fat can prevent the egg whites from whipping properly.
- COMBINE INGREDIENTS IN A HEATPROOF BOWL: In a clean metal or glass heatproof bowl, add the egg whites, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, and a pinch of salt. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water.
- HEAT THE MIXTURE UNTIL SUGAR DISSOLVES: Whisk the mixture constantly over the simmering water for about 4 to 5 minutes, until the sugar is fully dissolved and the mixture is warm to the touch (around 160°F). To check, rub a small amount between your fingers—it should feel completely smooth without any graininess.
- WHIP UNTIL STIFF PEAKS FORM: Transfer the warm mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed for 6 to 8 minutes, until the frosting is thick, glossy, and holds stiff peaks.
- ADD VANILLA AND FINISH MIXING: In the last minute of mixing, add the vanilla extract and continue whipping until fully incorporated. The frosting should be shiny and stable, ready to pipe or spread as desired.
Notes
Use the frosting immediately after whipping for best texture and stability. Avoid refrigerating before use, as it may lose volume. Wipe the bowl and whisk with lemon juice or vinegar and keep all yolk out of the whites. Heat until the sugar is fully dissolved (around 160°F) before whipping. Fresh egg whites whip better than carton whites. Frosted cakes are best served within a few hours at room temperature. If desired, you can toast the frosting with a kitchen torch for a toasted marshmallow effect.
