Marshmallow Frosting
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This homemade marshmallow frosting tastes just like marshmallow creme! It comes together quickly with just 5 basic ingredients. Fluffy, slightly sweet and light––this frosting will be your new favorite!
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A reader, Kim, commented: “Hi Allie, I made this frosting last weekend for a cake and it was just amazing! I like mine on the lighter side so it doesn’t overpower the cake, and this was just perfect. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! ★★★★★”
Another reader, Arabella, commented: “This frosting is the best! I’ve made it multiple times and it always turns out perfect. Goes wonderfully on my homemade s’mores cake. Also, my husband is so picky with frosting but he’ll eat this one straight out of the bowl. ★★★★★”
I first shared this marshmallow frosting recipe in 2019–it’s since become a reader-favorite along with whipped cream frosting and Swiss meringue buttercream. I know you’re going to love it because it’s so light and fluffy, and it tastes just like homemade marshmallows. It whips up stiff enough to pipe for cupcakes or filling, but also smooth enough for cakes, too!
You’ll Love This Marshmallow Frosting
- Tastes just like marshmallow creme
- Pillowy soft, light and fluffy
- Not overly sweet
- You only need 5 ingredients!
- Pairs wonderfully with s’mores cupcakes or red velvet cupcakes
Ingredients You Need
- Sugar: Granulated sugar is used with the egg whites and to create a simple syrup.
- Egg Whites: You need 5 large egg whites. These are the base of the recipe– whipped together until foamy and double in size.
- Water: The water is paired with the sugar to make the simple syrup, similar to homemade lemonade but without the lemons.
- Cream of Tartar: Needed to help stabilize the egg whites–I use it in lemon meringue pie, classic whoopie pies, and meringue cookies. If you don’t have it, you can substitute with a small amount of lemon juice or white vinegar.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor.
In Photos: How To Make Marshmallow Frosting
Step 1: Place the egg whites in a large mixing bowl, along with the cream of tartar and salt. Beat together and slowly add in half the sugar until stiff peaks form.
Step 2: Combine the remaining sugar and water in a saucepan. Heat until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Step 3: In a very slow and steady stream, add the hot sugar syrup to the meringue, while beating on low.
Step 4: Once fully added, beat on high speed and whip until very stiff and glossy.
Uses for Marshmallow Frosting
- Topping for a banana cream pie, pumpkin pie or mud pie
- Frosted or piped on top of almost any cupcake recipe
- As the filling in whoopie pies
- A filling for chocolate cupcakes
- Placed on top of chocolate mousse
FAQ
It’s best to use a brulee torch for this type of application. However, it can be toasted under the broiler with keeping a very close eye on it as it can burn very fast!
More Frostings
Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
- 5 large (5 ) egg whites
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar*
- pinch of salt
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar,, divided
- 2/3 cup (157.73 ml) water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt in a large mixing bowl and whip on medium speed until foamy.
- While continuing to whip, add 1 cup of the sugar in a very slow and steady stream (about 1 teaspoon at a time).
- Once the entire cup of sugar has been added, continue to whip until the meringue can hold stiff peaks.
- Whip in the vanilla extract, and continue to stir the meringue on low speed while you prepare the hot sugar syrup.
- Place the remaining 1 cup of sugar in a small pot, along with the water.
- Place the pot over medium heat and cook until the syrup boils and reaches 235 degrees F.
- In a very slow and steady stream, add the hot sugar syrup to the meringue, while continuing to whip on low speed.
- When all the syrup has been added, turn the mixer up to high speed and whip until very stiff and glossy.
This tastes amazing. I have lots left though can it be kept at all? Frozen maybe?
Hey Gemma so happy you like it! It can keep for a day or so but not much longer, I’m afraid. It tends to lose air and deflate over time. I haven’t tried freezing it.
It says 69 calories, but for how much frosting? A tbs., 1/4 cup?
This is also called 7 minute frosting, been around since 50’s.
It’s very similar to 7-minute frosting (which can be found here: https://bakingamoment.com/seven-minute-frosting-and-a-giveaway/) but this is actually Italian meringue. The recipe makes 4 cups and the serving size is 1/24th of the whole batch, since it makes enough for 24 cupcakes. Hope this is helpful!
I love marshmallow frosting. I use it on coconut cakes. I too can eat it out of th bowl. Ha!! This is the first recipe I have seen where you add half the sugar with the egg whites and then boil the other half. That is amazing!!
Oh that sounds delicious! We hope you enjoy it!
I need to know where I’ve gone wrong. Within a few hours the frosting goes liquidy. If it’s in its bowl, if it’s on a cupcake or if it’s in the piping bag it doesn’t matter. I followed the instructions down to a T, but I’ve tried this twice and both times it’s happened. Does anyone have any ideas and help? It’s like a clear liquid. I don’t add or adjust the recipe. Bar ensuring the sugar is the right temp due to lack of thermometer
I’m not sure if this is the cause of your problem, but I will say it’s very important to cook the sugar to exactly the right temperature. You can get a thermometer for just a few dollars and it’s very handy to have for all sorts of recipes, not just candy making but also for cooking meat and baking breads.
So easy and turns out beautiful. I am so impressed.
I recently baked some cupcakes but somehow they tasting so pale. So I decided why not top them with something nice. That is when I came across this recipe for marshmallow frosting! It escalated the taste of the cupcakes so much.
Hi, I’ve just finished making your marshmallow frosting (delicious) and I’m sure I saw where and how to store it but now I can’t find it! I’m not decorating a cake till tomorrow so what shall I do with it once cooled? Thanks x
Hey Rachael! The info you’re looking for is under the heading “How to store and keep.” Here’s a direct link: https://bakingamoment.com/marshmallow-frosting/#how-to-store-and-keep. Good luck!
Great recipe. Easy and delicious
love the marshmallow recipe from your sharing
I tried to 1.5 the recipe using a 1:1 sugar replacement and ended having to add almost a half cup of powdered swerve, another teaspoon of cream of tartar and a half teaspoon of xanthan gum to get it even a little bit thicker. I’ve been mixing for almost an hour and it still barely forms peaks. I’m gonna add a little more xanthan gum, since I feel like it’s already crazy full of Swerve.
What do you think could have gone wrong here?
Hm, it’s tough to say without having watched what you did… Could be the sugar replacement, could be the fact that you 1.5x’ed it, or could be that you used powdered instead of granulated. But I think the most likely thing is a little bit of egg yolk made its way into the whites. Either that or the bowl or whisk was a little greasy. Fat is a meringue killer!
This is the first time I’ve tried making marshmallow frosting ITS AWESOME🥰
Can’t wait it try it on my other baked goods first time I put it on dark chocolate cupcakes
Yum, that’s my favorite! So glad you were pleased!
Hi Allie, I made this frosting last weekend for a cake and it was just amazing! I like mine on the lighter side so it doesn’t overpower the cake, and this was just perfect. Thanks so much for sharing the recipe!
Works perfectly and super delicious! A little bit of a hassle, but so worth it!
Hi,
This looks delicious and I really want to try it but I have a question. How is the egg white ok to eat if it hasn’t been cooked? Thank you!
Use your best judgement- it does get cooked somewhat by the hot sugar syrup, but you’ll want to be smart about who you serve it to and make sure the eggs are fresh. Good luck!
I made the frosting to go with your coconut cake and it was delicious! Both were amazing, thank you!!
Unless you purchased your eggs from a roadside stand, specifically bought “raw eggs”, or gathered them from your own chickens…they are pasteurized eggs. The ‘don’t eat uncooked eggs’ rule is an old standard meant help people to avoid salmonella. Unfortunately, pasteurized eggs can be the very reason that a meringue won’t form stiff peaks. It’s related to the heated proteins in pasteurized eggs failing to firm up. But given pasteurization, the presence of salmonella is far more likely to be on the egg shell rather than the interior. Washing your eggs is a bigger priority.
Good to know!
I made this last night while waiting on my jello cake to set. I woke up this morning and was excited to icing my cake and was met with a bowl of runny, foamy, stuff. It was thick when I finished it. I stirred it hoping to bring it back and it had delegated. There was a yellowish liquid on the bottom. Maybe the vanilla extract. It tasted okay but was totally not usable. I’m just thankful I didn’t icing the cake last night because it wouldn’t have been pretty today. Not sure what happened. 🙁 I am sad because there used to be a marshmallow icing that you could get at the grocery store that came in a little box. It only requires hot water and a blender. It was amazing but I can’t find it anywhere. If anyone knows what I’m talking about and knows how to get it that’d be great. Thanks.
This frosting is amazing! I had to make someone’s 50th birthday cake (no pressure :)) and I had to scrap the original frosting just a few hours before we ate it. I found this one and it is delicious. I did have just enough to frost one 9” triple layer cake and one 9” double layer cake. It is so amazing and everyone loved it.
When I poured in the hot syrup it started mixing everywhere. and it turned hard after any help. I think it’s because I poured in all of it and put it on high speed.It tasted good though.