This retro frosting creates fluffy, marshmallow-y swirls.
It was popular in the mid-20th century when cookbooks offered recipes for a whole family of boiled icings.
This frosting is very similar to Swiss meringue, which is also cooked.
Alison Bickel
It also stars as the frosting and filling of our Fresh Strawberry Layer Cake.
After about 4 hours, it starts to deflate and become sticky.
What If I Dont Have a Hand Electric Mixer?
Alison Bickel
But, we haven’t tested the recipe using a handheld eggbeater.
Why Is It Called Seven-Minute Frosting?
It takes roughly seven minutes of cooking and constant beating for the frosting to transform.
Alison Bickel
Seven minutes is not a magic number thoughsometimes it takes more time, sometimes less.
Use both a timer and our visual cues in the recipe and youll be in good shape.
Dont be in a rushtake pleasure in watching the process unfold.
Alison Bickel
Ways To Flavor Seven-Minute Frosting
Looking for ways to jazz up this fluffy cloud of sweetness?
Heres how:
Troubleshooting Seven-Minute Frosting
Learning frosting takes time.
Im here to help.
Alison Bickel
Here are some things that could go wrong and what to do about it.
Frosting in a Snapshot
How do you match this with cake?
If frosting had a dating profile, this would be it.
Alison Bickel
Its best used right after making it.
Serve frosted cake or cupcakes within 4 hours of decorating.
This recipe calls for partially cooked eggs.
Alison Bickel
Be sure to use clean, uncracked eggs.
you might make this with pasteurized egg whites.
Beat with an electric hand mixer at low speed just to combine so the eggs are lightly frothy.
Alison Bickel
Fill a medium saucepot about 1/3 of the way with water.
Set it over medium to medium low heat and bring it to a moderate simmer not a boil.
The water should have small to medium-sized steady bubbles on the edges of the pot.
Alison Bickel
You do not want the simmering water in the saucepot to touch the bottom of the bowl.
You are using the steam to cook the frosting, not the water directly.
The greatest danger with this frosting is cooking it over too high of heat.
Alison Bickel
The first minute or so, the mixture will be frothy, with large bubbles.
After 2 to 3 minutes, the mixture will be foamy, with finer bubbles.
Around 5 to 7 minutes, the beaters will leave very distinct trails in the frosting.
Alison Bickel
It will be glossy, stiff, and sticky.
If you lift the beaters from the bowl, theyll form firm little peaks in the frosting.
Keep beating and cooking until you see the peaksit might take a little less or more than 7 minutes.
Alison Bickel
Remove the bowl from the double boiler.
Stir in the vanilla extract.
Use the frosting within 30 minutes.
Alison Bickel
As it sits, the frosting becomes too tacky and deflated to work with.
Simple Tip!
This can buy you a little time.
Its still safe and delicious to eat.
Its just not very pretty.
