White Cloud Icing
Printable Recipe
2 egg whites, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup light corn syrup
1 t. pure vanilla extract
Use a stand mixer. It will change your life. You can make this using a hand mixer, but it just takes time. In a clean bowl (any grease on your bowl or utensils will ruin the icing, egg whites hate grease!) beat the egg whites and salt on high speed until foamy. While the mixer is running, slowly add the sugar. Beat mixture until soft peaks form (when you pull the mixer out of the white mixture you should get a little point that bends over).
Bring the corn syrup to a boil over medium heat in a small saucepan. When the corn syrup comes to a boil, remove from heat. Slowly pour the hot corn syrup into the egg mixture while your mixer is mixing on high. Beat the mixture until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.
Use the frosting right away and eat any leftovers, it doesn’t store well. You can leave a cake that has been iced with this uncovered… any type of plastic wrap on it will be a mess. Add the sprinkles as soon as you are done icing, a thin crust forms and then the sprinkles won’t stick if you wait too long.
Finish up by letting your babies lick the bowl – the best part of icing-making for a kid!
Yum! Can’t wait to try it :) I’m wondering if you could put your tortilla soup recipe on here with how to use your green enchilada sauce in it? Thx!!
Oh, I have the same set of heart sprinklers! I am totally making these too…
Your picture on the side is SOOOO cute! You look great! Also, that frosting is what I like to call a cloud of yummy goodness.
Was wondering if you’ve ever eaten icing from Publix? And if so is this similar? It looks close to it.
Renee- I have no clue. I am assuming Publix is a grocery store if that says anything :) If that is true, and Publix has a typical “fluffy” grocery store kind of icing, then no it’s not the same. This has no greasiness to it at all but it’s not weird like marshmallow cream. It’s like a marshmallow meringue but much better.
Most grocery stores have a lovely fluffy icing, and if that is what you are looking you could look for a “stabilized whipping cream” icing recipe.
Good luck!
Renee, this recipe is nothing like Publix icing.
These look incredible! Do you think using liquid egg whites would work for the frosting?
Kelly- are the liquid egg white really eggs or an egg substitute? I’ve never used them… I say if they are eggs they would work (at room temperature!). I say it’s worth a try but I’m not for sure. Will you let me know if it works??
They’re real egg whites, they usually work when I make swiss meringue buttercream (but not italian mbc, weirdly). I just hate having leftover egg yolks! Thanks so much!!
I make homemade pudding with the extra egg yolks :) I can’t wait to hear if it works for you. – Melissa
Can you add flavoring to this recipe? I would like to make a mint flavored icing with chocolate bits and am wondering if add the flavor and texture would ruin the icing?
Heather, great question! I’m sure that you could add any flavoring to taste, in place or in addition to the vanilla extract. As for the chocolate bits, I would just add them to the top like a sprinkle. I think they would get lost in the frosting (I don’t even think you could see them once added, I bet they’d just look like white lumps). That being said, I don’t think they would deflate the frosting either. I would add them as a very last step and just fold them into the finished frosting. If you try it I would love to hear!
Hi, Melissa! Thanks for sharing your recipe with us! Quick question: I live in Texas and my daughter’s birthday is in September. Hot & sticky. :) Do you know how well this frosting stands up to humidity? The look of this frosting is exactly what I’m going for.
Thanks in advance!
Chelsye-
This icing is a GO for humidity! I grew up in Indiana which is very humid too, so I’m positive it will hold up, much better than butter cream for the heat too. I know you will love it, and hey, you can always take it for a test run too :) I love samples and I’m sure your family will too! I would make the cupcakes or cake ahead of time, use the frosting, and then let it set for at least an hour before taking it out. Like I said in the recipe, it forms a light crust/skin and that will help keep the humidity out.
Awesome! I’m going to test this recipe and one other this week an see which one works best in Texas. :) I’ll let you know what I find out. Can’t wait!!
Let me know how it goes. I’d love to see the other recipe you are trying too. I love new recipes :)
Well, I made it about 30 minutes ago and it was the easiest dang thing I’ve ever done next to opening a can. It tastes like a much lighter version of marshmallow cream, which is awesome. And on this rainy, high-humidity day, it’s held up really well so far. I even put it on a when a few of the cupcakes were still warm and it didn’t melt off or anything. I DID add a little under a tablespoon of cornstarch, per some friends’ suggestions. I think this will be the frosting I do for my daughter’s bday cupcakes! :)
I also just shot you that other recipe and a pic of my test run. Don’t laugh too much. lol
I have been looking for a recipe just like this for months. How stable is this at room temperature, meaning, can I make it the night before and bring it to work with me the next day? What about refrigeration? Thanks!!!
WONDERFUL at room temp! I normally make this a day ahead and I don’t refrigerate it. I think it would sweat if you did, so don’t :) Some of the icing starts to soak into the cake and it is almost more moist if you do. We adore this recipe and you will too. Let me know how it turns out! M.
I’m going to test these out on my husband’s kitchen staff today (otherwise, I’ll eat them all). I will let you know!!
Something went wrong (it still tastes amazing). I added both the vanilla and peppermint extract and it turned very runny. I’m still going to bring them to my holiday party today but I wonder what went wrong (probably user error ;-)). I will try this again and go according to the actual recipe. Thanks for an easy, yummy recipe.
My daughter’s birthday party this year is going to be care bears. I’m making a rainbow cake, and this frosting looks like the perfect match! Does this spread like regular frosting? I’m making a round cake, but your suggestions only mention sheet cake.
It’s much much fluffier and smoother than a traditional buttercream and goes on really nicely. I double this for a double layer round cake and plan on a thick one inch layer of frosting in between the two cakes. It looks super pretty like that and that is normally what I make for birthdays. Top with sprinkles and you are good to go!
Good to know! I’ll try tripling the recipe since the cake is going to be three layers. Can’t wait to try it!
Will that recipe cover 12 or 24 cupcakes??
If you are going heavy on the frosting like the pictures above, then just 12 (but it doubles easily). If you are doing a lot less per cupcake, then you could get more like 18-24 out of it. It’s pretty cheap to make (especially compared to butter-creams), so I normally double it and let the kids eat any leftovers :)
Might as well double it… and forget the kids, I am going to eat the leftovers!
Hi :D This looks yummy! I’m having a baby shower for a friend after our evening church service. If I frost the cupcakes right before church will it hold up for the baby shower like 2 1/2 hrs later? Oh and I shouldn’t worry about like not cooking the eggs right? because they cook from the temp of the stuff you boil right? :D Don’t want anyone to get sick:D Thanks so much for the recipe!! :D Found you through pinterest!
This holds up really really well. I’ve made things the night before and it works great. The icing gets a bit of a shell or sorts and pretty much seals itself off from air. You are good to go. And adding that boiling corn syrup is hot enough :) Let me know how it goes! Don’t forget the sprinkles…
I’m making it again!! The first time for the baby shower was awesome! The cupcakes looked so yummy and cute!! I love this and is now my go to recipe!! You were right!:-) thank you!
It’s easy and cheaper than buttercream, plus we love it! It’s totally a go-to for me and I’m SO glad you liked it. That icing with any sprinkles is just perfect.
Did you put the icing on with a piping bag? Or did you just spoon it on?
I piped it on… love that smooth look!
My mother use to make this frosting with cream of tartar. I loved it creamy but not after it crusts over. She whipped it up over a double boiler.
I have made this Martha calls it 7 minute frosting it is no competition for butter cream
Hi Im just wondering about the sugar, do you use a icing sugar (ground powder) or caster sugar (fine granurls). Thanks :-)
Just white granulated sugar :) It doesn’t even need to be the super fine kind. Thanks!
Don’t you worry about eating raw egg whites? It could make you very sick.
Barb- Hey! I’ve had people ask this questions… I’m pretty sure that by adding the boiling corn syrup that you are bringing them up to heat enough. I’m don’t really know that that is the case, but I’ve been eating this icing very regularly my whole life with no problems. And my mom got it out of some cookbook from her wedding, so it’s not something we worry about! It’s up to you though. Good luck!
I just tried it! Ive never been that successful getting my egg whites to coopporate but this time it worked! Mine did come out with kind of a liqure flavor. Does t. stand for tablespoon? I also used Mccormick imitation vanilla extract instead of pure VE so maybe that was it. Either way its still delicious! Is there a chocolate version of this?
Dayna! I’m so glad it worked. A small t is normally a teaspoon (I’ll change it to tsp. so it’s more clear) and a big T is a tablespoon. So you probably did have a bit too much of a good thing going on there :) Honestly, I forget to add the vanilla half the time and it is still good! I have no idea how you could do this in chocolate… but I’ll play with it! Thanks so much for the comment. M.
Can you use this on a Cake that won’t be eaten till the following day??
Mine ended up without any flavor at all. I followed the recipe exactly, and it looks perfect, but has no taste! Any suggestions?
I say bump the vanilla up to a tablespoon and see if that better suits you. It won’t hurt the recipe.
This looks incredible! Question, can you color this? If it’s better than buttercream I have a b day party I need to make a cake for and I ask excited to try it out!
Yes! I just add a few drops of liquid food coloring at the same time I add the vanilla in the recipe. You’ll love it! It’s a lot of fun.
It’s DELICIOUS!!! and SO EASY! Plus, it holds up better than any buttercream I have ever worked with! Quick question…I have about 50 cupcakes to do. Can I double this, or does a couple single batches work out better? and did I read correctly that I can pipe my cupcakes and leave them on the counter overnight? Thanks! :)
I do and it’s normally just great. I live in Southern Utah and it is hot and dry right now. I just left out a cake with this icing on it for a little over 24 hours and it was too long. It still looked great but the icing kind of got dehydrated and a bit chewy. If you live anywhere with a pit of humidity though you are fine. I grew up in Indiana and my mom always left it out with great success. 24 hours was bit long on my part too… does anyone of that makes sense :)
It makes perfect sense, thank you!! I am from Michigan…so I NEVER know what the weather is going to be in 24hrs, lol! The cupcakes are for a surprise wedding shower we are throwing for my daughters teacher…the kids are going to love this frosting! Looked everywhere for those cute heart sprinkles you used but couldn’t find ‘em, dang it!
I got them at a kitchen supply store that carries bulk sprinkles… I get a tub of sprinkles every year for my Birthday. LOL. Such a cute idea and I know the kids will LOVE it too!
LOVED your feature on Bakeaholic Mama! WAY TO GO! I somehow missed this recipe when it was first posted, so I’m glad to have it now. Dairy and gluten free! WOOT!
p.s. Thanks for the shout-out, friend. Your nice words made my day!
I am not a ‘real’ baker girl, I just pretend and hope for the best. This recipe was so easy and turned out so fantastic that anyone could make bakery worthy cupcakes. I used a hand mixer (see…not a pro) and I was perfect!!! I am going to be the cool mom at school tomorrow and my son will a great cupcakes for his birthday!!
Whoot whoot! I made this with a hand mixer all through collage before I found a Kitchen Aid at a garage sale. LOL… no shame in that! SO glad it turned out.