Easy and Extra Fluffy White Cloud Frosting

4.92 from 23 votes

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My mom’s Easy and Extra Fluffy Icing is a light, bright and not-too-sweet topping to douse on cupcakes and cakes of all varieties!

The words frosting and icing are sometimes used interchangeably but they have a few differences in texture, appearance and ingredients. Frosting is typically made with a cream cheese or a butter base while icing is usually made with egg whites and sugar as the base. Icing is a lighter, thinner texture than frosting as well. Both are delicious and serve different purposes but I am excited to share this super fluffy icing with you.

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Extra Fluffy Icing

This is such a neat recipe and one I have loved since I was a girl. My mom would make this frosting recipe often and she’d top a Devil’s Food cake or cupcakes with it. My favorite part was she’d let us do the honor of loading the cake up with sprinkles. It’s one of my favorite memories growing up!

People often ask me what this icing tastes like because it’s a little different than your typical icing. It has a light flavor and isn’t overly sweet. The texture is super puffy and fluffy; it will remind you of an extra-light marshmallow cream spread. It’s also crazy and unusual that this frosting recipe is made without butter or powdered sugar. It’s so unique!

How do you store white cloud icing?

Because this is SUCH a light icing, it sort of loses its consistency over time if you don’t use it right away. I’d recommend icing whatever cake or cupcakes you’ve made, and then either eating or tossing leftovers if you have any. But it’s so good, you won’t want to toss it. Get out a spoon, friend!

What do you put white cloud icing on?

This frosting goes so great on so many things. You can pile it high on chocolate cupcakes, like the pictures here, or really any cupcake that vanilla-flavored frosting tastes good on. You can also put it on any other favorite cakes or favorite desserts, including Angel Food cake, vanilla cake, or a cookie cake. I wouldn’t put it between the sections of layer cake because it’s too light to support the weight.

My mom's Easy and Extra Fluffy White Cloud Frosting is a light and bright, not-too-sweet topping to douse on cupcakes and cakes of all varieties!

How do you make white icing not yellow?

This icing is perfectly white because there is no butter in it! If you are finding that your favorite vanilla buttercream icing has a yellow tint, you can use a very, very small drop of violet food coloring to counteract that yellowish tint. 

Can I pipe this icing on cupcakes?

Yes! This extra fluffy icing is the perfect topping for cupcakes. Pipe the icing onto the cupcakes or frost your cake right away because once the icing sets up, it’s hard to spread and doesn’t pipe well.

Can I double this recipe for extra fluffy Icing?

Yes, this recipe doubles really well. If you only make 1 batch it will be enough to frost 12 cupcakes. So doubling will allow you to frost 24 cupcakes. 

How do you make the best white cloud icing?

Here are my tips, passed down from my mom, for getting the BEST white cloud icing:

  • Use a stand mixer. Because you add a lot of the ingredients as you’re mixing, it’s way, way easier to use a stand mixer rather than a hand mixer.
  • Make sure your bowl and utensils are clean. Egg whites do NOT handle grease well, and the consistency won’t end up great if there’s butter or oil on any of your materials.
  • Slowly add your sugar and corn syrup. When it’s time to pour the sugar into the mixer bowl, do it very slowly to allow everything to incorporate well and form the best soft peaks. Same goes for when you add the hot corn syrup!
  • Use it immediately. If you don’t, it sort of de-fluffs and loses its great shape and fullness. Also, add your sprinkles or other decorations right away because they stick best right after icing!
My mom's Easy and Extra Fluffy White Cloud Frosting is a light and bright, not-too-sweet topping to douse on cupcakes and cakes of all varieties!

More icing recipes:

If you’ve tried this easy homemade fluffy icing recipe or any other recipe on Bless this Mess, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below! I would love to hear about your experience making it. And if you snapped some pictures of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can repost on my stories AND add your photo to your comment so that other can see your creation.

My mom's Easy and Extra Fluffy White Cloud Frosting is a light and bright, not-too-sweet topping to douse on cupcakes and cakes of all varieties!
4.92 from 23 votes

Extra Fluffy Icing

My mom's Easy and Extra Fluffy Frosting is a light and bright, not-too-sweet topping to douse on cupcakes and cakes of all varieties!
Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 10 minutes
Servings: 18 (4-5 cups)

Ingredients 

  • 2 egg whites, at room temperature
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions 

  • 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.
  • With the mixer still 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 right away.

Video

Notes

  • Use the frosting right away and eat any leftovers, as it doesn’t store well.
  • You can leave a cake that has been iced with this frosting uncovered, since any type of plastic wrap on it will be a mess.
  • Add the sprinkles as soon as you are done spreading the icing. A thin crust will form, and the sprinkles won’t stick if you wait too long.
  • This recipe doubles well.
  • This is enough to frost 18 cupcakes or the outside of 1 layered cake. This is not a great icing to fill a layer cake. The cake kind of smashes it into nothing, and you don’t have a nice layer in the middle anymore.

Nutrition

Serving: 1of 18 servings, Calories: 53kcal, Carbohydrates: 14g, Protein: 0.4g, Fat: 0.04g, Sodium: 47mg, Potassium: 6mg, Sugar: 14g, Calcium: 2mg, Iron: 0.004mg
Like this recipe? Rate and comment below!

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Easy and Extra Fluffy White Cloud Icing is a recipe that you will use over and over again. You are going to love the bright white color and it’s subtle sweetness. The perfect addition to top cupcakes and cakes of all kinds!

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331 Comments

  1. 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!

    1. 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.

  2. Mine ended up without any flavor at all. I followed the recipe exactly, and it looks perfect, but has no taste! Any suggestions?

    1. I say bump the vanilla up to a tablespoon and see if that better suits you. It won’t hurt the recipe.

  3. 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?

    1. 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.

    1. 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!

    2. As long as the eggs/whites are pasteurized there is no danger. I drink egg whites in my smoothies and coffee for added protein.

    1. Hi Im just wondering about the sugar, do you use a icing sugar (ground powder) or caster sugar (fine granurls). Thanks 🙂

    2. Just white granulated sugar 🙂 It doesn’t even need to be the super fine kind. Thanks!

  4. 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.

    1. It doesn’t keep well at all… in fact you need to put it on the cake/cupcakes as soon as you use it… while it is still warm it is easy to get on but if you stir it or mess with it too much once it cools then the kind of deflates and falls apart.

  5. Hi 😀 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? 😀 Don’t want anyone to get sick:D Thanks so much for the recipe!! 😀 Found you through pinterest!

    1. 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…

    2. 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!

    3. 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.

    1. 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 🙂