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!
Easy and Extra Fluffy White Cloud Frosting
Easy and Extra Fluffy White Cloud FrostingThis 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 frosting tastes like because it’s a little different than your typical icing. It has a bright and 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 frosting?
Because this is SUCH a light frosting, 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 frosting 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.
How do you make the best white cloud frosting?
Here are my tips, passed down from my mom, for getting the BEST white cloud frosting:
- 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!
White Cloud Icing
- Prep Time: 10 min
- Total Time: 10 min
- Yield: 4-5 cups 1x
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Pin RecipeDescription
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!
Ingredients
- 2 egg whites, at room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup 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.
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.
- Category: dessert
- Method: no bake
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: frosting, icing, cake, cupcake, dessert, white cloud, egg free, gluten free
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I love these older pictures still 🙂
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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!
This post was originally published in 2012 and has been updated and rephotographed in June 2019.
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This is also called Italian meringue. Delicious, but hardly a new thing. For those hard time, add 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar right after the eggs first get foamy.
I think this is a great recipe but do you know what can replace the light corn syrup
★★★★★
Would I be able to substitute pasteurized egg whites in this recipe?
Yep, it should work great!
Thank you! I’ll let you know how it works out!
Hello! My frosting was sticky and watery not sure why, I think it was because I did half of every ingredient because I only had one egg…oh well! I think I’m going to make it again next time! Thanks?
★★★★
A half batch actually works, this happens if there is any great residue or grease or fat on your bowl, beater, spoons… or even if you break park of the egg yolk and it gets a drop in the whites.
Hi Melissa, I love the texture and how easy it is to pipe this frosting. It’s still a bit too sweet for me, though. Do you think the frosting would still maintain its shape if I reduce either the sugar or corn syrup?
I bet you could reduce the corn syrup by half!
Would this make a good filling for a hollowed out angel food cake, with mixed berries?
Ohhh I think it would be lovely for that use! It has a bit of a marshmallow vibe but not so sweet.
Do you have to Refrigerate the cake Or cupcakes after you frost them or will is stay stable if it is left on the countertop? How about once the cake is cut?
I just keep it out on the counter and after I cut it I just put the plastic wrap on the exposed cake and not over the icing.
OHMYGOSH! this is a game changer, its so good and fluffy. I’m never going back to buttercream again. I made mine coffee flavored for my grandmothers birthday cake and everyone loved it.
★★★★★
Isn’t it fun! It’s our go-to as well. It feels easier than buttercream to me too! So glad you liked it!
I was a little nervous after seeing some comments, however with no butter on jad this was the recipe I needed.
My frosting turned out perfectly! Thick and fluffy and tasted amazing ?
I wiped out my “clean” mixing bowl and whisk with a paper towel, just to be sure there was no grease.
If you take your time and follow the instruction exactly, you will have amazing results ❤
★★★★★
Tried this and it didn’t come out anywhere near the picture just looks like very thin icing. I’m used to it I have tried multiple types of frosting and every type it comes out as Icing so it must be me. I know this says icing on it but the pictures show it as a different texture than what I got. I Didn’t make any changes except had to use a hand mixer because I don’t own a stand mixer.
Couldn’t edit my comment but the picture shows it’s more like a whipped frosting than an icing. So I expected it to look like the pic. I must of done something wrong but then again like I said above I have tried multiple different recipes and for some reason they all have come out as thin icing.
It won’t whip up nice like it’s supposed to if there is any grease at all on your beaters, spoon, bowl OR if any of the egg yolk breaks and gets into the whites, the egg whites won’t whip like this if there is any kind of fat involved. That’s the only reason this recipe has failed on my in the past and I’m 97% sure that’s what you are running into too.
Hey there
I’m thinking of using this as a base for custard buttercream (German buttercream). Due to a shortage, I can’t use butter to make traditional buttercream. Do you think this would hold up if I added firm custard?
Thanks
I really don’t know. I think the oil from the custard might break down the whipped egg whites. Let me know if you try it!
I didn’t turn out at all, I wouldn’t recommend it.
★
I’m so sorry that it didn’t work for you. It must have been an error on your end though (most likely some grease or fat left in your bowl/beaters), because I know that this recipe works as I’ve made it 100’s of times!