Easy and Extra Fluffy White Cloud Frosting
on Feb 01, 2012, Updated Aug 21, 2024
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My mom’s Easy and Extra Fluffy Frosting is a light, bright and not-too-sweet topping to douse on cupcakes and cakes of all varieties. This is a recipe that you will use over and over again. The perfect addition to top cupcakes and cakes of all kinds!
People often ask me what this icing tastes like because it’s slightly different from 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 icing recipe is made without butter or powdered sugar. It’s so unique!
My mom would often make this icing recipe, and she’d top a chocolate sheet cake or chocolate cupcakes with it. My favorite part was that she’d let us do the honor of loading the cake up with sprinkles. It’s one of my favorite memories growing up!
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Made without butter or powdered sugar
- So light and fluffy like a super-puffy marshmallow cream
- Great icing for any flavor of cake or dessert
Recipe Ingredients
- Egg whites – at room temperature
- Salt
- Sugar – regular granulated sugar
- Light corn syrup – for the beautiful glossy sheen
- Vanilla extract – this is the main flavor, so use the best quality you can
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Easy and Extra Fluffy Icing
- Beat egg whites and salt on high speed with a mixer until foamy.
- Slowly add the sugar, and beat the mixture until soft peaks form.
- Bring the corn syrup just to a boil over medium heat.
- Slowly pour the corn syrup into the egg mixture with mixer on high, beating until stiff peaks form, about 5 minutes.
- Add the vanilla, mix once more, and frost a cake!
Recipe FAQs
The words frosting and icing are sometimes used interchangeably, but they differ in texture, appearance, and ingredients. Frosting is typically made with a cream cheese or butter base, while icing is usually made with egg whites and sugar. The difference in ingredients is why Icing has a lighter, thinner texture than frosting.
This icing is perfectly white because there is no butter in it! If your favorite vanilla buttercream icing has a yellow tint, you can use a very small drop of violet food coloring to counteract the yellowish tint.
Yes, this recipe doubles well. One batch is enough to frost 12 cupcakes, so doubling will frost 24 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.
Expert Tips
- 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 the 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!
How to Store White Cloud Icing
Warning: This frosting must be used right away! 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 to Put White Cloud Icing On
This icing is a dreamy addition to so many things. 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 homemade angel food cake, coconut cake, or even a cookie cake.
The one way I wouldn’t use this amazing icing is by putting it between the sections of layer cake. It’s too light of an icing to support the weight of layers.
More Icing & Frosting Recipes to Consider
Frosting Recipes
Caramel Cake Frosting
Frosting Recipes
Peanut Butter Frosting
Frosting Recipes
Chantilly Cream
Frosting Recipes
Cream Cheese Frosting
Extra Fluffy Frosting
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 pulling 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 icing 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 one 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.
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!
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 remember making this icing with a cup of white sugar a little water and bring to a boil, until it is stringy when dripped from a spoon, first beat the two egg whites till frothy the keep beating and slowly pour hot sugar into the egg whites beats up beautiful add a tiny bit of vanilla, ,I’m 83 and that’s all we had for icing in those days ,
Prince George bc
Yesss! I bet that super similar to what the corn syrup does! I’m going to try your method, thank you for sharing. What name did you call your icing??
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.
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
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!
I make homemade pudding with the extra egg yolks 🙂 I can’t wait to hear if it works for you. – Melissa
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!!
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.
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.
Oh, I have the same set of heart sprinklers! I am totally making these too…
Did you use icing sugar?
Just plain white sugar works best!
Are there any substitutes for the corn syrup? Thanks!
I have a friend that has made is successful with honey and I heard once that when this recipe was old/original that some people did some kind of boiling water and sugar together until a certain temp. so that it was this kind of texture. I don’t know the details of how hot to boil it to, but I do feel like there have got to be some options besides corn syrup!
I make marshmallow frosting all the time. Don’t throw out the leftovers bake little drops of it on low heat for 2 hours. You will have some tasty meringue cookies.
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!!
I’m this would be perfect for the ding dong cake. Everyone said It marshmallow fluff or buttercream. The ding dongs today the cream has to much of marshmallow taste. I know buttercream is to heavy. It not cool whip. I knew it was something else, and this is it!!!
Great idea sounds so good!