Seven-Minute Frosting

Makes: Enough frosting and filling for one 9-inch layer cake or 2 dozen cupcakes

Time: 10 minutes

Billowing and perfectly white like a marshmallow cream or meringue, this cake topper is a lot of fun and a perfect accompaniment for White or Chocolate Cake and cupcakes. Sometimes called boiled icing in old cookbooks, it’s fluffy, glossy, and—best of all—comes together fast. Use it right away and don’t let it sit out too long, or it will harden and start to deflate.

1. Put the sugar, egg whites, and corn syrup in the top of a double boiler or in a large metal or glass bowl that fits at least halfway into a saucepan (see page 59). Bring about 2 inches of water to a boil in the bottom of the double boiler or in the saucepan.

2. Use an electric mixer to combine the egg mixture with ⅓ cup water; then put the bowl or double boiler over the boiling water while mixing on high speed. Continue mixing the egg mixture using a stirring motion with the beaters until it’s fluffy and white, about 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla if you’re using it and the salt, and continue beating until the frosting is cooled and holds stiff peaks. Use immediately.

Coconut Seven-Minute Frosting Decrease the vanilla extract to ½ teaspoon and stir 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut into the frosting at the end. If you don’t want to stir the coconut into the frosting, softly press it onto the surface of the cake or cupcakes after they’ve been frosted.

RASPBERRY SEVEN-MINUTE FROSTING A pretty pink frosting perfect for a celebration: Substitute ¼ cup raspberry jam (preferably seedless) for the corn syrup and 2 tablespoons of the sugar.

BRÛLéED SEVEN-MINUTE FROSTING This gets the same beautiful caramelized edges as a toasted marshmallow or baked meringue. It’s easiest to do with a kitchen torch, but an oven works too: Use a kitchen torch to toast the frosting on a cake, cupcake, or pie by moving the flame continuously in small circles over the frosting until it turns golden brown. If you don’t have one, heat your broiler and place the oven rack so that the top edge of frosting will be a few inches away from the heating element (this will vary depending on the size of your cake). Toast the frosted dessert, watching closely, for a couple of minutes, until the tips are golden brown.

Using a Pastry Bag

A pastry bag is nothing more than a sturdy plastic bag with a tapered end that gives you control as you pipe frosting, icing, or dough through it. Regular zipper bags are a bit flimsier but do the job, and the process is the same. Either way, you can pipe directly from the bag or add a metal pastry tip—star, round, or flat—to pipe specific shapes. If you’re piping something like Royal Icing and want very precise lines, just cut a very small hole from the bag.

STEP 1
If you are using a pastry tip, put it in the bottom of the pastry bag and push it down until it’s securely lodged in the corner of the bag. (If using a zipper bag, cut a hole slightly smaller than the diameter of the pastry tip.) Fold the bag’s wide opening over the sides.

STEP 2
Spoon your filling or frosting into the bag. Take care not to overstuff—you can always add more later.

STEP 3
Unfold the sides. If you are using a zipper bag and no pastry tip, snip the corner where you will be piping. The smaller your cut, the finer and more precise your piping will be.

STEP 4
Twist the top of the bag gently to squeeze everything toward the bottom and eliminate any air bubbles. It helps to do this over a plate or the sink—the first few pipes are usually a bit messy.

STEP 5
Hold the bag in the palm of one hand so that your hand is keeping the twisted end securely closed and squeeze with even pressure; use the other hand to steady and support the bottom of the bag. Squeeze just enough frosting or dough out of the bag to control the shape of your work; adjust your position to maintain pressure and keep the flow steady. Pull up gently to create a decorative peak if you like. Refill the bag as needed.