I have been looking at my Great Grandmother’s recipe for Homemade Marshmallow Frosting for a while now and finally got around to making it. It turned out to be different than what I had imagined but was still delicious and beautiful. I imagined that the frosting would look like big fluffy clouds that I could pipe onto a cupcake. In my mind, this was going to be the fluffiest frosting which would make the most beautiful cupcakes ever. This frosting was less like a frosting and more like an icing. It was thin and would not hold any shape at all. That’s okay though because it still had that shiny white gleam that I was hoping it would and it was very tasty. It tasted just like marshmallow fluff!
Here is what the recipe card looked like.
This time Grandmother had a little more detail and direction then she usually does but I still could have used more. Like should I stir the sugar-water syrup while it’s boiling? Do I remove it from the heat once I add in the marshmallows? Also, was I supposed to wait for the marshmallows to melt before I added them to the egg whites? The first time I made this marshmallow frosting, I did not stir it and I left it on the heat while the marshmallows melted ( which I felt was safe to let the marshmallows to melt. Seemed only right.). The homemade marshmallow frosting didn’t turn out as I had hoped. It was grainy because sugar crystals had formed from not stirring the syrup and from keeping it on the heat (rookie mistake). I made it again, fixing my mistakes and the frosting turned out silky smooth and much better. This frosting hardens the longer it sits, so be patient and try not to take your sweet time while frosting.
I have to say one more time how much my kids loved this frosting. My middle child bit into the cupcakes and exclaimed loudly with big eyes and a mouth full of pink cupcake, ” I LOVE it!!” And I have to admit that I dipped my finger in more than a couple times and ate my fair share of cupcakes for the day.
These are perfect for Valentine’s Day coming up. I know I will be bringing some cupcakes frosted in this homemade marshmallow frosting to more than one of my children’s Valentine’s day class parties. You have to try it and let me know what you think.
Homemade Marshmallow Frosting Recipe
Beat the white of 1 egg until stiff peaks form and set aside.
Next, make a simple syrup by bringing some water and sugar to a boil. Stirring frequently, wait until the syrup gets to the soft-ball stage. The soft ball stage is a temperature of about 235° F. I used my candy thermometer. At this temperature, sugar syrup dropped into cold water will form a soft, flexible ball. If you remove the ball from water, it will flatten like a pancake after a few moments in your hand.
While waiting for the syrup to get to the right temperature, prepare the marshmallows by tearing them into small pieces so they will melt faster.
Recipe calls for 18 large marshmallows but I don’t see why you couldn’t also use mini marshmallows. Online it says that 1 regular marshmallow is equal to 13 mini marshmallows. That’s 234 mini marshmallows or a little less than 2 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows.
Once it reaches the soft-ball stage, remove syrup from heat source, add in marshmallows and wait a minute or two for the marshmallows to begin melting. DO NOT STIR.
Add mixture into the bowl with the beaten egg whites and beat rapidly until all marshmallows melt and you get the right consistency to spread.
If frosting gets too thick, then beat in a few drops of water. That’s it. Viola! Perfect marshmallow frosting. Now go make some and leave me a comment letting me know what you thought. To find out more about my Great Grandma’s recipe box go here and to see more recipes like this one go here. Enjoy!
Printable Recipe is below:
Great Grandmother's Marshmallow Frosting
Homemade Marshmallow Frosting is delicious and beautiful!
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 egg white- beaten until stiff peaks form
- 18 large marshmallows
Instructions
- Boil sugar and water while stirring frequently until syrup reaches 235 degrees or syrup forms a soft ball in ice water. Remove from heat.
- Break the marshmallows in pieces and to the hot syrup. DO NOT STIR. Let sit 1 -2 minutes. Pour slowly over the stiffly beaten egg whites, beating rapidly.
- Continue beating frosting until it reaches desired consistency to spread. If it gets too thick to spread beat in a few drops of water.
Recipe Notes
Yield- Enough frosting to frost 2-3 dozen cupcakes.
Your recipe differs from your Grandmother’s is quite a big way. Hers – 1¼ cup of sugar and 1/2 a cup of water.
Yours says – 1¼ cup water and 1 cup sugar
Is this just a typo or an alternative you came up with that works better. Please advise, as I am looking forward to making this recipe. Thanks.
Just a typo–I fixed it! 🙂 You will love it!
Will this keep? If I make it in the morning and want to bag it and put it on cupcakes at work will that work? I’ve never make frosting before. I have 70 mini chocolate beet cupcakes I baked tonight. Need them for kids potluck tomorrow….have to work all day then meet them with the cupcakes for dinner. What was I thinking?! TIA
Hmmm…wish I could tell you, but I’ve only made this twice and used it right up.
I have made a recipe similar to this which was handed down to me. It looks exactly like this but I use 1 cup sugar and 1/2 cup water. Boil . Let cool. Beat 1 egg white till stiff peaks form. Slowly add in the sugar water and a tsp of vanilla with an electric beater. Keep beating on high until thickened. I don’t add marshmallows. I keep this refrigerated on the cakes. It holds up better.
Ooooo, that one sounds great too!
OMG!!! 😱 Your grandmother’s handwriting looks exactly like my late grandmother’s!!! She wrote her recipes and things on cards just like those as well!!!
It’s so weird. It honestly looks the same!!! NOT the recipe or anything like that. Just the handwriting. It just brought back so many memories.
I’ll definitely be trying this recipe.
Greetings from South Africa. ☺️
I just made this Marshmallow Frosting and it was super easy and delicious ever! Thank you for the awesome recipe. Can’t wait to make more them.
Wow this recipe was absolutely amazing! Tasted just like fluff only in the form of icing! Best frosting recipe ever!
Just made this recipe! Awesome!! Thank you for posting!
Sounds so yummy, love marshmallows!
Does the frosting set up? I’m looking for a marshmallow frosting to frost cookies with but would like to stack them.