Fluffy White Frosting

Fluffy White Frosting

¾ C sugar

¼ C water

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp corn syrup

2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

1 tsp vanilla

Heat first four ingredients slowly to boiling and cook (without stirring) to 242° F, or until a small amount dripped from tip of spoon spins a long thread. Pour syrup slowly onto stiffly beaten egg whites, beating constantly. Beat until cool and thick enough to spread. Add vanilla. Will frost 1 (9X9) cake.

This recipe was difficult for me. After confiding in a work friend of how much trouble this was she admitted to doing a similar frosting and swearing to never do it again either. That being said, this frosting is fun to eat and teaches you a bit about sugar chemistry.

There are potential pitfalls. My first attempt at the egg whites ended with throwing out all of them. I thought I did a good job separating but some bit of yolk must have slipped by because they would not stiffen. In case you didn’t know, the proteins in egg yolks will break down the egg white structures as fast as you whip them if you don’t get rid of every little bit. There are only two eggs in this batch but if you have more I suggest using the hand method to separate them into a cup. Inspect and throw out (or make a scramble for breakfast) any white that even has a speck of yellow. This way you cannot accidentally drop yolk into a big batch of whites and ruin the whole batch.

I also recommend starting off with a medium heat and carefully watching the temperature. My first batch I heated too quickly and it soared past 242° F leading to a “hard crack” candy texture with an unpleasant hint of caramel. When folded into the whites it turned into sharp points. If you get any color change in the sugar, start over. If you go beyond the temperature, turn it off, let it cool well below and heat up slowly again. If you get it right you get a VERY fluffy sweet icing that is reminiscent of marshmallows. When combined with the Blitz Torte’s crumbly, fluffy texture and the silky smooth custard it makes for a textural journey.