Recipe by Sarah Phillips © 2008 Sarah Phillips CraftyBaking.com
Variation: Seven Minute Vanilla Bean Icing and Variations
Year Round Spice Cake
A wonderfully fluffy frosting, with a subtle flavor. It's best used the day it is made and does not need refrigeration. I created it to use with my moist and tender Year Round Spice Cake and the Healthy Oven Banana Currant Layer Cake. I developed the spice cake using Two-Stage Mixing Method with All-purpose flour!
FROSTING, ICING, ETC RECIPE HELP
INGREDIENTS
2 large egg whites, room temperature; separate eggs while cold and can use cold whites in the recipe
2/3 cups sugar or superfine sugar
1/3 cup corn syrup; light or dark; dark corn syrup lends a much more robust flavor
2 tablespoons coffee or water; do not use hot coffee; If using water, increase the instant epresso powder below to 1 teaspoon total.
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
NOTE: Do not flavor the mixture with candy oils; oil will deflate beaten egg whites.
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Place egg whites, sugar, corn syrup, cream of tartar and salt in the top part of a double boiler. In a small bowl, dissolve the instant espresso powder in the cold coffee, and then add to the egg white mixture.
With a hand-held mixer, beat the ingredients for 30 seconds on low speed to combine the ingredients. The egg whites will froth; Do NOT beat it so the egg whites begin to beat!
2. Let the egg white mixture sit for 2 minutes to allow time for the sugar to dissolve.
3. Meanwhile, fill the bottom of a double boiler with water. Make sure the bottom of the top bowl does not touch the water beneath, otherwise the touching water will super heat the contents of the bowl. If it does, reduce the water to no less than 2 inches. Turn on the stove's heat to high and bring the water in the bottom of the double boiler to a rapid boil. When it does, reduce heat to maintain a simmer.
4. Set the top containing the egg white mixture, over the bottom of the double boiler. Using a pastry brush, clean the side of the top of the double boiler with water to prevent hardened sugar crystals from forming during cooking of the icing and the icing from becoming grainy.
SARAH SAYS: Dip the pastry brush in fresh water after each time you brush the sides of the double boiler.
5. Using a hand-held electric mixer fitted with beater attachments, beat the egg white mixture. Start at low speed and then quickly increase the mixer to high speed, beating for a total of about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the egg white mixture is thick, fluffy and the whites form STIFF peaks when the beaters are stopped and then lifted from the mixture. Immediately remove the icing from the top of the double boiler to stop it from cooking.
A. Start beating the egg white mixture on low speed, quickly increasing to high speed. As the mixture cooks, it becomes frothy.
B. As more air is beaten into the egg white mixture and it cooks, it becomes lighter in color and increases in volume.
C. When the icing is almost done cooking, it will thicken and the beaters will start to leave ridges in it.
D. Beat until the egg white mixture is thick, fluffy and the whites form STIFF peaks when the beaters are stopped and then lifted from the mixture. Immediately remove from the top of the double boiler to stop the cooking.
6. Right after you remove the icing from the top of the double boiler, add the vanilla extract and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds or until well combined. The icing's true color is an off white.
7. Let frosting cool until tepid (about 100 degrees F) before using as a filling and/or frosting. Do not scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. If you intend to cool the frosting to use later, let it cool to tepid, and then press a piece of plastic wrap on its surface for short-term storage.
STORAGE
Seven Minute Icing is best used within the same day, because it starts to deflate and/or becomes sticky. Store at room temperature. When refrigerated, it becomes more marshmallow-like and gummy. The frosting does not freeze well.
VARIATIONS
Seven-Minute Vanilla Bean Icing and Variations
