Super-Easy Marshmallow Icing

By á-25393

This basic white icing can be flavored to taste. To make chocolate icing, add 1/2 cup Dutch-process or natural cocoa powder to the marshmallows and cream before heating. For coffee icing, add 2 teaspoons espresso powder to the marshmallows and cream before heating; once the marshmallows are melted, increase the flavor, if desired, by adding additional espresso powder to taste.
If you let the icing chill completely in the fridge, it'll be stiff and harder to beat. But just keep beating, it'll gradually soften as it warms up.
For pure white icing, omit the vanilla. But if you're OK with off-white icing, the vanilla adds rich flavor.

Ingredients

• 2 cups (1 pint) heavy or whipping cream
• 1 bag (10 to 10 1/2 ounces) marshmallows; mini-marshmallows are easiest to use
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 to 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, optional

Preparation

Step 1

1) Place the cream, marshmallows, confectioners' sugar, and salt in a large, deep saucepan.

2) Heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until the marshmallows melt completely.

3) Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla, if you're using it.

4) Pour the icing into the bowl of your stand mixer or another mixing bowl, and refrigerate until chilled.

5) Beat the icing on high speed, using your stand mixer or an electric hand mixer; it's impossible to whip fully by hand, so please use a machine. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure you're incorporating all of the chilled icing.

5) As you beat it the icing will warm up, expanding a bit in volume and lightening in color. Be sure to beat long enough for this to happen; and for the icing to become very smooth.

6) Spread or pipe the icing atop cupcakes, or use it to fill a round layer cake, or ice a 9" x 13" sheet cake.

Yield: 3 to 4 cups icing, enough to ice 24 cupcakes, one 8" or 9" round layer cake, or one 9" x 13" cake.