Try this Fluffy Brown Sugar Icing recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 88.4756354305016 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0434650000360331 g
- Fiber 0 g
- Protein 0.08884 g
- Saturated Fat 0.00014 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (106g)
- Sodium 34.2680833448375 mg
- Sugar 88.4756354305016 g
- Trans Fat 0.0431290000360331 g
- Calories 343 calories
Step-by-step
- Mix brown sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium saucepan.
- Bring to a full rolling boil. (Be careful, as it will rise, so make sure the sides of your pan are taller).
- Let it boil at medium to medium high until the syrup drops like a hair from spoon (approximately 10 minutes).
- Remove from burner and set aside.
- Meanwhile, beat egg whites until stiff.
- SLOWLY pour the hot syrup in a THIN stream into egg whites, beating constantly.
- Beat until icing holds peaks, then blend in vanilla.
- Let cool to room temp, then store covered in the fridge until ready to use.
- Enjoy!
Boiling sugar syrups past the soft-ball stage requires a saucepan with sides at least three times higher than the liquid volume to prevent catastrophic overflow. Sugar molecules reform into a dense crystalline matrix unless inverted sugars like corn syrup intervene to prevent graininess during boiling. Achieving the correct syrup consistency relies on the hair-thread test, where hot liquid dripping from a spoon forms a thin, continuous strand rather than distinct droplets. Heavy-bottomed stainless steel pans conduct heat uniformly, reducing the risk of scorching the molasses solids found in brown sugar.
Egg whites whipped to stiff peaks provide the structural cage that traps air bubbles as the hot syrup pours in. Pouring the boiling sugar in a pencil-thin stream down the inside wall of the mixing bowl prevents the syrup from pooling on the beaters and hardening instantly. Stand mixers prove invaluable here, freeing both hands to manage the hot pan while maintaining continuous high-speed agitation.
Pair this airy confection with dense, oil-based spice cakes or dark chocolate layers that counteract the intense sweetness. Carrot cakes spiced with cinnamon and ginger provide an earthy counterbalance to the rich molasses profile. Storing the frosted cake loosely tented in a refrigerator prevents surface condensation from dissolving the delicate peaks.
