Name: Fluffy Vanilla Icing
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 2 large egg whites; 1 cup granulated sugar (7 ounces/198 grams); 1/4 cup water plus 1 tablespoon; 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 tablespoon corn syrup

Why This Recipe Works

The traditional seven-minute icing recipe was a little too sweet and thick for our taste, and it required holding a hand-held mixer longer than was comfortable. So we started by cutting the sugar in our icing recipe. We learned that if we first heated the mixture to at least 160 degrees and then transferred it to the stand mixer for whipping (rather than holding a hand mixer for seven minutes), our new seven-minute icing recipe was just as billowy and shiny as the old-fashioned version.

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in bowl of standing mixer or large heatproof bowl and set over medium saucepan filled with 1 inch of barely simmering water (do not let bottom of bowl touch water). Cook, stirring constantly, until sugar is dissolved and mixture registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and transfer mixture to standing mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and continue to beat until mixture has cooled to room temperature and stiff peaks form, 5 minutes longer.