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Home » Blog » Recipes

Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting

Published: Mar 14, 2019 · Updated: Jun 4, 2021 by Kara · This post may contain affiliate links · This blog generates income via ads

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This delicious fluffy marshmallow frosting is the perfect white icing recipe for cakes and cupcakes. You’ll use marshmallow fluff and there’s no egg whites in this frosting recipe. It’s super easy and quick to make and there’s not a ton of ingredients.

This icing is insanely good on coconut cake, chocolate cupcakes, or you might just want to eat this one directly out of the bowl!

Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting Blog Post Title

Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!

There isn’t much that I love more than crackin’ open a jar of marshmallow creme and digging straight into it with a spoon. Ok, it does get better when you add peanut butter to it, but that’s not what we’re doing today.

Anyway, my point is I’m totally fine just eating marshmallow fluff out of the jar, but you can’t just throw some marshmallow fluff onto a cake and it work out. I mean I guess you could, but I feel like it just needs a little somethin’.

LET’S TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE INGREDIENTS IN THE FLUFFY MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:

Cream cheese: This helps to give the frosting some stability and it adds to the taste by cutting the sweetness of the marshmallow fluff and confectioner’s sugar.

Marshmallow fluff: Of course marshmallow frosting needs marshmallow fluff…it’s also called marshmallow cream. I don’t know of an alternative to this. Using melted marshmallows won’t give you the same results.

Butter: Butter makes everything better, right? Well it’s in this recipe to give flavor, creaminess and stability.

Confectioners Sugar: This is what will give it some sweetness.

Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting swirled in a green bowl

MIXING METHOD FOR THE MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:

The mixing method for this frosting is super straight forward. You’ll essentially just whip it all up until it’s all super light and fluffy.

I added this frosting to my pineapple coconut cake, but it would also taste amazing on some chocolate cupcakes. (And I will be the first to admit that I don’t even need to put it on anything but a spoon.)

Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting with rubber spatula in a green bowl

TIPS & FAQs FOR MAKING THE FLUFFY MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:

  • Yes, you do want to actually add in the cream cheese. They tanginess cuts the sweetness a bit. The same goes for the salt.
  • What is the difference between marshmallow creme and marshmallow fluff? I don’t think there’s any difference at all. I use the two terms interchangeably. Marshmallow creme does sounds fancier though, right?
  • Try to get your cream cheese and butter close to room temperature, so they’ll mix together better.
  • If you don’t have vanilla bean paste, not big deal, you can use vanilla extract.
  • This recipe will not make a ton of frosting. It’s a really sweet frosting, so you won’t want to add a ton to your cupcakes or your cake. It makes the perfect amount to cover around 2 dozen cupcakes, or a two layer, 8″ cake that is filled with a different filling.
  • If you’ll be using this to frost the outside of the cake AND as the filling between the layers, you may want to double the recipe.
Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting close up in a green bowl

This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. 

SUPPLIES & TOOLS USED TO MAKE THE FLUFFY MARSHMALLOW FROSTING:

  • Stand Mixer or Handheld Mixer
  • Flex Edge Beater Attachment
  • Marshmallow Creme
  • Vanilla Bean Paste
  • Icing Spatula

Video:

Ok, onto the recipe!

**By the way, this recipe was developed and tested using volume measurements (cups etc.). I do this because most people are used to measuring, instead of weighing. You may use the metric converter button to see the weight (gram) measurements. Those numbers are estimates on weight. Your results may vary a bit if you use the weight measurements.

Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting in a Green Bowl

Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting

This delicious fluffy marshmallow frosting is the perfect white icing recipe for cakes and cupcakes. You’ll use marshmallow fluff and no egg whites in this frosting recipe and it’s super easy and quick to make. It’s insanely good on coconut cake, chocolate cupcakes, or you might just want to eat this one directly out of the bowl!
4.67 from 15 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: marshmallow frosting
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 15 servings
Calories: 234kcal
Author: Kara @I Scream for Buttercream

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz pkg. cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 1 13 oz jar of marshmallow fluff
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or extract)
  • pinch of salt
  • 4 cups confectioners sugar
US Customary – Metric
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Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, add the butter and cream cheese. Beat on medium until smooth.
  • Add in the marshmallow fluff and beat on medium until smooth.
  • Add in the vanilla extract and the pinch of salt. Mix on medium until incorporated.
  • Add in two cups of the confectioners sugar and beat on medium until smooth.
  • Add in the last two cups of confectioners sugar and beat on medium until well mixed and fluffy.
  • Place in the fridge for about 20 minutes, or so for it to firm up a bit before piping onto cupcakes or adding to cake.

Notes

This buttercream is sweet, so you won’t need a ton of it.
This recipe makes enough frosting to lightly cover about 2 dozen cupcakes or one, two (8″ round) layer cake that already has filling.
If you like a really thick coating on your cakes, or you’ll be using this as the filling in addition to the outer frosting, then you’ll want to make a recipe plus a half, or just double the recipe.
Nutritional values are an estimate.
Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post.
*This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Nutrition

Calories: 234kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 3mg | Sugar: 31g | Vitamin A: 380IU | Calcium: 4mg
DisclaimersTo see food safety, allergy & nutrition disclaimers, go here: Disclaimers

How to Share

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Tried this recipe?Mention @iscreamforbuttercream or tag #iscreamforbuttercream!

Don’t Forget to Pin it Below!

Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting Pin Graphic
Fluffy Marshmallow Frosting Pin Image 1
« Pineapple Coconut Cake with Pineapple Filling
Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting »
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Filed Under: Frostings/Fillings, Recipes Tagged With: buttercream, cream cheese, marshmallow, vanilla

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Justine

    August 24, 2019 at 2:36 pm

    5 stars
    This frosting is delicious. I think it tastes like cream cheese more than marshmallow, but I’m fine with that! I made it for “s’mores cupcakes” for my daughter’s backyard camping birthday party with chocolate batter and teddy grahams as a garnish. Will DEFINITELY make this frosting again!

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      August 24, 2019 at 6:11 pm

      Hi Justine! So glad you like it! I had a lot of trouble getting myself to stop eating this straight out of the bowl when I made it. ? Thanks for the great review and the s’mores cupcakes sound wonderful!

      Reply
  2. Jackie Gibson

    September 14, 2019 at 9:39 am

    I was thinking of using this only as the filling between the layers. Thoughts? Would buttercream or cream cheese frosting be best for the cake itself?

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      September 14, 2019 at 5:39 pm

      Hi Jackie, Oh yes I think it would work just fine as the filling. I’d do a thicker icing dam around the layers, or just don’t add a hugely thick layer of the marshmallow filling. It’s a little lighter and might squish out if you make it too thick or if the cake is too heavy. I think the frosting on the outside of the cake would depend on the type of cake you’re making. So, if it’s chocolate, I’d probably just do a chocolate buttercream on the outside. If it’s an apple cake, pumpkin cake, spice cake, red velvet, strawberry…then I’d do the cream cheese. If it’s vanilla, I’d do a vanilla buttercream and even add a little fruit in it if you wanted. I hope that helps!

      Reply
    • Veronica

      December 04, 2020 at 9:12 pm

      Does the icing become like a marshmallow once on the cake?

      Reply
      • Kara Jane

        December 05, 2020 at 9:31 am

        No, not really, it stays as a buttercream consistency.

        Reply
  3. Becky

    October 20, 2019 at 1:13 pm

    5 stars
    First – this was really good. Only had a 7 ounce jar of fluff on hand, so made a half batch. It was still a lot of frosting and more than enough to put a thick layer on a 9×13 pan. Yum.

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      October 20, 2019 at 3:01 pm

      Hi Becky, I’m so glad you liked it! Thanks for the great review! ?

      Reply
  4. Maria

    January 09, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    How long can this be made beforehand? Does it need to be refrigerated? Could you add cocoa to make it chocolate?

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      January 09, 2020 at 7:43 pm

      Yes you could add cocoa powder to it if you’d like. And yes, you should store this in the fridge because it contains cream cheese. This buttercream should be good up to a week, so you could make it a couple days beforehand if you needed to. When you get ready to use it, you can re-whip it if you want.

      Reply
  5. Cheryl

    March 17, 2021 at 7:25 pm

    Is this pipeable?

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      March 17, 2021 at 7:43 pm

      Well you could probably pipe your average cake borders with it, but it wouldn’t work well piping intricate designs or flowers really. It’s on the soft side.

      Reply
      • Kristina Marie Andersen

        January 17, 2022 at 3:59 pm

        Is this a really sweet frosting?
        Seems like it would be with all that powdered sugar AND the marshmallow fluff.

        Reply
        • Kara Jane

          January 17, 2022 at 5:47 pm

          Yes, it’s a pretty sweet frosting. If you’re looking for a frosting that tastes similar to marshmallow but isn’t as sweet, you might check out 7-minute frosting. It doesn’t use confectioner’s sugar to thicken it, so it’s less sweet. It does take a bit longer to make, but it’s another option. I don’t have a recipe on my site for that yet, but you can google and it will give you tons of options. It’s a much softer icing though, so keep that in mind.

          Reply
  6. Bob

    August 24, 2021 at 8:32 pm

    5 stars
    Made this icing today and put it on a chocolate cake. Wow, I received rave reviews from my wife and grand kids..I did cut the sugar from 4 cups to 3.

    Reply
    • Kara Jane

      August 25, 2021 at 7:58 pm

      Oh yay! So glad everyone liked it!

      Reply
      • Linda Watkins

        January 09, 2022 at 12:50 pm

        I’ve made this frosting before to go on a Applesauce cake & it was delicious ! I’ve been baking/cooking for over 50 years. This recipe made plenty to do 2 cakes so I froze what was left & it kept in freezer great. Was just like fresh when I thawed it. I’m making a double batch today. Some to go on a orange cake for my mother in laws birthday & i’ll freeze the rest for a couple future cakes/cupcakes/fruit breads. Besides the vanilla extract, I think i’ll add a dash of almond extract also. This is the best cream cheese icing i’ve ever had ! Props to you Kara Jane !

        Reply
        • Kara Jane

          January 09, 2022 at 2:19 pm

          Hey Linda…thanks for that awesome review! So glad you love it!

          Reply

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Hey there, I’m Kara!

Hi, I'm so glad you're here! Cake shows up at our most important and happiest moments in life, like birthdays, weddings, baby showers and holidays. It's also for those everyday moments...it makes them even better. Put simply, cake just makes us happy! I love trying out new cake flavor combinations and decorating ideas. Have a look around and I bet you can find a cake recipe or tutorial for any of life's big moments and those everyday moments too. Click here if you want to learn more about me!

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