Why it works: Sugar and cream are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 9% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 43,450 recipes. Both carry 2,3-butanedione, which smells butter, sweet. The science ↓
Marshmallow Frosting
Ingredients
Directions
Make the frosting
In a double boiler, combine brown sugar and cream.
Boil until the mixture forms a ball when rolled between your fingers, about 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in marshmallows.
Beat until smooth and creamy.
Finish and serve
Spread on the cake before it cools.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Sugar + creamtop 9% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together43,450 recipes
Shared aroma: 2,3-butanedione (butter, sweet).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Brown sugar
- Provides sweetness and a caramel-like flavor as it cooks down.
- Cream
- Adds fat and moisture, giving the frosting a smoother, softer texture.
- Marshmallows
- Melt into the hot syrup to add body, sweetness and a light, airy creaminess.
The step that matters
Boil until the mixture forms a ball. The sugar must reach the right concentration to set properly. Stopping too early leaves a runny frosting that won't hold, while overcooking makes it hard and grainy as it cools.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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