SEVEN MINUTE FROSTING:

2 egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
dash salt
1/3 cup water
2 tsp. light corn syrup (Karo)
1 tsp. vanilla

Beat together in top part of double boiler, egg whites, sugar, salt, water and corn syrup. Place over boiling water and continue beating with rotary beater about 7 minutes or until frosting thickens and holds its shape when dropped from beater. Remove from over boiling water, add flavoring and continue beating until stiff enough to spread.

Frosts 2 layers or 24 cupcakes.

Marshmallow Seven Minute Frosting: add 1 cup marshmallows, cut small, to hot frosting. Beat until dissolved.

Orange Seven Minute Frosting: omit corn syrup. Substitute two tablespoons orange juice for 3 tablespoons of the water. Flavor with 1 teaspoon orange rind.

Mocha Seven Minute Frosting: substitute strong coffee for water.

Chocolate Seven Minute Frosting: stir 3 (1 oz. ea.) squares chocolate, melted, into frosting just before spreading on cake.

BUTTER FROSTINGS OF MANY FLAVORS:

3 tbsp. butter
2 cups confectioners' sugar
milk, sufficient to spread
flavoring

Cream together to form frosting that will spread. Add 1/2 teaspoon vanilla if used as a plain white frosting.

Orange Butter Frosting: use orange juice for milk; flavor with 1 teaspoon orange rind.

Lemon Butter Frosting: substitute lemon juice for milk and flavor with 1 teaspoon grated lemon rind.

Caramel Nut Frosting: use brown sugar for confectioners' sugar. Substitute 3 tablespoons peanut butter for butter.

Maple Cream Frosting: substitute maple syrup for the milk.

FUDGE FROSTING:

2 (1 oz. ea.) squares chocolate
3/4 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. light corn syrup (Karo)
1 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Add chocolate to milk and cool slowly until chocolate is melted. Add sugar, salt and corn syrup. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Then boil moderately, until small amount forms a soft ball in cold water (234 - 236°F on candy thermometer). Remove from heat at once. Add butter and vanilla - and without stirring set aside to cool. Beat until creamy and of a consistency to spread.

Peppermint Chocolate Frosting: flavor with 4 drops peppermint oil.

CHOCOLATE MAGIC FROSTING:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
confectioners' sugar
1 (1 oz.) square chocolate, melted
dash of salt
1 tsp. vanilla

Cream the cheese - add 1/2 cup sugar, beating as you add. Stir in the melted chocolate, salt and vanilla. Add sufficient additional sugar to make a frosting that will spread.

CHOCOLATE SHADOW FROSTING:

2 (1 oz. ea.) squares frosting
1 to 2 tsp. butter

Melt chocolate over hot water. Gradually add butter and blend. When slightly cool, pour over top of cake covered with white frosting, allowing the chocolate shadow to drip naturally over the white sides.

PASTEL JELLY FROSTING:

1/2 cup jelly
1 egg white, unbeaten
dash of salt

Place jelly in small bowl and set over hot water. Add egg white and salt and beat with rotary egg beater until jelly is free from lumps. Remove from heat and continue beating until mixture is stiff enough to stand in peaks. Spread on cakes to be served the same day. This will frost top and sides of 8-inch square cake or 2 dozen cupcakes.

PENUCHE FROSTING:

1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup rich milk
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla
dash of salt

Combine brown sugar, milk and salt in saucepan. Cook gently, stirring until sugar is dissolved, then continue without stirring until syrup forms a soft ball in cold water (234 - 236°F on candy thermometer). Remove from heat - add butter and vanilla. Without stirring, set aside to cool. Beat until of consistency to spread.

Variation: Add 1/2 cup chopped pecans, if desired.

CARAMEL FROSTING:

2 cups light brown sugar
2/3 cup thin cream
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tbsp. cream or more

Boil together sugar, cream and salt until it will form a soft ball in water (234 to 236°F on candy thermometer). Remove from heat; add vanilla. Cool. Beat, adding additional cream a teaspoon at a time, until mixture will spread.

PETIT FOURS FROSTING:

2 cups granulated sugar
1/8 tsp. cream of tartar
1 cup hot water
1 (1 lb.) box confectioners' sugar, sifted

Cook granulated sugar, cream of tartar and water in saucepan to 226°F on candy thermometer (a thin syrup). Cool to slightly above lukewarm (100°F) and add enough confectioners' sugar to make a consistency to pour over cake.

Note: Always add sugar to syrup, not syrup to sugar.

To Frost Petit Fours: Cover large bread board with parchment paper. Set cake rack on this. Arrange small cakes on rack, in rows, leaving plenty of space between the cakes.

Reheat Petit Fours Frosting over hot water, until of consistency to spread. Pour slowly over cakes on rack, proceeding from one end of the row to the other; return and coat cakes a second time. Lift cake rack gently to loosen the dripping frosting from cakes. Scrape up drippings and return frosting to saucepan to reheat for other cakes. Let cakes dry, then remove from rack with small spatula. Trim bottom edges with sharp knife.

To Decorate Petit Fours: Use tiny colored candies, melted chocolate applied with a toothpick; confectioners' decorations (flowers, leaves, etc.), grated chocolate; candied fruits; chopped nuts, etc.