Ermine frosting (also called boiled milk frosting or flour buttercream) is a light, silky frosting made by cooking flour and milk into a paste, then whipping it with butter and sugar. It’s less sweet than traditional buttercream and has a smooth, almost whipped-cream-like texture.
It’s famously used on Red Velvet Cake, where it was the original frosting before cream cheese frosting became popular.
🧁 Ingredients
- 1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
- 1/4 cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
👩🍳 How to Make It
1️⃣ Make the roux (milk paste)
- In a saucepan, whisk together milk and flour.
- Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick like pudding.
- Remove from heat and let it cool completely (very important).
Tip: Cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent a skin.
2️⃣ Cream butter and sugar
- Beat softened butter and sugar together for 3–5 minutes until very light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and salt.
3️⃣ Combine
- Once the milk mixture is completely cool, add it spoonful by spoonful to the butter mixture.
- Beat for several minutes until smooth, fluffy, and silky.
If it looks curdled at first, keep beating—it will come together.
✨ Why People Love It
- Less sweet than American buttercream
- Smooth and not gritty
- Pipes beautifully
- Stable at room temperature for several hours
💡 Storage
- Room temperature: 1 day
- Refrigerator: up to 5 days (rewhip before using)
- Freezer: up to 3 months
If you’d like, I can also give you:
- A chocolate version
- A less-sweet version
- A version using brown sugar
- Or troubleshooting tips if yours didn’t turn out right 😊
