This is known as Ermine Frosting, or sometimes referred to as boiled milk frosting, because it begins with a cooked roux of flour and milk. That might sound incredibly strange for a frosting recipe, but trust me! I’d say it’s the perfect frosting. It’s not so thick and sweet that you need a gallon of milk to get it down your throat. It’s mild and smooth, and light as air. I also love it because it doesn’t take away from a good cupcake like other really rich frostings can. It’s often the traditional frosting used with Red Velvet Cake. This frosting has a similar taste and texture to a Swiss Buttercream, but with way less effort. Try this unique frosting recipe and you’ll be hooked!
Instructions
The frosting starts out with a mixture of all purpose flour and milk.
And even though I’m showing it here being whisked together, I’ve actually found you’ll get a much smoother result if you mix this part in a blender first and then pour it in your pan.
Now comes the weird part. You’re going to cook this mixture until it gets thick–it happens fast and you’ll want to have a rubber spatula and constantly smash/stir it to keep it smooth.
I usually take it off the heat when it looks like this photo above. There are still some wet spots but as you stir it all comes together like this:
Don’t taste it. It’s not frosting yet! Pop it in the fridge; it needs to cool completely (I sometimes pop it in the freezer if I want it to cool fast.) Put it in a bowl and smoosh it around and stir every few minutes to cool it off.
While it’s chilling, place some real, high-quality butter (definitely no margarine) and granulated sugar (not powdered sugar!) in a stand mixer.
Whip it up for a few minutes so it’s light and creamy. I use the whisk attachment on my kitchenaid, but any paddle should work. Then you’ll add that glob of flour. I know. Weird!
I’m warning you right now it’s going to look weird at first. Like, what the heck did I do weird. But keep going. You’ve got to whip it for a long time for all the sugar to dissolve and everything to come together. Don’t be startled if it looks curdled and weird. Eventually it will look like fluffy soft clouds of heaven.
I usually give it a little taste and if I can still feel quite a bit of granulated sugar I keep on whipping. Sometimes it takes 5 minutes, other times I let it go for almost 10 or so! It’s worth it for this silky, fluffy, magical mixture.
Pipe it or spread it or fill it or whatever. Anyway you eat it, it’s fantastic.
Helpful Tips
1. Use real butter, and a good name-brand. Cheap butter does weird things.
2. If you beat for the 6-8 minutes and the mixture still looks strange, beat longer and at a higher speed if you can. It should come together, but it takes a little patience!
3. I personally think this frosting is best eaten fresh. You can store for a few hours at room temperature, or try storing in the fridge overnight, letting it come to room temperature on its own, and then re-beating to fluff. If you want to frost cupcakes or a cake the day before, refrigerate and just let come to room temp after.
4. Add extracts to your hearts content; lemon and almond are both wonderful! Food coloring is also okay.
5. The white sugar can be exchanged for brown. Try 1/2 white 1/2 brown for a warm caramel flavor.
6. Do not try to make other substitutions or additions. Sour cream, fruit purees etc. can do disastrous things. Some people have had amazing success, just experiment at your own risk.
7. If trying to decide whether or not to double it- double it. Chances are you’ll want more. It’s a rather small batch, but on purpose.
1 batch will not look like much, but it can spread on (just with a knife, a normal amount) 24 cupcakes. If you want to pipe it thick, definitely double it.
Looking for Chocolate? This isn’t exactly the same, but very similar!
Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup milk whole milk is best, but I've used non-fat when it's all I have and it's actually fine
- 1/2 cup real butter slightly softened (I prefer salted, but you can use also unsalted and add salt to taste)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or other flavor if you wish
Instructions
- Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat.
- Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Let it cook, while stirring with a rubber spatula, until you can start to see the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until mixture has the consistency of thick pudding or paste.
- Put mixture in the fridge and let it cool completely; it's fine if it stays in there long enough to get chilly, you just don't want it warm at all. As it's cooling, feel free to stir it occasionally to speed up the process and keep it from forming a crust on top. You can also do this quickly in the freezer, just keep an eye on it so it doesn't freeze.
- Using the whisk attachment on an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. While beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the flavor extracts. Beat to combine and then scrape down the sides. Mixture will separate and look messy, keep beating! Continue beating until mixture comes together and is light and fluffy, about 7-8 minutes, but time varies. Take a sample of frosting between your fingers; frosting is done when light and fluffy and sugar granules are dissolved.
Related Recipes:
Strawberries and Cream Cupcakes
Chocolate Glazed Cupcakes with Vanilla Creme Filling
Colorburst Cupcakes
Questions & Reviews
Thank you for this! It was awesome! I think I cooked my flour/milk a little too long (it goes from liquid to thick really quickly) but it didn’t cause any problems. I used room temp butter that I had left sitting on the counter overnight. It came together in about 6 minutes on speed 8, but I let it beat a bit longer just in case! It was awesome. No grainy taste from the sugar at all, nice and thick, easy to spread. Sweet, but not too sweet, which I don’t care for. I spread it on my cupcakes pretty thinly because I was making the chicky cupcakes with coconut on top (and I don’t think my son’s class needs more frosting than they are already getting by having cupcakes at school), and it was perfectly the right amount for 24 cupcakes in a single batch. I can’t wait to try it in some whoopie pies next week. I think it will just what I have been looking for! (I’m on batch five trying to find the perfect filling.)
Made this frosting and the chocolate version yesterday…. OH my! I was SHOCKED(that doesn’t even really describe it) by how yummy this frosting was/is! I mean when I was stirring the milk and flour I felt a little nauseated… but it was “life changing”! THANKS!
Can someone please tell me if you are supposed to use salted or unsalted butter for this?
I’ve been making this frosting for decades. It is delicious and is THE frosting that should be on a red velvet cake! I just don’t “get” that cream cheese frosting on red velvet “thing”.
Also, when you use other extracts, like lemon or orange, do you REPLACE the vanilla, or use it in ADDITION to the vanilla? The instructions said replace, but a comment said in addition. Not sure…
Thank you Sara … can’t wait to try this recipe. <3
I am wondering…if I use lemon zest, at what point should I add it?
Also, I have wanted to make this frosting for a long time, but don’t have a stand mixer. In one of the comments, you said a regular hand mixer should work. I think I’m going to attempt it. Should I use the regular beaters? Or the little whisk attachment?
Thank you!
Add zest at the very end- but just fyi the oils in the zest sometimes make the butter separate. It tastes amaaaazing but sometimes looks funny. Use the whisk attachment on your mixer, and with the other flavors, it doesn’t really matter . I usually still add a little vanilla, but not quite as much and then add the other flavors. It’s just a personal preference.
My neighbor saved the day and this was yummy. So, my neighbor and I have been cooing over your site for a while now and we both really enjoy it. I was having a get together at my house and was running out of time QUICKLY!! I called my amazing neighbor and begged her to bail me out and frost my cupcakes. She came over and got my sad, un-iced cupcakes and saved the day when she topped them with this. Luckly, she let me lick the spoon becuase out of the three desserts I served, these were gone before I got to have one. The guests thought they were fabulous!
I made this recipe tonight! Delicious! Definitely a hit. I just ate 3, then of course had to cut one in half and take a photo. So i had to eat that one too! I made the rainbow cupcakes, with funfetti, because it was the only white cake mix I had, and I used orange cream yogurt! Turned out great. Then as I was making my frosting I realized I had used the rest of the vanilla last time i made something!!! I happen to have almond instead! My mom and I loved it! (almond is her favorite flavoring!) I have already recommended this to a friend (who loved the fact that you put ww points on the recipe!)
I just made this and it came together so quick and was so easy. And of course it tastes fantastic. It’s exactly the frosting I was looking for to balance super sweet key lime cupcakes.
Just kidding… I found those comments!
I thought (before you switched to the new blog format) that there were some comments on how this would work as a frosting for cake and as a crumb layer but I’m not seeing those comments here… So, does anyone know if it will work for the top/sides of a big birthday cake?
I am new at making and decorating cakes. I love it so far. I made a cake for a teenager at church, only to find out that her family doesn’t like the thick sweet Icing. I searched every where for a whipped icing (like the ones in the store) but couldn’t find one easy enough to make. I was very skeptical when I saw this recipe. However, the icing turned out Great and the cupcakes are beautiful. Thank you so much!
ok, I’ve been making this for the last year or so with no problems and today for some reason I got soup. curdled soup. that is after 20 minutes of whipping… i make wedding cakes for Pete’s sake, I know what I’m doing. I have no idea what went wrong this time. HOWEVER I managed to save it….
I doubled had the recipe, so when I was left with soup here’s what I did- added about a 1/2 cup of powdered sugar & a full freaking stick of butter. This was all done in small increments, but that’s what it ended up being. It’s fine now. So don’t give up. and yes, it still tastes pretty damn good.
Ok a few comments on this recipe.
First, I have never made frosting before and let me tell you this recipe is AMAZING.
At first it looked quite disgusting, with the milk and flour. I was worried that I had overcooked it because the mixture got quite junky and I literally had to push it through the strainer.
You also really have to beat for a long time… I have a regular handmixer and I probably mixed for like 12 minutes + in order to get the nice fluffy frosting.
I wasnt sure whether I should use unsalted or salted butter. I made it with both and in fact most people preferred the recipe with the salted butter.
Also, because I had to frost over 70 cupcakes I quadrupled the recipe and really had no problems (except having to beat the frosting for even longer).
Oh, by the way if you keep the frosting closed up in a container at room temperature, it stays completely fine.
Thanks for the recipe – it was a complete success!
This is my first visit to your blog – you’re great! I’ve had this recipe for years – from my grandma. This is actually the original-so I’m told, recipe for Red Velvet Cake frosting! (You can find the argument on various blogs between what the original frosting was and the cream cheese frosting everyone has come to expect!) This was always my favorite frosting, though I’d only had it on Red Velvet cake. My grandma did use margarine (though it could have been a little different back then) and it worked I refuse to use margarine, so I also use butter. My recipe only differs in the amount of flour – mine is doubled from yours, so 1 cup milk to 5 Tbsp flour. I also cook the flour and milk over low, to make a thick paste, it’s never been lumpy – no need to strain. I’ve never beat mine that long, so mine has turned out a little more dense, I’ve tried it on other cakes and it has been great to me, but I’ve noticed others leaving some of their frosting behind…. I’m going to try beating it longer next time 😉
This is the most amazing frosting I have ever had!!!!! Hands Down the Best,,,,Thank You, Thank You, Thank You,,,,for the recipe
I tried this recipe yesterday. I used the best brand of butter I could find. I doubled the recipe but was still very careful about the measurements. I’m not sure what went wrong but it was runny and looked like it separated. It had the taste I was looking for but definitely not the consistency. I don’t know what else I could try to make it work. I was really bummed because the taste was so yummy!
Honestly Mel, just try it again! Sometimes people have weird things like that happen, I have no idea, but chances are it will come out just fine if you try it again!
I came across this post a little late in the game, but I am wondering if the all-purpose flour can be substituted with something gluten-free, like a rice flour. I am hoping to make my Grandma a gluten-free cake/frosting but I still want it to taste great!
I really don’t know Krissy- never tried it!
The frosting tasted great…..It looks as if it started to separate when I was piping it on the cupcakes. The frosting did not take form, it looks a little like a blob. What did I do wrong?
Would love to make this frosting for my daughers first communion cupcakes im from Northern Ireland would you have the recipe in grammes i dont understand your recipe and what does T flour mean.
Thanks
Tina
Would this frosting work well to decorate a birthday cake with, or should I stick with a thicker, sturdier buttercream?
Laura, I’ve used it on cakes before. It pipes really well and holds up fine. The only thing I would worry about was if you were to be serving it somewhere really warm- but in normal conditions it works great!
I tried this frosting yesterday and it turned out great. I just came upon your website and love it. I was wonder can this recipe be doubled or tripled?Thanks!
Andrea- you can multiply the recipe, but I’ve had the best luck when doubling. Anything more than that and people tend to run into problems.
I considered myself pretty talented in the kitchen especially at all things baking. Maybe that is where I went wrong 😉 . This recipe totally failed me (i mean i totally failed the recipe). I even read through all the comments before I embarked. All I got was a silky more glaze like frosting. It never thickened or fluffed up. I cannot imagine what I did wrong.I even beat it for 20 minutes and finally shut my mixer down for fear of the motor overheating. Help !!!!
Haylie- I probably wouldn't use splenda in this recipe, but I can't say for sure since I've never tried it. Sorry I don't have a better answer!
I know that this is a very late post, but I just discovered this blog about a month ago. I have a quick question and hope that someone can answer it.
I was wondering if using Splenda instead of sugar would change things? My husband is trying to stay away from sugar and so I am trying to support him by cutting down on my sugar as well. Any idea if it would still work?
The frosting tastes really, REALLY delicious. Not too sweet, nice and creamy. Next time I need to triple the recipe, because I like my frosting T H I C K. I think others have mentioned that it needs a little more flour than the original recipe. Next time I'll try 4 tablespoons instead of 3, but with the same amount of milk. For those who think there is a funky flour taste, you may not have cooked the flour long enough. Uncooked flour tastes "flourey". I beat the milk and flour mixture with my immersion blender first and then poured it into the pan to help eliminate potential lumps. Then cooked it on low, whisking constantly. I let it get to the consistancy of "set" pudding. Next time I may cook even a little longer to insure the base is firm enough to hold up to all that butter. I'm looking forward to using a very firm version of the frosting as a filling for cupcakes. DELISH!!!
I made this and it was awesome. I forgot not to store it in the fridge though so I was freaking out the next day trying to figure out how to get it soft enough to ice with! Then I realized I could just rebeat it in the mixer and it worked! Then I loaded it into the Pampered Chef gun thingy and it worked great (other than being an icing HOG!). Do you have a recipe for chocolate icing?? 🙂
Oh Wow! What an Amazing Frosting!! And I am Shocked it came out ok. I was so distracted by my kids & husband that I Accidentally put the sugar in the Flour & Milk Mixture. Ugh…Well, I kept on going anyway. I put it in the freezer for about 10-15 mins. & mixed the butter. I added the chilled mixture in two parts – whipped it on high with my hand mixer for about 12 mins. (just in case). My husband split up the frosting in three bowls & we added food coloring & Vanilla, Orange & Lemon flavoring. OH MY GOSH!!! We are in Love!!! Thank you So Very Much for an Incredible Treat!
Cheers!
-janette
The first time I attempted this, heating the flour and milk mixture kinda went "boom". Not literally, but I think I cooked it *too* long and ended up with an insanely thick ball of…whatever. Not good. So, I turned down the heat just a tad and was able to get the consistency "you" were asking for. I also want to note that this CAN be done with a hand mixer, but dang, it's an arm ache! Someone needs to poke my husband and tell him I need a standing mixer. Seriously. All that to say this – THIS FROSTING IS DIVINE. The best I've ever had, bar none. It's well worth the work. I just wish I would have had the brain cells to realize I needed to double the batch in order to cover my cake. *sigh* Thanks gals!