Ermine Frosting is an old-fashioned recipe also often known as “boiled milk frosting”. It’s silky smooth and less sweet than traditional buttercream and is the traditional frosting used for red velvet cake. If you’re not a fan of sugary, overly-sweet icings, you’ll appreciate the more subtle sweetness but beautiful pipe-ability (it’s great for decorating) of today’s recipe. Recipe includes lots of tips and a how-to video so you can have flawless results in your own kitchen!
Adding another one to my frosting library today! This was a must-have considering the recipes I have coming for you later this week… (hint!)! Ermine frosting is a classic, old-fashioned recipe that’s been around for ages. I bet your grandmother knows how to make it!
It’s great for piping and can be colored with food coloring. While there is some stovetop time required, there’s no candy thermometer needed. If you’ve tried my Whoopie Pies yet and made the filling, you’ve essentially had ermine frosting before, but today we’re making it the traditional way with granulated sugar.
What Does Ermine Icing Taste Like?
If I had to compare it to any of my other frostings I would say it most reminds me of my Swiss meringue buttercream. It’s buttery, silky smooth on the tongue, and not too sweet. In fact, it’s much less sweet than traditional buttercream frosting. I have to be careful when I make it, it’s so delicious it’s easy to eat several cupcake’s worth by the finger-full without even realizing it.
What You Need (and Key Ingredient Tips and Substitutions):
- Sugar. We are using white granulated sugar and not powdered sugar (which is the most commonly used icing sugar, and what I use for my cream cheese frosting.). Don’t worry, we’ll cook this with our flour and milk so your icing will not be grainy. Brown sugar may be substituted (expect a richer, slightly caramelized flavor!).
- Flour. Use all-purpose or plain flour, and whisk it well with the sugar to remove any lumps. Flour works as a thickener here and we’ll be making a pudding out of the flour, sugar, salt, and milk. This will then be whipped into the butter, giving our Ermine frosting its signature consistency and smooth, velvety mouthfeel.
- Salt. For flavor.
- Milk. I use whole milk, but 2% milk would work as would almond or coconut milk.
- Butter. I recommend using unsalted and adding salt to best control the flavor, but if you only have salted on hand please see my post on substituting salted for unsalted butter. The butter should be softened, but not so soft that it’s greasy or melty or your ermine frosting will be too soft.
- Vanilla extract. You may substitute your favorite flavoring, but vanilla is the classic flavor used here.
If you’d like, you can also add any food coloring. Stir this in at the end until the desired color is reached (I love using gel food colorings for the most vibrant color).
How to Make Ermine Frosting BRIGHT White
Ermine frosting typically turns out to be very white, but if your butter is particularly yellow or your vanilla extract particularly dark, then sometimes it doesn’t have that pure, snow-white consistency you might be looking for. To get a pure white frosting, I recommend using clear vanilla extract instead of typical vanilla.
If that isn’t enough to keep your frosting a true-white color, you can add a tiny bit of violet colored food coloring. And I do mean a tiny bit! I dip the very end of a toothpick into the food color, dip that in my frosting, then stir well. This works because violet is on the opposite end of the color wheel from yellow (and if your frosting isn’t bright white, it’s yellow from the butter and vanilla), so we balance this with a tiny hint of violet for bright white frosting.
What to Pair It With:
Ermine icing is traditionally made to be served on red velvet cake and red velvet cupcakes. Click the links to see my perfected version of each.
It will also work with just about any of my other cake or cupcake recipes but pairs especially well with my chocolate cake, coconut cake, chocolate cupcakes, and dark chocolate cupcakes.
Troubleshooting
While ermine frosting is generally pretty simple to make, occasionally a would-be-cake-decorator finds themselves with a melty, gloppy mess instead of a bowl of billowy smooth frosting. There are three main issues that usually cause this, and knowing about them in advance and knowing what to look for is the best way to prevent this.
Runny Frosting
- Your roux wasn’t cooked properly. It’s important to whisk constantly while cooking and keep your heat on medium. Do not crank the heat up to high to speed up the cooking process, or you’re liable to burn your roux and the sugar won’t have a chance to melt properly. Remember: medium-low and slow is the way to go!
- The flour mixture was added to the butter before it was cooled completely. This is so important. If your roux is even a bit too warm when you add it to your butter, you’ll have a greasy, curdled mess on your hands. Have patience and let it cool completely.
- Your butter was too soft. Remember, you want it to be softened, but not to the point where it is melty or oily to pick up. If your butter is too soft (this happens quickly, especially during the summer) you could end up with an icing that’s much too soft and runny. I usually remove my butter from the refrigerator 45-60 minutes before I’m ready to begin creaming it for the frosting.
If your frosting isn’t necessarily “runny” but is still quite soft and difficult to decorate with, it may just be a bit too warm. Pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before using.
Help! My Icing Curdled!
If your ermine frosting looks curdled, split, or grainy, the most likely problem is that either your butter was too cold or your flour mixture was too cold.
Don’t worry, there’s still hope! Keep whipping it (this could take several minutes or longer) and most of the time it will eventually come together.
Storing and Making in Advance
You can make ermine frosting up to a week in advance of using. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before using, let the frosting come sit at room temperature for at least 15-30 minutes. You may need to briefly whip it again with an electric mixer to return it to the proper consistency before using. Alternatively you may freeze in an airtight container for several months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow the steps above (sit at room temperature and re-whip) before using.
Once you’ve frosted your cake or cupcakes, this icing will do well at room temperature (below 75F) for up to two days. Beyond that I recommend refrigerating. As with just about any frosting recipe, this one does not stand up well to heat and is prone to melting outdoors at high summertime temperatures.
Other Recipes to Try:
Enjoy, and stay tuned for my long-awaited Red Velvet Cake recipe that’s coming later this week!
Let’s bake together! Don’t forget to watch the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Ermine Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 5 Tablespoons (40 g) all-purpose (plain) flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (236 ml) milk¹
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter softened but not melty
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan and whisk well to combine and remove any lumps from the flour.1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, 5 Tablespoons (40 g) all-purpose (plain), ¼ teaspoon salt
- Turn stovetop heat to medium and whisk in milk until mixture is smooth.1 cup (236 ml) milk¹
- Continue whisking constantly until mixture is thickened to a pudding-like consistency (do not crank up the heat or you’ll burn it and the sugar won’t dissolve properly) and the whisk leaves a trail.
- Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof container and cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap, wax paper, or parchment paper pressed directly against the surface (to prevent a skin from forming). Allow to cool completely to room temperature (alternatively you may make this mixture a day or two in advance, store in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before proceeding).
- Once flour mixture has cooled, use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat butter on high speed until it is light and fluffy (this usually takes several minutes, and you may need to scrape the bowl with a spatula).1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- Reduce mixer speed to medium and gradually add flour mixture, one heaping spoonful at a time, waiting until each spoonful is incorporated before adding the next and beating until all ingredients are well-combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula, then stir in vanilla extract. Gradually increase speed to medium-high and whip frosting until it is smooth, light, and airy (it should not seem greasy). If you have any difficulty or experience your frosting splitting please see the troubleshooting section in the blog post.1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Use your spatula to deflate the frosting to work out any air bubbles, then use as desired.
Notes
Storing
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Before using, allow icing to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes or longer and then re-whip with mixer before using. Frosting may also be frozen for several months, thawed in the refrigerator, and then brought to room temperature, whipped, and used.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
ouita
omg thank you so much i finally found an icing recipe that i won’t scrape off the cake! you are a life saver
Bobbie
Delicious frosting sweet and creamy but not too sweet. Making the frosting requires a little more work than other frostings but it was worth the challenge to make a nostalgic frosting 😊
Chanelle
Hi there,
This recipe is great, nice and light! Can I add cream cheese to this recipe to make a cream cheese frosting?
Sam
Hi Chanelle! I haven’t tried adding cream cheese to this recipe. I think it could work. I would stir it in briefly at the end. 🙂
Sarah Hibbing
yay! finally a frosting I can’t screw up, AND it tastes better than any frosting I’ve ever had! thank you!
leigh gill
Loved this frosting and will definitely make again. As someone who thinks most frostings are too sweet and doesn’t like cream cheese frostings, this was a great find. I’m interested in trying the swiss meringue next!
Joanna
Hi,
Thanks for sharing the recipe. I’ve tried the pudding base three times and all three times the mixture hardened on cooling it down. Can you tell me what I may be doing wrong?
Sam
Hi Joanna! Are there any substitutions being made? If not I wonder if it may have been cooked too long? If you aren’t sure, you can see it in the video. 🙂
Andrea Ann Minton
My grandma made something like this, she called it “fussy icing” Raised during the Depression, her mother made the cooked flour and milk, but substituted Crico for the butter. Really light in flavor,but really not healthy
Jurnee
I love making this recipe and my family love eating it! I’ve made is many times it always comes out amazing. I was wondering what you think of adding peanut butter into it? Would it ruin the frosting or would it work out?
Sam
I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying it, Jurnee! You might be able to get away with adding a bit of peanut butter, but my concern would be that, since it is so dense, it will separate from the frosting and not combine smoothly, so I would proceed with caution. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out for you!
Deb
I am 70. My mother used to make this frosting and learned it from her mother. In the original recipe the sugar is not added to the four and milk and thickened. It’s added AFTER you add the roux to the butter and start to cream it. You add that sugar and beat it until the GRANULES ARE GONE. If you feel them on your tongue when you test you beat the icing longer until they are. That is the old fashioned Ermin icing from early 1920’s and 30’s.
Sam
Thank you for sharing! I love to hear how old recipes worked. It’s great to know. 🙂
Linda
Thanks for the recipe and all the helpful hints!!! My dog ate my original recipe that I had laid out to make this frosting! I got that recipe about 55 years ago from an aunt. It was my favorite frosting but turned out badly (curdled or too greasy) sometimes because the directions weren’t as clear as yours are. I watched your video too. I think my dog actually did me a favor 🙂
Sam
I’m glad it was so helpful, Linda! I appreciate the feedback. 🙂
Tlhokile Britz
Nice, fluffy and not too sweet. Thank you so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Thanks for using our recipe! Enjoy ❤️
Sara
Hi, can I frost a whole cake with this and freeze overnight, serve the next day after defrosting? I would like to know how the frosting will behave and not affect the cake ? Thanks in advance 🙏
Sam
Hi Sara! This should freeze just fine.
Starr
I’m a beginner baker and I’ve been having a terrible time making buttercream lately. Tried many different recipes and it ALWAYS curdles (as did this one which is my favourite tasting frosting). It’s winter and we keep the house on the cooler side, so I’ve gone to the extent of leaving my butter to warm upstairs all morning where it’s warmer – it still curdled. I tried whipping it for only a few minutes – curdled. I’ve tried whipping it for 10 minutes – that batch also curdled. I bought a laser style thermometer and I checked the butter’s temperature to make sure it was between 69º and 73ºF – curdled again. I ended up with a bowl full of this disgusting looking, curdled mess – kinda’ looked like old cottage cheese surrounded by greasy liquid. I even left it sitting out on the counter for three days – I was so frustrated I couldn’t look at! I FINALLY followed your advice of setting it over a double-boiler and whipping it while it came up in temperature. Well, I was in shock-and-awe! It’s fluffy and beautiful now and back in the fridge waiting for my cake layers to be made. I was about to give up making cakes entirely —- THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
Sam
Yay! I’m so glad it turned out for you, Starr! 🙂
Marie Lemaster
Sam I tried your trick with the violet coloring,and my Ermine frosting turned out beautiful.I have had trouble contacting you,and have a question.Can I make a triple batch of Ermine at one time? I need a large amount for 3 cakes.thanks so much.
Sam
Hi Marie! A triple batch should work fine here. 🙂
Tracy
This frosting turned out perfectly!! I can’t do dairy so used coconut milk and earth balance vegan butter. I was concerned because in the past the vegan butter made frostings too greasy and heavy. This is light and has just the right amount of sweetness. I used it to top gluten free chocolate cupcakes. This will definitely be my go to frosting from now on!! 🙂
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Tracy! 🙂
Sarah
Is there a way to make a white chocolate ermine frosting? Looking for something less sweet than buttercream but with a white chocolate flavor.
Sam
Hi Sarah! Honestly I’m not sure. I haven’t experimented with it so I’m not sure how it would turn out.
Jithu
Hi my frosting is fine when i make it after a while there are so many air pockets. It kind of elastic. Can you help me
Sam
Hi Jithu! I’m not sure what you mean about it being elastic as I have not experienced this before, but for the air bubbles I would simply use a spatula to sort of smooth the frosting against the side of the bowl until you’ve squeezed out many of the bubbles and made it smooth again. I hope that helps!