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 granulated sugar (200g)
- 5 Tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour (40g)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk¹ (236ml)
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened but not melty (226g)
- 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.
- Turn stovetop heat to medium and whisk in milk until mixture is smooth.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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.
M
Hi, Do you think this frosting is good for macarons?
Sam
I think that would work great! 🙂
Brook
Very thorough recipe that’s easy to follow – thank you! I took my roux pretty far to get the coveted paste consistency (my arm will be sore tomorrow from all the whisking!) but after it cooled in my heat proof bowl (with the plastic wrap pressed onto the surface) before I popped it in the fridge, the top became rock hard. I don’t think this is supposed to happen but I followed the recipe to a T – any thoughts of what might have gone wrong? How can I save it? It’s not lumpy at all which seems to be the most common challenge across other Ermine recipes!
Sam
Hi Brook! I’m so sorry I haven’t gotten to you sooner. I think the only thing that could have happened here is cooking it too long and cooking too much moisture out. At that point I don’t really know how to save it. 🙁
Margie
Hi Sam, I’d love to add cream cheese to this icing – have you ever tried that? I’m thinking substituting some cream cheese for the butter?
Sam
Hi Margie! I haven’t tried adding cream cheese to this. I do have a really tasty cream cheese frosting. You could try adding a little bit of cream cheese at the end. Enjoy! 🙂
Gina
Can i add food color to the frosting?
Sam
Hi Gina! Yes you can, see the notes section 🙂
Nayy
Hi Sam, I plan on using this frosting to frost 24 cupcakes do you recommend I frost the cupcakes the day of the event or can I frost them 2 days before the event? Should I leave them in the fridge or counter?
Sam
Hi Nayy! Either would be fine, I typically recommend leaving out at room temperature for up to two days, that way the texture of the cupcake isn’t compromised (since the fridge can dry out cakes).
Nayy
Thank you for your reply Sam I’ll be making this in June hopefully it’s not too hot to leave them out on the counter.
Miranda
Is it possible to add white chocolate to the mixture? Melt with flour milk?
Sam
Hi Miranda! I’m not sure how it would work here, or how to go about adding it. I do have a white chocolate buttercream. 🙂
happy baker
Will it work with icing sugar (confectioners sugar)?
Sam
I actually make a filling for my whoopie pies that is made that way. 🙂
Daizee
Wow! I made this and it was amazing. I used the double boiler method to cook the milk, sugar and flour & it came out beautiful ❤
I used the frosting on vanilla & chocolate cup cakes. Divine😍
Thank you for sharing
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Daizee! 🙂
Tracy
This is such a delicious frosting! I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it before. I don’t like super sweet so this is perfect for me and my taste buds. 🙂 Your directions and tips were spot on. Thank you, Sam!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much, Tracy! 🙂
Farah Khan
This frosting is so yummy. Just abit softer than my usual buttercream.
I did place in the refrigerator but after its piped it starts to look like its going to melt of the cupcake. Can I add more flour to the roux to make it more stable?
Sam
Hi Farah! This is a softer frosting but it should still be pipe-able and should stay on the cupcake. I wouldn’t recommend adding more flour to the roux. The roux may have just needed a little longer to cook and thicken up. I hope it goes better next time. 🙂
Chaya
Hi Sam
I tried making this frosting several times but it seems to curdle or split everytime. I see sort of butter streaks within the frosting and it’s very melty. I initially thought the issue was the butter temperature being too warm so I tried it with butter straight out of the refrigerator and it still ended up curdled.
Sam
Hi Chaya! Have you checked out the troubleshooting section in the post? I actually cover this and how to fix it. I hope this helps and it turns out flawlessly next time. 🙂
Chaya
Thank you! I have looked at it everytime but since I tired it with warm and cold butter I’m not sure what’s the problem as I’m doing the other steps according to directions…
Sam
Unfortunately without being there I don’t know how much more help I could provide. 🙁 The video may be helpful if you haven’t watched that yet.
Liliana
Hi, there! I had this problem. After I creamed the sugar very well with the butter and I boiled the flour-milk longer until a hard blob, I did not have this problem, though.
Denise
I had this happen to me when I first started making cooked frosting. You need to set your mixer on the highest setting with your whisk attachment. Let it run a few minutes and scrape down the sides. Do this several times. Youll have the most creamy icing. If you still have problems, I have added a bag of ice directly under the mixing bowl to keep the bowl chilled. This really pulled it together. Hope this helps.
Dawn
Hi there I love this recipe! I want to make it a lot sturdier so that I can use it in whoopie pies so that it will hold up snd not squish out at all. Any ideas?? Thanks so much!
Sam
Hi Dawn! Unfortunately I don’t really recommend any changes to the frosting. It will firm up a little bit over time but it’s always going to squish a little bit if pressed. You can refrigerate them and firm the frosting up a bit, but make sure they are wrapped tightly so they don’t dry out.
Noor
Hi! I am only making half of this recipe… Can I also put the roux in the freezer for 30 minutes instead of putting it in the fridge for 1 hour and 10 minutes?
Sam
Hi Noor! It may work, but I really recommend against it because it may not cool evenly so if you try it just proceed with caution. 🙂
Julie
Hi Dawn! I am using this today for the first time so I’m not an expert on this exact recipe. However, my grandmother used this frosting for her red velvet all her life and it was always my requested birthday cake! The only difference between Nana’s recipe and this was she used Crisco instead of butter. I’m opting for this recipe as it is healthier…
I have a feeling if you used heavy whipping cream instead of the milk and whipped it until it was stiff, it would be stable enough for Whoopi pies! Good luck and let us know how you proceeded and how it worked!
Dawn
Oh thank you for your reply! I like to use butter also but I’m using shortening in order to try snd stiffen it up. I’ve never thought of using whipping cream…. that’s an idea I’d like to try! I’m trying to make the perfect gob! Haha I’m happy with the cookie part but I really want a filling that’s not butter cream and don’t squish out. Thanks again!
Sam
Good luck! 🙂
Shinta
Is it ok to reduce the sugar by half? Should I add more flour to prevent the frosting from being too runny?
Sam
Truthfully I’m not sure how that would work. 🙁
twee
Yes, you can reduce the sugar by whatever amount you wish and it should still be the same outcome in texture. 🙂
amy beckley
Hi Sam–I love your recipes! How would I make your emine frosting chocolate flavored? thanks 🙂
Sam
Hi Amy! I’m so glad you have been enjoying the recipes! I actually have notes on how to do this in the recipe, just add 1/4 – 1/3 cup (depending on how chocolatey you want it) cocoa powder to the icing after you’ve added all of the cooked flour mixture and stir until combined 🙂
Lois
Hi Sam,
Im plaaning to make the red velvet cupcake, but i need some frosting that doesn’t melt easily.
Any recommendation, as i will need to store the cake for 3-4 days.(baking it on Sunday , giving it out on Friday 🙁
Sam
Hi Lois! The frosting should hold up unless you are in a really warm place. If it is really warm where you are, you can refrigerate it to keep it stable. 🙂
Cheah Yin San
Can I swap 50% of the butter with cream cheese so that this resemble cream cheese buttercream?
Sam
Hmmm I’m not sure. It sounds interesting. Let me know how it goes if you try it. 🙂