Ermine Frosting is made by cooking milk, sugar, and flour into a roux. This roux is then added to whipped butter, which creates a rich and creamy, yet light, airy, and fluffy buttercream that is less sweet than traditional buttercreams.
Often referred to as boiled milk frosting or flour frosting, this is no new buttercream. It has been here for many years, but recently has gained some renewed popularity.
So, yes, this is an old-fashion buttercream. I grew up calling this boiled flour frosting until I became a professional cake decorator. My mom would make this for cupcakes. In fact, it was often her default for cupcakes. Because it is light, airy, very fluffy, and best of all, less sweet than American buttercream.
Today, I am frosting my white cake recipe with it. And yet, you can use this on any of my cupcakes or cake recipes. Red velvet is absolutely delicious with this frosting and so is my moist chocolate cake. So, here's another addition to my 50 plus frosting recipes on this blog.
About this ermine frosting
The process may sound weird, but if you've made a roux, pudding, or custard before, then it's very similar. Cooking milk, sugar, and flour becomes a thickening agent that then emulsifies with the butter to create this creamy, velvet-like light and airy frosting.
Unlike meringue buttercream, this one does not have eggs, so it's also an eggless frosting.
What does ermine frosting taste like?
Absolutely delicious. It has the texture of whipped cream. Smooth, creamy, and yet light, airy, and fluffy. The best part is that it is less sweet than traditional frostings. And yet, you certainly can add a little more sugar if you want.
What can you do with ermine frosting?
There is so much you can do with ermine frosting. And yet, there are limitations to its uses. For example:
- You can use it to fill and frost cakes and cupcakes.
- It works great to pipe borders and patterns on the cake.
- But, you cannot pipe buttercream flowers as the frosting is too soft. For that, you will still have to use my stiff buttercream for making flowers.
- Ermine frosting is perfect on the day it is made. After that, the flour in the frosting thickens and you end up with lumpy frosting.
- This is not the frosting to use under fondant. It's too soft even after you chill it it does not become hard.
Step by step instructions (save/pin)
Roux
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt, and milk.
- Place over medium-low heat stirring constantly.
- Until you have a thick smooth paste - about 5 to 7 mins.
- Set aside to cool completely.
Frosting
- Place butter in a mixer bowl and whip until smooth.
- Gradually add the boiled milk paste - one tablespoon at a time.
- Once all the milk paste has been added, whip the buttercream for 2 full minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and any other flavoring if desired.
Frosting a cake
- This frosting is best used when just made as it's smooth and creamy.
- If it is too soft, place it in the fridge for a few minutes, then re-whip it again.
- Use an offset spatula for the top and a bench scraper to smooth the sides of the cake.
adapted from - Wilton
Frequently asked questions
Once frosted, the cakes and cupcakes with Ermine frosting will keep in the fridge for three to four days. The frosting will keep in the fridge for up to a week. You will need to bring it to room temperature and re-whip it.
This frosting will keep at room temperature for a day, after that it will need to be kept in the fridge because it does contain milk.
I believe you can freeze this frosting for up to a month in a freezer-safe bags. You will need to thaw it in the fridge overnight then re-whip it before using it.
Yes, you can. But, since the buttercream is not stiff, you want to use thick or powdered flavoring such as fruit powders. If you add liquid fruit, the frosting will be too soft to spread or pipe.
Yes, you can add an additional ½ cup sugar to the roux or you can add a few tablespoons of powdered sugar later if you need it sweeter.
Absolutely, but its best to use food gel colors not liquid colors so it does not affect the consistency of the frosting.
Yes, you can make the milk paste or roux up to 2 days in advance. But, make sure to cover with a cling wrap touching the surface of the roux to prevent a skin from forming.
Troubleshooting
My Ermine frosting is too soft?
If the butter is too soft or the roux is too warm, it will cause the butter to melt and become soft. This often happens in hot and humid conditions. Don't worry, just place it in the fridge for a few minutes - then re-whip again. Depending on how warm the mixture gets you my need to chill it a few times.
Another reason it can be soft, is if you have not cooked the roux until it's thick like this. A very liquid roux can make the buttercream soft. See the consistency of the roux when it is cooled to room temperature. This is what you want.
My buttercream is curdled
This can happen in a few circumstances:
- If you add warm roux to cold butter it will curdle not cream.
- Also, if you add cold roux to cold butter it will result in curdling. Work at a similar temperature.
- And, of course, if the try to re-whip cold frosting it will curdle because this one has flour which kinda sets the buttercream.
My frosting is greasy
Adding warm roux to warm butter will cause the frosting to become greasy. Chill it then re-whip it.
How to flavor Ermine frosting
The frosting is soft, so its best to use fruit powders instead of fruit purees.
- Chocolate - Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to make a chocolate Ermine frosting. Add at the end of the whipping.
- Add 2 tbsp fruit powder such as strawberry, raspberry, berry at the end of the final whipping.
- Peanut butter - you can use ¼ cup peanut butter but it will make the frosting softer.
- Others - you can add 50 grams of melted chocolate, ¼ cup caramel sauce, dulce de leche, lemon curd. It will make the frosting softer (still delicious).
Can I make buttercream without the roux?
Yes, but not this one. There are other buttercream frosting recipes too. The number of buttercream and frosting recipes can be overwhelming and sometimes confusing.
Butter-based buttercream - Simple all-purpose buttercreams like this velvet American buttercream, Vanilla buttercream (eggless).
Decorators buttercream - Often with all or some vegetable shortening to prevent the frosting from melting easily. For example, my Bakery style frostings - Vanilla and Chocolate Frosting.
Cream cheese based - Made with cream cheese and with or without butter. For example, my classic cream cheese is made with butter, which adds more stability. And my no-butter cream cheese frosting is perfect when you want a more luxurious dessert type frosting.
Meringue buttercream - Made with the addition of whipped egg whites. Less sweet than the classic butter-based buttercream. For example, my Swiss Meringue or Italian Meringue.
Egg-based buttercream - Like the French Buttercream and German Buttercream made with egg yolks then whipped to make a light and fluffy frosting with the addition of butter.
Whipped Cream Frosting - The lightest of them all is, of course, simple whipped cream. I shared 5 different methods to make whipped cream at home. As well as a whipped cream buttercream frosting.
Meringue buttercream with Meringue powder - There is Italian meringue buttercream with meringue powder as well as Swiss Meringue Buttercream with Meringue Powder.
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Ermine Frosting - Boiled Milk Frosting
Print Pin RateDescription
Ingredients
Enough for 12 cupcakes or 2x6-inch layer cake
- 200 grams (1 cup) Sugar
- 60 grams (0.5 cup) All-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 150 ml (⅔ cup) Milk full-fat
- 228 grams (8 oz) Butter
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
Roux
- In a saucepan, combine sugar, flour, salt, and milk.
- Place over medium-low heat stirring constantly.
- Until you have a thick smooth paste about 5 to 7 mins.
- Set aside to cool completely.
Frosting
- Place butter in a mixer bowl and whip until smooth.
- Gradually add the boiled milk paste - one tablespoon at a time.
- Once all the milk paste has been added, whip the buttercream for 2 full minutes until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla and any other flavoring if desired.
Recipe Notes
- Cook the milk paste on medium-low heat so the milk does not get burnt. Burt milk frosting does not taste good.
- You want the paste to cook until thick like toothpaste consistency. If it is too liquid the frosting will be soft and not hold up.
- Use room temperature butter but not too soft. You want the butter to whip creamy consistency so the paste will emulsify not break (see troubleshooting)
What you can and cannot do with Ermine frosting.
- You can use it to fill and frost cakes and cupcakes
- It works great to pipe borders and patterns on the cake
- But, you cannot pipe buttercream flowers as the frosting is too soft. For that, you will still have to use my stiff buttercream for making flowers
- Ermine frosting is perfect on the day it is made. After that, the flour in the frosting thickens and you end up with lumpy frosting.
- This is not the frosting to use under fondant. It's too soft even after you chill it it does not become hard.
How to flavor Ermine frosting
The frosting is soft so its best to use fruit powders instead of fruit purees- Chocolate - Add 2 tbsp cocoa powder to make a chocolate Ermine frosting. Add at the end of the whipping
- Add 2 tbsp fruit powder such as strawberry, raspberry, berry at the end of the final whipping
- Peanut butter - you can use ¼ cup peanut butter but it will make the frosting softer.
- Others - you can add 50 grams of melted chocolate, ¼ cup caramel sauce, dulce de leche, lemon curd. It will make the frosting softer (still delicious)
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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