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.
Krissy
Simply delicious! Not too sweet but super lucious
Ann
Hi all, I only use Ermine Cream these days and here are some of my trouble shooting hacks.
For thicker Ermine cream, I add extra flour to te roue . . .half the amount in the recipe so 60 grams.
For more heat resistant Ermine Cream, i use solidified oil ( COPHA in Australia ) – about a quarter of the amount of butter, softened and sliced thinly as its still not going to be as soft a the butter. I whip the butter and Copha together well.
My frozen Ermine Cream would not come back together, even though I tried cooling, warming and whipping. I ended up adding another 1/ 2 quantity of well whipped butter. After whipping, i slowly added 1/2 the sludgy Ermine cream to the butter, then in reverse, dumped this back into the bowl with the remaining Ermine cream and whipped well. It worked well.
Hope these ideas will work for you, wherever you are in the world.
Stell
Thanks so much for sharing. For newbies like me this info is a gem!
Maz
Ann that is great advice. I love this recipe but find any leftovers becomes runny and splits and I have not been able bring it all back together. I will try your tricks and use a little Copha too. Thanks so much.
Merari
Ok im sad I just couldn’t make it thick even tried cornstarch but just couldn’t… Im from México and there’s this thing that looks alot like what I was doing on the stove its called lecherita and well mine is still not thick enough… Im just sad will still try to finish it but im just sad… I didn’t work out…
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so sorry this happened, Merari! Definitely check out the troubleshooting section for runny frosting in the post–it should help you figure out where things may have gone wrong 🙁
Polly
Hello there, I was wondering if I could make the roux a day before and whip it with the butter the next day. Will it still be fluffy perfection?? Looking forward to your reply. thank you
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Polly! You sure can. We actually cover this in the recipe under step 4 😊
Dana Vanhove
Tasted great, didn’t “break”, easy to handle. Only thing is that it didn’t cover the whole cake. Make double the recipe to cover your whole cake. Delish!
Barbara
I’ve made this a couple of times with mixed results. I read a comment where they used heavy cream so I thought why not. The best ever! Took more time getting the roe to thicken but so worth it. This is my go to frosting for sure.
Carol
Have you ever tried making ermine icing with buttermilk? I always have left over when I make your red velvet cake but have been too afraid to try it as a substitute for the milk.
Sam
Hi Carol! I haven’t tried it. It could work. It will definitely change the flavor a little bit and the frosting may end up being a little bit sour.
Serena Walker
How do I get to the trouble shooting section? My Ermine frosting keeps melting as well.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Serena! You can find it within the post 🙂
Serena Walker
Where can I find the “troubleshooting blog?” My Ermine frosting melts quickly when taken out of the refrigerator. Please help!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Serena! We’re so sorry your frosting is runny 🙁 You can find the troubleshooting section within the post.
Fiona Lam
Hello! Would it be possible to make this into a white chocolate flavoured frosting and how would you recommend I go about doing this? Thanks so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Fiona! We’d recommend you try our white chocolate buttercream 😊
Carol
Can you make the flour mixture ahead of time, put in the fridge for the next day.
Get it out of the fridge let it get to room temp and then mix it in to the creamed butter?
Sam
Hi Carol! That will work just fine. 🙂
Hello
How much frosting do you need for a 3 layered 9-inch cake?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi there! You’ll need to increase the recipe by 50% to cover your cake 😊
Lesa
How much from does this make? Will it be enough to cover a 3 layer 8” cake?
Thanks,
Lesa
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Lesa! You can find this info in the recipe. To cover a 3 layer 8″ cake, you’ll need to increase the icing by 50%. Hope that helps 😊
Kaitlin
Hi! Your cakes are simply the best. Do you have a recommendation for making a chocolate version of this frosting? I am hoping to make a chocolate frosting without confectionery sugar!
Thank you,
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kaitlin! If you take a look at the notes at the bottom of this recipe, you’ll see our instructions for how to make a chocolate ermine frosting 😊
Kaitlin
Oops, not sure how I missed this. Thank you thank you thank you!
FMSmith
Truly superb. I used heavy whipping cream, I had no other milk; followed the directions as given, perfect outcome. I have an electric stove, I used the medium low setting.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for your review ❤
Sha
i would like to know if you could use gluten free flour?
Sam
Unfortunately, I haven’t tried it so I can’t say for sure how it would turn out. Please let me know if you do try it. 🙂
Anne
This recipe is so amazing as well ad your recipe for the red velvet cupcakes! Not too sweet which my family likes. Unfortunately I am having trouble with the frosting. It melts just about 20 minutes after I applied them to my cupcakes even though it has been hours since my cupcakes were cooled down. When making the frosting, I put cornstarch on my flour mixture for a bit to make it more thick. I think the mixture was still a bit warm which is why I got a runny frosting, so I resorted to putting it in the fridge overnight. After I baked my cupcakes the next morning, I didn’t use a mixer to rewhip my frosting, just a spatula. But still, my frosting melts after 20 minutes. Is there a way that I can save my frosting?
Sam
Hi Anne! I’m so sorry this is happening. I do have a trouble shooting section in the post that may be helpful in the future. 🙂
Kathy
I sent you a comment today about this “separation” I did go back and read the troubleshooting; I believe I should’ve whipped it more; I was afraid to go further; thinking about a mistake I made with your stabilized whipped cream icing ( I turned away and it turned to liquid butter🤭, my bad! Both of these icings are delicious as is your cream cheese icing, will make again and use right away though to avoid the chill/warm/ whipping process
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re happy you were able to figure out what the issue was, Kathy! Thanks so much for trusting our recipes 😊