Grandmother’s Whipped Icing (a.k.a. Ermine Frosting)
Inside: Ermine frosting is an old-fashioned recipe that makes the lightest, creamiest and most delicious, not-too-sweet whipped icing for frosting cakes and cupcakes. In this article, I’ve shared my tips to assembling flour frosting like Grandma used to make.
If you’re looking for a fluffy, creamy whipped icing, this one is, by far, the best. Truly. This whipped buttercream frosting is shockingly light, creamy and softly, but not cloyingly sweet. What “it” is, is ermine frosting and it’s a thing. This recipe is also also known as “flour frosting” or “boiled frosting” and it’s exceptional.
Whipped icing was my grandmother’s specialty
I hadn’t made this whipped icing in a long time, but I was leafing through a hand-written cookbook of my grandmother’s (Myne) favorite recipes and I stopped cold when I saw this one.
Reading over the ingredients and her simple instructions, I could practically taste the lightness and creamy sweetness of her whipped icing that was always paired with her rich chocolate crock pot cake.
That cake (and especially the frosting) were legendary with our crew.
We’ve always referred to it as “Myne’s whipped icing” and up until very recently, thought it was our secret family recipe.
Then as I was doing a bit of research, I discovered that my grandmother’s whipped icing was actually an established and popular one known as ermine frosting. Who knew?
What is ermine frosting?
Ermine frosting (a.k.a. boiled milk frosting or flour frosting), is a vintage recipe that has been around since the early 1900s.
It’s the preferred frosting for Red Velvet cakes and very rich chocolate ones because this impossibly creamy whipped icing isn’t as sweet as a regular buttercream frosting and is comparatively much lighter, more balanced and impossibly creamy.
Ingredients for whipped icing
- Whole Milk–don’t substitute low-fat.
- Flour–I use King Arthur’s Unbleached All Purpose Flour
- Butter–I recommend unsalted butter
- Granulated Sugar–do not substitute powdered sugar or brown sugar.
- Vanilla Extract–or other flavored extract
- Pinch of Salt (preferably fine sea salt)
Looking at this list of ingredients, you’re probably scrunching your nose, thinking whaaatttt???? But trust me, this ermine frosting recipe produces the most ethereal, light and I daresay, ADDICTIVE whipped icing you’ve ever had.
How to make ermine frosting (a.k.a. Myne’s whipped icing)
- Mix flour and milk in a saucepan over medium high heat, boiling and whisking constantly (I guess that’s why it was also called boiled frosting or flour frosting) until the mixture becomes the consistency of a very thick pudding. Set aside to cool completely.
- Use a handheld mixer to whip the butter, sugar, salt and vanilla together until light and fluffy.
- Add the room temperature flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on high speed for 5 minutes.
- Transfer the whipped icing to the refrigerator for 5 minutes, then beat again until very light and fluffy.
- Spread the ermine frosting onto room temperature cakes or cupcakes.
Check the quick video for how to make this whipped icing recipe so you can see what the milk and flour mixture should look like when cooking and how chubby it is after cooling.
Why you’ll love this ermine frosting recipe
Some icing recipes are so sweet that I purposely scrape away the excess and just eat the cake. This usually happens with birthday sheet cakes from the grocery store. You know, the ones that are decorated with mounds of frosting. To me, the flavor is artificial and overly saccharine.
This creamy, whipped ermine frosting is nothing like that.
It’s lightly sweet, shockingly creamy and structurally sound. It has heft, but doesn’t feel heavy. I’m telling you, this recipe is like a magic trick.
Why this whipped icing recipe works
- This boiled frosting recipe uses real butter instead of shortening, so it’s got the natural fatty mouthfeel of a good buttercream.
- The pudgy milk and flour pudding lends volume and structure to the ermine frosting.
- Unlike most buttercream frosting recipes that use powdered sugar, this whipped icing uses granulated sugar, which you’d think would be gritty, but it’s not. Whipping the icing with a hand mixer for a full five minutes helps dissolve the sugar into this plush whipped buttercream and makes it impossibly light.
- A pinch of salt balances the flavors.
Pro-Tips for ermine frosting:
- Be sure to constantly whisk the milk and flour mixture as it cooks and watch for hot spots or browning on the bottom of the skillet. If the milk paste starts to get brown, don’t scrape the bottom of the pan, as those bits can get into the whipped icing.
- The butter must be at room temperature before whipping with the sugar.
- Cool the milk and flour mixture completely before adding to the butter and sugar mixture.
Variations and Swaps
- You can use other types of extracts to flavor the whipped icing. Try it with almond extract or mint.
- A combination of equal parts vanilla, lemon and almond extracts makes “wedding cake” flavor which would be delicious for this ermine frosting.
- Add 2 ounces of melted and cooled bittersweet chocolate to the whipped icing for a light, creamy chocolate buttercream frosting.
Boiled ermine frosting FAQ’s
Yes. You can make this several hours in advance and the whipped icing can be kept at room temperature until you’re ready to use it.
Yes. Cover and refrigerate the frosting. Remove from the refrigerator and let the frosting come to room temperature before icing cakes or cupcakes. It won’t spread easily unless it’s at room temperature.
Absolutely. The structure of this icing recipe is perfectly suited for piping. It holds its shape beautifully, but it’s also equally easy to work with when using an offset spatula or a kitchen knife.
This recipe makes enough icing to frost one 2 layer 9″ cake or one 13″ x 9″ cake with an ample layer of frosting.
More icing and frosting recipes you’ll love:
Ermine Frosting (a.k.a. Myne’s Whipped Icing)
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
- electric mixer
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 cup whole milk
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1 cup butter softened to room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch sea salt
DIRECTIONS:
- Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan and whisk to combine. Heat over medium to medium high heat, whisking constantly until the mixture gets very thick with an almost gluey texture. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. As the flour and milk mixture cools is will become pudgy and very thick to the point that it's almost difficult to stir.
- In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat with an electric mixer until very light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the cooled milk mixture to the butter and beat on high speed for 5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- Transfer the icing to the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
- Remove the icing from the refrigerator and beat again until thick and creamy, about 1-2 more minutes.
- Before frosting cakes or cupcakes, ensure that they have cooled to room temperature.
RECIPE VIDEO:
NOTES:
NUTRITION:
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Tasted like straight up milk
Hey Ellery! It sounds like you didn’t add the sugar.
I was curious about this recipe as it bears similiarity to german buttercream(which uses vanilla pudding and more of a 2:1 ratio of pudding to butter) and would say it’s still relatively “heavy”.
I only added 130g of sugar because I am used to American recipes being way too sweet but it’s was still a bit too much so maybe 100 g would suffice (If one prefers less sweet) and it took ages to dissolve the sugar.
Overall it’s still fine but it lacks the fluffiness i expected from the description despite whipping it up several times. If I were to make it again i would probably only use 100g of powdered sugar and double the amount of the milk-flour mass.
I agree with you that most American buttercreams are too sweet; that’s why I enjoy this one, the sugar doesn’t dominate. If you are looking for something less sweet and even lighter, I would recommend a stabilized whipped cream. You can adjust the sugar to your tastes, and gelatin will keep the cream from falling or weeping.
Can this be made and refrigerated day before icing ?
Yes, it can be made the day before, however it needs to set out until it’s room temperature in order to ice the cake. It will be stiff straight from the fridge.
Can I make the milk part the night before & whip it up the next day with the butter?
Yes! Just make sure that both are room temperature, you’ll get lumps otherwise.
Love Ermine Frosting! Would this amount cover two half sheet cakes? They are each 13×18 and I will also be frosting a 6” and 8” heart cake with piping. Could this recipe be 2x’s or even tripled?
It’s for a wedding.
I would make several batches. Yes, you can double the recipe, but you’ll need a large bowl and beaters or maybe a stand mixer.
Is this strong enough for a layered cake. Or will it fall apart ?
I use it on 2 layer cakes.
I always thought this was My Grandmas secret! …But if you want an amazing lemon frosting add 1 package of (unsweetened) Kool-Aid with the sugar!
This recipe makes the best icing I’ve ever tasted. It’s super creamy, ultra-light and not overly sweet like so many buttercream frostings can be. It’s also easy to work with. I made mine a day ahead of time and refrigerated it overnight. I did have to let it sit out on the counter so the butter in the icing could become soft again… once it got to room temperature I re-whipped it with a hand mixer for 30 seconds. Easy peasy and super delicious!
Does the cake need to be refrigerated? Or can it be left out room temp after decorating
If you’re serving the cake the same day, you can leave it out at room temperature, but if it will be served over several days, I store it in the fridge for overnight – and take it out an hour or so before slicing for the best flavor.
I have made alot of different frosting/icing from scratch and hands down this is the best tasting frosting I ever tried and it’s just thick enough to spread and stays where you want it to stay. Perfect recipe, taste and light n fluffy I’ll never have to try another recipe this is a keeper. Great job and thank you for sharing this.
This is great!! I thought that it was a little sweet so I cut the sugar in half. Our family is picky with icing but everyone liked this!
Can I use dairy free milk and gluten free flour? Has anyone tried that?
I remember my mother making this type of frosting when I was young. I made it and it came out perfectly! Sooo good on chocolate cake. Brought back great memories
Fabulous icing! Smooth, creamy and not too sweet.
I’m very excited to try this frosting. However, how could I make it gluten free? I typically replace flours, as thickeners, with corn starch. Should I replace with corn starch or gluten free flour? Suggestions please. Thank you!!
Love this frosting. Can it be piped?
Yes. It pipes beautifully.
Can you leave it in the fridge over night until ready to use? Then just whip it again before?
Yes, and it may not even need a second whip.
This is the only frosting recipe I use! My grandmother gave it to me & it was from her mother, who grew up in the 1800’s & used lard in the recipe. My grandmother converted the recipe to butter when she immigrated to the US from Sweden. So delicious!!
this is AMAZING! THANK YOU for sharing!
I have always wanted to try this frosting! So intrigued!
It’s honestly my all time favorite!
This is my favorite icing ever!
OMG! This is my mother’s frosting! Hers was called “Fluffy White Frosting”. I have her recipe written in her own hand.She was born in 1913. I have not made it in over 30 years. This ethereal connection has inspired me to bake a cake and use this frosting once again! One slight difference is that hers did not have sea salt in it and had a bit of a different process.Thank you for what you do. I have tried and loved many of your recipes.