Ermine Frosting is an easy and delicious buttercream made with flour, sugar, milk, and butter. It may sound a little strange but, trust me, it’s delicious!

I may never go back to Swiss Meringue Buttercream again.
I can’t believe I’m saying that, but it’s true! And I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to try Ermine buttercream. I don’t know why I thought it would be complicated to get right. It’s the easiest frosting I’ve made aside from American buttercream.

What Is Ermine Frosting?
Ermine Frosting is an old fashioned French-inspired buttercream recipe. It’s also known as flour buttercream, heritage frosting, or boiled milk frosting.
The first step is cooking the flour, sugar, and milk into a thick paste (or roux). The texture is similar to pudding.

Once that’s cooled, you add it to your whipped butter… and that’s it! Super easy and delicious. The frosting is silky smooth and not too sweet.
Ermine buttercream was traditionally the frosting used on a Red Velvet Cake, though cream cheese frosting is more popular with it these days.

How to make Ermine Frosting
Making flour buttercream is very simple. The process is similar to that of German Buttercream, but it requires fewer steps.
STEP #1 – MAKE THE ROUX/Pudding
Place the flour, sugar, and salt into a medium pot. Whisk to combine.

Add milk and vanilla.

Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Continue cooking while stirring constantly for 1-2 more minutes until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency.

Step #2 – Cover and Cool
Pour into a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top of the mixture to prevent a skin from forming. Cool to room temperature.

You can make this a day in advance and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature again before using in the buttercream.
If you’d like to cool it faster you can pour it onto a plate instead and cover it in plastic wrap. Or pop it into the fridge once it’s cooled a bit. But be sure it bring it to room temperature if it gets too cold.
STEP #3 – BEAT BUTTER UNTIL PALE & FLUFFY
Whip it for a good 3+ minutes on high. I use a paddle attachment because I like that mine scrapes the sides of the bowl, but you can use the whisk attachment if you prefer.

STEP #4 – ADD FLOUR MIXTURE
Slowly add the (room temperature) flour mixture, about 1 Tbsp at a time, while the butter is whipping. This is kind of like adding butter to a Swiss meringue buttercream. Incorporate it slowly.

STEP #5 – WHIP UNTIL FLUFFY AND SMOOTH
Once all of the mixture is incorporated, whip the buttercream on high for 2-3 minutes until it is smooth and fluffy. Add any other flavorings.

If you feel like your buttercream is too soft at this point (mine was), pop the whole bowl into the fridge for 20-30mins (or freezer for 10mins) and give it a good rewhip.
It should be perfectly pipeable.

Flavoring Flour Buttercream
You have a few options when it comes to flavoring the buttercream. You can infuse the milk — I talk about this a bit in my Pastry Cream post — or you can add flavor at the end. Here are some options:
Add either to the milk mixture before cooking or to the buttercream at the end:
- 1/4 cup freeze-dried berry powder
- 1/4 cup peanut butter powder
- 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
Add to the buttercream at the end:
- 6 oz cooled, melted chocolate (will make the buttercream softer)
- 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tsp hot water (cool before adding)
- 1/4 cup caramel or dulce de leche (will make the buttercream softer)
- 1/4 cup lemon curd (will make the buttercream softer)
Another option for lemon or any other citrus is to beat the butter with 1 Tbsp citrus zest before adding the pudding.
Does Ermine Frosting need to be Refrigerated?
Like most buttercreams, Ermine frosting will be fine at room temperature for a day or so; beyond that, it should be refrigerated.
I like to store mine in an airtight container in the fridge, but if I’m freezing it I spread the buttercream on a large sheet of plastic wrap, wrap it up, flatten it, and place it in a freezer bag.
Bring it to room temperature and give it a good rewhip before use. Be sure it’s completely at room temperature (but not too soft) before rewhipping. See troubleshooting section below if you run into issues.

Troubleshooting Ermine Buttercream
Ermine frosting is easy to make, but you can run into issues with it at times. As with all buttercream recipes, it’s important that your ingredients are at room temperature (but not too warm/soft) or this can wreak havoc on your buttercream.
Here are some common problems as well as my tips and suggestions on how to avoid/fix them:
- My frosting is too soft. This happens either if your butter is too soft or the flour mixture was still warm. Pop the whole bowl and whisk into the fridge for 20mins (or freezer for 10mins) and rewhip. Depending on how warm it was, you may need a couple of sessions in the fridge.
- My frosting is curdled. If your butter or flour mixture are too cold, this can cause the buttercream to curdle. If you keep whipping it, it will come together.
- My buttercream still looks curdled. If whipping didn’t get it to come together, you need to warm it up a bit. You can do this by either placing the bowl briefly over a pot with 1-2″ simmering water, or warm the sides of the bowl with a hairdryer. You can also try to microwave 1/4 cup of the buttercream for a few seconds then drizzle it back into the buttercream with the mixer until it comes together.
- It’s too sweet. You can add a bit more salt to help cut the sweetness, or cut back on the sugar next time you make it.
- The buttercream gets hard in the fridge. This is normal. Just like the butter it’s made from, it will firm up to the consistency of butter in the fridge. When you let it come to room temperature it will soften again.
- It tastes too buttery. The buttercream should be light and fluffy, not thick and greasy. If yours tastes like you’re eating a stick of butter, it probably just needs some more whipping.
Ermine Frosting FAQ
- Can I make it in advance? Yes. The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temperature and rewhip before using.
- How do I make it more/less sweet? You can reduce or add sugar to the recipe if you’d like to adjust the sweetness. You can also add powdered sugar at the end to add more sweetness or stiffen it up. It will change the texture though.
- How do I flavor it? Refer to the Flavoring Flour Buttercream section above.
- Can I color it? Yes! Just add color like you would to any buttercream recipe. I recommend color gels or powder for best results.
- Can I make it Gluten-free? Yes. Just use your favorite GF flour blend.

Ermine buttercream is perfect for those of you who don’t like the sweetness/gritty texture of American buttercream but want something a little easier than a meringue buttercream.
It is a little softer than meringue buttercreams, but I found it very easy to work with and easy to pipe. You just might need to chill it for a bit if you find it too soft.
The buttercream has a yellow tint to it due to the butter, but you can check out this post on How to Make White Buttercream.
I’m so excited for you guys to try this one. Let me know how you like it!
Looking for more tutorials?
- How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- How to Make German Buttercream (Custard Buttercream)
- How To Make Ganache
- How to Make Pastry Cream
- How to Bake Flat Cakes
- How to Make White Buttercream
Tips for making this Ermine Frosting
- This recipe makes enough to frost and decorate a two-layer 8″ cake or a three-layer 6″ cake.
- Make sure your flour mixture and butter are both at room temperature before combining.
- The frosting can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for 3 months. Bring to room temp and rewhip before using.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my How to Bake Flat Cake Layers post!

Ermine Frosting (Flour Buttercream)
Ingredients
Ermine Buttercream:
- 8 Tbsp all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- other flavoring optional (see Notes)
Instructions
Ermine Buttercream:
- Place sugar, flour, and salt into a medium saucepan. Whisk to combine.
- Add milk and vanilla, stir to combine. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture boils. Continue cooking while stirring constantly for 1-2 more minutes until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency. Remove from heat.
- Pour into a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on top of to prevent a skin from forming.
- Cool to room temperature.*
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the (room temperature) butter on high until pale and fluffy (3 mins).
- Add the (room temperature) pudding mixture 1 Tbsp at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add other flavoring (optional). Beat for 2-3mins until smooth and fluffy.
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months. Allow buttercream to come to room temperature and rewhip before use.
Notes
- 1/4 cup freeze-dried berry powder
- 1/4 cup peanut butter powder
- 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 6 oz cooled, melted chocolate (will make the buttercream softer)
- 2 Tbsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1 tsp hot water (cool before adding)
- 1/4 cup caramel or dulce de leche (will make the buttercream softer)
- 1/4 cup lemon curd (will make the buttercream softer)
Ken says
I just finished making this. I did everything to a tee. I is thin, it did not thicken up like it should, its not even thick
Enough to spread on a cake. I could pour it on a cake. I know its not your recipe, because i see all the positive remarks/reviews and i swear i did everything just like them, but theres if great and mine is messed up. Any suggestions of what i can do to fix or correct it?
Thank you. Ken
Olivia says
Hi Ken! It does sound like something went wrong… was the pudding mixture still warm when you added it? If not I would double check that the measurements on everything were accurate. You could try putting the whole thing in the fridge for 20mins and rewhipping if it’s a temperature issue.
Marilynn says
My recipe has the sugar and butter mixed together and when pudding mixture of milk and flour is cooked and cooled, you combine with butter/sugar.
Olivia says
Hi Marilynn! I’ve never heard of doing it that way. Does the butter stay grainy?
Dipika Solanki says
I.am.going to give this a go.
Can I Use caster sugar?
Olivia says
Hi Dipika! Yes, that should work fine.
Mariette says
What is room temperature? Between 68 and 76°F? Is this the temperature for the butter and roux mixture before whipping together? Sorry if this is a stupid question, but I have been battling to get the ermine right and have figured I can’t go on the room temperature in my home as it varies greatly from season to season (no central heating/cooling).
Olivia says
Hi Mariette! It just needs to be not cold/warm to the touch. The butter should be soft, but not mushy/melting. What issues are you running into with the buttercream?
Mariette Nel says
The texture of the Ermine frosting is not as smooth and stable as Swiss meringue buttercream (for piping and icing a cake with sharp edges) . I absolutely love the taste of the Ermine, it is the best ever. However the texture often looks slightly split and not as smooth and shiny as normal buttercream. If the weather is warmer, it is near impossible to get it to a pipeable consistency. It is very tricky then to know how long to put it in the fridge again before rewhipping again. I wouldn’t want to fault your recipe, as these issues with all Ermine frostings I have tried. Thank you again for replying.
Olivia says
Ah yes, that is true. It’s not as stable as SMBC for sure and can be a bit more difficult to work with. Have you tried incorporating the pudding mixture into the butter very slowly? That should help prevent the splitting too.
Mariette says
Thank you so much Olivia. I am going to try your suggestions. Most people who taste the Ermine frosting is like “this is the best icing ever”.
Liz says
Was skeptical about trying this frosting – but loved loved loved the result. Plus all the troubleshooting tips were super helpful. This recipe is a keeper!!
Olivia says
Hi Liz! So happy to hear you loved it and found the tips helpful 🙂
Joy says
Can I use heavy whipping cream instead of milk for this ermine frosting?
Olivia says
Hi Joy! I’ve never used whipping cream for it. For best results use milk as listed.
Mariana says
Tips to solve problems saved my life! Tasted amazing, not too sweet and did not have that buttery texture some don’t like. It is the first time I rate a recipe. It deserved, Keep up the good work! Love from Portugal.
Olivia says
Thanks so much, Mariana! I’m so happy you loved it 🙂
JG says
This is the best version of ermine frosting recipe I have seen, and all the troubleshooting tips are such a great addition. I have used this to make such delicious frosting for your Oreo cake several times. I hate traditional ABC because I find it sickeningly sweet and end up scraping it off and throwing it away, but not this. Perfect balance of sweet and fluffly. It is almost as light as whipped cream when done right. Thank you so much!
Olivia says
Hi JG! I am so happy you love it and find the troubleshooting helpful. Thanks for the wonderful feedback!
Lori H says
I agree about what a previous baker said…it would help if you said now add the “pudding like mixture or heated and now cooled mixture” to the whipped butter because I was re-reading and certain that I was not to add all that flour to the stove for mixing with the milk. Confusing a bit.
Olivia says
Hi Lori! I’ve changed it to pudding mixture. Hopefully that clears up some confusion.
Tanya Peschel says
Can i use baking margarine instead of butter?
Olivia says
Hi Tanya! I have never made it with baking margarine myself. For best results I recommend using butter.
Diontray says
The very first time I made it as I ran out of icing sugar it’s the best frosting I’ve ever had. I did use margarine and self raising flour and it turned out so silky….also I put one cup of sugar not 1.5, because I ran out of sugar lol
It was just the right sweetness as the cake was sweet, so it worked perfect for me 👍🏻👍👌
Olivia says
Hi Diontray! So glad you loved it. Thanks for the tips!
Holly says
When would be the appropriate time in the recipe to tint the frosting??
Olivia says
Hi Holly! I would tint it at the end but you can definitely pre-tint the butter before adding the flour mixture.
Leah P says
I’m so curious to try it this way. . I’ve always made this by whipping the butter and sugar and then adding the cooled milk and flour mixture to that…. I’m guessing it’s better because the sugar blends in better..
Leah Picewick says
I’m so curious to try it this way. . I’ve always made this by whipping the butter and sugar and then adding the cooled milk and flour mixture to that…. I’m guessing it’s better because the sugar blends in better..
Olivia says
Hi Leah! Yeah it will help make sure the sugar is dissolved 🙂
Hannah says
Love this recipe!! I made a sample smash cake for my baby and she loved it!! I will be making a second smash cake for her birthday. Does this frosting freeze well after the cake is fully decorated? I would love to make the cake in advance but would hate to ruin it!
Olivia says
Hi Hannah! So glad you loved it. Yes, it freezes great!
Angie H says
I have not made this yet so I will come back when I do. I am SO thrilled to find this recipe. For a few years I kinda made up my frosting from a roux for carrot and red velvet cake by doing just this because I dislike the cloying, over sweet confectioner’s sugar and cream cheese frosting. It worked better some times than others but I never stuck to a formula or wrote it down. Thank you, Liv. I am thrilled!
Olivia says
Hi Angie! I am so glad you found this recipe! I hope you love it as much as I do 🙂