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:
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 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)
Priya says
Perfect cream…
Olivia says
So glad you like it Priya!
Brandi says
I LOOOOVE this recipe and the fact that you have tips and how to fix if things go wrong was perfect I’ll first say, this is my first cake and icing I’ve made. Like ever. I used your better box cake recipe and it is delicious too but much easier than the icing. I had to heat the mixture on medium high to get it to boil like others have said. Patience is key. I was using a hand mixer so I think it just took longer but when I started incorporating into the butter I almost gave up because it wasn’t “whipping” up but finally, it started getting fluffy. I must’ve mixed for 8-10 minutes. It was a little too soft, so I put in freezer, got it too cold, it curdled, I almost cried, but read to warm some in a bowl and blend in and that fixed it! I prob whipped it another 5 minutes but finally I had light-whipped-perfect butter cream icing. I made a bundt cake and iced it lightly first, put in refrigerator 5 minutes or so, then added another layer. My sister said it’s the BEST she’s ever had and she’s a great baker! 😊 Thank you for having such easy to follow instructions! I’m excited to make another one for Christmas.
P.S. a stand mixer is now on my wish list! LoL
Olivia says
Hi Brandi! I’m so happy you’re venturing into cake baking!! This frosting is definitely not the most basic one to start with, but I think it’s most delicious. I’m so glad it worked out for you and that you were able to save it (multiple times) and that you didn’t give up!! Huge pat on the back for you! A stand mixer would be a huge help for sure! 🙂
Dawn says
I love this frosting and how easy it is to make. Its my go to buttercream now.
Olivia says
Hi Dawn! So happy you love it. Thanks for the feedback!
Lauren says
Hi Liv,
Thank you for a lovely recipe. How would I go about stiffening the ermine buttercream up abit. Can I add some more flour to make the roux thicker or what would you suggest?
Olivia says
Hi Lauren! You could try adding a bit more flour but I’m not sure that would make a big enough difference. Adding powdered sugar would help stiffen it, but then you’re adding in a lot of sweetness and making it more like an American buttercream. Chilling the frosting a bit helps stiffen it up too.
Christine Paden says
Would this fall under the cottage law? Not being able to use buttercream because its not cooked. I wonder if this would work since you cook the flour mixture.
Olivia says
Hi Christine! I have no idea what cottage law is, but the butter is still not cooked, only the flour portion.
Karla says
Will this butter cream hold well in summer??
Olivia says
Hi Karla! The buttercream is on the softer side and will not hold well for extended periods at warmer temperatures.
Paula Luu says
This recipe is awesome! I think it tastes even better the next day. The first day, right after I made it, the buttercream had a heaviness to it but after a night in the fridge and some extra whipping the next day, it came out extra light and fluffy. I may have added the pudding mixture in too quickly resulting in a heavier texture. The second time I made this, I ran out of white granulated sugar so I used sugar in the raw instead with 1 teaspoon of almond extract. It still came out great and tasted light a brown sugar buttercream; excited to try that variation on carrot cake or spice cake. Thanks for the recipe!
Olivia says
Hi Paula! So glad you loved it, thanks for all your tips! 🙂
Nevena says
I made this recipe for cupcakes earlier this summer and it was divine! First time trying it and fell in love with ermine.
Making it again now for filling and crumb coat on a 4 layer 8″ cake.
Do you think I should double the recipe?
Olivia says
Hi Nevena! So happy you loved it! 🙂 I would double it for that size cake.
Nis says
Hii… Is this suitable for hot weather??
Olivia says
Hi Nis! No, this frosting is already a bit on the soft side, so not ideal for hot weather.
hasmig says
We grew up on this icing for all birthdays. We called it ‘Aunt Marion’s’ icing since that’s who we got the recipe from. My mom recently made it and my son had it for the first time. It’s now on his list of recipes he wants to learn how to make!
Olivia says
Hi Hasmig! Yay! That makes me so happy. so glad you all love it 😀
Anna says
This icing is fantastic! I was unsure how much custard to use with the butter. I ended up only using about 1/2, is that right? The texture is so nice but I’m going to attempt Russian piping tips with it, do you think it will work out? Is there any way to make it more stuff other than chilling it?
Olivia says
Hi Anna! You should use all of the custard in the recipe. You can add some powdered sugar to the frosting to stiffen it up.
Debbie says
If you have leftover cake with the frosting on it , how long can you leave it on the counter? If you need to refrigerate the cake with the frosting,, will the frosting get soupy?
Olivia says
Hi Debbie! It will be fine at room temp for a day or two unless your place is warm. The frosting will be soft though. Otherwise, I would refrigerate. The frosting will be fine refrigerated and then brought to room temp again 🙂
Sam says
This is mostly addressing the comments that said their custard part stayed runny:
It took me over an hour and 10 minutes to get this to thicken, it was driving me BONKERS with how long this took. I seriously thought I did something wrong so as I stirred I read the comments and saw the responses asking if there were substitutions in this or something and I was like no there’s not so what did I do wrong? Well, sometimes medium heat just won’t cut it. I’m serious, I was terrified of taking it above medium because I didn’t want it to get ruined. Sometimes cranking it up to juuuuust around medium-high (leaning more towards high), will do the trick for burners and stoves. I thought I was going crazy when I saw this wasn’t supposed to take that long. Patience is a virtue, and always be careful while stirring so you don’t burn the bottom of your pan, but if you did everything correctly measurement wise and it’s not working… turn the heat up.
Olivia says
Hi Sam! It’s true that stoves differ quite a bit, especially between electric, gas, and induction. Crazy that it took you so long!! 😮 Thanks for the tips, I’m sure they will be helpful to others.
Key Narvaez says
Hello!
Quick question: Would this be ok to put in between layers? Or only as outside/Top frosting? Does it hold layer cakes (3 layers, 8inches)
Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Key! You can definitely put it between the layers! It’s bit on the softer side so I actually think it works better as a filing vs frosting. But it does work well as either.
Sharon A says
Can meringue powder be added for better stability ? Having a birthday party outside, it will be shaded but still summer heat.
Olivia says
Hi Sharon! I haven’t tried that so can’t say for sure but I wouldn’t use this buttercream in summer heat.
Donna Oliphint says
Ok, this stuff is delicious! It’s a little too soft to use for much decorative work, but it is delicious.
Olivia says
Hi Donna! I agree on both counts. It’s my new go-to buttercream!
Susan says
How much would you need to make to frost a 3 layer eight inch cake?
Olivia says
Hi Susan! I would 1.5x the recipe for that.
Shiluva says
The best buttercream I’ve ever made!! Thank u so much Olivia
Olivia says
So happy you loved it, Shiluva!
Emma says
I LOVE Ermine frosting 😍 I just made a chocolate cake filled with ganache & then covered in Ermine & piped in Ermine decorations. It was SOOOOO good. If that was ABC it would’ve been so sickly. The guests at the party said it was the best bday cake they’d tasted 😁 and not at all sickly 👍
Olivia says
Yay! So happy to hear that, Emma 🙂
Joanne Flood says
Has anyone made this with Almond milk?
Olivia says
Hi Joanne! I haven’t myself, but it should work fine. Be sure to cook the pudding until it’s nice and thick.
Joanne Flood says
I made it last night with unsweetened unflavored Almond milk and it turned out great. I also increased the size of the recipe by 50% and iced 24 cupcakes with 2 cups of icing left over
Olivia says
Yay! So happy it worked out. Thanks for following up! 🙂