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)
V. says
Hello!
I’m super excited to try this recipe today to frost a spice cake. I grew up with my mother making this frosting for years. She’s since passed away and I’ve always missed not having the recipe. I make French Macarons and pastries and typically don’t do cakes, but last night I made a spice cake for my husband. I said, “my mother would have frosted this cake with the flour based frosting…” I googled “flour based frosting” and found what appears to be the exact recipe I grew up with!!
Also excited to try the pastry version German Buttercream. Thanks for sharing!! Victoria
Olivia says
Hi Victoria! I hope you love both of them. Please let me know how they turn out!
Nora K says
It took me a lot longer to make the recipe than the instructions said, but other than that its a great recipe! Its very light and not very sweet, which is perfect for me since I don’t like very sweet frosting. I’m happy I tried making this!
I put the flour mixture in the fridge for 3 hours and just barely got it to “room temperature” (70F) despite it being a cold day where I live. I’m happy I made it in advance because I want to use it for a gingerbread cake for Christmas dinner and it would have been very stressful if it took so long on Christmas day. I’ll freeze it for a week and I hope it is still delicious when I defrost it!
It seems fluffy but still sturdy in terms of layering and piping decorations, so I could see this being my new favorite if it freezes well.
Olivia says
Hi Nora! I am so happy you loved it. Thanks for your tips and feedback!
Nora K says
I defrosted this frosting today after making it a week ago, and it whipped up perfectly! It looked slightly curdled at first, but with enough whipping it came together. The troubleshooting tips were extremely helpful even after it had been frozen.
It was sturdy enough for a two layer cake and some simple piping.
Thank you for this lovely recipe, I think it’s my new favorite frosting!
Olivia says
Hi Nora! Yay! So happy it worked out. Glad you liked it 🙂
Danni says
This recipe was lovely. Thank you so much. I made it for my younger brother’s birthday cake. Ended up light, fluffy and silky smooth. He loved it.
My mum was a bit put off by the flour pudding mixture in the fridge, and was convinced it would be horrid, but it whipped up beautifully with the butter and she literally ate her words.
Everyone agreed it tasted amazing. Will definitely make this again. Question: Do you think this would hold up well on/in a yule log?
Olivia says
Hi Danni! I’m so happy everyone loved it 🙂 I think it would work great on a yule log 🙂
Siobhan says
Hi Olivia, I have just discovered your recipe and tried it several times successfully. Everyone loves the flavor and texture. Sadly everytime I colour the frosting using gel food colour the colour/frosting splits? I whip is up it comes back together. But a little later it splits again. Any thoughts on why this is?
Olivia says
Hi Siobhan! Hmm, I’m not sure why that’s happening. You can try coloring the pudding part and see if that helps, or using powdered coloring if you can find it.
Karen says
So the icing is delicious.
But it is grainy-looking, but not to taste, and it is a little thin.
What did I do??
And can it be fixed …..
Olivia says
Hi Karen! That’s usually down to a temperature thing which causes the butter and pudding to not emulsify properly. If you warm the buttercream a bit or just keep whipping it should come together.
Karen Gilmore Thomson says
Merci beaucoup!
Jane says
The taste was great but it was too soft. What can I do to firm the frosting up.
Olivia says
Hi Jane! This frosting will be softer than an American or meringue-style buttercream. You can try adding some powdered sugar to firm it up, but that will make it sweeter and a bit grainier.
Teresa says
Do you think this would work with brown butter? Or should I try half brown butter and half regular? Thx.
Olivia says
Hi Teresa! I haven’t tried it with brown butter myself and worry that it could affect the texture due to the milk solids being cooked and some liquid cooked off. I would try it half and half first, start with regular butter then add the brown butter. Let me know how it turns out!
Shawn says
I love how detailed your description is, thank you! I am considering giving this frosting a try (I’m an American buttercream kind of gal, but I like to change it up once in a while). However, I like to make my cakes two days in advance and chill or leave at room temperature until guests arrive. Can I do that with this frosting? Can I use it to frost and cake and it will be safe to eat (and still decorated nicely) two days later?
Olivia says
Hi Shawn! It will be fine and safe to eat as long as you refrigerate it. You can take it out 2-3 hours before serving so it comes to room temperature 🙂
Karen says
Can I use fresh lemon juice to flavor or will that cause the frosting to break? If yes, when should i add it?
Olivia says
Hi Karen! I would have to experiment a bit with it to get the proper proportions/make sure it doesn’t break. I would try adding a couple of tsp of lemon juice to the pudding mixture right at the end before you cover it.
Jo says
Thank you for the detailed recipe, my frosting turned out delicious and silky! I’ll never go back to american buttercream. Thanks for all the FAQ’s and troubleshooting you provided, it really helped.
Olivia says
Hi Jo! So glad you loved it and found the post helpful!
Odessa says
Hi! I’m just wondering if i can substitute milk with evaporated milk instead?
Olivia says
Hi Odessa! I haven’t tried it but I think it should work fine.
Chrissy says
Hi!! I want to try this filling for my lady locks. If you use evaporated milk, it should be able to sit out longer than 2 days right? I’m doing Cookie trays for the holiday so I was curious.
Olivia says
Hi Chrissy! I haven’t tried it with evaporated milk myself and am not sure of the perishability.
Doha says
Hi Liv! I rarely post reviews but I just had to share how amaaazing this recipe turned out! It was my first time making this type of buttercream and i was worried honestly I was just worried it would taste floury. After whipping in the roux I ended up with a luscious buttery buttercream that I had to stop myself from eating the whole thing before actually frosting the cake! Thank you soo much for a perfect recipe! Looking forward to trying your swiss meringue buttercream next!
Olivia says
Hi Doha! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review! I am so happy you love this one 🙂
Tahira says
Can ibj use margerine instead of butter?
Olivia says
Hi Tahira! No, the frosting will be too soft with margarine.
Hannah says
Hello,
Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Would you please share the amount of ingredients in grams please?
Thanm you!
Olivia says
Hi Hannah! There is a metric converter below the list of ingredients. Let me know how you like it!
Kamal says
I tried with metric converter but it was too sweet I think this is not the correct measurement. I measure cups into grams it was not the same amount 😬. I prefer in grams instead of cups it just so easy way to measure. By the way apart from sweetness the recipe is so yummy but not very smooth. Thanks for sharing 💐
Olivia says
Hi Kamal! You are right, the metric for the sugar should have been 400g not 478g. Not sure why that happened but it’s fixed now! So happy you loved it 🙂
AnnWS says
I am working on this frosting today. Can I used 1 c butter-flavored crisco a d 1 c salted butter for the Ermine frosting? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Ann! I haven’t tried it with shortening myself so I can’t say for sure if it would affect the end result.
Cassandra Johnson says
Thank you for the detailed recipe. When I want to flavor this frosting, I use melted ice cream flavor of my choice. Same liquid measurement.
Try Huckleberry Ice Cream, it is to die for.
Olivia says
Hi Cassandra! That is genius, I will have to try that!!
Missy says
Hi! I’m making chocolate and red velvet cupcakes and wanted to know how many cupcakes can this recipe frost?
Olivia says
Hi Missy! It should frost at least 24 depending on how much frosting is used.
Missy says
Awesome! I’ll be trying it out on Father’s Day, thank you!
Arlene Nater says
I wanted to try this so I only used half of all ingredients. The taste is very good but how long do you have to wait to use it as it is very thin to use right away.
Olivia says
Hi Arlene! The finished buttercream is thin? Was the pudding still a bit warm when you added it? You can try placing the buttercream in the fridge for 20mins and rewhipping.
Max says
Very good frosting. I enjoyed it very much. I also like the Swiss Buttercream as well. So, my next batch of frosting I combined the Ermine and the Swiss. I like this combination the best.
Olivia says
Hi Max! I’m so glad you liked it. I’ve never tried mixing both but that sounds like a delicious option!
Brooke says
Very thorough recipe that’s easy to follow – thank you! I took my roux pretty far to get the coveted paste consistency (my arm will be sore tomorrow from all the whisking!) but after it cooled in my heat proof bowl (with the plastic wrap pressed onto the surface) before I popped it in the fridge, the top became rock hard. I don’t think this is supposed to happen but I followed the recipe to a T – any thoughts of what might have gone wrong? How can I save it? It’s not lumpy at all which seems to be the most common challenge across other Ermine recipes!
Olivia says
Hi Brooke! I’m so happy you found the recipe easy to follow. That is super weird about the top getting hard! That would really only happen if the plastic wrap wasn’t directly on it — it would make a crust. To save it you can try scraping off the crusty hard part. Did you place the plastic wrap on top immediately while the roux was still hot? I have no idea why that would happen!
Lina says
Hello! Love this recipe! Was wondering, do you think i could use almond milk instead?
Olivia says
Hi Lina! I haven’t tried it with almond milk myself but I think it should be fine.