Ermine Frosting

Ermine Frosting is a classic recipe passed down through generations of bakers, and for a good reason! This fluffy and light frosting is made with a cooked flour and milk mixture. Combined with sugar and butter, create a sweet and smooth frosting. It pairs perfectly with any cake or cupcake.

Unlike traditional American buttercream frostings, this frosting is cooked on the stovetop, which gives it a unique texture and flavor. The mixture is thickened by cooking flour and milk until it reaches a pudding-like consistency. It’s then whipped with butter to create a fluffy and creamy frosting that is great for spreading or piping!

You can flavor it with various extracts to complement any baked good. From classic vanilla to tangy lemon or rich chocolate, ermine frosting is versatile enough to complement any flavor!

This Ermine Frosting is a must-try recipe that will elevate your baked goods to the next level! In this recipe, I’ll guide you through the steps to make a perfect ermine frosting. It will impress your friends and family and your taste buds!

WHAT IS ERMINE FROSTING?

Ermine frosting is a deliciously smooth and velvety frosting called boiled milk or roux frosting.

To make this frosting cook the flour and milk until they form a thick paste-like mixture. Combining it with sugar and butter to make a light, fluffy, and velvety smooth frosting that’s an absolute classic! It makes a frosting with a unique texture and flavor compared to traditional buttercream frostings.

Ermine frosting is particularly good for layer cakes since it’s not as sweet or heavy as buttercream. Its lightness and airiness make it the perfect option for cakes that are rich in flavor, such as chocolate or even red velvet cakes!

This ermine frosting recipe is also very convenient. You can make the frosting and store it in the refrigerator or freezer until you are ready to use it. It can be tinted with food coloring to create a variety of colors for cake decorating.

WHAT MAKES THIS ERMINE FROSTING RECIPE SPECIAL?

This ermine frosting recipe is the best one you’ll come across and will give you classic, fool-proof results every single time! Here are some other reasons why this recipe is so good:

Versatile: With just a few drops of your favorite extract or even a dollop of rich chocolate, the flavor of this ermine frosting can be changed to suit whichever desserts you’re pairing it with.

Easy: This ermine frosting recipe uses simple ingredients that are easy to work with, and the total prep time is only about 20 minutes!

Light and fluffy: What’s best is that this recipe will give you light and fluffy frosting, making it the perfect topping for cakes and cupcakes. Its velvety texture adds a special touch to any dessert!

WHY IS IT CALLED ERMINE FROSTING?

Believe it or not, this frosting is named after a weasel! Ermine weasels have a distinctive and luxurious white fur coat used to make royal robes and other clothes for the upper class because of how smooth and velvety it is.

Another possible explanation is that this frosting is named after Ermine Street, an ancient Roman road that connected London and York in England. It was an important trade route, and it’s possible that this recipe was brought to England from Rome and became popular with the bakers along Ermine Street.

No matter what the origins are, as soon as you taste this scrumptious, rich, smooth frosting, you’ll see why the name is associated with velvety luxury!

WHAT DOES ERMINE FROSTING TASTE LIKE?

The strange and unsettling name might make you wonder what ermine frosting tastes like.

Well, it’s a silky smooth frosting with a light sweetness that tastes absolutely incredible! In fact, it has a similar texture and flavor to Swiss meringue buttercream but without all the extra work!

This frosting has a great vanilla flavor and does not taste like flour at all. It’s incredibly delicious and a perfect substitute for sweet American buttercreams. With a buttery, creamy, and slightly sweet flavor, it’s a great frosting that I highly recommend you try! 

🥘 INGREDIENTS YOU’LL NEED FOR ERMINE FROSTING

You only need simple ingredients to make this delicious, velvety frosting at home. Let’s look at some of the main ingredients to make it:

You can scroll down to the recipe card for further details and instructions.

Milk: One of the main ingredients we’ll need for this recipe is milk. You can use any kind of milk but it’s best with whole milk, which has a higher fat content and helps give the frosting a smooth and velvety consistency. 

Flour: The unique thing about this frosting recipe is that it’s roux based so we’ll also need some basic, all-purpose flour to make it!

Butter: High-quality butter is equally important to give this frosting its rich flavor while also helping with the smooth texture. Be sure to use unsalted butter so the frosting doesn’t come out too salty tasting!

Vanilla extract: By using vanilla in our frosting, it’ll enhance the sweetness of the sugar and give it a warm, comforting, yet subtle flavor that will make any dessert go from good to great!

🔪 HOW TO MAKE ERMINE FROSTING

Making Ermine Frosting at home is easier than you think! Follow my steps to get foolproof results every single time.

The full instructions are in the recipe card below, but let’s look at the main steps to making this treat.

Step 1: 

First, add the sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan. Whisk these ingredients for 3 minutes on medium-low heat. After that, add the cold milk and continue constantly whisking on medium-low heat until the mixture boils. 

Step 2: 

Once the mixture starts boiling, allow it to cook until it reaches a pudding-like consistency, then remove it from the heat. The cooking time can take 10-11 minutes after adding the milk.

Step 3: 

Next, pour the mixture onto a wide plate to speed up the cooling process. Cover the plate with plastic wrap, ensuring the wrap touches the surface of the pudding mixture to prevent it from forming skin.

Step 4: 

While the pudding mixture is cooling, beat the butter in a large bowl using a hand or stand mixer until it’s lighter in color. This should take about 3 to 4 minutes.

Step 5: 

When the pudding is at room temperature, add a tablespoon at a time to the butter while beating continuously, ensuring everything is thoroughly mixed after each addition.

Step 6: 

When you’re done adding all the pudding mixture to the butter, whip it for another 3 minutes, then add the vanilla and beat for another 1 minute.

Your delicious Ermine Frosting is ready!

💭 COOKING TIPS FOR ERMINE FROSTING

Don’t melt the butter: For best results, the butter should be slightly cold but a little soft before beating it. Make sure it’s soft enough to leave an impression when you press it with your finger.

Let the pudding cool: Make sure the mixture is cool to room temperature before adding it to the butter. Otherwise, the butter will melt and ruin the frosting. 

Use the right heat: While cooking the pudding mixture, don’t increase the heat to speed up the thickening process. This will burn the milk at the bottom of the pan and ruin the taste of your frosting.

📖 DELICIOUS VARIATIONS FOR ERMINE FROSTING

Ermine frosting is a versatile treat, and you can use it in many ways. Here are some delicious variations to try:

• Lemon Ermine Frosting: To turn this frosting into a lemon ermine frosting, all you need to do is add lemon extract and some lemon zest to the recipe! 
• Chocolate Ermine Frosting: For a chocolatey twist, add 1/2 cup of cocoa powder and beat it together till it’s well incorporated.
• Strawberry Ermine Frosting: To make some strawberry ermine frosting, you can incorporate about 1/2 cup of strawberry puree into the milk mixture before adding it to the dry ingredients on the stove.

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🌡️ HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER ERMINE FROSTING

You can store your ermine frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

If you want to freeze the frosting, wrap it tightly in plastic before storing it. The frosting should keep for up to 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight, and then whip it again when it’s at room temperature, but it shouldn’t be too soft.