Ermine Frosting or Boiled Milk Frosting

Ermine frosting gives you a silky, cloud-light finish without the heavy sweetness of standard buttercream. If you want a frosting that spreads smoothly on layer cakes, tastes balanced instead of sugary, and still pipes softly, this old-fashioned cooked frosting earns its spot.

The method matters here. You cook a milk-and-flour base first, then beat it into whipped butter after the base cools completely. Rush that cooling step and the butter melts instead of whipping, which turns the whole bowl slack and greasy in a hurry.

What Is Ermine Frosting?

Ermine frosting, also called boiled milk frosting or cooked frosting, starts with a stovetop paste of milk, sugar, flour, and salt. Once that base cools to room temperature, you beat it into softened butter with vanilla until it turns fluffy and smooth.

What makes it different is the texture. You get a frosting that feels lighter on the tongue and tastes much less sweet than powdered-sugar buttercream. Nobody mentions this part often enough: because the sugar dissolves in the cooked base instead of staying granular, the frosting spreads with a satin finish and skips that faintly gritty bite cheap buttercream loves to leave behind.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

Use softened butter, not melted butter and not refrigerator-cold sticks. You want butter that dents easily when pressed but still holds its shape. If it looks shiny or slumpy, it has gone too soft and the finished frosting will struggle to hold air.

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How to Make Ermine Frosting

1. In a saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and pinch of salt.
2. Gradually whisk in the whole milk until the mixture looks smooth and no dry pockets remain.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the cooked base to a bowl.
5. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface so a skin does not form, then let the base cool completely to room temperature.
6. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add the cooled flour mixture one spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Add the vanilla extract and continue beating until the frosting looks smooth, fluffy, and spreadable.
9. Use immediately to frost cake layers, cupcakes, or a sheet cake.

Keep the heat at medium, not high. This base thickens fast once it gets close, and high heat scorches the milk solids on the bottom before the flour cooks through. If you smell anything toasty before it thickens, the pan got too hot.

Watch for the right texture in the saucepan. It should look like pudding, not thin gravy. When you drag the whisk across the bottom, you should briefly see a trail before the mixture closes back in. Stop too early and the frosting can end up loose no matter how long you beat it later.

Add the cooled base to the butter slowly. Dumping it in all at once often leaves stubborn little blobs that take much longer to smooth out. Spoonful by spoonful feels fussy, but it saves you from chasing lumps with the mixer like it owes you money.

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Tips for Success

Cool the cooked base all the way to room temperature before it goes anywhere near the butter. That is the line between fluffy frosting and a bowl of sweet butter soup. If your kitchen runs warm, spread the base in a shallow bowl so it cools faster.

If the frosting looks curdled halfway through mixing, keep beating. That rough stage usually means the butter and base have not fully emulsified yet. Once the temperatures even out and the air gets whipped in, the mixture turns smooth.

Want the cleanest texture possible? Whisk the dry ingredients before adding milk, then add the milk gradually. Flour dumped into liquid all at once makes tiny lumps with dry centers, and those do not always cook out completely.

Another detail most recipes skip: this frosting firms up more in the refrigerator than standard buttercream, because the butter sets solid while the cooked base holds moisture. If you frost a cake ahead, give it a little counter time before serving so the texture turns soft and silky again instead of dense and chilly.

If you enjoy lighter frostings, you might also like Buttercream Frosting Mix for pantry convenience or Cream Cheese Frosting Mix when you want a tangier finish.

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How to Use It

This frosting works especially well on layer cakes because it spreads easily without tearing tender crumbs. It also suits cupcakes when you want a softer, less sugary topping than classic American buttercream.

Plan on about 2 cups of finished frosting, enough for 12 to 16 cupcakes depending on how heavily you frost them, or a modest coating for an 8-inch or 9-inch layer cake. If you pile it on with a heavy hand, make a double batch from the start rather than stretching one batch too thin.

For pairing, use it anywhere you want the cake flavor to come through clearly. Vanilla, chocolate, and old-fashioned sheet cakes all benefit. It would be especially good on Gingerbread Man Cupcakes with Gingerbread Buttercream Frosting if you want a less sweet finish than the original frosting.

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Storage

Store leftover ermine frosting in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Because it contains cooked milk and butter, treat it like a perishable homemade frosting, not a shelf-stable pantry icing. For best food safety, cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours, following USDA leftover food safety guidance.

Before using chilled frosting again, let it sit at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes, then re-whip briefly until smooth. Straight-from-the-fridge frosting feels stiff and dull, but a quick beat brings back the fluffy texture.

You can freeze it for up to 1 month in a tightly sealed container. Thaw it in the refrigerator overnight, then let it soften on the counter and beat again before frosting.

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💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Ermine Frosting or Boiled Milk Frosting

🛒 Walmart Grocery List

• Granulated Sugar, 4 lb
• All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
• Whole Milk, 1 Gallon
• Unsalted Butter, 1 lb
• Pure Vanilla Extract, 2 fl oz
• Salt, 26 oz

Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.

Frequently Asked Questions about Ermine Frosting

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Ermine Frosting

Article or recipe authorAuthor: Melissa 'Liss' Burnell

approximate calories167kcal

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preparation timePrep 15 minutes mins

cook timeCook 7 minutes mins

total timeTotal 22 minutes mins

This old-fashioned ermine frosting, also called boiled milk frosting, cooks a milk-and-flour base before whipping it into butter for a silky, fluffy finish that tastes far less sweet than standard buttercream. The batch makes about 2 cups, enough for 12 to 16 cupcakes or a lightly frosted layer cake, at an estimated total cost of $6.15 or about $0.38 per serving.

ServingsServings 16 servings

CourseCourse Dessert

CuisineCuisine American

Budget101 Price BreakdownApprox Cost: $6.15

Ingredients

1/21x2x

• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
• ▢ ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 cup whole milk
• ▢ 1 cup unsalted butter softened
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ Pinch of salt

Equipment

medium saucepan

Whisk

Mixing Bowl

Electric mixer

Rubber Spatula

Plastic Wrap

Instructions

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1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, and salt.
2. Gradually whisk in the whole milk until smooth.
3. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens to a pudding-like consistency, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and transfer the cooked base to a bowl.
5. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and let the base cool completely to room temperature.
6. In a separate mixing bowl, beat the softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add the cooled flour mixture one spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition.
8. Add the vanilla extract and beat until smooth, fluffy, and spreadable.
9. Use immediately to frost cakes or cupcakes.

Recipe Size Alteration

💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.

Nutrition

Serving 1g | Calories 167kcal | Carbohydrates 15g | Protein 1g | Fat 12g | Saturated Fat 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat 0.5g | Monounsaturated Fat 3g | Trans Fat 0.5g | Cholesterol 32mg | Sodium 8mg | Potassium 29mg | Fiber 0.1g | Sugar 13g | Vitamin A 379IU | Calcium 23mg | Iron 0.1mg | Net Carbs 15g

Notes

Yield estimate: about 2 cups frosting, based on the ingredient volumes and finished texture.
Servings estimate: 16 servings, based on 2 tablespoons frosting per serving.
Storage: Refrigerate leftover frosting in an airtight container up to 4 days.
Freeze up to 1 month in a tightly sealed container.
Let chilled frosting sit 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature, then re-whip before using.
Time estimate includes active prep and stovetop cooking, but not cooling time for the cooked base.

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