Ermine frosting is so fluffy, creamy, and delicious. It tastes a lot like whipped cream but is more stable. It starts with a boiled milk paste that gives it a fabulous whipped texture. It is frequently paired with red velvet cake but is great with so many desserts.

cupcake with ermine frosting rosette and sprinkles

This frosting is fluffy and smooth and perfect. It starts by boiling milk and flour together to make a paste and that is whipped into butter to make a frosting that isn’t super sweet, but is really light and airy.

It is a lot like whipped cream, but more stable. It is a classic topping for red velvet cake, but is great in a variety of applications!

It is hard to believe, but I have been making this frosting for 10 years now! I was working with my friend Vicki and her birthday was coming up. Of course I had to bake her a cake!

She requested red velvet cake with whipped cream frosting. I had never heard of such a thing, other than the frosting some grocery stores call whipped cream.

As far as I knew, red velvet cakes were topped with cream cheese frosting. Apparently this is quite a point for debate, is it ermine frosting or cream cheese frosting that is the proper way to frost a red beauty.

Vicki was obviously on team boiled milk frosting and I am always happy to try a new frosting! She searched for the recipe of the exact thing she was talking about.

Whisk with thick paste of cooked milk, flour, and sugar mixture with remaining paste in saucepan below.

Balloon whisk mixer attachment filled with fluffy white boiled milk frosting.

I had certainly never made a cooked frosting like this! I had melted chocolate for frosting before and made Marlene’s Fudge Frosting, but never something quite like this.

I instantly fell in love. This frosting is not too sweet, it is just right.

The flavor is subtle, a lot like whipped cream! However it does have better holding time and you don’t have to worry about mixing it too long and turning into butter… it is already butter!

The first time I made this for my family everyone loved it. I made a couple of brownies, covered them in whipped cream frosting and topped them in berries.

Everyone was asking for the recipe. Since then I have used the basic a idea for a number of other recipes. I love the final texture it gets.

If made properly you could certainly frost a layer cake with it with no problem! You can also use it to pipe onto cupcake or do embellishments on your cake.

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Slice of chocolate cake with caramel sauce coating topped with fluffy vanilla icing, hot fudge sauce, and bits of Rolo candies.

close up of first slice of blackberry shortcake cake being removed from the cake.

Of course this frosting is great on red velvet cake and the brownies with berries as I described above. I also used it on my Rolo poke cake and that was scrumptious if I do say so myself!

This frosting was also the perfect way to wrap a blackberry shortcake cake too! It really gives the feeling of whipped cream but with less worry!

Pipe Borders & Cupcakes

Ermine frosting can be used to pipe simple decorations. If you find the frosting is too soft to pipe, chill it for 10-15 minutes and try again.

I don’t think I would use it to do anything too detailed or small. It is a softer frosting and likely wouldn’t hold a perfect shape.

However it is perfect for ruffly piles, borders, and large rosettes.

Tips and Tricks for making Ermine/Boiled Milk Frosting

Getting the milk and flour paste just right is the key. You want it to be a thick paste before you remove it from the heat.

Be sure to keep stirring it, especially as it thickens. You don’t want it to scorch on the bottom of the pan.

Originally I made the paste from just the flour and milk and added the sugar with the butter in the mixer. After a really long mixing period, it dissolves and isn’t grainy.

Lately I’ve taken to adding the sugar to the milk and flour to make sure it is dissolved.

cupcake topped with boiled milk frosting and sprinkles.

If the frosting seems a bit loose when you are done, there is a chance your butter was over softened or your paste wasn’t all the way cooled. Try placing the bowl of frosting in the refrigerator for 15 or 20 minutes and whipping it again.

If it is still loose, the paste probably wasn’t thick enough. A bit of powdered sugar or heat treated flour can help tighten it up this time.

Just cook your paste a little longer next time!

Does boiled milk frosting get hard?

Boiled milk frosting does not form a crust. If you need to set the frosting, using the refrigerator is the way to go.

The frosting will get soft again once it is at room temperature. If you need a frosting that crusts, try crusting buttercream.

If you are a frosting fanatic like me, check out my Frosting 101. It goes through the different types of frosting and links to all sorts of delicious recipes!

4.80 from 50 ratings

Ermine Boiled Milk Frosting

Author: Carlee

Servings: Servings (3 cups)

This frosting is fluffy and smooth and perfect. It starts by boiling milk and flour together to make a paste and that is whipped into butter to make a frosting that isn't super sweet, but is really light and airy. It is a lot like whipped cream, but more stable. It is a classic topping for red velvet cake, but is great in a variety of applications!

Prep: 10

Cook: 10

Additional Time 30

Total: 50

Ingredients

▢ 5 Tablespoons all purpose flour
▢ 1 cup milk
▢ 1 cup granulated sugar
▢ 1 cup butter softened (must be real butter)
▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

This first step is the most crucial part to this frosting turning out. In a saucepan, whisk together the flour and sugar. Add the milk a few tablespoons at a time to get started. Stir until there are no lumps. Once you have a smooth paste, add the remaining milk and stir until combined. Turn on the burner to medium heat. Continue to whisk and cook until the mixture thickens to a paste consistency. You want it to be pretty thick. It will be tempting to walk away and so something else, but don’t. Once it starts to thicken it will go really quickly and it is important you don’t get lumps or scorch the bottom. Place paste in the refrigerator to cool.
5 Tablespoons all purpose flour, 1 cup milk, 1 cup granulated sugar
Once paste is room temperature or cooler, add butter and vanilla to mixer bowl. Turn on low and stir until smooth. Add flour/milk paste and whip on high for about 10 minutes. Don’t try to cut the time short, you really want to whip a lot of air into it.
1 cup butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Spread on cakes, cupcakes, cookies or whatever scrumptious treat you are making!

Notes

This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting, which is plenty for a 9×13-inch cake. It can also frost 12-18 cupcakes depending on how generous you are with the frosting. It will cover an 8 or 9 inch layer cake with a thing coating of frosting, but you may want to make a little bit extra if you want extra to decorate it.