Unlike traditional buttercream, this Fluffy Vanilla Frosting is silky smooth, much fluffier and far less sweet. The texture is closer to whipped cream, but unlike cream, this Frosting is stable for days. It pipes like a dream, as featured in Vanilla Cupcakes, and is straightforward to make.
Made without icing sugar / powdered sugar, this is actually an old fashioned frosting called “Ermine Frosting”. If you’ve never heard of it before, the ingredients and method will intrigue you!
SNAPSHOT: My Secret Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
Texture: Light and fluffy. Sits between buttercream and whipped cream, but more towards lightness of whipped cream. 100% smooth.
Sweetness and richness: Much less sweet than buttercream with 60% less sugar. In reality it is quite rich because it uses 225g/2 sticks of butter but it doesn’t taste rich because of the very fluffy, whipped cream-like texture.
Uses: Piped or spread onto cakes and cupcakes, or used in place of cream to dollop onto or on the side.
How it sets: At room temperature, it’s soft and fluffy but firm enough to be piped into tall swirls. In the fridge, it will set and become firmer, but not hard like butter. This frosting does not get a crust.
Storage: Keep covered in airtight container or cake dome. On counter on mild days up to about 22°C/71°F. Refrigerate on warmer days that makes butter melt.
Best served at: room temperature. If too cold, the frosting is firmer than ideal.
My secret Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
I call this my “secret” Vanilla Frosting because it’s not a widely known type of frosting and people are always flabbergasted when I tell them how it’s made using butter, milk, flour and sugar.
It’s my best all-rounder that’s a hit with everyone. Take a classic buttercream, in all its rich, sweet glory, and a lightly sweetened vanilla whipped cream, and this Vanilla Frosting sits squarely in the middle.
But unlike buttercream, it’s 100% silky smooth. And unlike whipped cream which deflates within hours, this Vanilla Frosting will hold a tall piped swirl for days and days.
This looks and pipes like buttercream, but it’s WAY less sweet and rich!
This frosting is actually an old fashioned frosting called Ermine Frosting. Also known as boiled-milk frosting, roux frosting and mock cream, none of these names sound particularly flash nor do they capture the magic of this frosting that has a cult following. Some declare it as the best frosting in the world!
About this Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
Though the proper name of this frosting is Ermine Frosting, I’m going to continue to call it Fluffy Vanilla Frosting because that’s exactly what it is – and it sounds a lot more flattering than the real name!😂
The method by which it is made will sound highly unusual: hot milk, flour and sugar is cooked on the stove until thickened into a thick custard texture, then once cool it becomes a thoroughly unappetising looking bowl of gluey-jelly which is then whipped into butter.
And this is when the ugly duckling transforms into a beautiful swan. Because suddenly, you’re staring into a bowl of what looks like whipped cream. Except….. you haven’t used cream at all. You touch it and know that it’s firm enough to pipe into sky-high swirls. You taste it, and it’s silky smooth. A cross between buttercream and whipped cream!
What you need for this Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
All you need is butter, flour, milk, sugar and vanilla. Flour?? I hear you query. YES. That is what thickens this into a frosting texture. I promise you will not detect even the faintest bit of flour once finished – not in texture and certainly not taste.
How to make my secret Less-Sweet Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
First, we make the roux. It’s just like how we start creamy-sauce savoury foods like Mac and Cheese – except it’s sweet, and we take it much further until it’s very thick.
Milk, sugar, flour – Stir the sugar and flour in a dry saucepan over medium heat – this just toasts the sugar lightly to bring out some flavour. Then slowly pour the warm milk in as you whisk (this avoids lumps)
Cook over medium heat until it thickens in a thick dolloping custard. The range of thickness possible is actually quite broad – I’ve made it way thicker and it still worked perfectly. In fact, the frosting holds its structure longer, and it pipes with sharper, more defined edges even though it is just as fluffy. Just don’t take it off when it’s still watery.
Scrape it into a bowl (“it” being a roux);
Cover roux with cling wrap, pressing onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming (or use paper if you’re plastic adverse) then very importantly, allow to fully cool otherwise it will melt the butter. It will become like a thick, pasty, thoroughly unappetising jelly and at this stage you will start doubting me. Have faith!
Cooling the roux / making ahead – I usually cool on counter for 20 minutes then refrigerate for 30 minutes or so to speed things up but don’t let it get fridge cold because otherwise it won’t mix together well with the room temp butter (because the temperatures are too different). You can also leave it overnight in the fridge but take it out about 1 hour prior to dechill it and bring to room temperature.
Now, we whip it up like any other frosting.
5. Beat butter until creamy – just for a couple of minutes. We don’t need it to become aerated because we will be whipping the combined mixture like you do whipped cream and at this stage it will fluff up more;
6. Add dollops of the roux, beating as you go. Take about 1 minute to add all the roux in, this will ensure your Frosting stays smooth;
7. Beat, beat, beat – Add vanilla and a pinch of salt for flavour, then beat for another 2 to 3 minutes, just like you’re whipping up a big bowl of cream; and
8. Voila! Your Fluffy Vanilla Frosting is done!
How to use this Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
Spreading and piping
Spread it onto cakes (like Vanilla Cake) and cupcakes Vanilla Cupcakes or Chocolate Cupcakes).
Or transfer to a piping bag and pipe sky-high swirls, as pictured throughout this post (Wilton 2D tip).
In fact, this frosting was the traditional frosting used for Red Velvet Cake! It was only in modern times that cream cheese frosting became the frosting of choice for Red Velvet.
You can pipe sky-high mounds of this frosting onto cupcakes, and you won’t find it sickly sweet like with buttercream!
Flavours and colouring
Treat it like your everyday buttercream – this frosting can be tinted and flavoured with concentrated flavouring.
To make it Chocolate flavoured, just whip in 1/4 cup cocoa powder at end. Melted chocolate doesn’t work as well because it weighs it down.
Note: I haven’t tried using fresh citrus like lemon, lime and orange to ensure it doesn’t split.
Storage
The butter in this frosting will require refrigeration if the temperature is warm enough for the butter to start softening – this causes the frosting to droop. I find that up to about 23°/73°F, this frosting is fine out on the counter.
If you are forced to refrigerate, make sure you take cakes out 1 1/2 hours prior to serving and cupcakes out 1 hour prior so they come to room temperature. The frosting firms up in the fridge (because the butter goes hard) which is not very pleasant to eat! You need the frosting to come to room temperature so it’s creamy and soft again. It will soften faster than fridge-cold butter because the fridge-cold frosting is not as hard as butter.
So, now you know my secret frosting recipe. 🙂 I’ve been making it for years, relishing in how people who ordinarily shy-away from sky high mounds of frosting have dived into it after I assured them that it’s way less sweet and rich than typical frostings.
Tell me what you think if you try it! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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My Secret Less-Sweet, Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp flour , plain/all purpose
- 1 cup white sugar , regular/granulated (can reduce to 1/2 cup, Note 1)
- 1 cup milk, warmed using any method , full fat best (but even 0% fat works)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 225g / 1 cup unsalted butter , softened but not too soft! (Note 3)
Chocolate Frosting option:
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened (Dutch processed best, if you can)
Instructions
Thickening Roux:
- Place flour and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- While whisking constantly, slowly pour the milk in (this ensure it’s lump free).
- As the milk gets hotter, it will start to thicken – stir constantly so the base doesn’t catch.
- Cook until the mixture thickens in a thick, dolloping custard – see video for texture. TIP: Thicker texture = thicker frosting texture but won't make the frosting dense, it's still fluffy and spreadable but it just makes it "sturdier" with sharper edges when piped.
- Remove from heat and scrape into a bowl. Cover with cling wrap, pressing down onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Cool completely (I leave on counter for 20 min or so then refrigerate 30 min to speed up but don't let it get chilled, best at room temp to beat into butter). You can leave in fridge overnight but take it out 1 hour prior to using (to dechill – otherwise it won't mix well with softened butter).
Making the Fluffy Frosting:
- Place butter in a bowl and use either a handheld beater or stand mixer (with whisk attachment) to beat for 3 minutes until it's smooth and changes from yellow to very pale yellow, almost white.
- Now start whipping in the Thickening Roux. On speed 5 (medium), start adding the thick roux one heaped tablespoon at a time. Take about 1 minute to add it all.
- Once all added, add vanilla and salt, then whip for 2 to 3 minutes until you can see that it is still enough to hold peaks. Then it's ready to use!
Chocolate flavoured option:
- Beat in the cocoa powder at the end, just until mixed through.
Frosting cakes and cupcakes:
- Use it like any other frosting on cakes and cupcakes – either spread it on with a knife or put in a piping bag. You can pipe sky-high mounds and it will hold its form, as pictured on Vanilla Cupcakes in this post.
- See notes for storage / make ahead.
Recipe Notes:
- This frosting is best used straight after making.
- On cooler days (22C/71F or so), frosted cakes, cupcakes etc can stay out on the counter.
- On warmer days, it will need to be refrigerated – the butter is what will make the frosting droop. Take out of fridge 1 – 1.5 hrs before serving to bring so the frosting can soften (it firms up in the fridge due to the butter).
- The flour milk roux can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight, but then take it out of the fridge 1 hour prior to take the chill out of it, you want it at room temperature.
- Freezing – up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
When he literally DIVES in to inhale a cupcake and gets a big splodge of frosting on his nose that is JUST out of licking range….
I’m over in the UK and stumbled across this recipe; I am SO happy I did. What a beautiful taste, I don’t think I’ll ever use traditional buttercream again. This was so much easier to work with when icing a small tiered cake this evening. Thank you so much. Looking forward to exploring more of your recipes.
I used this frosting to cover my daughter’s unicorn birthday cake this weekend. It was perfect! Not too sweet and great to add food coloring to for bright colors to decorate a cake. I was afraid it wasn’t going to turn out because it took awhile to thicken on the stove and I almost gave up but glad I stuck with it! Next time I will double it because it was only enough to lightly cover my 2 9 inch layer cakes with a cheesecake middle. I had to use another frosting that was faster to whip up for the unicorns rosette mane.
Love love your recipes. Sadly this icing did not turn out. Don’t know why. Followed the recipe to a tee.
Hi Liz, sorry to hear that, what exactly went wrong? N x
Can I use raw sugar instead of white sugar here? We are avoiding refined sugars at the moment. Would it make any difference? Thanks alot!!
Hi Yulia, raw sugar will be fine here, it just may not be as white as pictured. N x
Thanks Nagi for replying! I will be adding colour to the frosting so should be OK?
Hi Nagi ! I love your frosting. Its my go-to frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Its perfect because its sweet but not too sweet. Question, how can I incorporate espresso into the frosting?
dissolve some espresso powder in a little hot water and add it with the milk and flour etc. You may have to experiment a bit to get the strength level.
Life saver! Used this recipe for my daughter’s birthday cupcakes after I failed my SMBC.
Life saver! Used this recipe for my daughter’s birthday cupcakes after I failed my SMBC.
I am allergic to wheat. Could I use potato starch or maize flour instead? If so, how much?
Hi Michelle, I do this recipe as Gluten free all the time. I use a flour mix called cup4cup that I get on Amazon or vitacost.com. It measures the same, and you can not tell the difference.
Hi Michelle, I would suggest corn flour and half the amount called for in the recipe – make into a slurry before mixing with the rest of the milk. N x
hooRAAAY!!! This is everything you described and more. So delicious, light and won’t melt your teeth! Thank you!
I’m so glad you love it Bee, thanks so much! N x
I’ve heard some people had trouble colouring this type of frosting. Can you please confirm if water based (not gel) colouring such as Queens brand in Oz can be used here with success. Also, can I use a vegan butter alternative (nuttelex)? Thanks heaps!!
Hi Yulia, I’m currently testing with food colouring but I have heard that water based is ok – although gel based is better for use in icing. I haven’t tried this just yet with nut telex sorry, would love to know if it works (I feel like it may change the texture though) – N x
Nuttelex works beautifully in this but the texture was abit soft might have to refridgerate for awhile if you want a firmer consistency to pipe
Really loved this! I added some lemon juice for a lemony flavour and it wasnt too sweet at all! I really recommend trying this
Great, I was searching through the comments for someone who tried this with lemon juice! I love lemon icing. I’m going to do this today
Can I use this in a 3 layer cake or is it too soft? I hate buttercream. Way too sweet.
Would this be okay to ice the outside of a cake? Any harm in adding blueberry compote? Thanks!
Hi P Sangha, you can definitely ice a cake with this but I’m unsure about the compote – if you’re adding extra liquid to the frosting it will change the texture and may not hold up to decorating a cake. N x
wow, this frosting came out like real frosting and I used only half a cup of normal sugar. I won’t go to any other frosting. And the taste is still delicious and not too sugary! Pleasantly surprised!
Can I use this frosting for your vanilla cake recipe
Has anyone tried using a non dairy milk option? Soy, rice or other? How did it come put? Thanks!
Roxie, I just made the recipe using almond milk. It didn’t turn out smooth and fluffy like whipped cream but it did taste really good. It was more dense like regular butter cream. I would definitely use this recipe with almond milk for cakes at home but not for others. I’d stick to regular milk like the recipe calls for, for smooth icing.
Nagi, thanks a tonne for this! I was sick of having the traditional American buttercream that is super sweet and sometimes grainy. This recipe is wonderful for people who like it light/moussey and less sweet. You are a star 🌟 I made this, it is super easy and delicious.
Good Day,
This will cover what size of cake?
It covers a 2 to 3 layer 8″inch or 9″inch cake!
I’d like to make this into a peach frosting. Any tips or ideas as to how to go about that?
SOOO AMAZING! it has the perfect balance of taste and sweetness. 100%
Amazing, thank you!
Thank you Nagi! So grateful