Ermine Frosting Recipe: How to Make Simple Ermine Frosting

Ermine frosting is made from a cooked milk and flour paste. It’s also known as milk frosting, flour frosting, flour buttercream, and American buttercream—though it's not to be confused with the sugary, egg-based frosting of the same name. Unlike German buttercream or Swiss meringue buttercream frosting, ermine frosting does not contain eggs.

Ermine frosting was likely developed in the late nineteenth century to pair with Mahogany cake, a popular chocolate cake in the United States. Ermine frosting is also the traditional frosting used for red velvet cake. The name of the frosting might refer to its silky-smooth texture, which feels as luxurious as the pelt of an ermine, a species of weasel known for its soft white fur. Since ermine frosting doesn't use eggs and contains less butter and sugar than most other frostings, it was an economical alternative to other frostings.

Classic ermine frosting is vanilla, but you can flavor ermine frosting to pair with your favorite dessert and cake recipes:

1. 1. Chocolate frosting: Add a little cocoa powder to ermine frosting during the last few minutes of whisking.
2. 2. Cream cheese frosting: Substitute some of the butter in the recipe for cream cheese.
3. 3. Coconut frosting: Substitute the whole milk with coconut milk, and add some shredded coconut during the last few minutes of whisking.
4. 4. Peanut butter frosting: Add a few spoonfuls of peanut butter to the frosting during the last few minutes of whisking to make peanut butter frosting, a delicious pairing with chocolate cupcakes.