Whipped Buttercream Frosting is the best frosting ever! This flour frosting (ermine frosting) is made without powdered sugar. It has the rich creaminess of a buttercream & the light, airy texture of a whipped cream frosting without being too sweet!
This Whipped Buttercream Frosting recipe pretty much blew my mind. I’m not a big frosting person; most buttercream frostings are just ok, and I can take them or leave them.
Well, this buttercream frosting is amazing, and it uses (are you ready for this?) granulated sugar!
Yep! Regular, old granulated sugar. So, if you’ve ever wondered how to make frosting without powdered sugar, this is it!
Don’t worry – it’s not gritty at all. In fact, this ermine frosting has the texture of a light whipped cream with the flavor of a sweet, vanilla buttercream.
It’s honestly the best frosting (buttercream or otherwise) that I’ve ever had. It’s sweet but isn’t overwhelmingly, make-your-teeth-ache sweet.
I’ve put answers to a lot of the questions I’ve received in the recipe notes. Please take a second to read through those notes before making the frosting.
How to make frosting without powdered sugar
Step 1 Whisk the milk and flour together in a small heavy saucepan before beginning to heat.
Step 2 Once combined, heat the mixture over medium-low heat until it has thickened. At this point, it should be the consistency of a thick paste.
Step 3 Remove from heat, and stir in the vanilla extract.
Step 4 Let the mixture cool to room temperature before continuing. This step is key. If the mixture is warm, it will cause the butter to warm up, and you’ll end up with a thin, runny frosting.
Step 5 In a separate large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together on medium-high to high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Be sure to scrape down the sides to avoid gritty frosting.
Step 6 Add the completely cooled milk/flour mixture to the beaten butter/sugar mixture, and beat on medium-high to high for 5 minutes. It may look separated at first, but keep whipping the frosting until it is light and fluffy.
FAQs
This recipe has been posted for nearly 10 years. During that time, I’ve made and re-made this frosting countless times to be able to answer the thousands of questions that I’ve received. Here are some answers to the most commonly asked questions.
The recipe will make enough to frost a 2 layer 9-inch round cake or 24 cupcakes.
I recommend chilling any unused or leftover frosting because of the high dairy content.
This recipe uses granulated sugar instead of powdered sugar to make frosting.
I’ve used almond milk to make this frosting, and it worked well.
I’ve tried this recipe with skim milk, 1% milk, 2% milk, whole milk, and nondairy milk. I’ve successfully made the frosting with all of those types of milk. However, using whole milk will give you a richer, creamier frosting than using skim milk.
I’ve tried the recipe with both salted butter and with unsalted butter + salt. I prefer the version with the salted butter because the unsalted butter + salt version tastes flatter.
You can. Clear vanilla doesn’t have as much flavor as pure vanilla extract, so you may find that you need to use more clear vanilla for the frosting to have as much flavor.
You can! Feel free to substitute another type of flavoring or extract for the vanilla.
You can! I’ve used both gel and regular food dye. Both have worked well. If you’re going to use a large quantity of food coloring, I would recommend a gel to avoid making the frosting runny.
I’ve doubled this recipe. It filled my 5 quart stand mixer, so be sure to use a larger mixing bowl.
I use regular granulated sugar. Using a larger grain (natural) sugar can give you gritty frosting. If you’re worried about the frosting ending up gritty, you can give the sugar a couple of zips in a blender or food processor to break it down.
Yes, you can use an equal amount of vanilla bean paste in place of the vanilla extract to make vanilla bean buttercream.
I’ve frozen cupcakes that were frosted with this frosting. They froze and thawed beautifully.
What flavors of cake go well with this frosting?
This frosting has a light, sweet vanilla flavor that works well with a number of cake flavors. Here are a few ideas!
- Red velvet – This type of frosting with the classic frosting for red velvet cake.
- Chocolate cake
- Carrot cake – Cream cheese frosting is the classic carrot cake frosting, but you could get adventurous and try out vanilla for a change.
- Zucchini cake
- Spice cake
- White cake
Can I make this frosting in other flavors?
You can! Here are some of the different flavors of this frosting that I’ve made.
Troubleshooting tips
- First, not cooking the milk mixture long enough. The mixture should be a thick paste. If it’s too wet, the frosting will be too loose.
- Second, the cooked milk mixture needs to cool completely. If it’s too warm, it will melt the butter, and you’ll end up with loose frosting that doesn’t come together.
- Third, using butter that’s too warm. The butter should be at cool room temperature. It should dent if pushed, but it shouldn’t be too warm and certainly not beginning to melt.
- Fourth, using other types of sugars. This frosting needs to be made with granulated sugar, not powdered sugar.
- Fifth, not whipped the frosting long enough. The frosting needs to be whipped to get the right light and airy texture. Cutting the time short could leave you with a grainy frosting or a frosting that separates.
- If your frosting is still a little gritty after beating it for 5 minutes, go ahead and add the cooled milk/flour mixture. That will usually smooth out any remaining sugar.
- A couple people have reported that a film has formed on their milk/flour mixture. I haven’t had this happen, but another person said that she’s had good luck with blending the milk/flour mixture with a blender before cooking it. She said that it removed any lumps and helped prevent a skin from forming.
If you’ve tried this whipped buttercream frosting recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!
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Whipped Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 7 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups milk
- 1 ½ tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups salted butter at cool room temperature1
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk together over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. It will be the consistency of a thick paste2. Make sure that you whisk the flour and milk together well before you begin cooking it to avoid lumps.7 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups milk
- Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. This step is key. If your mixture is warm, it will melt your butter, and you’ll end up with runny frosting.
- Stir in vanilla.1 ½ tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter, sugar, and salt together until light and fluffy on medium high-high3, about 5 minutes4. Make sure that you scrape down the sides and really incorporate the butter and sugar to avoid gritty frosting.1 ½ cups salted butter, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, Pinch of salt
- Then add the completely cooled milk mixture.
- Beat it for about 5 more minutes on medium-high to high until it looks like whipped cream. It may look separated at first, so keep beating it until it comes together and looks like a whipped cream.
Video
Notes
- Make sure that your butter isn’t too warm! The butter should be at cool room temperature. You want it to dent if you press it, but you don’t want it to be so warm that it’s near melting.
- When cooking the milk/flour mixture, you don’t want it to look wet. It should be like a thick paste. If it’s wet and runny, your frosting will be too loose.
- If you’re using a hand mixer, beat it on high. This recipe work well with a stand mixer because it has the power to really whip the frosting.
- Please don’t cut the mixing time short! I know it’s tempting, but it’s important to beat the butter and sugar together for the time the recipe calls for to keep it from being gritty. If you cut the mixing times short, you won’t end up with the right texture of frosting.
- To get the best flavor, you’ll want to use real butter and pure vanilla extract.
- Want to try a buttercream made with powdered sugar instead? Here is my favorite vanilla buttercream frosting that’s made with powdered sugar.
- I recommend chilling any leftover frosted cake or cupcakes.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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More frosting recipes that are made without powdered sugar!
This recipe was originally published on 12/22/12. It was updated with new pictures on 7/25/16. Updated again on 2/10/22 with additional information and tips.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Courtney says
What is the best way to store my cake once I’ve iced it with this icing? In the fridge and then bring the cake to room temp before slicing and serving? Or can it be left at room temp overnight? I’m making a cake for a birthday tomorrow and wanted to know how to store it to keep the consistency light for tomorrow.
Kate says
I would chill it and then let it come up to room temp. before serving. It does firm up a bit in the fridge, but it softens back up as it sits. I say that I would chill it because I worry leaving anything buttercream out overnight, but it may work just fine to leave it out. I hope that helps!
Akoehn says
I’m excited to make this frosting! Is it possible to make it ahead of time? I’d like to make it the night before, refrigerate it, then pipe it onto cupcakes the next day. (Regirgerate around 12 hrs) my concern is how it acts when it’s been chilled then brought back to room temp.
Kate says
Can I ask why you’d prefer to pipe it the next day? That might help me give a better answer here. I pipe and then chill if I need to make cupcakes ahead of time, and I haven’t had any issues with the frosting when I’ve done it that way.
Annie says
This frosting is amazing! The types of extracts used is really endless! I used orange for my zesty lemon zucchini bread! YUMMY!
I wouldn’t hesitate to experiment with cocoa powder to make chocolate icing/frosting adjusting either with the rue or butter sugar ingredients.
Kate says
Thank you so much!! I’m glad you liked it! I have a recipe for the chocolate version if you’re interested.
Liz Gretkowski says
I’ve been beating the sugar and butter mixture for 15 minutes! It is still gritty. I am using a stand mixer on high. Any ideas? Should i keep going?
Kate says
Try adding in the milk mixture to see if that solves the problem. I’ve heard from people who have had that happen, and they’ve said that it worked itself out once they added the milk/flour mixture. Can I ask what type of sugar you used?
Bella says
I want to try this recipe but I want to flavor it with champagne. Will that curdle the frosting or should it be finev
Kate says
I’m not sure! I haven’t tried to use champagne. I’m not sure how much you would need to use to get that flavor, but it might affect the consistency if it was much. Sorry that I don’t have a better answer for you!
Nirmala says
Thanks Kate, I am going to try this for my friends’ little girl’s birthday on 12th.
Kate says
How fun! I hope it’s a hit! =)
Riki Taylor says
Worked beautifully
Kate says
I’m so glad! Thanks for commenting! =)
Kim says
I was never a Baker until I made a white wedding cake and this frosting. It is fabulous and is the only frosting I will ever make again! AND I AM NOT KIDDING! I do add a little almond extract to the frosting as well. I am making 40 cup cakes and a 2 layer cake for my granddaughters 8th Birthday party this Saturday. I am tripling the recipe so I can try to decorate all of them with a thick layer of frosting using piping decorating kit I bought. Never decorated like this before but will rainbow the frosting and hope it turns out. At least I know the frosting will rock. It’s just the decorating I am nervous about! Thank you for your fabulous buttercream frosting that is not too sweet but super fantastic!!
Kate says
Awww! Thank you so much! Happy birthday to your granddaughter! I bet it will be amazing, and I’m sure she’ll love it! Thank you so much for your comment! It made my day. =)
Meredith says
This is amazing! I just made it. I love that it is less sugar than regular frosting. Thanks!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked it! =)
Kim says
One other thing I would comment for those wondering how thick the milk and flour mixture should be, it reminded me of making instant mashed potatoes…LOL. I would say when you get to sticky mashed potato consistency, remove from heat.
Once again….it was a huge hit for my husbands b-day cake!
Kate says
Thank you! Any additional description helps! =) Love it! I’m so glad that it was a bit hit! Thanks again for your helpful comment!
Kim says
Just made this and it is delicious! Not gritty at all. I did blend butter and sugar longer than 5 min. I used full cup of milk and half cut buttermilk. Was icing layered 8″ chocolate cakes and there was mare than enough! Will definitely save this recipe for the future!! Thank you!!!
Kate says
Thank you! Glad you like it! Interesting! I use buttermilk in chocolate frosting and icing but hadn’t tried it in this recipe. Thank you for commenting! =)
Jernee says
This recipe was amazing
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad you liked it! =)
Emma says
Omgosh absolute best recipe- makes light meringue like frosting which isn’t incredibly sweet that’s so much better than buttercream. Next time I need to cream butter and sugar for longer as it was a little gritty but was my fault didn’t do it for long enough.
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked the frosting! I love to hear that people are enjoying the frosting. Thank you for coming back to comment! =)
Mia says
Could I use heavy whipping cream instead of milk?
Kate says
I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard from people who have. They’ve said that it worked out just fine. Good luck! =)
Chrissie says
Just made this recipe. I cooked the sugar with the flour and milk. When cooled I covered it and put it in the fridge overnight. I also cut the sugar in half.i thought the first batch I made was to sweet. I also added a little of the Wiltons white white icing color to whiten it up a little. It’s delicious.
Melissa says
I’m excited to try this! Would it ruin it to add food coloring? I was a few different colors, so it would mean placing the final product into a few seperate bowls and then adding the coloring. If I just gently fold do you think it will still be ok? Or should I try to whisk it together?
Kate says
I’ve heard from people who have successfully used regular and gel food coloring with this recipe. I think if you gently fold it in that it will be fine. Good luck! =)
Taryn says
I was wondering if this is able to be frozen?
Kate says
Unfortunately, I don’t have an answer on that as I haven’t tried to freeze this frosting.
Amy says
I was scared to try this recipe but it’s SO good!!! So good that no one could believe I made it. Thanks for the recipe!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked the frosting! Thanks for commenting! =)
Kathy Miller says
Just tried this today. The flavor was a little too buttery for me. It was nice that it wasn’t too sweet though. Thanks for sharing. I don’t think I’ll be making this again.
Kate says
Interesting! Well, I wish you luck in finding something that’s more to your liking!
Olivia says
I started off pretty skeptical about this recipe. (I’ve never had a frosting that substitute granulated sugar come out anything but gritty.) So imagine my delight when I had a soft, creamy, buttery icing! Thanks for a great recipe!
Kate says
I can understand the skepticism, but I’m glad you enjoyed it. =) Thanks for coming back to comment!
Paula says
Hi! I’ve made this once and had issues with some lumps of the flour mixture in the icing. I removed what I could and was determined to not let this happen again. I started it out again placing a glass bowl over a boiling pot to allow me to get to all the edges that would be cooking. The mixture looked good but once I took it off the heat I noticed clumps again and didn’t even want to try the rest of the recipe! Am I cooking it too long? My assumption for a “thick paste” is that it does not spread out on the pot at all while stirring. If you posted a video of the consistency, that would help!
Kate says
Hi! I don’t think it’s that you’re cooking it too long. Usually, if you’re ending up with lumps, it’s because the flour isn’t incorporated into the milk before it’s heated. Did you check out the video that’s just above the recipe? It shows the milk/flour consistency. There’s also a picture of the milk/flour mixture farther up the page. I hope that those help! If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!
Valerie Newby says
There is already a video above!
Joy says
Hey Paula. I got the same result, not sure why but I just threw it into my Vitamix and the lumps disappeared leaving a smooth creamy texture. I let it sit a little longer and it thickened up again but this time without lumps. My frosting came out looking like meringue.
Thanks Kate for sharing
Kate says
Thank you for the tip! I’m glad that you found a way to make it work. Thank you for coming back to comment! =)