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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Veronica says
I cannot wait to try this! I am recently trying to get back into baking, so I’m planning on using this recipe for a cake. My question is, will this be thick enough for decorating (as in borders and writing)? Thanks!
Kate says
I haven’t tried using it to write with, but I have used it for basic piping and for borders. I find it’s thick enough for that. Hope that helps! =)
Diana says
Can you sub all purpose gluten free flour for the regular flour?
Kate says
I haven’t tried it, but I have heard from people who have sucessfully used measure-for-measure gluten free flour in place of the all-purpose flour. Hope that helps!
Momma says
I used this recipe when I had a craving for coffee and walnut cake but didn’t have icing sugar, and at 40 weeks pregnant and awaiting labour to start any moment I couldn’t be bothered to drive to the shop ;)
I used a quadruple espresso, made fresh from beans, and made it up to the required volume with milk for the first step. Other than that I followed the recipe exactly.
– I also found the butter / sugar mix gritty after 10 minutes of beating but it was perfect as soon as I added the espresso / milk/ flour mix.
– The flour mix required constant whisking vigilance to prevent lumps forming on the side of the pan.
One thing I’d change next time is adding a touch more sugar, but that’s just to balance out the espresso, I think for the vanilla flavour icing it wouldn’t be necessary.
Very pleased with this recipe as it is easier than Swiss Meringue Buttercream in the absence of icing sugar.
Thanks for sharing!
Kate says
Hi! Thank you for your notes! I’ve had people ask about making coffee-flavored frosting, and I hadn’t tried it. =)
Judy says
How much would I need for a half sheet cake
Kate says
I would make one batch for a half sheet cake. Hope that helps!
Misty says
Holy Moly this frosting is GOOOOOOOD!!!! I doubled the vanilla because I needed it to stand out and let me say….I think this might be the very best cake topping I have ever had. No joke. It’s so silky, light and perfectly sweet but not too sweet! Tons of flavor! LOOOOVE IT!
Kate says
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad that you liked it! And I don’t know that a frosting can ever have too much vanilla. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Karen says
Outstanding recipe! Was not sure this would work cause sugar and butter mixture was very gritty but once I added the milk/flour paste, it was smooth and creamy. I added cream of coconut and coconut flavor to make a frosting for my coconut cake. Everyone raved about this frosting and this will be the only buttercream frosting I use from now on! Thanks so much for sharing!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad it came out well for you! The cream of coconut and coconut flavor sound like delicious additions. =)
Diana says
Just made this last night and it was amazing! Thank you for a wonderful recipe!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked the frosting! Thank you for coming back to comment! =)
Florence says
Do I have to refrigerate the cake after I frost it
Florence says
Once I put the frosting on the cake do I have to refrigerate the whole cake?
Kate says
I recommend refrigerating any leftover cake.
Shazmina says
So for those who are wondering if you could freeze the icing, the answer would be NO!!! Unfortunately it gets very watery once incorporated again. I still could use it to to a first layer of the cake but ill be making a fresh new batch again..
Hope this helps.
Kate says
Interesting! It sounds like you froze it before using it. Am I reading that correctly? I made a batch to test, and I froze it on the cupcakes. I didn’t have any issues with it separating, and I’m wondering if icing then freezing makes a difference. Thank you!
Liza says
Have you ever tried mixing fruit into this buttercream? I am trying to make a raspberry buttercream for a lemon raspberry cake and I loved the lightness of this frosting so much the last time I made it!
Kate says
I have used freeze-dried fruit, but I haven’t tried using fresh fruit. I think that either raspberry jam or fresh raspberries might work if incorporated at the end. Good luck! =)
Maigold says
So when I’m whipping the butter and sugar, it’s still gritty even after whipping it on high for 5-10 mins. Should I continue whipping it? Is over whipping a possibility?
Kate says
I’m not sure if over-whipping is possible as I’ve never that happen with this recipe. Adding the thickened milk mixture should take care of any grittiness (unless you happened to use a larger crystal natural sugar). Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Jean M Lukavich says
We used a very similar recipe when we were kids(40+ years ago), but my mom used shortening instead of butter. We loved it back then, I am REALLY looking forward to trying your updated version this weekend! Haven’t seen this type of recipe in decades!!! Thank you.
Kate says
Yay!! I hope you enjoy it! It’s my family’s favorite frosting. =)
Ashley says
What a wonderful receipe and so easy to follow. The best lightest and fluffiest buttercream ever. I did have a small problem though. I had to sieve out hundreds of tiny uniform lumps. I am thinking they were the flour. Any ideas?
Kate says
Thank you so much! Yes, there are two things that can help with that. First, if you make sure that the flour is completely incorporated into the milk before heating, then that will help to prevent lumps. Second. Sometimes the flour mixture can get stuck around the edges of the saucepan. I notice this more with some of my pans than others. So just try to whisk the edges as you’re cooking the flour mixture. Hope that helps! =)
Hayley says
I made this frosting last night… Awesome, I couldn’t believe how fluffy it came out!
The only thing… The milk mixture came out perfect, thick paste, let it cool while I brought the butter to “cool room temp”, but the frosting has a very light, flour taste. The foremost flavor is very, very nice… Definitely not the typical SWEET buttercream, just really very pleasant, except the flour after taste.
Now, I didn’t have pure vanilla extract, I’m embarrassed to say I only had imitation, so I’m kinda attributing it to that, but I wanted to see if this may have been brought up before?
I really want to add this to my “go to” recipes since my bf and his mom aren’t fans of sweet, so this frosting is perfect!
Kate says
Hi! No need to be embarrassed! =) I’m a big believer in working with what you have. I haven’t ever noticed a flour aftertaste, so that may be it. If you are using an imitation vanilla, you may find that you need to add more to get a stronger vanilla flavor. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask!
SaltSugarfire says
The floury aftertaste is more likely caused by not cooking the flour all the way in the milk. Even if it’s the desired thickness, the flour may still need to be cooked further. Similar to making a béchamel or other roux thickened ingredient, it’s best to simmer for up to 5 minutes and taste before using. Certain brands of flour and certain types/quality of wheat take longer and leave more of a raw flour flavor if you don’t.
Kate says
Thanks!
Susan Erickson says
My 14 year old daughter and I were baking tonight and wanted frosting, but had none of the typical frosting things. A search led us here, and I can honestly say this is THE BEST frosting I have ever tasted! Creamy, not too sweet, not too buttery. We are using this one forever now!
Kate says
Yay!! Thank you so much! I’m glad that you and your daughter liked the frosting! Thank you for coming back to comment.
Anne Marie says
So I was out of powdered sugar and stumbled across this gem! I’m 16 and only have a little bit of experience under my belt, and this recipe was super easy to follow! the milk mixture didn’t thicken up for me that well though, so I added an extra heaping tablespoon of flour and that got it thickened up, with the frosting turning out fine! thank you!!
Kate says
Yay!! Good thinking! I’m glad that it came out well for you. =) Thank you for coming back to comment!
Ellie says
Very very good! I just finished it. I’m not the biggest fan of sweets, so this might be my mouth but it is a little buttery. BUT, it is buttercream, lol. Thanks for this recipe, will use again FOR SURE!! xoxo
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked it. If it’s a little buttery, you can try a little more vanilla to help with that. =) Thanks for commenting!
William Leighty says
How long will this last in the freezer and refrigerator?
Kate says
I’ve never tried to freeze this frosting. It will last for 3-4 days in the fridge. Hope that helps!
Karlie Colvin says
I put it into the fridge and pulled it out to room temp and not its seperating while we’re trying to frost!?
Kate says
You can try to re-whip it to help if it starts to separate. Good luck!
Jodi Magers says
I only have unsalted butter… will it still work?
Kate says
It will! You’ll just want to add an extra pinch or two of salt (to taste). Hope that helps! =)