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
Renee says
This is my favorite frosting! I have never liked that powder sugar butter cream stuff. I have never even liked frosting all that much because it’s so sickly sweet and stiff. This is totally different. So light and fluffy.
I have a few questions….
I want to make it lemon flavored. If I replace the vanilla with fresh lemon juice will that work? Or would it change the consistency? Will that be lemony enough? I like very lemony. Would it be okay to add lemon zest to the flour/milk mixture?
Kate says
Thank you so much! I’m so glad that you like it. =) I don’t know that lemon juice will give you strong lemon flavor, and it may cause the frosting to curdle or separate. I would try a pure lemon extract and use lemon zest. You might try mixing the zest into the sugar to make a lemon sugar. I hope that helps!
Nat says
I made some changes. I did whipping cream instead of just milk and I didn’t cook anything. I just whisked it all together and I added in 3 cups of Nesquick.
Kate says
Interesting! How did it turn out for you?
Barbara Barnhill says
Can I put the flour/milk mixture in the fridge to cool faster? Is it okay to use when cold, or should it really be room temp? Making it soon….. just planning ahead.
Kate says
I’ve put the saucepan in a larger pan with ice water to help it cool down faster, and I don’t see why chilling it wouldn’t work. You may need to press plastic wrap to the surface because it may form more of a skin that way. I’m not sure whether using the flour/milk mixture cold would cause the butter to form chilled pieces in the frosting or not. I’d probably let it come up a bit in temp if you chill it so that it isn’t too cold. I hope that helps!
Debbie says
I have found my new favourite icing recipe. I made it for a cake for my son’s engagement party and I have never had such good reviews. It is so light and flavourful. This definitely my go to recipe now. Thank you so much for sharing!
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for taking the time to come back and comment!
Ess says
Anyone know if in this recipe some of the butter could be substituted for shortening to help it hold up in heat?
Kate says
Hi! I haven’t tried it, but I’ve heard from people who have subbed shortening for half of the butter. They’ve said that it worked well for them. Hope that helps! =)
Beth Travers-Buzay says
How long will this frosting last in the fridge? Also would you need to reship it before use?
Kate says
The frosting should last for up to 4 days in the fridge, but I think fresher is best with this frosting. I’ve never rewhipped it before using. Hope that helps!
Holly says
The best icing ever!!!!! Better then any bakery ! Huge hit… Not to sweet… just fluffy and delicious ?
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you liked the frosting. =) Thanks for commenting!
Kaylyn says
Can I use gel color with this frosting? Does it color easily?
Kate says
I haven’t tried using gel food color with it, but I’ve heard from several people who said that it worked well for them.
Tina says
Followed the recipe exactly but it was still runny? Butter sat at room temperature
Kate says
Hi! I’m not sure what you mean by the butter sat at room temperature. Can you please give me more information so I can help you?
Andrea says
I made this today for my daughter’s birthday cake and I hereby swear to make no other recipe ever again. This is the most delicious icing I’ve ever made and I need to make more cupcakes so I can eat it straight out of the mixer!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe xxoo
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so glad! Thanks for commenting! =)
Heather says
Hi is there any way to flavor this icing? I’m making chocolate cupcakes and wanted to try a fun flavor like peanut butter or raspberry or coconut with them. Or maybe baileys?
Kate says
Sure! I’ve made chocolate, peppermint, cinnamon, brown sugar, and Oreo versions of this frosting. The easiest way will be to use flavorings in place of the vanilla (things like coconut extract).
Ruhani says
Even though my milk paste was cool when I added it, my frosting was still very lumpy! Do you have any theories or suggestions on how I can make it not lumpy. I have made this recipe once before and it turned out quite well.
Kate says
Hi! I’ve found that if I make sure that the flour is totally incorporated into the milk before I begin to cook it, then it doesn’t form lumps. If there are bits of flour around the edges or bottom of the pot that don’t get completely mixed in before the mixture gets hot, that’s when it forms lumps. I hope that helps!
Jordan says
How can this frosting be stored? Because I have a lot of it leftover.
Kate says
Hi! I recommend storing it, covered, in the fridge. I’ve frozen it on cupcakes, and it thawed just fine, but I haven’t tried to freeze just the frosting. Hope that helps! =)
Glenda says
The BEST frosting ever. Yummy, light. Not overly sweet perfect with chocolate AND vanilla cupcakes. Pipes beautifully.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you like the frosting. =) Thank you for taking the time to comment.
Margarita says
My frosting became runny how can i fix it
Kate says
What step are you at in the recipe?
Wendy says
I do believe my paste was a bit too warm still when I added to butter mixture and it’s turned out very runny. I’ve popped it in the fridge and maybe the butter will firm back up. If so I’ll try to “fluff” it up with the beaters.
Kate says
I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any questions or need any help.
Cindy says
I love the creamy slightly sweetness this frosting has. I was worried about adding the flour to it. I couldn’t taste the flour but I wish the frosting was a bit more firmer. How can I get it a little more thicker?
Kate says
Thanks! If you cook the flour mixture down a little more, that should help because the thicker that paste is, the thicker the frosting will be. Hope that helps! =)
Danielle says
To the thickness comment; I’m frosting a cake for my cousin’s July wedding, and I’m not sure how hot the venue is going to be or how long the cake has to be out before they cut it. Hoping to give it the best possible chance to stand up to potential heat… Should I also cook down the flour paste? Any other suggestions?
Kate says
Yes, making sure that the paste is thick will help to give you a thicker frosting. Also, I would chill the cake beforehand, if possible. The frosting sets up some once it’s been chilled, and that should help the frosting to hold up longer. Hope that helps!
Kellie says
So I have to say I’m pleasantly..shocked! I followed this recipe exactly and I still fought it at every step..”there is no way this is all going to come together/smooth out/ whip like whipped cream”..but this is an exact middle between buttercream and cool whip and it is smooth as SILK! My partner does not have a sweet tooth and rarely enjoys any icing or topping on desserts but this got a double thumbs up!! I’m very very happy with how this turned out! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kate says
Thank you! I’m so glad that you both enjoyed it! =) Thanks for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
ShantellLatham says
Hello i was wondering how can i store it or ho2 should i store it ? By the way this was a success its so good
Kate says
Hi! I’m so glad you liked it! =) I recommend storing it, covered, in the fridge.
Cheri says
Can I use corn starch instead of flour? My daughter has celiac and I don’t want to use gf flour because of its grittiness.
Kate says
I’ve tried using cornstarch, and I found it difficult to get the mixture as thick as I wanted it. However, I’ve heard from other people who have used cornstarch and said that it worked out well for them. It may just take a little bit of trial and error to get the proper consistency. Hope that helps!
Noemie Dollet says
Can I use almond milk instead of normal milk for this recipe? Thanks
Kate says
You can! I’ve used almond milk, and it worked out well. Hope that helps!
Noemie Dollet says
Thank you!