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
Did You Make This Recipe?
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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
Love this recipe?
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Comments & Reviews
Julianna D says
I’m looking at starting a baking blog. This is my favorite frosting recipe and I would love to use it with your permission. (Of course I will give you all the credit with a link to your blog)
Kate says
Thanks! Could you please email me (kate @ ihearteating.com)?
Sukriti says
Why salted butter?
Kate says
The salted butter helps to add some balance to the frosting – much in the same way that it does in cookies, cakes, etc. You could also use unsalted butter and add a bit of salt instead.
Breanna says
Hi Kate! This looks like an awesome recipe! I was looking for an alternative to the filling for whoopie pies. I want something that’s not overly sweet and light. Do you think this recipe is the answer?
Kate says
Thank you! I do! This frosting works well as an alternative to marshmallow filling in whoopie pies.
Breanna says
That’s awesome! Thank you!
Kate says
Any time! =)
Kira says
Can I ice a cake with this the night before?
Kate says
You can. The frosting will set up in the fridge, so you will want to give it a chance to sit out for a little bit before you slice the cake.
Deborah says
Hello Kate, I live in Singapore and weather here is really hot. It’s like summer everyday and I was wondering if this frosting is able to withstand the heat and not melt.
Would love to hear from you. Thank you!
Kate says
That sounds close to the weather where I live! We’re still averaging 100+F. It depends on how long it’s going to be in the heat. I’ve heard from people who have used the frosting on cakes at outdoor weddings, and it worked out for them. However, since the frosting has a large amount of butter, it will melt at some point and does soften as it warms up. Hope that helps!
Deborah says
For it to last longer in the heat, would it be advisable to half the butter and substitute half shortening?
Thank you
Kate says
I’ve never tried using shortening in this recipe. I’ve heard from a few people who have used it for part of the butter and have said that it worked well. However, I haven’t tried it to say for sure.
Deborah says
I will give it a try with shortening. Thank you for answering my queries and for the amazing recipe! :D
Kate says
Any time! I hope the shortening works out well for you! =)
Jenn says
Great recipe, light and not over sweet. I used Crisco and it turned out great. Any suggestions for storing? I am traveling and will construct the cake at our destination. Our kitchen tools ar limited so I made it ahead. Thanks ahead for the help and thanks for sharing.
Kate says
Thank you! Also, good to know that it works with Crisco!
I have stored extra frosting (covered) in the fridge. It does set up, so you’d want to let it sit out to soften before you try to use it. Hope that helps!
Amanda says
After trying several buttercream frosting recipes for some light and fluffy orange zest cupcakes I made, I was about ready to give up. But I found this recipe and decided to give it a try, after all, I was out if confectioners sugar. It turned out AMAZING!!!! This is the best frosting I have ever made. I am super impressed with it and I can’t wait to try the other variations, especially the cream cheese one!
Kate says
I’m so glad you liked it!! =D Your orange zest cupcakes sound delicious! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment!
Tessa B says
I was a little nervous as this was coming together. I wasn’t sure if my flour/milk mixture would be thick enough, and I substituted Crisco and Truvia for a little bit healthier of an option. (I know, I’m a killjoy.) It turned out great!! I got my flour and milk mixture to close to the consistency of glue, and then it thickened up nicely as it was cooling. The butter/sugar mixture stayed a little gritty, but once I added the flour and milk it smoothed right out! Just a hint of sweetness, but not too overpowering. Put it on a rich chocolate cake with fresh raspberries and it was a huge hit! Love the light texture.
Kate says
Thank you for coming back to leave your comment! I’ve had people ask about using a sugar substitute (like Truvia) in this recipe, and it isn’t something that I had tried.
Jess says
It’s my boyfriends birthday tomorrow, and he absolutely HATES sweet frosting. Absolutely despises it. So I was challenged to make him a cake with a frosting that barely has any sweetness. I thought it would be impossible, but… This recipe really changed the game. I’m almost worried it’s not sweet enough for him! However I think the creaminess of the butter and the milk mixture really make up for that. :) I will definitely be saving this recipe for future use…
Kate says
I’m so glad that you found this recipe and that it will work for what you need! Hope your boyfriend likes it and happy birthday to him! =)
Lisa says
Can you flavour this buttercream or do you need to make a different type to have flavoured?
Kate says
Yes, you can. You can use a different flavor of extract or flavoring in place of some or all of the vanilla to change the taste.
Lisa says
I use 1 1/4 tbsp of vanilla and 1/4 tbsp of almond extract. Adds just that lit bit of nuttiness. Delicious!!!
Kate says
Love it! I love the addition of almond extract in baked goods, and I bet it was delicious. Thank you for sharing the idea!
Corey Ann says
I found this recipe in desperation, as I needed to frost a batch of cupcakes and had no powdered sugar in the house. I was skeptical, but ended up with the most delicious icing I’ve ever tasted. The cupcakes got rave reviews! I guess there’s no need to replace that powdered sugar!
Kate says
I’m so glad! It’s always nice when things work out that well. =)
Mandi T. says
I wanted to leave a quick note for anyone that is having trouble with their frosting being gritty. You need to use a very fine granulated sugar. A standard cheap store brand typically has much larger granules and they don’t incorporate. Trust me. I tried. For 45 minutes. I finally gave up, tossed that batch, and started over.
I ended up using Splenda since that’s the only other sugar I had on hand. It worked beautifully. I also used heavy cream instead of milk (I was out of milk), and honey instead of vanilla (out of vanilla too).
This was a last minute frosting for a last minute cake son I had to work around living too far from town to run to the store. It still tasted awesome and frosted wonderfully.
Kate says
Glad that the frosting came out well with those changes! I use the regular granulated sugar and have never had any issues, but the finer granulated sugar may help if people are. Thanks!
Esha says
This is THE best frosting I have tasted!!! Buttercream is one of the easiest frostings to work with but is just way too sweet for my liking. This solves that problem! One question, the consistency was fine for rosettes on top of the cake, but for the sides, they were kind of droopy and loose, any solution for this? My roux was very very thick like a paste, so I don’t think that’s where the problem is. Also I used icing sugar instead of granulated sugar in the recipe.
Kate says
Thank you!! The frosting sets up quite a bit once it has been chilled. You could try chilling it briefly before frosting the sides to see whether that helps.
Stephanie Woods says
I’m used to making thick, sugary buttercream frosting but have been wanting to try a new lighter recipe. I made this frosting today, and it’s so good!! I followed your directions to a T and it came out perfect! Creamy and light, not gritty at all. Sweet, but not over the top. My kids are going bonkers over it! My 5 year old says it tastes like a delicious cloud and is asking me to make them for all of her friends, haha. Thnk you for posting the recipe! I’ll definitely be using it again.
Kate says
Yay!! Your 5 year old’s comment made me laugh. My second kiddo just turned 5, and kids that age say the funniest things! Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave such a nice comment!
BRYAN GREALISH says
I used your frosting as a base for a rich chocolate frosting. Made it just the way you said. Then I added more vanilla a bit of salt, dark cocoa powder for color, regular cocoa powder for the flavor. I also added some espresso powder to boost the chocolate flavor. It kept it’s cream texture and had a good rich flavor. Once refrigerated to firms up to a thick fudgy texture but still creamy when it hits your tongue. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Kate says
Glad you enjoyed it!
Rani says
Hello,
Can I double this recipe, or should I make in two batches?
Thanks!
Kate says
I’ve never tried to make this recipe as a double batch, so I’m not sure how well it would work. I would suggest making it in two batches because of that.
Lindsey says
I just tried this recipe last night for a birthday cake and it came out splendidly (someone even proposed to me over it haha). To your question, though – I made a double batch in one go and had no issues.
Kate says
Lol! You know a cake is good when someone proposes over it! Thank you! I haven’t tried doubling the batch, so it’s helpful to hear that it does work. I appreciate you taking the time to come back and leave that tip.
Ronnie says
Just made this. I prefer confectioner style buttercream but i didn’t have enough powdered sugar so i did this. It’s surprisingly easy to do with a hand mixer. The trick is to make sure you cook the flour and milk long enough (I cooked it until it was nearly solid even though it was getting harder and harder to whisk). I also put the pot of flour/milk mixture on top of a bowl of ice to chill in the sink while i creamed the butter. I DID end up over-whipping the entire mixture (got lots of air bubbles) due to the fact that so many commenters for recipes like this stress how important it is to beat for a long time (you really only need to beat it about 5 minutes if you’ve cooked the flour/milk mixture and chilled it before mixing!).
Kate says
I agree! Cooking the milk/flour mixture long enough is key. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
Ronnie says
I forgot to say thank YOU for sharing your recipe and posting it in easy steps! It’s also been a full day since i made it and i’m really impressed with how it’s held up! I may prefer the sweet taste of the traditional (or american) kind but this recipe makes frosting a 2 layer cake way easier due to the amount and consistency. I also noticed that it’s more satisfying (much as i love it, i have to admit that the super sweet regular buttercream frosting just makes me want to keep eating and eating).
Kate says
Thank you! I appreciate your kind comment!
Becky says
How long do you need to cook the milk/flour mixture? I was at the stove for at least 10 minutes and couldn’t get it any better than a runny pudding consistancy.
:)
Kate says
It depends. I’ve made this on several different stoves over the years, and the amount of heat I get from medium-low seems to vary. And since the heat varies, the time varies.
When I make it, it thickens pretty suddenly. I whisk (and whisk and whisk), and then it then it gets noticeably thicker all of a sudden. With the amount of flour:milk, it should get thicker for you, though. I’d just keep at it, and I’m sure it will get there! =)
Donna Monsen says
I made the Brown Sugar Whipped Buttercream and just loved it! Wondering how I could use this recipe to make it Caramel? I see you have a Caramel recipe but it isn’t whipped and sounds more like a regular Buttercream. Thank you for a wonderful recipe!!
Kate says
Thanks! Yes, the caramel buttercream is a regular buttercream recipe. If you could find a caramel flavor that might be the easiest way to go.
I’m a little hesitant to suggest anything that would involve adding caramel sauce without having tried it. When I’ve made different versions of this recipe, I’ve had to adjust the initial milk and flour ratios to try to keep the end consistency the same. I think that’s what you’d have to do when adding caramel to keep the end texture the same, and, so, unfortunately, I’m afraid that I don’t have a good answer for you.
Annie Gomez says
I just made this recipe over the weekend for my son’s 5th birthday cake. I was skeptical that it would hold up well enough to pipe but I was so wrong! I got so many compliments on this and my husband (who normally doesn’t like frosting) really enjoyed it and has requested that it be used for all my future cakes! Thank you so much for sharing this really yummy recipe! :)
A couple of things that might be helpful for others:
1. Iced a square cake with this and it went on so smoothly especially after doing a few crumb coats and setting in the freezer for 10 minutes or so between each coat.
2. Colored the frosting with a gel icing color. It didn’t separate at all. PERFECT!
3. I used black sugar sheets on the sides of the cake. They adhered perfectly and I stored in the fridge overnight. It didn’t bleed even with condensation.
4. I noticed many others said it came out gritty. I didn’t have that problem although I did scrape down the sides often as suggested and whipped for over double the amount of time suggested. I just kept sampling it after each round of whipping and kept going until it wasn’t gritty anymore. Also used an extra fine granulated sugar.
Kate says
Thank you for taking the time to come back and leave a comment! I’m not much of a decorator, and I really appreciate you sharing those tips! I didn’t think about scraping down the sides because it’s just habit for me, but that could definitely cause some grittiness if people don’t scrape as they go. Thank you again for leaving such a helpful comment! =)
Danae McCune says
I am really curious about the flour/milk mixture. When making butter cream with the powdered sugar I just use milk. Do you have to make the flour/milk mixture because it is granulated sugar instead?
Kate says
Yes, this buttercream is different than an American buttercream that has powdered sugar, butter, and milk. It’s sometimes called ermine icing or a flour frosting.
I don’t know that I’ve ever seen an explanation for it, but I would guess so. The flour mixture makes a simple pudding that helps to add moisture to the frosting without making it wet.
Sandra says
Hi I made this recipe yesterday, the taste was amazing..I’m not an icing sugar fan and. In Spain we only have one brand so not many options. I was so excited to finally try a buttercream with regular sugar…thus would become my frosting to go on all the birthday cakes I get orders for…but unluckily I didn’t manage to get rid of the grittiness…I had the mixer working for way over 39 min checking every five and almost there but still a little gritty.
Any ideas? Could I turn the sugar into syrup first ?
Kate says
I’m sorry to hear that! I’m not familiar with the sugar in Spain, but it shouldn’t have taken anywhere near that long for it to incorporate.
Rather than turning it into a syrup, which will add moisture and make the frosting too wet, I would suggest grinding the sugar first. If you have a blender or food processor, just use that to turn granulated sugar into superfine sugar. That should take care of any grittiness.
Good luck!
Sandra says
Thanks for the quick reply.
Will try again tomorrow
Kate says
Any time!
Linessa Low says
hi, my buttercream came out gritty.. i made the flour and milk mixture thick. but when i started beating it with the butter there were clumps of flour …why is that..
Kate says
What was the consistency of the flour/milk mixture when you added it? There are a couple reasons why the flour might clump. If the milk gets too warm before the flour is incorporated, it can create lumps. Also, if the flour collects anywhere on the bottom or side of the saucepan, that can also create lumps.
Linessa says
The first time tried the recipe it had a few clumps but it was smooth after I beat it with the butter.. But this time..I’ve tried twice now.. It’s still gritty… :'( is it because my butter was too cold? Helppp
Kate says
A few questions – are you using a hand mixer or stand mixer? How cold was your butter? How long have you beat the butter with the flour/milk mixture?
Linessa says
Using stand mixer, butter was straight out from the fridge.. But the climate in my country is very warm that’s why i just used it from the fridge.. Was afraid it’ll be too soft… And I beat the butter with the flour mixture very long like 15 mins.. even at high speed
Kate says
I’ve made this recipe so many times, and I’ve never had the frosting come out gritty. I’m trying to guess from feedback that I’ve gotten from other people.
Using cold butter straight from the fridge would make it harder to incorporate the sugar. I use mine at cool room temp – still firm but dents when I gently press it. I would think that after 15 minutes of beating that the butter would have softened some though, and it shouldn’t take anywhere close to 15 minutes for it to whip up.
Linessa Low says
come to find out its the butter… the flour/milk mixture was the same and i used different butters. it could work with lurpak butter but cant work with scs butter… i wonder why…
Kate says
That’s really interesting that the type of butter made a difference! Glad you were able to figure it out! =)
Jeff says
I whipped mine for an extra 10-15 minutes thinking the buttter / sugar mixture would smooth, it didn’t. It ended up being like a very fine grit. Once I added it to the milk and flour mixture it smoothed right out and there is no grit left. Very happy with this. Thanks for the recipe.
Kate says
Great! Thank you!