How to Make Boiled Milk Frosting or Ermine Frosting

Boiled milk frosting, also known as "ermine frosting" or "butter roux" frosting, is the classic icing on the notorious Southern favorite: red velvet cake. You can easily replicate this frosting with a few standard ingredients from your own pantry.

Things You'll Need

• 1 cup milk
• 3 tbsp. flour
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Instructions

1. 

   Mix the cold milk and the all-purpose flour together in a two-quart saucepan. Once all the lumps have disappeared, set the pan over medium heat and bring up to a boil, stirring constantly. The flour will thicken as it cooks in the hot milk. Once the mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and set aside to cool.

2. 

   In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter and sugar for one minute on low speed, and then five minutes on high speed. The mixture should be light yellow in color and fluffy in texture. Of course, you can also whisk the ingredients together by using a hand whisk, but it will take a little longer.

3. 

   Add the cooled and thickened milk/flour mixture slowly, tablespoon by tablespoon, into the creamed butter and sugar, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat for another 30 seconds.

4. 

   Chilled Cake

   Cover and refrigerate the icing until you are ready to frost your cake. Since there is a high proportion of butter, you will need to keep it cold and only spread it on a well-chilled cake.

References

• The Food Resource, Oregon State University: Butter Roux Frosting
• The Food Timeline: FAQs-Cakes