Scrambled Eggs, Cheese, and Avocado Tortilla Bowl Recipe
September 16, 2025
My Secret, Less-Sweet Fluffy Vanilla Frosting Recipe
In contrast to conventional buttercream, this Fluffy Vanilla Frosting is silky easy, a lot fluffier and far much less candy. The feel is nearer to whipped cream, however in contrast to cream, this Frosting is steady for days. It pipes like a dream, as featured in Vanilla Cupcakes, and is easy to make.
Made with out icing sugar / powdered sugar, that is really an quaint frosting known as “Ermine Frosting”. Should you’ve by no means heard of it earlier than, the substances and methodology will intrigue you!
SNAPSHOT: My Secret Fluffy Vanilla Frosting
Texture: Gentle and fluffy. Sits between buttercream and whipped cream, however extra in direction of lightness of whipped cream. 100% easy.
Sweetness and richness: A lot much less candy than buttercream with 60% much less sugar. In actuality it’s fairly wealthy as a result of it makes use of 225g/2 sticks of butter nevertheless it doesn’t style wealthy due to the very fluffy, whipped cream-like texture.
Makes use of: Piped or unfold onto muffins and cupcakes, or used rather than cream to dollop onto or on the facet.
The way it units: At room temperature, it’s smooth and fluffy however agency sufficient to be piped into tall swirls. Within the fridge, it can set and turn into firmer, however not exhausting like butter. This frosting doesn’t get a crust.
Storage: Preserve coated in hermetic container or cake dome. On counter on delicate days as much as about 22°C/71°F. Refrigerate on hotter days that makes butter soften.
Finest served at: room temperature. If too chilly, the frosting is firmer than splendid.
I name this my “secret” Vanilla Frosting as a result of it’s not a extensively identified sort of frosting and persons are at all times flabbergasted once I inform them the way it’s made utilizing butter, milk, flour and sugar.
It’s my finest all-rounder that’s a success with everybody. Take a basic buttercream, in all its wealthy, candy glory, and a frivolously sweetened vanilla whipped cream, and this Vanilla Frosting sits squarely within the center.
However in contrast to buttercream, it’s 100% silky easy. And in contrast to whipped cream which deflates inside hours, this Vanilla Frosting will maintain a tall piped swirl for days and days.
This seems to be and pipes like buttercream, nevertheless it’s WAY much less candy and wealthy!
This frosting is definitely an quaint frosting known as Ermine Frosting. Also called boiled-milk frosting, roux frosting and mock cream, none of those names sound significantly flash nor do they seize the magic of this frosting that has a cult following. Some declare it as the most effective frosting on this planet!
Although the correct identify of this frosting is Ermine Frosting, I’m going to proceed to name it Fluffy Vanilla Frosting as a result of that’s precisely what it’s – and it sounds much more flattering than the actual identify!😂
The strategy by which it’s made will sound extremely uncommon: scorching milk, flour and sugar is cooked on the range till thickened right into a thick custard texture, then as soon as cool it turns into a completely unappetising wanting bowl of gluey-jelly which is then whipped into butter.
And that is when the ugly duckling transforms into a good looking swan. As a result of out of the blue, you’re staring right into a bowl of what seems to be like whipped cream. Besides….. you haven’t used cream in any respect. You contact it and know that it’s agency sufficient to pipe into sky-high swirls. You style it, and it’s silky easy. A cross between buttercream and whipped cream!
All you want is butter, flour, milk, sugar and vanilla. Flour?? I hear you question. YES. That’s what thickens this right into a frosting texture. I promise you’ll not detect even the faintest little bit of flour as soon as completed – not in texture and positively not style.
First, we make the roux. It’s similar to how we begin creamy-sauce savoury meals like Mac and Cheese – besides it’s candy, and we take it a lot additional till it’s very thick.
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Milk, sugar, flour – Stir the sugar and flour in a dry saucepan over medium warmth – this simply toasts the sugar frivolously to convey out some flavour. Then slowly pour the nice and cozy milk in as you whisk (this avoids lumps)
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Cook dinner over medium warmth till it thickens in a thick dolloping custard. The vary of thickness potential is definitely fairly broad – I’ve made it method thicker and it nonetheless labored completely. In reality, the frosting holds its construction longer, and it pipes with sharper, extra outlined edges though it’s simply as fluffy. Simply don’t take it off when it’s nonetheless watery.
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Scrape it right into a bowl (“it” being a roux);
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Cowl roux with cling wrap, urgent onto the floor to stop a pores and skin from forming (or use paper should you’re plastic hostile) then very importantly, enable to completely cool in any other case it can soften the butter. It can turn into like a thick, pasty, completely unappetising jelly and at this stage you’ll begin doubting me. Have religion!
Cooling the roux / making forward – I often cool on counter for 20 minutes then refrigerate for half-hour or so to hurry issues up however don’t let it get fridge chilly as a result of in any other case it gained’t combine collectively effectively with the room temp butter (as a result of the temperatures are too completely different). You can even depart it in a single day within the fridge however take it out about 1 hour previous to dechill it and convey to room temperature.
Now, we whip it up like some other frosting.
5. Beat butter till creamy – only for a few minutes. We don’t want it to turn into aerated as a result of we shall be whipping the mixed combination such as you do whipped cream and at this stage it can fluff up extra;
6. Add dollops of the roux, beating as you go. Take about 1 minute so as to add all of the roux in, this may guarantee your Frosting stays easy;
7. Beat, beat, beat – Add vanilla and a pinch of salt for flavour, then beat for one more 2 to three minutes, similar to you’re whipping up a giant bowl of cream; and
8. Voila! Your Fluffy Vanilla Frosting is completed!
Spreading and piping
Unfold it onto muffins (like Vanilla Cake) and cupcakes Vanilla Cupcakes or Chocolate Cupcakes).
Or switch to a piping bag and pipe sky-high swirls, as pictured all through this submit (Wilton 2D tip).
In reality, this frosting was the standard frosting used for Purple Velvet Cake! It was solely in trendy instances that cream cheese frosting grew to become the frosting of selection for Purple Velvet.
You’ll be able to pipe sky-high mounds of this frosting onto cupcakes, and also you gained’t discover it sickly candy like with buttercream!
Flavours and colouring
Deal with it like your on a regular basis buttercream – this frosting will be tinted and flavoured with concentrated flavouring.
To make it Chocolate flavoured, simply whip in 1/4 cup cocoa powder at finish. Melted chocolate doesn’t work as effectively as a result of it weighs it down.
Observe: I haven’t tried utilizing recent citrus like lemon, lime and orange to make sure it doesn’t cut up.
Storage
The butter on this frosting would require refrigeration if the temperature is heat sufficient for the butter to start out softening – this causes the frosting to droop. I discover that as much as about 23°/73°F, this frosting is okay out on the counter.
In case you are compelled to refrigerate, be sure to take muffins out 1 1/2 hours previous to serving and cupcakes out 1 hour prior so they arrive to room temperature. The frosting companies up within the fridge (as a result of the butter goes exhausting) which isn’t very nice to eat! You want the frosting to return to room temperature so it’s creamy and smooth once more. It can soften sooner than fridge-cold butter as a result of the fridge-cold frosting shouldn’t be as exhausting as butter.
So, now you already know my secret frosting recipe. 🙂 I’ve been making it for years, relishing in how individuals who ordinarily shy-away from sky excessive mounds of frosting have dived into it after I assured them that it’s method much less candy and wealthy than typical frostings.
Inform me what you suppose should you attempt it! – Johnsat x
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp flour , plain/all purpose
- 1 cup white sugar , regular/granulated (can reduce to 1/2 cup, Note 1)
- 1 cup milk, warmed using any method , full fat best (but even 0% fat works)
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 225g / 1 cup unsalted butter , softened but not too soft! (Note 3)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened (Dutch processed best, if you can)
Instructions
- Place flour and sugar in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- While whisking constantly, slowly pour the milk in (this ensure it’s lump free).
- As the milk gets hotter, it will start to thicken – stir constantly so the base doesn’t catch.
- Cook until the mixture thickens in a thick, dolloping custard – see video for texture. TIP: Thicker texture = thicker frosting texture but won't make the frosting dense, it's still fluffy and spreadable but it just makes it "sturdier" with sharper edges when piped.
- Remove from heat and scrape into a bowl. Cover with cling wrap, pressing down onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming.
- Cool completely (I leave on counter for 20 min or so then refrigerate 30 min to speed up but don't let it get chilled, best at room temp to beat into butter). You can leave in fridge overnight but take it out 1 hour prior to using (to dechill – otherwise it won't mix well with softened butter).
- Place butter in a bowl and use either a handheld beater or stand mixer (with whisk attachment) to beat for 3 minutes until it's smooth and changes from yellow to very pale yellow, almost white.
- Now start whipping in the Thickening Roux. On speed 5 (medium), start adding the thick roux one heaped tablespoon at a time. Take about 1 minute to add it all.
- Once all added, add vanilla and salt, then whip for 2 to 3 minutes until you can see that it is still enough to hold peaks. Then it's ready to use!
- Beat in the cocoa powder at the end, just until mixed through.
- Use it like any other frosting on cakes and cupcakes – either spread it on with a knife or put in a piping bag. You can pipe sky-high mounds and it will hold its form, as pictured on Vanilla Cupcakes in this post.
- See notes for storage / make ahead.
Notes
1. Sugar – caster/superfine ok too. 1 cup sugar yields a sweet frosting but not overly sweet like buttercream which uses about 2.5 – 3 cups equivalent. Can reduce to as little as 1/2 cup – then this really does taste like a lightly sweetened whipped cream!
2. Whiteness – it will depend on the colour of your butter. Economical butter tends to be more yellow so the frosting will have an off white colour. European butters (such as Lurpak) are paler so the frosting will be closer to white. The butter whipping stage will lighten the colour of the butter.
Whitening – if you really want pure white, you can purchase a frosting whitener like this one from Wilton and also get clear imitation vanilla essence but the flavour isn’t as good and pure as vanilla extract.
The other trick is to add tiny drops of blue or purple into the frosting. These colours are opposite yellow on the colour wheel so they will offset the yellow tinge. For liquid colouring, use a tiny drop at a time. For gel (more intense), dip a toothpick in and wipe onto the frosting surface.
Frosting can also be tinted – it’s like a really fluffy buttercream, so anything you can do to colour / flavour buttercream, you can do with this frosting!
3. Softened Butter – this is butter that is at 17°C/63°F, which is cooler than you might expect! It should be soft enough that it is pliable so when you poke it, it leaves an indent. But still cool enough so that you don’t end up with shiny grease your your finger.
If your butter gets too soft, the frosting will be too sloppy, the same problem you’d run into with any butter based frosting like buttercream frosting.
4. Storage & make ahead:
This frosting is best used straight after making.
On cooler days (22C/71F or so), frosted cakes, cupcakes etc can stay out on the counter.
On warmer days, it will need to be refrigerated – the butter is what will make the frosting droop. Take out of fridge 1 – 1.5 hrs before serving to bring so the frosting can soften (it firms up in the fridge due to the butter).
The flour milk roux can be made the day before and refrigerated overnight, but then take it out of the fridge 1 hour prior to take the chill out of it, you want it at room temperature.
Freezing – up to 3 months, thaw overnight in the fridge
5. Recipe source: I cannot remember where I first obtained this recipe (it was over 10 years ago) but I cross checked my usual recipe resources before publishing it and this recipe uses the same quantities as the New York Times Ermine Frosting, but a slightly different method. (Note: that’s a paid resource though you can view limited pages for free)
6. Nutrition assuming 12 servings (as pictured in post – tall swirls!). Frosting only.
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