Perfect on chocolate cupcakes, ermine icing is the “traditional” icing for red velvet cake. It has a roux base, which means that the flour, sugar, and milk are boiled on the stove and create the basis of the icing. This is a great icing to make when you want a less sweet icing, don’t want pure buttercream, and/or don’t have confectioner’s sugar lying around! Honestly, this is my favorite non-chocolate icing.
Ermine Icing
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Equipment
- Stove pot
- Mixing bowl
- electric beater
Ingredients
- 240 grams milk (1 cup)
- 5 tbsp all purpose four
- 200 grams granulated sugar (1 cup)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 6 tbsp softened butter
- (optional) food coloring
Instructions
- In a pot over medium heat, whisk together milk, flour, and sugar until it comes to a boil (about 5 minutes).
- Boil, whisking intensely, for about a minute until thickens.
- Turn off stove and transfer into a mixing bowl. Let cool, and put in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Let butter sit at room temperature to soften.
- Beat in vanilla and room-temperature butter. The icing should be spreadable/pipeable now. If not, it likely did not cool enough and you can refrigerate it again. Just whip it immediately before use.