Vegan Ermine Frosting
This vegan ermine frosting creates soft and creamy texture that’s perfect as a filling between cake layers or frosting on cupcakes, etc.
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An old-fashioned frosting is given a modern twist with this vegan ermine frosting, made with only six ingredients. Also referred to as boiled milk frosting, this frosting isn’t as sweet as some, which is why serving vegan red velvet cake with ermine frosting is so popular.
I love this creamy frosting more than I probably should. But there’s something about it spread over a cake (or in between layers) that screams comfort food in the very best way possible! This is an old-fashioned ermine buttercream recipe, but it has a new twist thanks to being veganized.
Ingredients & Substitutions
You can find the full printable recipe, including ingredient quantities, below. But first, here are some explanations of ingredients and steps to help you make this recipe perfect every time.
- Flour — I recommend using all-purpose flour.
- Granulated sugar
- Plant-based milk — I recommend using soy milk because it has a protein content similar to cow dairy. You can substitute almond milk.
- Vegan Butter — I recommend a high-quality vegan butter, like Earth Balance buttery sticks, Miyoko’s, or make your own dairy-free butter. You can make ermine frosting with shortening by substituting an equal amount of vegetable shortening.
- Salt — Use either table or sea salt.
- Vanilla extract
What Makes This Recipe Shine?
- Flour is used as a thickener in this cooked flour frosting, creating the perfect creamy consistency
- Granulated sugar is cooked with milk and flour, leaving out the powdered sugar, which can make frosting recipes so sweet
- Vegan butter is whipped until light and fluffy creating the perfect foundation for this whipped frosting recipe
How to Make Ermine Frosting
- Cook the flour and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Stir in the vegan milk.
- Cook and stir until the mixture becomes thick.
- Cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface, and refrigerate until completely cool.
- Whip butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy.
- Spoon in the cooled flour mixture, a spoonful at a time, while mixing to incorporate.
- Add the vanilla and salt.
- Whip on medium-high until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Here are more detailed step-by-step instructions.
Step One: Cook Flour Mixture
- Whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to toast the flour.
- Pour in the vegan milk and use a whisk or spatula to stir it in.
- Continue stirring as the mixture comes slowly to a low boil and thickens. Don’t turn up the heat, or you’ll risk burning it.
- It’s thick enough that a spoon or spatula leaves a trail.
- Transfer it to a heat-proof bowl, cover it with plastic wrap touching the surface (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate until completely cool.
Step Two: Whip the Frosting
- Once the flour mixture is cool, add the butter to a mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer speed down to medium and spoon in the cooled flour mixture, a spoonful at a time, mixing to incorporate it until adding more.
- Continue adding the flour mixture, one spoonful at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl regularly.
- Once all the flour mixture is added and mixed, add the vanilla, turn up the speed to medium-high, and whip for up to a minute, until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Serving Suggestions
You can use this frosting immediately on a cooled cake, such as this Suzy Q Cake. Otherwise, see the tips below for storing it.
Here are some favorite cakes to serve with vegan ermine frosting:
Storage Tips
Store ermine frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you’re ready to use it, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then use a mixer to whip it again to make sure it’s light and fluffy. You can freeze this frosting in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then follow the tip above to whip it again.
Frequently-Asked Questions
Why is my frosting grainy?
You should bring the flour mixture and/or butter to room temperature before combining the ingredients, otherwise, you’ll be left with grainy frosting. However, if your frosting is grainy, you can fix it by whipping it a little longer than usual.
Why is it called ermine?
An ermine is actually a mammal that has a soft, white winter coat. This frosting is named after this wild creature because of the similarity in color and softness. It is an old-fashioned frosting that was more widely used before the availability of other frosting ingredients, such as powdered sugar and cream cheese.
Is ermine frosting good for piping?
Yes, you can pipe boiled flour frosting by adding it to a piping bag using your favorite tips. Use organic gel food coloring to add creative colors to your frosting to decorate cakes for parties and more.
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Vegan Frosting Favorites
This vegan ermine frosting is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to vegan frosting recipes. Here are even more you’ll enjoy:
Vegan Ermine Frosting
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup plant-based milk
- 1 cup vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes to toast the flour.
- Pour in the vegan milk and use a whisk or spatula to stir it in.
- Continue stirring as the mixture comes slowly to a low boil and thickens. Don't turn up the heat, or you'll risk burning it. Once it's thick enough that a spoon leaves a trail, transfer it to a heat-proof bowl, cover it with waxed paper touching the surface (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate until completely cool.
- Once the flour mixture is cool, add the butter to a mixing bowl and mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, around 2 minutes.
- Turn the mixer speed down to medium and spoon in the cooled flour mixture, a spoonful at a time, mixing to incorporate it until adding more. You'll need to scrape down the sides of the bowl regularly.
- Once all the flour mixture is added and mixed, add the vanilla, turn up the speed to medium-high, and whip for up to a minute, until the frosting is light and fluffy.
- You can use this frosting immediately on a cooled cake. Otherwise, cover the frosting and store it in the fridge for up to 5 days. When you're ready, let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes, then use a mixer to whip it aga¼in to make sure it's light and fluffy. You can freeze this frosting in freezer-safe bags or containers for up to 3 months. When you're ready to use it, thaw it overnight in the fridge, then follow the tip above to whip it again.
Recommended Equipment
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Notes
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator and should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
About the Author
Hi! I’m Marly McMillen. I’m the founding editor, author, recipe developer, vegan home chef, and food stylist behind Namely Marly. I’m so grateful to you and every member of my audience for your support and dedication. More about Namely Marly ›
42 Responses to Vegan Ermine Frosting
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I will be making a double layer 9×13 cake. Should I double this recipe?
Hi Megan. f you’re making a double-layer 9×13 cake, I’d definitely recommend doubling the recipe. A single batch will usually cover and fill a standard two-layer round cake (like 8- or 9-inch rounds), but a 9×13 double layer has quite a bit more surface area. Doubling ensures you’ll have plenty to fill between the layers and cover the whole cake generously—plus a little extra for touch-ups or piping if you’d like!
This is the most delicious frosting recipe I have ever made. I usually default to a canned frosting because most recipes just don’t turn out well or taste that great. This recipe is flavorful, smells incredible, and has amazing texture. I was nervous that I might overcook the roux, but it was easy to make. Thank you for this recipe!
Hi Nancy! I’m so glad you like this frosting! I agree with you that it’s so much better than canned. I love that whipped texture it adds too.
I have been using this recipe for awhile and love it. Lately, I have been having issues with it separating. I usually make the “pudding” a day before and refrigerate. I will let it come to room temperature along with the vegan butter. I have tried to refrigerate the icing and “re whip” with the same results. I use Country Crock Stick butter and almond or oat milk. Is there another Stick butter that may work better?
I’m so glad you like this recipe! It sounds like you’re doing everything right with this, but when the frosting separates, you can place the bowl over another bowl with hot water for just a bit. The mixture needs to warm up briefly – not to melt it. That warming up should help it whip perfectly. Let me know how this works for you!
This is a smooth and silky frosting with slightly less sweetness. I love it!
Does it also work with oat milk instead of soy milk?
Hi Manuele, I assume it would work with milk, but I haven’t tested it with that since we don’t have dairy.
Excellent!!, brilliant!!, Fantastic!!, I have just made this for my chicory walnut cake and it is superb.. Thank you for the recipe. I have a question though, could this be made with less butter?.
Hi Auj! So glad you liked this recipe! You could substitute half vegetable shortening, but if you’re considering reducing the total amount of fat used, it would change the texture. You could always try making it with less fat and be prepared to add more if you don’t like the results.
I just tried this recipe on vegan red velvet cupcakes. It’s delicious. Thanks!
I’m so glad you liked this frosting recipe, Tonya! I agree, it’s so good on red velvet cupcakes!
I have to take a frosted cake to a picnic in northeastern, US weather next Saturday, September 23, 2023. Will ermine frosting be stable outdoors? I have to choose between buttercream and ermine frosting. It is a graduation mocha cake
If your weather is going to be hot and/or humid, I think American buttercream is your best option. It will be the most stable in hot weather. Here is my chocolate vegan buttercream recipe. I hope this is helpful! I hope your graduation picnic is a fun time!
Instead of refined sugars or processed sugars would it be possible to use maple syrup instead? Incorporating the syrup into the flour/milk/salt?
Hi Kim. I haven’t tried this recipe with maple syrup, but I think it is worth a try. Maple syrup is sweeter than sugar, so you will only need around 3/4 cup of maple syrup versus 1 cup of granulated sugar. In addition, I would reduce the plant-based milk quantity by around 2 tablespoons. I hope this is helpful! I’d love to hear how it goes!
The cake recipe is perfect. I was very skeptical about the ermine frosting but I read the comments and followed the instructions. The frosting is sublime & silky smooth! I added freeze dried passionfruit flavouring and I piped the frosting immediately onto the cooled cupcakes. Simply a lovely recipe, thank you
I love the idea of adding freeze-dried passionfruit. I bet that was gorgeous! So glad you liked this frosting recipe!
I made this months ago but forgot to review! I made this for my husband’s birthday cake because he and his family do not care for buttercream (too sweet to them). He loved this frosting. He said it reminded him of fancy cool whip. Thanks so much for sharing.
Hi Emily. Thanks so much for coming back to leave your feedback. I’m so glad you (and your hubby) liked this frosting!
Would you say this makes enough to cover a two layer 8 inch cake? Or should I do one and a half batches?
Hi Emily. I have used this to cover a two-layer 8-inch cake, but I did use a different filling between the layers. If I remember correctly, I used a bit of chocolate ganache between the cake layers, and then frosted the top and sides with the ermine frosting. I hope this is helpful!
Could I use cornstarch instead of the flour and if so how much? Thank you.
Hi Carey. I don’t recommend substituting cornstarch for flour in this recipe. However, you could use gluten-free flour formulated for baking which typically adds starches to their flour. Let me know if this is helpful or if you’d like to discuss it more.
Using this recipe as a filling for a vegan wedding cake (along with raspberries) instead of “buttercream” because it is not as sweet. I have several batches in the fridge and all have turned out great using Earth Balance and almond milk.
I made this subbing gf flour and using Melt organic butter. So good. I did have curdling problems but I see now my butter should be at room temp. Trying again and hopefully it won’t curdle. So thrilled to have found a DF frosting that actually tastes good and isn’t cloyingly sweet!
Hi Rebecca! So glad you liked this recipe and I know what you mean about the sweetness. It’s nice to have options.
I have always loved ermine frosting, but haven’t made it in several years due to a dairy & soy sensitivity in our family. But this year, my birthday was coming up, and I was determined (plus I only discovered a few months ago, by chance, what my mom’s red cake frosting was actually even CALLED, so now I finally had something I could google).
It…didn’t turn out great. I used the Aldi coconut milk (5g fat per cup), which I love for its thick creaminess, but I think it was just too much fat for the frosting to emulsify properly. It was all greasy and curdled-looking. I threw it out and started over with Lidl unsweetened vanilla almond milk (2.5 g fat per cup) and it turned out better, but still not totally satisfactory. I used Miyoko’s vegan butter both times.
Do you think it’s really just a temperature issue? It wasn’t super warm in my kitchen, but I did cut up the butter and leave it to soften for a while before I started. The flour mixture was probably somewhat cold, as I made it the night before and then refrigerated.
Hi Dana. First of all, I’m so glad you found the name of the thing you were looking for. It does make a huge difference! I know, I’ve been there myself. You should see some of weird search terms I use in google sometimes. Haha. Anyway, I agree with your assessment that using the coconut milk added too much fat. Regarding the second attempt, I do think it’s a temperature thing. In fact, if the frosting still looks a little split (curdled), you could try whipping it for longer. That will help heat up the butter some and it should start coming together. Another tip is to make sure you’re cooking the flour mixture until it’s very thick. I hope this is helpful!
If I wanted it a little more stable, could I add cream of tartar to it? Does it help? And how much?
Hi Ellen. I think you’re asking how to make the frosting stiff? If that’s the case, I would recommend trying a little less milk or a little more flour. You can also try using vegetable shortening instead of vegan butter. I have never tried adding cream of tartar and it’s not a common ingredient in ermine frosting. I hope this info is helpful.
I have not ever heard of ermine frosting until today when I baked a cake and didn’t have any powdered sugar on hand. I love trying new recipes so I had to try this frosting.. so glad I did!! absolutely delightful! paired this with a vegan chocolate cake and it is incredible. simple instructions and unbelievable flavor and texture. will be making again and again and again ❤️❤️
Hi Monica! I’m so glad you like this recipe. Sounds like we’re ermine frosting fans! I love how it’s so creamy and not as much sugar as other frostings. I’d love to see your cake if you want to share it with me on social. 🙂
This is one of my favorite recipes. And since going vegan I had a hard time finding a recipe that had the right amounts to get that same consistency. And this is it!!! It’s just like vegan whipped cream. Luvv quick question doing a simple vegan baby shower cake. Will be sitting in Florida inside minimal ac. Can I use this? Or better to stick with ABC? Thanks for any input
This turned out so well! I used Silk oat milk and Miyoko’s vegan butter. Thanks for the recipe.
I’m so glad you liked it, Caitlin! Your ingredient choices look spot on!
How did the Miyoko butter hold up? Did it melt quickly?
Hi Sharon! I have not had a problem using Miyoko butter in any of my recipes. It’s pricier and so I oftentimes learn toward Earth Balance for that reason.
So glad you like it, Britney!
I made this recipe and it’s delicious and fluffy. The problem came when adding color. I used Wilton gel color and it started to separate. Do you have any tips on how to prevent it from separating when adding color?
Hi Gabriela! ‘m so glad you enjoyed the frosting and found it delicious and fluffy! When it comes to adding color to ermine, it can be tricky! Several things can cause it to break. I find powdered food coloring works best if you can find that. If you prefer gel food coloring, be sure to add it gradually. Start with a small amount and mix it before adding more. Also be sure to use room temperature ingredients. Your frosting and the gel should be at room temperature before adding the color. To fix your broken frosting, you can add a tablespoon or two of instant pudding mix (many of dairy-free these days) to the frosting and then rewhip it. You can also try cooling it in the fridge slighty then rewhip it. I hope this is helful!