You’ve been there. You’re halfway through baking a cake, the kitchen smells like a dream, and then you realize the pantry is bone dry of powdered sugar. Panic sets in. You look at that gritty granulated sugar and wonder if you can just toss it in some butter. Don't. It'll be crunchy, and frankly, it'll ruin your hard work.
The truth is, a frosting recipe no powdered sugar isn't just a backup plan. It’s actually the original way. Before the industrial revolution made pulverized sugar a grocery store staple, bakers relied on a technique called Ermine frosting. Some people call it "boiled flour frosting" or "roux frosting," which sounds a bit like you’re making gravy for a cupcake, but stay with me. It is the most velvety, buttery, and least cloying topping you will ever taste.
The Science of the Roux
Most people think frosting has to be a sugar-bomb. It doesn't. When you make a traditional buttercream, you're basically suspending sugar crystals in fat. If those crystals aren't tiny—like the 10x particles in powdered sugar—they feel like sand on your tongue.
Ermine frosting solves this with a cooked base. You take regular granulated sugar, whisk it with a bit of all-purpose flour, and add milk. You cook this on the stove. As the mixture heats, the starch granules in the flour swell and gelatinize. This creates a thick, pudding-like consistency. The sugar dissolves completely in the milk during this process. No grit. Just smooth, sweet creaminess.
Once that "pudding" cools down, you whip it into room-temperature butter. The result? A frosting that tastes remarkably like high-end whipped cream but holds its shape like a heavy-duty buttercream. It’s the traditional pairing for the original Red Velvet cake. In fact, if you go to historical bakeries in the South, they'll tell you that using cream cheese frosting on Red Velvet is a modern shortcut that misses the point.
Why This Beats the Bagged Stuff
Honestly, powdered sugar has a weird aftertaste. If you look at the back of a bag of Domino or C&H, you’ll see "cornstarch" listed. They add it to keep the sugar from clumping. In large amounts, that starch can leave a chalky film in the back of your throat.
By using a frosting recipe no powdered sugar, you’re eliminating that metallic, starchy tang. You get the pure flavor of the butter and the vanilla. It’s also significantly less sweet. If you find American buttercream (the kind made with cups and cups of powdered sugar) to be "tooth-aching," this is your holy grail.
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The Temperature Trap
Temperature is everything here. You can’t rush this. If your flour base is even slightly warm when it hits the butter, you will end up with a soupy, greasy mess. I’ve made this mistake. I thought, "Oh, it's lukewarm, it’ll be fine." It wasn't fine. I spent twenty minutes trying to chill it back to life in the fridge.
Wait until the cooked base is stone-cold. Room temperature. Not a degree higher.
Step-by-Step Breakdown (No Fluff)
You need a saucepan. Put 1 cup of granulated sugar and 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour in there. Whisk them while they're dry. This prevents the flour from clumping when you add the liquid. Slowly pour in 1 cup of whole milk. Don't use skim. You need the fat.
Cook it over medium heat. Whisk constantly. I mean it. If you stop whisking, the bottom will scorch and you’ll have little brown burnt bits in your white frosting. It will start out thin, then suddenly—poof—it thickens into a heavy paste. Once it looks like thick custard, take it off the heat.
Transfer it to a bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap. This prevents a "skin" from forming, which would create lumps later. Let it sit on the counter until it's completely cool. Some people put it in the fridge, but then it gets too cold and won't emulsify with the butter. Aim for that "soft butter" temperature.
The Whipping Phase
In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup (two sticks) of high-quality unsalted butter. Use a stand mixer if you have one. You want the butter to be pale and fluffy before you add anything else.
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Add your cooled flour mixture one spoonful at a time. This is the magic part. As you beat it, the mixture will look curdled for a second. Don't panic. Keep going. Suddenly, it will transform into a cloud-like substance. Add 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Salt is the unsung hero of any frosting recipe no powdered sugar. It cuts the fat and makes the flavors pop.
Troubleshooting the "Soup"
If your kitchen is 80 degrees, your frosting might look a bit soft. This is a common complaint with Ermine frosting. Because it’s based on butter and a cooked milk roux, it’s more sensitive to heat than the stiff, sugar-laden alternatives.
If it’s too soft to pipe, put the whole bowl in the fridge for 10 or 15 minutes. Take it out and whip it again. Usually, that’s all it takes to tighten the structure.
Variations for the Adventurous
You aren't stuck with just vanilla.
- Chocolate: Sift 1/4 cup of Dutch-processed cocoa powder into the flour/sugar mix before adding the milk. It makes a deep, dark chocolate frosting that tastes like fudge pudding.
- Brown Butter: Brown your butter in a pan first, let it solidify back to room temp, and then use it. The nuttiness combined with the milk base is incredible.
- Coffee: Dissolve two teaspoons of espresso powder into the warm milk roux.
According to Stella Parks, a renowned pastry chef and author of Bravetart, this style of frosting (which she calls "Flour Buttercream") was the standard in the early 20th century. Her research into vintage cookbooks suggests that powdered sugar only became the dominant frosting base because it was faster, not because it tasted better.
Understanding the Texture
Expect something different. If you’re used to the crusting nature of grocery store cakes, this will surprise you. It doesn't "crust." It stays soft and creamy, much like a Swiss Meringue buttercream but without the hassle of whisking egg whites over a double boiler.
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It's stable enough for layer cakes. I’ve used it for three-tier birthday cakes without issue. However, I wouldn't recommend it for complex flower piping in the middle of a July heatwave. It has its limits.
Specific Ingredients Matter
Don't use bread flour. The high protein content will make the frosting gummy. Stick to all-purpose or even cake flour.
As for the sugar, regular granulated is best. Superfine (caster) sugar works even faster, but avoid anything with large crystals like turbinado or demerara, as they might not dissolve completely in the milk roux before it thickens.
The butter should be real butter. Margarine has too much water and won't give you that silky mouthfeel. Since there are so few ingredients in a frosting recipe no powdered sugar, the quality of that butter is going to be the main thing you taste. Go for something with a high fat content if you can find it.
Real World Application
The first time I made this, I was skeptical. I thought it would taste like bread. It doesn't. It tastes like the inside of a high-end truffle.
One thing to note: because of the milk and flour, this frosting should be kept refrigerated if you aren't serving the cake within a few hours. Unlike powdered sugar frosting, which is preserved by its massive sugar content, this is more like a dairy product. Take the cake out of the fridge about 30 minutes before eating so the butter can soften back up. Cold frosting tastes like a stick of butter; room temperature frosting tastes like heaven.
Summary of Actions
- Whisk dry ingredients first to ensure the flour doesn't clump when milk is added.
- Whisk the roux constantly over medium heat until it reaches a thick, pudding-like state.
- Cool the base completely to room temperature before attempting to combine it with butter.
- Whip the butter alone until it is light and airy before adding the flour base.
- Add the base slowly, one tablespoon at a time, to maintain the emulsion.
- Store leftovers in the fridge but always serve at room temperature for the best texture.
Next time you find your powdered sugar container empty, don't run to the store. Just grab the flour and a saucepan. You'll likely never go back to the bagged stuff anyway.