The Best Whipped Frosting
December 28th, 2010 § 98 Comments
A good cake has a great frosting to match. Because truly, frosting makes the cake. Right?
I’m glad that we agree. Now, bear with me here because I’m going to talk science and logistics of perfecting that sweet silky cream.
The slight problem I find with many homemade frostings (versus freshly made bakery versions) is that they’re either too heavy or too sweet. Even the best buttercreams have a slightly overpowering presence on cupcakes and layer cakes. They’re delicious, don’t get me wrong, but the flavor is often a little heavy on the unsalted butter (you know that straight slick of cream coating your tongue?) or the powdered sugar isn’t as incorporated as it should be, making it slightly gritty. The texture isn’t silky enough, the flavor isn’t delicate enough, to properly balance a tender, soft-crumbed cake.
The best frostings must be so well balanced and blended that no one flavor note sticks out in isolation. And there’s a word for that perfect blending of flavors: ‘amplitude.’ It occurs when all of the various ingredients in something fuse to create a seamless and uniform crescendo of taste. (Malcolm Gladwell refers to amplitude in his essay, The Ketchup Conundrum, where he writes about how and why Heinz Ketchup secured the throne in the world of ketchup. It’s because of it’s unmatched flavor blending, FYI) The beauty of a frosting with high amplitude is that you don’t taste the components of the frosting separately; you taste them as one intense mix. It’s not a hit of butter, then a gritty tingle of sugar, followed by a vanilla aftertaste. It’s all at once a sweet puff of cream. A single but complex flavor and texture.
That’s what I’m looking for in a frosting.
And that’s what I found in this whipped wonder.
It’s somewhat of a silky, more substantial whipped cream. A puffy cloud of milk and sugar.
It’s luxurious and smooth, but only subtly sweet. Perfectly light and fluffy, and able to make an intense cake somehow delicate and dainty. Really, it’s just the thing to balance an ultra rich chocolate fudge cake.
And it’s not difficult to whip up either. Essentially, you make a roux of milk and flour, which is just a thick creamy paste, and then whip it with softened butter and granulated sugar until you’ve got a big bowl of fluff on your hands. The flavor is gently vanilla; the texture is feather-light.
I made this frosting on Christmas Eve to top a sour cream fudge layer cake. I wanted something light enough to let the melting fudge layers to really take center stage. That kind of cake begs for a break from intensity and unrestrained decadence. It was a huge hit, and the most lovely icing I could have imagined slathered on my favorite cake.
I recommend using this recipe for any or all of the following three things: 1) a bold baked good that needs a light complement, 2) a soft, fluffy crumbed cake, 3) everlasting happiness.
Here is how to make it:
In a medium saucepan, whisk one cup of milk with 5 tablespoons of flour. Heat over medium until the mixture begins to sputter, whisking constantly.
Continue to stir as the mixture thickens. You will know it’s done when it reaches the consistency of thick cake batter, after about 7 minutes of heating and whisking.
Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and set aside to cool COMPLETELY.
Now, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or using a hand held mixer, beat 2 sticks of softened butter (1 cup) with 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and white in color, about 3 solid minutes of beating on medium-high speed. You want the sugar to be totally incorporated into the butter.
Now, be sure that the milk/flour mixture has completely cooled, and add it to the butter/sugar mixture.
Beat all ingredients for about 1 minute on high speed, scraping down the bowl halfway, until they are smooth and well blended.
The frosting should be as light and fluffy as whipped cream. Use it to frost a layer cake, to generously pipe atop 12 cupcakes, or as a main course. Really.
The Best Whipped Frosting
makes enough to frost a 9″ layer cake or one dozen cupcakes generously
Recipe adapted from Missy Dew on TastyKitchen
1 cup milk
5 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (not powdered sugar)
In a medium saucepan, whisk one cup of milk with 5 tablespoons of flour. Heat over medium until the mixture begins to sputter, whisking constantly. Continue to stir as the mixture thickens. You will know it’s done when it reaches the consistency of thick cake batter, after about 7 minutes of heating and whisking. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and set aside to cool COMPLETELY.
Now, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or using a hand held mixer, beat 2 sticks of softened butter (1 cup) with 1 cup of granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and white in color, about 3 solid minutes of beating on medium-high speed. You want the sugar to be totally incorporated into the butter.
Be sure that the milk/flour mixture has completely cooled, and add it to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat all ingredients for about 1 minute on high speed, scraping down the bowl halfway, until they are smooth and well blended. The frosting should be as light and fluffy as whipped cream.
I LOVE THIS FROSTING. I didn’t like frosting before this… I make this all the time for cupcakes. SO GOOD!
YES. As soon as I started reading this post, I knew which frosting recipe I’d see at the end. Unlike you, I’ve never been a frosting person. I mean, I enjoy it on cakes and cupcakes and cookies but in much smaller ratios than others (like my mother) find suitable. But this frosting? Pile it on. It’s perfect.
I love cake!!! However I am usually disappointed with the frosting. So when cake is offered as the dessert at a party I will usually share a slice with my husband or pass on the cake altogether. I am very excited to add this frosting recipe to my list of “must try” recipes for 2011. Thanks for sharing! Happy New Year!
I am never satisfied with frosting- it’s always what I leave behind in my plate
Thanks! I was just about to email a friend asking for a good frosting recipe, but I’ll just use this!
Nothing beats an amazing frosting!!! Love learning new cooking info – didn’t know that about Heinz ketchup???
I cannot wait to make another batch of cupcakes so I can try your frosting (icing) recipe.
Mandy
I was JUST looking for a frosting recipe to use today. Looks like I’ll be going with this one!
This sounds absolutely divine. I will be making this the next time I make a chocolate cake. I’m sure that I will find the hubby on the couch licking the frosting off of it and weeping quietly at its perfection. That would be the perfect time to ask him for a new purse.
This frosting issue is why I stopped doing cakes from scratch (at least the frosting part)
It never seems just right.
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.
I can’t wait to experiment and also my diet is getting de – sugared again so this sort of makes me sad…hehe but Birthdays are right around the corner so I will have great excuses to experiment!
xo
i tried this frosting after seeing it on tasty kitchen and totally had a love affair with it…i added peanut butter and chocolate to mine and HOLY MOLY…i die…
I think that Baked Explorations has a similar recipe – and the authors claim it is shelf stable for up to 3 days. A HUGE plus for buffet-type parties.
Ooo great to know! Thanks Victoria!
I’ve never seen an icing recipe with flour. Can’t wait to try this one.
Can I substitute Splenda for the granulated sugar??? I tried this with homemade ice cream and it didn’t work. The texture came out gritty. Should I try it?? Thanks. If all else fails, I guess I’ll have to just suffer through with the granulated sugar!! Sounds delish. Thanks.
Hey Linda! I bet Splenda would work just fine! I see no reason why not- so long as you’re using the one for baking because that can be swapped out in the same measurement as table sugar.
I’m not a fan of most buttercreams, and I love flour frostings. thanks for posting your recipe!
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Looks so taste
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I heart Malcolm Gladwell, and I heart frosting. This post couldn’t be any closer to perfection
Trying this recipe over the weekend, hurrah!
Help? I tried this recipe twice over the weekend, and I’ve got one stumbling block: How do you get the sugar to incorporate into the butter, without remaining gritty? Are you using superfine sugar? I tried creaming the butter and sugar of my second batch for forever (12 minutes!), and the end frosting still had the grit
I love the rest of the way this frosting turns out, all whippy and fluffy and perfectly sweet. I just need to figure out the sugar part….
Hey Sara! No, I didn’t use superfine sugar. I think that if your butter is truly at room temp, it will gently warm the sugar enough to dissolve it with a lot of creaming. There may be the slightest bit of grittiness, but it should mostly be silky smooth. Also, I think the room temperature thickened milk/flour mixture helps to dissolve the sugar.
I agree. When I make it the sugar is still in granules even when the butter/sugar mixture is white and fluffy. It isn’t until I add the flour mixture and beat it for while that the sugar dissolves.
I LOVE this recipe and it’s all I’m using from now on. The first time I made it was for a double-layer angel food Japanese-style cheesecake. The filling was cooked strawberries, so I just used the juice from those in the frosting. YUM. Made the frosting a pretty pink/lavender color, too.
I love love love this whipped frosting. My valentine cupcakes were a hit…..thank you for sharing the recipe.
I LOOOOOOVE this frosting! My only problem with it is that it always seperates… Do you think it could be because my kitchen is hot from baking? I promise the flour mixture is completely cooled and the butter is room temp… Any thoughts???
Hey, I found this too…I actually had refrigerated it overnight to use it the next day. It separated but I found if I added flour..a little a time it smoothed it right out and didn’t change the flavor or texture at all.
Started reading your site today and I’m impressed with your recipes! I’m from the Philippines and most of the ingredients from sites in the US are not available here. I’m surprised that for most of your recipes, the ingredients are readily available here in my side of the world! Perfect too that I found this frosting recipe as like you, I’m sick of frosting that overpowers the cake. Question though: can I color this with coloring paste (like Wilton’s Icing Color paste)?
Hi there! Yes, you can absolutely color the frosting! And Wilton makes the best icing pastes. Thank you for saying hello
IMHO I think Americolor makes superior icing colors. They are liquid so mix more smoothly and deepen in color over time to give a very rich and vibrant color.
I have made this recipe and for some reason it is not whipping. Can it be saved? If so how?
I’m having the same problem!!
I don’t know if these commenters will check back to this post, but just as a helpful hint, when I tried it at first with my metal flat beater in my Kitchenaid mixer, it also would not get fluffy. It was only after I changed it to the whisk beater that it whipped up well, so if you have a whisk style mixer head, that would help. Hope that helps.
I do not like frosting (too sweet!) but I am about to eat the whole bag of left over frosting! Oh my goodness!!! I followed this recipe and had WAYYY more than enough for 24 cupcakes. Amazing stuff. Thanks!
HOLY COW. I made this frosting for my friend’s birthday cake (plain vanilla cake with strawberries and this frosting in the middle, topped with more frosting and more strawberries) and IT IS SO GOOD! We actually ate some of it on top of the extra strawberries for lunch.
(Also, I think I just maxed out the number of times I can say “strawberries” in one comment.)
Hello – thank you for posting, I made this tonight and it came out perfectly, but I did sub icing sugar for regular sugar and it came out perfect still.
1. Can this be left out at room temperature?
2. Do you know if it freezes well?
3. Have you tried to incorporate chocolate, pureed raspberries, strawberries or lemon for other flavors, and if so, how did they turn out, and how much would I use?
Thanks so much!
Ruby
Is this cake good for decorating?
THis is my favorite frosting/filling, etc. Depending on the cake I’m using it on, I often sub mascarpone (and some times cream cheese if it’s for carrot cake) for use as “Twinkie filling”. It’s less buttery. I love that’s it more economical than other frostings as the milk/flour paste is a good “extender” (or filler)and gives it more body! Glad you published this one, Andie! Always a winner!
OH DEAR…(I need to edit my post above).
I meant, “I often sub mascarpone (and some times cream cheese…)” FOR HALF THE BUTTER. 1 stick of butter AND 4 oz (1/2 cup) mascarpone.
Does this frosting need to be refrigerated if not eaten immediately? After it is on
the cupcakes?
Being that it’s dairy based, I would think refrigeration is a safe idea.
THANK YOU. I’ve been using my mom’s buttercream frosting for yeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaars and it’s just like you said, it’s a bit over powering. I. Am. Pumped. :0)
I have a question. Why is that you have listed in the ingredients 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar but in the recipe you only use 1 cup. Did I miss something? I read through this several times and I just want to make sure that I do not screw this up.
I noticed the same thing, but I’m pretty sure it’s just a typo. If you read through the rest of the post the recipe is all written out accompanied by pictures and there it says to use all the granulated sugar (1 1/4 cups).
[...] I grabbed both the recipe for the frosting as well as for the delicious cupcakes underneath them from Can You Stay For Dinner. Does anyone [...]
Mmmmm, mmmmmm, yum! I did the cream cheese sub mentioned above and I’m so happy with it. I also love the pb and choc idea too. I made a small change, I used a healthy cup of sugar instead of the 1+1/4 cup called for. (doesn’t seem like much, I know, but I try to cut down on sugar wherever I can). I also ran my sugar through a small food processor I have before beating it with the butter and cream cheese mix. Anyhow, thanks so much, this one is going into my recipe files!
I made this to the T, but my texture looks a little grainy and the layers are separating. Help!
I think you may not have mixed the butter and sugar long enough. I kept it whipping and whipping in my mixer until it was a pure white and creamy texture, before adding the flour mixture. If the butter and sugar aren’t blended well enough, you may have trouble with graininess and separation. Hope that helps.
From the comments, it is obvious that this is a wonderful frosting and one that I will try. I have two questions: Does the frosting crust so that it can be smoothed for decorating? Can it be used to pipe decorations, ie. borders, flowers, etc.?
This is the old-fashioned frosting that I use with Red Velvet Cake.
You do need to store it in fridge. Don’t try to keep it out for a picnic or the butter may separate. I’ve found it works best if butter is slightly chilled, or not room temp if it’s warmer.
It is very, very, very good!!
I have been looking for a new frosting recipe, as some that I know think my decorating buttercream is too sweet. I tried this recipe out tonight, and I have to tell you, I am in love with it. It is so light, so fluffy, and colors easily. It is also easy to frost with, does not pull cake with it as it spreads, and, so far, is easily usable in decorating bags, if you’re aware that at times you’ll have air pockets in it, which should be expected with the fluffy texture of the frosting.
It took almost no time at all to prepare, and now I can’t wait to try it out on desserts for my family and friends. Thank you SO much!
I made sure everything was at room temp and the flour/milk combo was completely cooled.. and it still turned out gritty. I thought I had the perfect recipe but am now in search of anohter. I don’t like the grit.. even if its just a little bit.. reminds me of sand in my mouth.
Ok, I just want to add a few comments into the mix as someone who did actually make the frosting ( seemed like lots of them were from folks super-excited to TRY making it) 1) it is delicious, if you like very rich buttercream icing. There’s so much butter in the recipe, that it was hard not to feel like I was just eating creamed butter! I even added in extra vanilla to try to cut down on the pure butter flavor. I also had to beat mine about three times as long as suggested to get the right, non-grainy texture. My final take-the texture may be light and fluffy, but this icing is incredibly rich and really heavy on the butter. It also makes a TON. I iced a batch of 12 cupcakes and had enough left over for at least 12 more. The next time I make it, I’m going to try it with half the butter
My son’s first birthday is coming up and I’ve been looking for a light and fluffy frosting… we LOVE homemade whipped cream (whipping cream and powdered sugar) I thought about just using that for his cake, but I just don’t think it will hold up… I’m going to use this!!
I just have one question, does it matter what kind of milk you use? We drink skim, but I didn’t know if you used 2% of whole? please let me know 
I made this last Thursday to fill/frost 2 dozen Low-Fat Pumpkin Spice cupcakes.
It was PERFECT.
Thank you for sharing.
I want to make this for a birthday cake. Should I use salted or unsalted butter?
I tried this recipe and loved the taste but had some issues with the flour/milk mixture and it took forever for the sugar to dissolve to a point that it was not grainy. So I searched some more and found a recipe that was almost identical with the change of melting the sugar in the flour/milk mixture then pouring the hot mixture in the bowl of your stand mixer and beating on high for about 7-10 minutes to cool it down to a point that you can add the butter in bit by bit. Hope this helps.
Is it okay to use non-dairy milk?
Can this frosting be made 3 days ahead of time and kept in the fridge? What about your tye dye cupcakes? Could I bake them one day and serve 3 days later? Would they still be moist if kept in an airtight container?
[...] Can You Stay for Dinner’s Whipped Vanilla Frosting I halved the recipe, and used a piping bag and 2 tips to fill & frost these bad boys. Nutritional Information Per Serving (5P+ for one cupcake and approximately 1/24 of frosting*): Calories: 139 Carbs: 23 Fat: 5 Protein: 1 Fiber: 1 Sodium: 170 Nutritional Information from myfitnesspal.com [...]
i just made the frosting, but there are lumps of flour & milk mixture. only really small ones but enough to taste. did anyone else have that problem…?
I had the same problem! I’ve made this a few times and I still can’t get out the milk/flour lumps no matter how long i beat it.
I know this frosting!!! I came across it a few months ago and have only used it since. ok that’s a lie because nothing can replace cream cheese frosting, let’s be real here. This really is the Perfect Frosting.
Do you use whole milk? Or can I use a reduced milk — either 1% or 2%. Every one of your recipes look awesome! Can’t wait to try them. Thanks.
Do you think this icing would be used well for Whoopie pies???
Anyone?
So YES!!!
They are GREAT with Whoopie Pies!!!!!
I added some peppermint extract and they are the most beautiful dessert EVER!!!
My search for the perfect frosting is OVER!!
Thanks!!!!!!
Can you turn this into chocolate frosting by just adding cocoa powder, or do you need to increase the sugar?
Hey Sue,
I think you can just add cocoa powder, but yes, I would increase the sugar by about 1/2 cup. You might need to add more liquid to thin it a bit as well. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
andie
I made this because it reminded me if a similar recipe ( which i can not find at the moment!) involving cooking flour/milk mixture before adding the butter/sugar. I added in a melted brick of white baking chocholate at the last step. It made a velvety white chocholate frosting that I piped onto dark choch cupcakes
Just put this on sugar cookies. .I don’t love frosting but this was awesome. Can’t wait to try substituting cream cheese, and other variations. Thanks for sharing
I have made this frosting for many years. It is a family favorite.
I tried this recipe and I suppose it turned out well. Maybe I am just not a huge fan of how overwhelmingly buttery the flavor is. I think next time I would use less butter for sure.
I am making a wedding cake and the grooms cake. Does this icing work well on wedding cakes? does it hold up well in room temperatures or does it have to be refrigerated? Can it be used to make decorations.?
Hi Tilly!
Thanks for writing. I would not recommend this frosting for a wedding cake- go with a more traditional buttercream as it will hold up better. This, I fear, will wilt and be much too soft, too fluffy for that kind of decorating.
Andie
I use this frosting all the time. I used it on my sons wedding cake and it worked great, Instead of regular sugar I used powder sugar. It tasted the same, but held up great. But, I do use it more
with the rest of my baking because it’s not to sweet
This is the best frosting — so whip creamish, I love it! — if you want to “color it” (for birthdays etc) add to the milk mixture at the same time as the vanilla — I am going to try next time with a bit more vanilla.
P.S. I think it really is enough for 24 cupcakes!
I have been searching for a frosting to use on my daughter’s birthday cake. On most cakes I prefer just slightly sweetened whipped cream, but the since the cake will need to be frosted ahead of time and travel I need to find something studier. I like this recipe, but also found it a bit gritty and even though I cut the sugar (1 cup instead of 1 1/4) it was still WAY too sweet for my tatse. Next time I will reduce it to just 1/2 cup to start. I also like the suggestion of substituting half the butter with mascarpone….my husband is going to have me committed if I make one more practice frosting!!!
Has anyone tried it with powdered sugar? That would help with the gritty sugar element.
On another note, I did a little experiment and left half the frosting sitting in a bowl on my counter and half in a tupperware container in the fridge. I am trying to see how far ahead of the party I can make it, and how well it will hold up at an outdoor party (in Florida). So far the counter top bowl looks good, no separation and its been there over 4 hours. (Windows open and almost 80 degrees today.) It is still soft but thick enough that if I turn the bowl completely upside down it stays put. The fridgerated version has gotten firm. Tomorrow I’ll take it out and let it soften, maybe re-whip it if neccesary. I want to make as much of the party food as possible the day before:)
This is the best homemade frosting ever! Even the pickiest person I know loves it!!
I just made this frosting for a carrot cake. I added mascarpone to the mixture, it tastes very much like a delicious whipped cream!!!
I want to make these for cupcakes that I need for tomorrow. Is it okay if I frost them tonight and serve them tomorrow? Will the frosting hold up?
Yes, should be fine to frost them tonight and then leave them. I would suggest refrigerating tonight and then letting them come to room temperature before serving- perhaps 2 hours before they’ll be eaten, take them out of the fridge. The sugar will act as a preservative.
I have used this frosting & yes it is great! Now I need to decorate cupcakes for Easter. Will this frosting work like to make flowers?
Hey Janie! Unfortunately, no, the frosting is too light and airy to use for flower piping. I’d recommend a stiff buttercream for that. Hope it turns out great
Andie
THANK YOU for this recipe!!! I’m making surprise cupcakes for dessert after dinner for my boyfriend.. I found this really good double vanilla cupcake recipe that I am going to fill with frozen raspberries and chocolate ganache and I know that it will be too rich to have any other frosting!
I’ve been watching food network all day and cupcakes are calling.. it has been a long time since I’ve baked and I love to make goodies, they just never get all eaten up so I don’t do it often.. But tonight they will!! Thank you again!
I made this frosting yesterday! Not only is it delicious, but it is easy and my coworkers loved it! Thanks for sharing!
Mine turned out crunchy from the sugar. Can anyone tell me how to fix this? (I Am NOT a baker…LoL) My sons party is tomorrow and really want to make this good! Please help!
hands down, the best frosting ever.
My mom has a recipe very similar to this that she uses for her red velvet cake, and it is one of my favourite frostings ever!
I totally agree that buttercream can be a bit overpowering and very unappetizing when you feel like you’re eating a sweetened stick of butter. Yesterday, I made a vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream and I just cannot enjoy the cake because of the frosting. I feel like I am eating greasy butter, and it’s pretty gross. Next time I make a cake I will go to this recipe.
Also, I would imagine you could add the sugar to the warmed milk and flour mixture to fully dissolve it and prevent the final product from being slightly grainy.
[...] time, I may try this whipped frosting recipe for a lighter, more fluffy [...]
Wow! I was looking for an icing recipe for cupcakes and boy did I find a great one! Love this so much, I can see what you mean about having it for the main course
Thank you !
Hi there,
Is the butter in this recipe salted or unsalted?
Thanks!
I’ve made this a few times and I’ve always let the roux cool before i add it to my creamed butter/sugar in teh stand mixer. BUt somehow I always end up with a lumpy frosting ( I can see small balls/clumps of milk/flour mixture when i spread. The sugar is totally dissolved but the texture of the frosting looks grainy/rough. Help?
xoxo,s.
hello,i’m glad i came across your site!
does anyone know if i can add raspberry jam to this frosting to make it a raspberry whipped frosting?
[...] Caramel Frosting Adapted from Can You Stay for Dinner [...]
WORST FROSTING RECIPE EVER, NEVER USE IT. TRUST ME. ALL THESE PEOPLE ARE FAKES. WAY TOO SWEET AND NOT A GOOD TEXTURE.