Chocolate Ermine “Pudding” Buttercream Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between buttercream frosting and Ermine frosting? ›

How does ermine frosting differ from other frostings? Unlike Italian and French buttercreams, which are made with eggs (whites only in the case of Italian, whole eggs in the case of French) and sugar syrup, ermine frosting is egg-free, and it eliminates the fussy step of streaming hot syrup into a running mixer.

Pain Points of a flour-based Buttercream.

If you've completed the recipe and your mix still looks a little lumpy or grainy, mix a bit more until it becomes smooth. You can over-whip it, though so watch for that. Overwhipping can cause the butter to soften too much; to avoid that chill it in the fridge.

For stability purposes, especially if the ambient temperature is rather warm, American buttercream or ermine frosting, or the half buttercream/half chocolate (as suggested above) are all great choices that will hold their shape and have no risk of spoilage for many hours or even days.

Add flour paste

Add the flour paste to the whipped butter, and using the whisk attachment, whisk on low speed until all the paste has been added (4b). After that, whisk on high speed until it comes together and thickens slightly as the butter takes in the flour paste, 1-5 minutes.

A bit more time than American Buttercream, but still fairly easy to make. Pros: Doesn't involve the use of a candy thermometer or eggs. Cons: Uses flour, so not gluten free. Can be very soft, and doesn't hold up well to piping decorations, and heat.

Others call for cooking the flour and milk together with the sugar, then whipping the cooled paste with butter. The former yields the best flavor and body, but frosting made this way often contains a trace of grit from undissolved sugar crystals.

My Ermine Buttercream is curdled:

Keep whipping a little bit, and it might come together. If it's still not come together, all you have to do is warm it up a bit: – Place the bowl briefly over a pot with simmering water. – Some people warm the sides of the bowl with a hairdryer.

Enter ermine buttercream. While it takes a little more time and prep work, it uses no powdered sugar and far less regular granulated sugar. It also works great for piping and can be colored just like any other buttercream. Another great thing about ermine frosting is that it doesn't use eggs like meringue frostings.

Ermine Buttercream

The texture and flavor are light and fluffy, with a mild sweetness and buttery flavor. Interestingly, although it seems more lightweight, it is also one of the strongest in temperature and pressure stability out of all the buttercreams I tested in this article.

The name of the frosting might refer to its silky-smooth texture, which feels as luxurious as the pelt of an ermine, a species of weasel known for its soft white fur. Since ermine frosting doesn't use eggs and contains less butter and sugar than most other frostings, it was an economical alternative to other frostings.

Is Ermine Buttercream the same as whipped cream? ›

Ermine frosting is a light and fluffy buttercream that is similar in texture and flavor of whipped cream and but is sweeter and more stable like Swiss meringue buttercream. Ermine frosting has no eggs and makes for a really good whipped cream alternative for cakes.

Scrape down the sides and mix on medium speed until the buttercream is light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and food coloring, if using, and mix on low speed until combined.

How to Make Buttercream Thicker Using Powdered Sugar. The easiest and most straightforward way to fix buttercream that is too runny is to simply add more powdered sugar. I always work with an American Buttercream recipe for this reason.

While it works best as a thickener when heated, The Spruce Eats explains cornstarch will absorb some moisture even if you don't bake or cook it in your recipe. The additive can help stabilize buttercream frosting in the heat and humidity — and no one wants a dripping cake at a summer outdoor party.

It's not as sweet as American buttercream, but it isn't light and airy like meringue buttercream. The great thing about Ermine Frosting is that it is more stable than American buttercream, but you don't have to mess with eggs like the European versions.

What Does Ermine Frosting Taste Like? Despite seeming very odd and maybe even off-putting, ermine buttercream is silky smooth and quite light. It reminds be a lot of Swiss Meringue Buttercream. It doesn't taste at all like flour and has nice vanilla flavor.

The name of the frosting might refer to its silky-smooth texture, which feels as luxurious as the pelt of an ermine, a species of weasel known for its soft white fur. Since ermine frosting doesn't use eggs and contains less butter and sugar than most other frostings, it was an economical alternative to other frostings.