#ermine frosting

[sullustangin]

Old school ermine frosting and the red velvet cake it’s going on for Spouse’s birthday.

@meanbihexual - for the love of ermine

[merrybrides]

Ermine Frosting - Frosting for people who hate frosting

Silky, light, and not-too-sweet, ermine icing is one to know.

What is ermine icing?

Also called milk frosting, boiled milk frosting, cooked flour frosting, or roux frosting, ermine icing is made by first cooking together a mixture of flour, milk (or water), and sugar until thick, cooling that mixture, and then beating in butter until it’s light, fluffy, and silky — as silky as an ermine's fur, as the name suggests. Haven’t been petting any wildlife lately? Think buttercream, but even silkier. It first became popular in the late 1800s as the icing of choice for mahogany cake, an early version of red velvet.

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.  

It also differs from Swiss buttercream, in which egg whites and sugar are heated together, then whipped with butter, and German buttercream, which starts with a vanilla pastry cream base. And it’s entirely different from American buttercream,  that super-sweet, very simple combination of confectioners' sugar and butter. 

Not only is the technique to make ermine icing different, but it also uses far less sugar (and butter) than other types of frosting, so it’s less rich and sweet. In other words, if you’re a person who typically scrapes off frosting in favor of the cake underneath, ermine icing may be the one for you.

Ermine Icing Recipe

Yields 2-1/2 cups

Ingredients

3/4 cup (149g) granulated sugar

1/4 cup (30g) Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

1 cup (227g) milk, whole preferred

12 tablespoons (170g) unsalted butter, softened (about 70°F)

2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in a medium-sized saucepan and whisk well to combine and remove any lumps from the flour.

Turn stovetop heat to medium and whisk in milk until mixture is smooth.

Continue whisking constantly until mixture is thickened to a pudding-like consistency (do not crank up the heat or you’ll burn it and the sugar won’t dissolve properly) and the whisk leaves a trail.

Remove from heat and pour into a heat-proof container and cover the surface with a piece of plastic wrap, wax paper, or parchment paper pressed directly against the surface (to prevent a skin from forming). Allow to cool completely to room temperature (alternatively you may make this mixture a day or two in advance, store in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before proceeding).

Once flour mixture has cooled, use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat butter on high speed until it is light and fluffy (this usually takes several minutes, and you may need to scrape the bowl with a spatula).

Reduce mixer speed to medium and gradually add flour mixture, one heaping spoonful at a time, waiting until each spoonful is incorporated before adding the next and beating until all ingredients are well-combined. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl with a spatula, then stir in vanilla extract. Gradually increase speed to medium-high and whip frosting until it is smooth, light, and airy (it should not seem greasy). If you have any difficulty or experience your frosting splitting please see the troubleshooting section below.

Use your spatula to deflate the frosting to work out any air bubbles, then use as desired.

If you’d like, you can also add any food coloring. Stir this in at the end until the desired color is reached (I love using gel food colorings for the most vibrant color).

Troubleshooting

While ermine frosting is generally pretty simple to make, occasionally a would-be-cake-decorator finds themselves with a melty, gloppy mess instead of a bowl of billowy smooth frosting. There are three main issues that usually cause this, and knowing about them in advance and knowing what to look for is the best way to prevent this.

Runny Frosting

Your roux wasn’t cooked properly. It’s important to whisk constantly while cooking and keep your heat on medium. Do not crank the heat up to high to speed up the cooking process, or you’re liable to burn your roux and the sugar won’t have a chance to melt properly. Remember: medium-low and slow is the way to go!

The flour mixture was added to the butter before it was cooled completely. This is so important. If your roux is even a bit too warm when you add it to your butter, you’ll have a greasy, curdled mess on your hands. Have patience and let it cool completely.

Your butter was too soft. Remember, you want it to be softened, but not to the point where it is melty or oily to pick up. If your butter is too soft (this happens quickly, especially during the summer) you could end up with an icing that’s much too soft and runny. I usually remove my butter from the refrigerator 45-60 minutes before I’m ready to begin creaming it for the frosting.

If your frosting isn’t necessarily “runny” but is still quite soft and difficult to decorate with, it may just be a bit too warm. Pop it in the fridge for 20-30 minutes before using.

Help! My Icing Curdled!

If your ermine frosting looks curdled, split, or grainy, the most likely problem is that either your butter was too cold or your flour mixture was too cold.

Don’t worry, there’s still hope! Keep whipping it (this could take several minutes or longer) and most of the time it will eventually come together.

Storing and Making in Advance

You can make ermine frosting up to a week in advance of using. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before using, let the frosting come sit at room temperature for at least 15-30 minutes. You may need to briefly whip it again with an electric mixer to return it to the proper consistency before using. 

Alternatively you may freeze in an airtight container for several months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then follow the steps above (sit at room temperature and re-whip) before using.

Once you’ve frosted your cake or cupcakes, this icing will do well at room temperature (below 75F) for up to two days. Beyond that I recommend refrigerating. As with just about any frosting recipe, this one does not stand up well to heat and is prone to melting outdoors at high summertime temperatures.

Notes

I use whole milk, but 2%, almond, soy, or coconut milk would work as well. 

Coloring: This frosting can be colored; add food coloring at the end and stir until well-incorporated. 

Fondant: This frosting is not ideal to use beneath fondant as it is fairly soft. 

Flavor: Supplement or substitute the vanilla extract for your favorite flavor. 

For chocolate ermine frosting, stir in ¼-1/3 cup cocoa powder after adding all of the flour mixture and whip until well-combined. 

[hvergerold]

Ermine Frosting Recipe

This old-fashioned frosting starts with a roux, then gets whipped with butter, shortening, and sugar until creamy.

[fantastiframes]

Recipe for Ermine Frosting This old-fashioned frosting starts with a roux, then gets whipped with butter, shortening, and sugar until creamy.

[fullcravings]

Valentine’s Linzer Cookies

[lilvintagebaby]

I made my sister’s birthday cake. I hate that I messed up the letter “n” that bad tbh😪

[hightaled]

i just want a frosting that takes minimal time and doesn't need powdered sugar and is stronger than you'd ever need it to be and tastes not too sweet

[donadacasa]

Recipe for Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Ermine Frosting This cake is loaded with poppy seeds, features a light lemon flavor, and is complemented with a lemon ermine frosting that is easy to make and delicious.

[oculuspentacam]

Poppy Seed Cake with Lemon Ermine Frosting This cake is loaded with poppy seeds, features a light lemon flavor, and is complemented with a lemon ermine frosting that is easy to make and delicious. 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 large eggs, 1.25 cups all-purpose flour, 1 pinch salt, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, 1/2 cup Greek yogurt, 1/4 cup poppy seeds, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cooking spray, 1 lemon zested, 3/4 cup white sugar, 1/2 cup whole milk, 1/2 cup white sugar, 2.5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

[demonicwhippedcream]

So I had a horrific experiment planned for this weekend, but I just learned it's not as bad as I thought. For unimportant reasons I'm going to experiment with frosting a lot in the nearish future and my first and most horrible idea was to make a swiss meringue buttercream, but make the butter into a roux instead of adding it normally. Unfortunately, today I discovered ermine frosting, which cooks flour and milk into a roux and beats it into butter. Good news: ermine frosting is a great step in the direction I want to go. Bad news: I can no longer inflict people with a butter roux in buttercream without sounding vaguely reasonable.

[anonknitter]

This matcha cookie recipe is bonkers. It uses peanut butter of all things to enhance the matcha flavor and, bafflingly, it fucking works. I believe it's paywalled (but if you go find the video on YouTube and click through there it might let you in) so I screenshotted it from my dinky recipe app. I haven't made the frosting and tbh I might not, they are delicious enough

[cokoweee]

This is a thing

Still can’t write action so this is a lil clunky

~

Kendra hummed as she stirred her mixture over the stove. Music in the background filtered through his ears, unheard. He watched her face pinch in concentration as she whisked the mixture constantly, keeping her hand above the knob to adjust the heat as needed.

His lips tipped up in a small smile. She looked beautiful in the lighting of the kitchen, cloaked in one of his shirts, hair tied in a simple braid.

He needed to learn how to do that. She always did his hair, but he never did hers. He’d need to work on his finger prosthetic first though. He silently added it to his mental list of things to fix up around the house as he watched her.

He tore his gaze from her back to stare at the bowl again. He’d assumed it was frosting, but she was cooking it over the stove so he really doesn't know anymore. But then again, if he asked she’d probably say something along the lines of, “It’s an Ermine buttercream!” and roll her eyes at him as if she expected him to know what that was. So he just watched.

She plopped the mixture from the stove into the mixer, setting it on the counter to cool. She reached up on her tiptoes to grab the vanilla. She unscrewed the top before frowning.

“Where do you keep the knives?” She asked over her shoulder.

“I don’t have any.” He responded easily. His eyes flicked to the drawer they had been in.

Mikey's prized collection of knives was currently with Draxum. Would he ever get those back? Surely at some point they would be returned right? He silently hoped she didn’t press any further as he focused quietly on keeping his posture loose.

She shrugged and grabbed a fork, stabbing it repeatedly into the cap liner to open it. She laughed in triumph as vanilla squirted from the top and added a small amount to her concoction.

His tail twitched slightly from his perch on the counter. He wanted to take a cupcake. But the last time he’d tried to take something before she was done, she’d slapped his hand away. So he sat and waited patiently on the counter, drumming his fingers in time with the music.

He didn’t mind of course. She was perfectly content and so was he. A low churr rumbled through his chest as he watched her. She stopped filling her piping bag suddenly, her shoulders rising as she turned to face him.

“What was that?” She asked, her face strained as she craned her head to listen.

“What was what?”

“It was- it,” She frowned, her eyebrows scrunching together as she recreated the low trilling noise. It was broken and really didn’t sound anything like the noise he had made, but was clearly an imitation of his churr.

“A churr?” He responded, his cheeks growing hot as she watched him. She knew that was him right? “Have you not heard me make that sound before?”

“No!”

“I’ve made that noise a lot around you.” He countered, twisting his hands together.

“Oh my go- Is that what that sound has been?” She laughed. “I thought it was just a weird sound your rusty old subway house made. No offense by the way.”

“None taken.” He shrugged.

She laughed again before whipping her phone out and typing something in. Her face twisted into an odd look before she went back to her cupcakes. He ignored the face entirely and pressed himself flat against the counter. He closed his eyes, focusing only on hearing her work. It was easy to pretend it was someone else.

He listened to her move, chest filling with an aching comfort. He had loved watching Mikey cook. It was different now. No bubbling brother in his kitchen.

It was nice though, to have her here. A new normal. He liked it like this. The familiarity of it all.

He flicked his tail lazily and made another low churr. She didn’t turn around this time, instead smiling to herself as she finished her piping.

She turned around slowly, a cake in her palm.

“Ta-da” she said with a flourish of her hand. “One cupcake for Othello.”

He shot up to snatch it from her hand. The frosting was purple, naturally, and piped delicately into a swirl. He stared for a moment longer, admiring the beauty of it all before stuffing the entire thing in his mouth and swallowing it whole.

“Did you even taste it?” She asked, her eyebrow raised, apparently unfazed that he hasn’t even chewed.

“Mhm” He managed over the frosting coating his throat. “Can I have another one?”

“You’re such a needy little turtle Othello.” She said rolling her eyes. But she turned around to get him another anyway.

She placed the cake in his hand and he grinned. It was nearly to his mouth when he reminded himself to slow down and took a small bite, like a normal person.

He continued to take small bites, savoring each part of the cupcake. The soft and springy chocolate cake, the rich Caramel filling, the light frosting.

He pressed all the air from his lungs, allowing a quiet squeak to fall from his lips before taking the last bite.

She was staring at him, that odd expression still on her face. He frowned. Did she not understand? He let a sliver of air into his lungs and churred again. His face immediately grew hot.

Of course she didn’t know what he was trying to say.

He was so used to April just knowing because she’d been around him for so long, that he’d just assumed because Kendra had spent so much time with him that she would understand as well. She probably didn’t even know he was making different noises, or that they meant different things.

His scrambled to come up with an explanation as she pulled her phone out and started typing furiously. What on earth was she typing?

Her face softened after a second and she walked over to the counter. He moved his leg so she could stand in front of him, his tail curling around her thigh.

“You are very welcome.” She said confidently, wiping frosting from his face.

He grinned and hoisted her onto the counter next to him. He’d tell her about all the little turtle quirks later. She made a small squeal, her legs flailing beneath her as he lifted her up. He grinned wider as she glared at him.

“Warn a girl before you do that, yeah?” She gritted out. But her voice held no real malice as she leaned her head against his shoulder.

He shrugged and pressed his shell against the countertop again. She stayed sitting, her hands flying across her phone screen trying something in. He watched contently, his tail still twittering occasionally against her thigh.

The music she had been playing suddenly shifted from retired theater kid to a much slower and gentle pace.

“Nat King Cole?” He mused.

She nodded silently, holding out her hand in offering. He sat up slowly and placed his palm in hers. She hopped off the counter and motioned with her other hand for him to follow.

He did, letting his tail unravel from her leg as she grabbed his hand to put around her waist for him.

She swayed in time with the music stepping carefully to avoid his tail. He moved with her, humming along to the song. She moved closer to him, pressing their bodies close together. He gripped her waist a little tighter and spun her in a tight circle. As the climax of the song began to crescendo he moved his hand up to the middle of her back and dipped her low to the ground.

His chest fluttered as he looked down at her, her chest heaving just barely. They’d been “officially together” as Cass would say, for a while now, but it just felt so real when he held her close. He wasn’t sure what he did to deserve her.

No, that wasn’t quite it. He wasn’t sure why she wanted him.

The song ended and he pulled her back up. She rested her head against his chest, still swaying softly against him as the next song played. He held her for what felt like an eternity, rocking tenderly before moving to let her take the lead as the song faded away. She moved her hand to his waist and he to her shoulder.

She looped her finger through his belt hooks and practically dragged him to the living room. The song started and she stuck her leg out, forcing him to move his as well. She moved backwards and forward, taking him with her as she twirled around the room in tight circles. He was pliant against her touch, drifting wherever she took him.

The song reached its finale and she climbed up the couch ledge to spin him. He spun on his heels, a bit clumsy, unused to being the one led. He stopped in front of her, and without missing a beat, lifted her into the air.

He held her there for a second, letting her hang in the air, his forehead resting against hers before he lowered her slightly.

He spun her around as she wrapped her legs around his torso. She pressed her face into his shoulder as he held her there, still swaying back and forth with the music. She smelled like a bakery. Vanilla and Carmel, with a hint of lavender.

His chest fluttered again as he felt her smile against him. The song ended abruptly and he set her back down on the couch.

He waited for the next song to start when she jumped up, stepping closer to him. She moved before another song could play, looping her finger through his belt hook again and leading him to the couch. He followed mindlessly, letting her take him wherever she wanted. She plopped down on her side of the couch and he followed suite.

She moved as soon as he sat down, pressing her head against his side and grabbing his arm to wrap it around herself. She grabbed the remote and turned the tv on, flicking through a few shows before landing on one she wanted.

“This good?” She asked, leaning further against him.

“Yup.”

He didn’t care what they watched as long as he watched it with her. He ran his fingers through her hair, making sure to copy the motions she usually made when she did his own hair. She leaned her head further into his side and sighed, threading her fingers through his.

His eyes grew heavy as the episode began. He let them slip closed, a low chur escaping his chest again. He felt her laugh against him and huffed. She loosened her grip against his hand slightly to trace the stripes on his fingers with her thumb.

“Goodnight Othello.” She mumbled quietly, her gaze still focused on the screen.

He made another chur, letting it fall into a coo as his consciousness drifted, her fingers still intertwined in his.

~

I really like that couch huh?

Those cupcakes are real btw and they are the literally the best things ever. (I work in a bakery)

-writing anon

WRITING ANON STRIKES AGAIN

I got to read this before leaving for work🥸🥸🥸

A bigger couch gon be required heheegwydhe. I gotta try those cupcakes tho if ur sayin they’re so good. I’m a sucker for sweets

[ghostly-wisp]

Alright,

How bout a little fluffy rpf about Pedro and you going wedding cake shopping

thank you anon, I appreciate you greatly :))

THE PERFECT SLICE

Synopsis: You and your fiancée, Pedro, are trying to pick out the perfect wedding cake.

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x gn!fiancée!reader

Warnings: strong language (I swear, im sorry), little short and I didn't put it through grammarly, fluff !!

No use of Y/N

“No, this one won’t do.” Pedro sighs, denying yet another floral, vanilla with buttercream frosting – and you groan at this, it felt like the more and more stores you went to for tasting would never be enough. He always found something to nitpick at.  This seemed impossible with him – picking what you were going to wear to your wedding was easier than this. 

“Pedro,” you say while the kind bakery lady takes the sample away to go find a new one, your arms folded in front of you, “You’re making this difficult, we don’t need the perfect cake, okay? That isn’t going to be the main focus of our wedding.” Though it is a pretty big part, you have to admit that. 

Pedro had proposed to you during a vacation the two of you took as a way of celebrating his big rise in fame; you two had been together for quite some time now and he thought it would be the perfect time to seal the deal between you two – this nearly a year ago now, and most of the wedding stuff was taken care of except for the cake and both of your attires needed alterations – though it seemed like he was set on making this cake the hardest part of wedding planning, for most this comes easiest – but Pedro Pascal was never like most people. 

“I’m sorry, hermosa.” His eyebrows raise slightly and he has a genuine apologetic look on his face, he reaches a hand out to place it on your shoulder gently, “I just want this wedding to be perfect in every aspect – cake included in that…” You sigh softly, dropping his arms slightly as you take in his words; you understand that he only wants the best and that he means well. 

But it’s a cake.

Perhaps he could be more focused on his tux, the guests and the venue – the entire catering of it and not just the cake – after all you like to think people aren’t just just coming for the cake, right? 

“I know, Pedro, but it’s just the cake – we’re not going to focus on that, you know? I’m not going to be standing at that alter thinking to myself ‘God, I can’t wait for this ceremony is over so I can get that cake.’” This makes him laugh, and you know you’re getting your point across, “Let's just try the next sample, if we both like it – even if it’s just not us – let it be our cake.” He gives you an understanding nod, and a very excited smile – he just loves you so much that he wants everything to be perfect, and if you’re telling him that there's no need to be so fussy about the cake, then he won't worry about it too much. 

As if on cue, the bakery woman brings out a new sample cake – she describes it as red velvet, ermine frosting and one of their richest cakes – Pedro is ready to grab the fork to try it but you’re already waving it away with nothing more than a simple “No.” 

The bakery girl sighs, taking the cake away much more and Pedro looks at you, wordlessly asking what was wrong with that sample. “Whatever happened to ‘Let the next sample be our cake?’”

“I am not having a red velvet as my wedding cake! Besides, ermine frosting is essentially boiled milk frosting. I know I said we won't be thinkin’ about it but do you want to eat cake that has frosting that's boiled milk?” Pedro’s face contorts and he shakes his head, he didn’t even like regular milk, nevermind boiled milk, and to feed that to his partner on the day of their wedding? No thank you. They’ll find their wedding cake, it just won't be a red velvet cake with boiled milk frosting. 

In fact when you decide on a cake, it’s a yellow cake with whipped cream frosting, you end up getting it from another bakery than the one you were at – the cake here seemed better, but perhaps it was because you worked out a mutual understanding, or the cake was just genuinely better. 

You ordered it small – the wedding wasn’t going to be big, but man, you were thinking about it after you decided, too, Pedro seemed just as happy on it, honestly you were glad to finally have him agreeing with you on this. 

“We’re going to have the best wedding, hermosa.” he says to you as you’re driving home from the bakery, he's still wiping some of the frosting out of his mustache. “Ceremony of our love, finally being your husband…” 

“And the best tasting wedding cake I’ve tasted yet.” 

“Fuck yeah, the best wedding cake I’ve ever had!” He laughs.

The wedding date was only a few months away now, and you couldn’t wait any longer – they say that there's this anxiety that comes to you when you’ve got a big day such of this – that people remember their wedding for the rest of their lives and so you better make yours count, no room for mistakes – but you didn’t have any of that – not with Pedro, no – anything with him was special enough, picking your wedding cake felt like the most special day to the both of you, you just couldn’t wait to finally be lawfully his. 

Okay, yeah, you couldn’t wait to have more of that cake either – but mostly you were excited to declare your love for this man. The cake is a close second.

[warrior-names]

Warrior Prefixes: White Cats

Words that aren’t derived from things found in North America or Europe aren’t included.

60+ prefixes under the cut!

A

Allium-

Aspen-

Aster-

B

Birch-

Blizzard-

Blossom-

C

Chamomile-

Chickweed-

Cloud-

Clover-

D

Daffodil-

Daisy-

Dogwood-

Dove-

E

Egret-

Ermine-

F

Feather-

Flower-

Flurry-

Frost-

Frozen-

G

Goat-

Goose-

H

Hare-

Hellebore-

Hemlock-

Honeysuckle-

I

Ice-

L

Laurel-

Lily-

Lotus-

M

Magnolia-

Milk-

Moon-

Moth-

Myrtle-

P

Parsley-

Pearl-

Petal-

Poplar-

Q

Quartz-

R

Rabbit-

S

Sage-

Salt-

Sheep-

Shell-

Snow-

Stoat-

Swan-

T

Tulip-

Y

Yarrow-

[castielafflicted]

The Journey of Castiel, The Angel with Too Much Heart

This is my catch for the @crack-in-the-chassis event! You can go see the pitch by @glory-jean over here on Ao3 or here on Dreamwidth!

It was delightful getting to make something for this event that tasted just as good as it looked! It's a chocolate cake with vanilla ermine frosting. I broke out my dedicated sprinkle tweezers for this cake, used cut up paper towels to get sharp(ish) lines on the sanding sugar, and used sugar paper for the featherless wings. And yes, that is a singular goldfish.

[amuhav]

◽ OBSCURE ASSOCIATIONS · tayuin eth'salin ◽

tagged by: @lazysunjade

(ETA bcos I forgot) tagging: @keibea @thesimperiuscurse @izayoichan @rollingsim

◽ ANIMAL · winter ermine ◽

◽ COLOURS · powder blue · lilac · tea rose ◽

◽ MONTH · february ◽

◽ SONGS · persona non grata · said & done · say no one's home ◽

◽ NUMBER · two ◽

◽ PLANTS · blue diamond hellabore · snowdrops ◽

◽ SMELLS · almonds · sour cherry · morning frost ◽

◽ GEMSTONE · natrolite · quartz ◽

◽ TIME OF DAY · twilight ◽

◽ SEASON · winter ◽

◽ PLACES · snow-covered treefall gap ◽

◽ FOOD · cakes · tarts ◽

◽ DRINKS · icewine ◽

◽ ELEMENT · water · air ◽

◽ ASTROLOGICAL SIGNS · aries sun · scorpio moon ◽

◽ SKY · overcast ◽

◽ WEATHER · thawing frost ◽

◽ MAGICAL POWER · ice · illusion ◽

◽ WEAPONS · longbow · words ◽

◽ CANDY · maraschino cherry · candied pearlberry ◽

◽ ART STYLE · watercolour · impressionism ◽

◽ FEAR · betrayal · weakness ◽

◽ MYTHOLOGICAL CREATURE · martlet ◽

◽ CELESTIAL BODY · star ◽