An Old-Fashioned Favorite -Baking A Moment

Silky, smooth, and perfectly chocolatey. This Chocolate Ermine Frosting is an old-fashioned favorite that’s making a well-deserved comeback. Unlike traditional buttercream, ermine frosting starts with a cooked milk and flour base. This gives it an incredibly light and creamy texture that’s less sweet but still full of rich flavor.

Melted bittersweet chocolate adds depth and sophistication to this vintage-style frosting. It’s the perfect pairing for layer cakes, cupcakes, or even sandwiched between cookies. If you’ve never tried ermine frosting before, this chocolate version is a great place to start!

Ermine frosting is a dream to work with and tastes as good as it looks. Give it a try on your next cake and see why this old-fashioned gem is still a favorite in modern kitchens!

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Here’s Why You’ll Love This

• It’s incredibly smooth and fluffy, with a unique texture you don’t get from traditional buttercream.
• The cooked base reduces sweetness, making it perfect for those who prefer a more balanced frosting.
• Bittersweet chocolate gives it a rich, deep cocoa flavor that feels elegant and indulgent.
• It pairs beautifully with almost any cake, from vanilla and chocolate to red velvet and spice.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Bittersweet chocolate chips: Provide deep, rich chocolate flavor.
• Granulated sugar: Sweetens the base without making it overly sugary.
• All-purpose flour: Thickens the milk mixture to a pudding-like consistency.
• Whole milk: Forms the creamy base of the frosting.
• Unsalted butter: Adds body, richness, and a silky finish.
• Pure vanilla extract: Enhances and balances the chocolate.

In Photos: How to Make Chocolate Ermine Frosting

Step 1

Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Melt in 15-20 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until smooth.

Step 2

In a medium-sized saucepan, whisk together the flour and sugar.

Step 3

Whisk in the milk and bring to a boil over medium heat.

Step 4

Whisk until the mixture reaches a consistency similar to pudding, 4-8 minutes.

Step 5

Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat for approximately 10-15 minutes, until a digital thermometer reads under 80 degrees F.

Step 6

With the mixer running, slowly add the butter until incorporated. Once the butter has been added, add the vanilla.

Step 7

Mix on high speed for 4-6 minutes.

Step 8

Add the melted chocolate and mix until smooth.

Helpful Tips & Tricks

Adding the chocolate: The melted chocolate shouldn’t be too warm when added to the frosting so that it doesn’t melt the butter. However, as the chocolate cools, some of it might firm up against the sides of the bowl since the bowl itself is cooler than the melted chocolate. Stirring occasionally will help prevent this. When it’s time to add the chocolate to the frosting, don’t scrape the sides of the bowl if the chocolate feels firm.

Using with baked goods: This recipe yields approximately 2 1/2 cups, enough to frost a 9×13-inch cake or 12 cupcakes.

Incorporating the butter: If there are still some small lumps of butter after adding it to the frosting, don’t worry. Mixing on high speed during the next step will help bring everything together.

Types of chocolate: Semi-sweet chocolate will also work in this recipe, but the frosting will be sweeter.

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