This whipped vanilla frosting may be my new favorite frosting. For years, I’ve been using vegan vanilla buttercream as my go-to frosting for cake decorating. While buttercream is deliciously sweet and creamy, and frosts beautifully on cakes, I sometimes crave a lighter, less sweet frosting.
This whipped vanilla frosting has the butter base that buttercream does, however it’s sweetened with granulated sugar and thickened with the addition of a roux. It’s also whipped longer than classic buttercream. All of these adjustments make for an extremely light and fluffy frosting.
While I still prefer decorating cakes with buttercream for a perfect-looking finish, this whipped frosting is sturdy enough to use for layer cakes and pipe onto cupcakes. Plus, its delicious texture will have your guests raving over it and coming back for seconds.
Ermine Frosting
This frosting is a variation of Ermine frosting, a light and creamy frosting that’s thickened with flour. Ermine frosting is typically less sweet than classic buttercream and is reminiscent of whipped cream or the frosting you’d find in a ding dong.
My vegan variation of Ermine frosting uses vegan butter and soy milk in place of their dairy alternatives. The result is a deliciously light and fluffy frosting that doesn’t require any eggs or dairy. This frosting can be used in place of Italian Meringue Buttercream, which is a similarly fluffy and less sweet frosting that uses egg whites as the base.
Ingredients
All-purpose flour + soy milk: This is the roux — it thickens the frosting. It may seem weird to use flour in frosting, but it’s necessary for the delicious whipped texture. It’s important you allow the roux to cool completely before adding to your butter mixture or else the frosting may curdle.
Vegan butter: This is the base of the frosting. I recommend using Earth Balance buttery sticks, Miyoko’s Cultured Vegan Butter, or Country Crock Plant Butter. I do not recommend using margarine from the tub.
Granulated sugar: This is another atypical ingredient you’ll use in this frosting. Granulated sugar would typically make buttercream grainy, but creaming the butter and sugar for several minutes (even up to ten! This is where a stand mixer can help immensely) before adding the roux helps dissolve the sugar granules, ensuring your final product is smooth and creamy.
Pure vanilla extract: You’ll use a half tablespoon of vanilla extract in this frosting. This will add a rich and delicious flavor to the frosting.
How to make this whipped vanilla frosting
- Make the roux. Add the flour and soy milk to a small bowl and and whisk well. Strain the mixture into a saucepan over medium heat and continuously whisk until the mixture thickens – it should look like pudding when it’s ready. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour back into the bowl (you can also strain it again here to remove lumps; or, blend in a blender/food processor to get rid of them) and top with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the mixture (this will help ensure a skin doesn’t form on top). Allow to cool completely.
- Beat the butter and granulated sugar. Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for 7-10 minutes, until very light and fluffy (be patient here, you want the mixture to be very whipped and the sugar to dissolve as much as possible). Scrape the sides as necessary.
- Add the roux. Continue to beat the butter mixture as you slowly add the cooled milk mixture to it (if your milk mixture isn’t cooled completely, your frosting may curdle). Mix the frosting until it’s light and fluffy, scraping the sides as necessary.
How to use this frosting
Cakes: This frosting is delicious on cakes and it’s sturdy enough to use for layer cakes. You can use it to frost a two layer 8″ cake or three layer 6″ cake, with extra for decorating.
Cupcakes: This frosting is sturdy enough to pipe onto cupcakes. I love using a Wilton 2D tip for beautiful flower-like swirls.
Cookie Sandwiches: Sandwich this in between your favorite cookies for a deliciously light and fluffy filling.
Tools and accessories used
Kitchenaid Mixer: While not necessary, I love using my Kitchenaid stand mixer when making this frosting. It helps tremendously, as you’ll need to beat this for up to ten minutes. I like to use my flex edge beater attachment, which scrapes the sides as it mixes.
Rubber Scraper: You’ll want one of these to scrape the sides of the bowl as you mix. I also like use it to stir my buttercream a bit by hand to remove air bubbles before using.
Tips and Tricks
This frosting can be a bit temperamental, and may take a couple attempts before it comes out perfect, however it’s well worth it. Below are a few tips and tricks to help you succeed with this recipe.
Barely softened butter: You’ll want the butter to be just barely softened when making this buttercream, as butter that’s too soft can cause the frosting to curdle. You’ll whip the butter and sugar for a long time, which will incorporate heat into the butter. I recommend bringing it out of the fridge just 10-20 minutes before using.
Whip the butter and sugar for a long time: You’ll want to beat the butter and sugar for the entire 7-10 minutes (scraping the sides occasionally) so that the sugar dissolves into the butter and the frosting has a whipped texture. This is very important for the success of this frosting.
Cool the roux completely: Allow the roux to cool completely before using to ensure that the frosting doesn’t curdle.
Make right before using: Make the buttercream right before you plan on using it for the best outcome.
Let me know your thoughts!
If you love this recipe or have any questions, leave me a comment with a rating below. I also love to see your creations on Instagram, so make sure to tag me @marykatesvegancakes so I can see and repost!
Whipped Vanilla Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup (42 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (240 mL) soy milk
- 1/2 tbsp (7 mL) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 227 g) vegan butter*, barely softened*
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Add the flour and soy milk to a small bowl and and whisk well. Strain the mixture into a saucepan over medium heat and continuously whisk until the mixture thickens – it should look like pudding when it's ready. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract. Pour back into the bowl (you can also strain it again here to remove lumps; or, blend in a blender/food processor to get rid of them) and top with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap directly onto the mixture (this will help ensure a skin doesn't form on top). Allow to cool completely.
- Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat for 7-10 minutes, until very light and fluffy (be patient here, you want the mixture to be very whipped and the sugar to dissolve as much as possible). Scrape the sides as necessary.
- Continue to beat the butter mixture as you slowly add the cooled milk mixture to it (if your milk mixture isn't cooled completely, your frosting may curdle). Mix the frosting until it's light and fluffy, scraping the sides as necessary.
- Use as desired! You can use this for layered cakes, cupcakes, or cookie sandwiches.
Notes
- Vegan Butter: I recommend using vegan buttery sticks for the buttercream rather than margarine from the tub.
- Barely Softened Butter: You’ll want the butter to be just barely softened when making this buttercream, as butter that’s too soft can cause the frosting to curdle. You’ll whip the butter and sugar for a long time, which will incorporate heat into the butter. I recommend bringing it out of the fridge just 10-20 minutes before using.
This is truly the BEST vegan frosting recipe! Better than buttercream, it really is like a whipped cream. It reminds me of the whipped cream frosting on Carvel ice cream cakes, which I used to love before going vegan. This is the only frosting recipe I use now for any cake. I’ve customized it, making a vanilla latte flavor by adding a bit of instant espresso, or adding cocoa powder to make it chocolatey. The best, thank you!!
How much cocoa powder do you use? And how much instant espresso?
Can I use almond milk instead of soy milk?
Yes, it should work with almond milk.
I’m going to make this frosting to fill my fried vegan yeast donuts with and I’ll top them with red velvet cake crumbs. I can’t wait to give it a try. Thank you!
Can I use powdered sugar in the place of granulated sugar? If so what would be the measurement?
Thanks!
Should you let the roux cool on the counter? Can the roux go in the fridge and say prep in the night before?
Why didn’t you incorporate the sugar in the roux as in traditional ermine frosting?
Hi, I am having a bit of trouble…this delicious cream is curdling…the other day I think the roux mixture wasn’t cooled enough – but making it again today, I took the roux from the fridge as I made it last night and so it was cold. Do you think that it being too cold would result in curdling? (The butter was barely softened when beaten as instructed.) Any thoughts greatly appreciated 🙂
This is hands down the best icing I’ve ever made. My go-to. It’s light and sweet but not too sweet. Amazing. Kudos to the creator. I use it with a vegan chantilly cake often and it is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.