This Heritage Frosting recipe is creamy and not overly sweet. It starts with a cooked flour and milk mixture giving it a unique flavor and texture. Such a great alternative to traditional buttercream!
Here we are again! Another Frosting Friday in the books! I am loving this series and hope you are as well. I can already tell it’s going to be a great resource for my site moving forward, mixing and matching cakes to different frostings! Yay for butter and sugar!
SO so many of you have asked about this frosting…requesting something a little less sweet than traditional buttercream.
My mom used to make this frosting whenever she made her Red Velvet cake…which I will be sharing with you guys soon! It happens to be the absolute BEST red velvet cake recipe in all the land and I am just sorry I haven’t shared it with you before!
Anyhow, part of what makes that cake the best is the FROSTING! I have heard this type of frosting called a lot of different things…Cooked Flour Frosting, Boiled Frosting, Magic Frosting, Ermine Frosting…
Anyhow, my mom called it Heritage Frosting, so that’s what I will call it too. The difference in the recipe is that you boil milk and flour together, almost like a gravy, until it’s very thick. This serves as the base of the frosting.
How to Make This Heritage Frosting Recipe
You let it cool completely. You can even do this step ahead of time and refrigerate it until you’re ready to use it!
While you’re cooking the milk and flour, you have to whisk it CONSTANTLY. You do NOT want any lumps, because once they’re there, there’s no turning back…trust me I’ve tried.
Basically you’ll end up with lumpy frosting and that’s just gross. Once the flour mixture is cooled, you mix together butter and sugar.
Here’s where I went a little off-script. My mom’s recipe (and most of the ones I have found online) call for granulated sugar. I have made it that way and it’s good. That’s the way my mom made it, and it’s probably the traditional way to make this frosting. HOWEVER.
This is my website and I get to make the rules. Please feel free to try it with granulated sugar, if you wish… but since I think you come to me for MY favorites, I actually like making this with powdered sugar.
Sorry, it’s just what I prefer.
I feel like the powdered sugar gives it a silkier texture…and actually it’s a little less sweet, in my opinion. I will include the granulated sugar adaptation in the recipe, so you can make your own choice.
Mix the cooled flour mixture in with the butter and sugar until it’s fluffy and silky!
Seriously how gorgeous is that?!
Now, another tip I will give you…
When I was testing this recipe, I made a few batches. One batch I used immediately on a cake and it was amazing. The other batch I saved and refrigerated to use on a cake later that week.
When I was ready to use the frosting, I pulled it out of the fridge and let it come up to room temperature. I re-whipped it, so it would be fluffy and creamy. But it just didn’t work. The frosting became thin and curdled-looking…and just kid of goopy.
Anyhow, I tried it again the following week, with the same results. So I don’t recommend making this in advance. I would make it and frost your cake or cupcake the same day. Once it’s on the cake, I had no trouble with the texture, although it does soften up the longer it sits, but it is still completely tasty.
You can absolutely pipe this frosting, but I would not use it for piping flowers or anything you would like to hold a clean shape. I like this best spread on, but that’s just my opinion!
Stay tuned for my Red Velvet Cake recipe!
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Heritage Frosting
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 3 cups 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Heritage Frosting recipe is creamy and not overly sweet. It starts with a cooked flour and milk mixture giving it a unique flavor and texture. Such a great alternative to traditional buttercream!
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a small saucepan whisk the milk, flour and salt together constantly on medium-low heat until the mixture thickens. You will want it to be the consistently of a very thick gravy.
- Remove the pan from heat and allow to cool completely, stirring occasionally.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer beat the butter and sugar for 1 minute, or until creamy. Add in the cooled flour mixture and vanilla. Mix on medium speed for 2-3 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Frosting will become thick and smooth.
- Use immediately.
Notes
I have never had luck refrigerating this frosting for later use. It tends to separate and get runny when re-whipping. I recommend using immediately.
If you prefer to make this the traditional way, sub out the powdered sugar for 1 cup of granulated sugar. Follow all the instructions the same way.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Scoop
- Calories: 197
- Sugar: 25.9 g
- Sodium: 349.1 mg
- Fat: 8.7 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.1 g
- Protein: 2.6 g
- Cholesterol: 3.1 mg
Want To Save This Recipe?
don’t sweat the lumps that could happen….use an immersion blender to smooth the flour mixture if you need to get rid of lumps…works every time 🙂
Salted butter in frosting?
I prefer salted butter, but you can use either!
First time I’ve seen a similar recipe for the Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet cake as well as the “Heritage frosting” that has been in my family for over 70 years!! My recipe calls for very fine granulated sugar for both the cake and frosting. Baking soda and vinegar are mixed together and added while it foams. Cake flour is to be sifted 4 times. The frosting needs to be beaten until it gets light and fluffy and it takes some time. Worth every effort to make and it is a favorite in my family.
I’ve made this for years and I find that if you put the milk and flour in a blender and give it a quick whirl it helps to avoid lumps
I’ve found using a wisk to mix the cold milk and flour together before I put it on any heat prevents some lumping but it is the continuous mixing while it is cooking that keeps the lumps from forming.
Has anyone tried caster (superfine granulated) sugar for this? That seems like it might work pretty well.
My family recipe calls for the superfine granulated sugar for both the cake and frosting.