Ultimate 5-Step Red Velvet Cake with Ermine Frosting Recipe

Classic Red Velvet Cake with creamy, less-sweet Ermine Frosting.  Easy recipe combines soft cake layers with a smooth, vintage frosting.

What is Ermine Frosting?

Boiled milk frosting or flour frosting is a retro style of traditional icing you might know as ermine, because it was often used on special occasion cakes to give the effect of mink.

• It’s essentially a thick paste (think pudding consistency) made from flour, sugar and milk that makes it soft and creamy. 
• The paste is then whipped with butter to create the frosting. 
• And a less sweet, somewhere between whipped cream and buttercream texture for this one. 
• The flour in this frosting cannot be detected by taste, so don’t worry about that!

The Red Velvet Connoisseur’s Companion

1. The Science Behind the Velvet Texture

• Cocoa Chemistry: Use Dutch-process cocoa (alkalized) for its:

  • pH balance (works perfectly with vinegar)

  • Richer red color (reacts better with food coloring)

  • Smoother flavor (less acidic than natural cocoa)

• Vinegar Magic: 1 tsp white vinegar:

  • Activates baking soda for ideal rise

  • Enhances red color stability

  • Tenderizes gluten strands

2. Ermine Frosting Masterclass

3. Color Perfection Guide

Here is complete colour perfection guide for Red Velvet Cake;

• Natural Alternative: 1 tbsp beet powder + 1 tsp lemon juice

• Vibrant Red: Use oil-based food coloring (not water-based)

• No-Bleed Trick: Mix coloring with cocoa first before adding to batter

4. Advanced Flavor Pairings

• Spiced Version: Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1/4 tsp cardamom to dry ingredients

• Berry Twist: Layer with raspberry compote between cake layers

• Chocolate Upgrade: Add 1/4 cup melted dark chocolate to ermine frosting

5. Structural Secrets for Tall Cakes

• Layer Prep: Freeze cakes 30 mins before frosting

• Support System: Use bubble tea straws as dowels for tiered cakes

• Crumb Coat: Chill 15 mins before final frosting layer

6. Vintage vs Modern Techniques

• Original 1940s Method: Used beets for color/moisture

• 1950s Adaptation: Switched to food coloring

• 2024 Hack: Replace buttermilk with 1 cup kefir for extra tang

 

 

 

Ermine Frosting for Red Velvet Cake:

Ermine icing was The red velvet cake icing to prepare in the mid-1900s, especially on this side of the Mason Dixon line. Its delicate flavour goes well with the velvet-coloured cake’s creamy chocolate flavour. Although the acidic taste of cream cheese buttercream has caused a resurgence, ermine frosting remains a popular choice for those who prefer their icing smooth and sweet.

Sugar-free peanut butter is a healthier alternative, offering the rich, creamy taste of peanuts without added sugars. You can make small and crispy nonpareil sprinkles easily at home with few ingredients. 

My Personal Choice:

Even as my true love in frosting may lie with cream cheese, ermine vintage cooked flour frosting is right up there. I actually like it better than many other buttercreams as a result of two flavours that are also ideal with Red Velvet Cake and German chocolate poke cakes.

Red Velvet Cake with Ermine Frosting

Cake Layers

1. Bake the Cake: Preheat the oven to 180°C . Grease or line with greased parchment paper two 8-inch cake pans. Set the convection oven’s temperature to 160°C.
2. Sieve the flour, corn-starch, baking soda, baking powder, cocoa powder, then salt in a mixing container. Mix well and set aside.
3. Mix The Wet Ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat together butteroil and sugar for 2-3 minutes using an electric mixer until it is creamy. One by one add eggs, mix each time.
4. Mix in the flavourings: Vanilla, vinegar and red food colour.
5. Stir in half the dry ingredients, buttermilk and then rest of the dry ingredients. Avoid overmixing.
6. Bake: Divide mixture between the 2 pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool the cakes in their pans for 15-20 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack.

Making Ermine Frosting:

• Caramelize Other Ingredients: In a saucepan, stir together the flour and sugar over medium heat for 2 minutes. Pour half the milk in bit by bit, whisking until smooth then pour in remaining milk and continue to stir till thick.
• Chill the Mix: Spoon mix onto a plate, place in plastic wrap and completely chill
• Whip the Butter: In a large mixing bowl, whip butter until light and fluffy. Slowly add the cooled flour mixture to the butter and sugar in three additions, mixing well after each. Add vanilla and salt.

Decorating the Cake:

• Bottom Layer: Place the bottom layer of Red Velvet Cake on a cake stand and add frosting. Spread with an offset spatula in even layers as another option to help build the crusts evenly between each slice/consumer.
• Add the Second Layer & Frost: Top with the second layer, frost on top and sides then smooth over using a spatula
• How to Pipe with Swirls: if you like swirls, use a piping tip for decorating

Conclusion:

Both are heavenly, old-fashioned delights—slightly chocolaty red velvet cake paired with mild ermine frosting that is thick and fluffy but not too sweet. The texture in this cake is the perfect blend of soft and smooth, with ermine frosting that makes it a truly classic for red velvet lovers.

Although cream cheese frosting has rocketed in popularity, the ermine maintains strong recognition among those seeking a less sweet and more balanced type of icing. It’s a very plain yet fancy enough recipe to make it into an ideal Red Velvet Cake wherever you are.

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