I’ve been intrigued with this frosting recipe for months, not just because of its alluring title, but also because if its ingredients. Five tablespoons of flour? In frosting? Let’s just say my interest was piqued.
I finally got around to making it yesterday evening; Marlboro Man’s grandmother has some old friends staying at The Lodge and I wanted to take them a treat. So I whipped up this frosting, slapped it on some chocolate cupcakes…and wound up considering not sharing them with the guests because it was so delicious.
You owe it to yourself to make this frosting sometime in your life.
You’ll just have to trust me on this.
Here’s how you make it:
First things first: I made chocolate sheet cake cupcakes. They’re the best cupcakes around.
Here’s the recipe:
The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake (or Cupcakes!) Ever
Let your cupcakes (or cake) cool completely.
Begin by pouring 5 tablespoons of flour into 1 cup of milk. I used whole milk because I can if I want.
After adding the flour, whisk it together until combined, then place the saucepan over medium heat. Whisk it as it heats up and thickens, and stop when the mixture is very thick.
Cool the mixture completely.
The mixture will be very, very thick.
Add 1 teaspoon of vanilla to the cooled flour/milk mixture.
Stir it around to combine.
Pour one cup of sugar into a bowl with one cup of butter.
Whip it around until it’s light and fluffy, scraping the bowl once or twice to make sure it’s all mixed well.
Add the cooled flour/milk/vanilla mixture. Make sure it’s not the least bit warm!
I’m bossy. Sorry.
Next, just whip it on medium-high until the mixture resembled whipped cream.
This was slightly tricky for me, as I was afraid of overbeating the mixture and causing everything to start breaking down and falling apart. I’d say this is about 45 seconds of pretty hard beating.
And then it was time for the rubber to meet the road.
This was spread with a big spatula…
This was spread with a dinner knife. The frosting definitely has a whipped cream consistency; it’s not thick like a decorator icing.
Before I allowed myself to taste it, I made some sprinkled ones for my punks.
This makes for a crunchy cupcake!
And now…for the moment of truth.
THE VERDICT: Okay. Let me just explain something to you. After I took this bite, I looked around for the hidden camera. I was certain someone was playing a trick on me. This frosting is so UNBELIEVABLY divine, I almost couldn’t believe what was happening to me. The consistency is light, the flavor indescribably delicious, and a perfect complement to the rich chocolate cake. And don’t just take my word for it—after my daughter took her first bite, she looked at me and said “WHAT is this FROSTING?”
Even she knew she was in the presence of greatness.
Here’s the frosting recipe:
That’s the Best Frosting I’ve Ever Had
Note: I would probably recommend making the frosting on the same day you intend to serve it.
Thank you to MissyDew for sharing such a great recipe!
538 Comments
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youngmi on 3.16.2010
i’m really excited to give this a try! i hate it when bad frosting ruins a tasty cupcake. i used reduced sugar frosting out of a can on a batch of red velvet cupcakes this past weekend and… yeah. i should have known better :/
shuterbug2882 on 3.16.2010
We make this frosting for red velvet cupcakes every Christmas. Yum!
Dayna on 3.16.2010
I just made a very similar frosting last night to put on a red velvet cake. It was my first attempt at both, but I think I’ll try again soon. However, I’ve already decided to make cupcakes instead of the full cake.
Alison Agnew on 3.16.2010
Okay. I’m on a diet and I mainly just looked at the pictures….living vicariously through them. But I am writing this down so I can show off to all my friends at the next pot luck. Thanks!
Alison
Meghann on 3.16.2010
My family makes something very similar, but with cornstarch instead of flour. We call it Grandma’s Fluffy White Icing. Divine.
Joyce on 3.16.2010
Uh…what happens if you don’t use it the same day? Bakes goods are usually around our home for several days.
Kathryn on 3.16.2010
Yum. Cannot WAIT to try out this one! My husband’s belly will not thank me. ;o)
Paula on 3.16.2010
I actually first got this recipe from my Great Aunt Sally years and years ago. She used it on her coconut cake with toasted coconut on top. It’s really a delicious icing. Thanks so much for sharing.
Drew @ Cook Like Your Grandmother on 3.16.2010
I do this one with brown sugar — http://cooklikeyourgrandmother.com/2009/07/how-to-make-brown-sugar-buttercream-frosting/
Absolutely great on a banana cake — http://cooklikeyourgrandmother.com/2009/07/how-to-make-banana-cake/
bjdfh on 3.16.2010
My mother made this frosting when I was growing up, I forgot how delicious it was.
amy patterson on 3.16.2010
Okay, sounds like the perfect thing to eat during “an after morning service, but I’m starving & haven’t eaten lunch” VBS meeting….I will be sooo loved.
vicki terpstra on 3.16.2010
I LOVE this frosting recipe. You had the same exact thoughts as I when I first saw this recipe the first time I’m sure. I had a friend who could not bake to save her life; a concept that is still foreign to me BUT, she asked if I could make her a Red Velvet cake recipe because she’d failed every attempt at doing so. This was the frosting recipe she had been given by a friend who owns a restaurant that was used on their Red Velvet Cakes.
I made this and was also very reluctant that it would ever become anything near frosting, but I continued and followed the recipe nonetheless. I was amazed at how good it was and she was extremely lucky I have such great willpower as I cook/bake or it may have been gone before it ever saw the cake. LOL
Jaesi on 3.16.2010
are you even serious?!!!! Im dying to lick the bowl scott clean.
Amber on 3.16.2010
This is PERFECT! My daughters first birthday is this week and I was going to make sheet cake cupcakes, but didn’t know I was going to frost them! And those SPRINKLES!! Too cute! My jaw dropped. I can’t wait to try this!
Lisa on 3.16.2010
Can’t wait to try this!!!!!!
MaryAnn/SoCal on 3.16.2010
My grandmother made this frsoting and I have been searching for the recipe for years! Thanks!
MelissaF on 3.16.2010
Can’t wait to try it, but tell us the truth, PW. You didn’t take a fingerful after it was mixed just to see how it tasted?? Come on, you can tell us
Julie on 3.16.2010
This is one of the frostings my grandmother made! I haven’t visited it in a while, now I’m going to have to.
Michelle T on 3.16.2010
This is the frosting that’s been on our red velvet cake for –, well forever and it is to die for. I’ve never put it on anything else, but I think I’ll just have use it next time I make chocolate cupcakes.
Ashley on 3.16.2010
It sounds good and I am making chocolate cupcakes for my daughter’s bday. But will it work for piping? I’m piping grass around the ladybug toppers.
Nita on 3.16.2010
This is the recipe I use for Red Velvet Cake also (35 year old recipe). It’s my favorite!
Christie on 3.16.2010
Awesome! I am going to make these exact cupcakes for my daughter’s first birthday in May. Might as well introduce her to the very best right???
Kendra on 3.16.2010
I can’t wait to try this. I’m so picky about frostings but this one sounds really good.
http://www.monkeetrouble7.wordpress.com
TeriL on 3.16.2010
I cannot wait to try this! Thank you Ree and MissyDew! Oh, I’m craving this badly….
Miz Booshay on 3.16.2010
This is very similar to my red cake frosting.
I beat it for 15 minutes.
It is THE BEST EVER!!! I totally agree.
Marsha on 3.16.2010
I have used this frosting several times. Some days it will work great, other days it will not stay tight enough for frosting. Maybe it is the weather.
Jessica @ How Sweet on 3.16.2010
My grandma used to make frosting on the stove. I don’t love icing but this looks amazing. I am definitely trying!
dawnalee on 3.16.2010
This is nearly the ONLY frosting I use since a friend baked a banana cake with this on it for my birthday over 20 years ago. I really like the buttercream I came up with, but this one is so just right sweet, light and delicious. I do like realmomkitchen though, too, about half the time and use half butter-half shortening. I like it both ways.
Banana cake, banana/zucchini cake, carrot cake, red velvet, rich chocolate, brownies (sometimes adding cocoa)…you get the idea. This IS my go to frosting. There’s usually a tub of it in the fridge for soda crackers or graham crackers or ginger snaps or…
Delicious!
rlphilbr13 on 3.16.2010
OMG we had the same recipe back int he day…but we waited for the milk and flower to cool down and then we added LARD…bad I know…but it was the best “whipped” frosting
Leslie on 3.16.2010
I have been on the hunt for a perfect frosting recipe. I am definitely going to try this. Thanks ree!
Carol on 3.16.2010
I use a similar recipe to fill puff pastry….HEAVENLY!!!!
realmomkitchen on 3.16.2010
This is almost like the recipe I have called foamy frosting. Only difference is in my recipe you use 1/2 cup butter and 1/2 cup shortening. It is most excellent on chocolate cake. in my opinion, the only way to have this frosting. YUM!
evelyn on 3.16.2010
Now this sounds like a frosting I could LOVE. I absolutely detest the powdered sugar and that is what most frosting is made with. We are gonna have CUPCAKES! And, I’m trying your sheetcake recipe for the first time too.
CUPCAKES RULE!!!!
Sara Z. on 3.16.2010
Butter cream frosting is my all-time favorite, and this looks like a twist on a standard butter cream. Can’t WAIT to try it!
Jamie on 3.16.2010
I’ve been looking for something other that regular old buttercream… thanks for the great find!
blue-eyes on 3.16.2010
This is the same recipe I use also..it’s really really good! It’s almost like a whipped frosting, not heavy at all. It’s really easy to make too.
joy on 3.16.2010
This is my husbands favorite frosting! He loves it best on red velvet cake.
Heather on 3.16.2010
Mm I will definitely have to give that a try! It seems really odd to me to put flour in icing, but if you say so …