The mixer giveaway is still going on through noon today and winners will be announced Friday. Meanwhile, I wanted to re-post this recipe again for a slightly controversial frosting that I love so much I just made it again this week. And I realize it’s strange to call frosting controversial, but the comments on the original post did show mixed reactions and results. I happen to love it. Let me know if you’ve tried it yet!
From the TK Blog archives – March 2010
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.
Thank you, MissyDew, for submitting!
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!
332 Comments
Comments are closed for this recipe.
Laurel on 10.8.2010
I tried this recipe just after you first posted it and it was amazing. It was enjoyed by all!
Thelma on 10.8.2010
I’ve been making this frosting for a few years (got it from a recipe to go with red velvet cake). I frosted cupcakes with it. My son called it Peace on Earth on a Cupcake and that name has stuck. It’s also great with a little cocoa powder mixed in.
Jill on 10.8.2010
Made this when it was posted the first time. First time I’ve ever thrown frosting away. Major thumbs down here.
marj on 10.8.2010
For some reason my kids won’t eat store-bought frosting. Only this will do!
This is the perfect frosting for red velvet cake.
Trudy on 10.8.2010
Have made this delicious frosting for decades. My husband’s grandmother showed me how. She always put it on red velvet cake; I use it on nearly everything. It’s easy to make cocoa flavored as well. Or just stir in some expresso powder for a coffee flavor.
Karen on 10.8.2010
My Aunt Connie used to use this flour frosting on her Red Velvet Cake. I made the cake and the frosting for our county fair and won a blue ribbon.
Connie Kincheloe on 10.8.2010
My mom has been making this for years. We call it Butter Cream Frosting. I believe she got the recipe from her mom. She gave it to me in a recipe book she put together for me when I was little. (And noted at the bottom to find a corner and not share).
It has always been a FAVORITE! Especially on Red Velvet cake… in fact, my mom made it for my 1st birthday (she has the pictures to prove it…slides, nonetheless…does that date me?). And I’ve always used it to decorate my children’s birthday cakes. It can taste pasty if not made correctly though-you must whip the heck out of it. Dang… now I’m going to have to find an excuse to make it to get rid of this craving I now have for it.
amyv on 10.8.2010
My favorite too. We love it on lemon cake.
Carolina City Girl on 10.8.2010
uhh…so…after reading this last night, i most definitely had a dream that i tried to make this frosting, but didn’t cook the flour and it turned out to be a disaster! hopefully when i actually try it out, i won’t be asleep and i won’t forget to cook the flour mixture
hah!
summer on 10.8.2010
this frosting IS AMAZING!!!!
Amy C on 10.8.2010
I tried this when you first posted the recipe and it was a huge hit! Then I beat a brick of cream cheese into a half-recipe, added the juice from half a lemon and made a wonderful carrot cake frosting! So good!!!
Cindy C on 10.8.2010
My hubby is not a fan of sweet frosting but loves this one. I agree it is one of the best out there. I know it is old it came from my mom’s aunt and I am glad to see it still lives on and is loved by so many.
I agree if the flour is not cooked properly it would taste like paste but with patience it is so worth it! Thanks for the happy memories and sharing!
Jessica on 10.8.2010
Made a huge batch of mini chocolate cupcakes and tried this frosting recipe….brought them into work today and everyone loves them! Tastes like a cross between whipped cream and butter cream. Thanks, very yummy.
MissyDew on 10.8.2010
USE REAL BUTTER!! Margarines have water in them and that can make the frosting separate!
Em on 10.8.2010
This AM, tried to make this. Did not end up like I think it was supposed to. Had to use ‘raw sugar’, not the white granulated kind it calls for; did not set like it should have. Oh well. I will try again with the ‘right stuff’!
Cheryl on 10.8.2010
This frosting is AMAZING. If you have made it and it tasted like paste or flour, you’re doing something wrong. Try it again. It’s worth your time. Everyone I have made it for has LOVE LOVE LOVED it.
karenp on 10.8.2010
We LOVE this recipe, it is perfect for my not-so-sweet-tooth husband. I will admit that the second time I made it, it turned out better. I have no idea what the difference was though.
Kristie on 10.8.2010
This is the only frosting my Mama would put on her red velvet cake.
I like this frosting so much more than cream cheese frosting.
Elizabeth on 10.8.2010
Has anyone made it gluten-free?
Jenny R. on 10.8.2010
I made this frosting over the weekend, but I realized that I wouldn’t be able to use it on the cake I had planned to take with me to a picnic the next day. Yes, it is really good tasting frosting, but it breaks down really quickly. I definitely think anyone who plans to try it should be ready to serve whatever they slather it on immediately or the same day. Since I couldn’t use the batch I made, I handed it off to my husband who then proceeded to sit on the couch and eat it with a spoon.
Liz C on 10.8.2010
I have made this frosting for years. It was my great-grandmother’s recipe which was passed down to me from my grandmother. The one thing my grandmother told me was to be sure the milk/flour mixture was completely cooled. Thank you for sharing this great old fashioned recipe with everyone!
Genny on 10.8.2010
Forgot to add: Made the cupcakes from the chocolate sheet cake recipe and it is the best ever chocolate cake recipe!
Genny on 10.8.2010
Yes, I have tried this frosting recipe! It is delightfully different and delicious! So glad to have it to add to my recipe file! Thanks, Ree!
Danise on 10.8.2010
OK – tried this recipe on some cupcakes – it changed my life (to use the words of Pionerr Woman) – I don’t think I will ever need another frosting recipe again!
Cathy Burns on 10.8.2010
I have to agree that it is the best. And my neighbors all agree also. The gentleman across the street often “hints” that it is time for some of those cupcakes. I did try adding cocoa once but none of us cared for it as much as the original white. Now that you have brought it up….I guess it is time to make cupcakes. And we all like chocolate cupcakes best!
PS. I also finally made your chocolate sheet cake recently. Oh my goodness! It was better than any chocolate sheet cake I have ever eaten. Huge….shared it with the neighbors also. The neighbors love you for making me cook!
Nicole Mt on 10.8.2010
Ok, I made this exact combo….The Best Chocolate (Cup)Cake ever PLUS this frosting and it is A.W.E.S.O.M.E.
recreationalcook on 10.8.2010
I made this the first time you posted it and it is very good and will probably be the only white frosting I make. There is a similar Chocolate Frosting on/in? Tasty Kitchen called World Peace Through Frosting that is very good and when refrigerated tastes like mousse.
TheKlausHouse on 10.8.2010
I love, love, LOVE this frosting!!! Instead of vanilla extract, use 1 teaspoon of Kahlua – OMG GOOD!!
Mishelle on 10.8.2010
Oh MY! My Mom has made this for years – I love it!!! She always makes chocolate though, it is so good!!
Very yummy!!
M
Rhonda on 10.8.2010
I know that a similar recipe has been around for years. Back in the mid 1980’s I made a Black Forest cake for a co-worker (who was German and the recipe was her mother’s) and that cake disappeared quickly. I miss those days of every employee getting their requested cake made by scratch by three bakers which I was the youngest…I learned so much from this group of people.
Kristie on 10.8.2010
I make a very similar icing to fill my gobs. They simply wouldn’t be gobs without cooked icing! Try it on graham crackers sometime…it’ll change everything you ever thought you knew about graham crackers. Double YUM!!
Joy on 10.8.2010
Both the chocolate cake recipe and the icing recipe sound great. I suspect my boys will be thanking you for posting these because I have to try them soon.
Susan Cosby on 10.8.2010
I have a recipe very similar to this that my mother-in-law gave me and we use it on our whoopi pies…it is the BEST!! I try to put so much in between each cookie layer that I have to triple my frosting recipe!!
Renee Clinton on 10.8.2010
How long would you cook the recipe for cupcakes?
Lisa S. on 10.8.2010
This frosting is my absolute favorite! I got the recipe years ago from my aunt. I have fond memories of eating this on top of her Very Best Chocolate Cake (the cake recipe is a bit different from the recipe posted here) when I was a little girl 30+ years ago. (Yikes!)
I can’t make this very often though, lest I eat half a sheet cake myself.
badgermom on 10.8.2010
couldnt resist. Made them tonight. used cake flour for half the flour in the cupcakes. They are so light, like soft…cotton? But moist. The frosting is light, just the right amount of sweet. now what to do with all these cupcakes. Only me, dad and youngest home now. Take to boyscouts tomorrow I guess. Or maybe I better go have one more for the road. Who needs sleep anyway?
Sandi Myers on 10.7.2010
This is the frosting recipe that came down to me with the Red Waldorf Cake recipe from my mother. I absolutely agree it is the BEST FROSTING EVER. And yes it’s weird to make, but I have never had it not mix up correctly!!!! Now I just buy the Red Velvet Cake Mix and use this frosting. Tastes homemade that way. Now I’m gonna have to go make a Red Velvet Cake.
Agata on 10.7.2010
Yes, I have tried it few times. It reminds me of the frosting my mom used to make to fill puffy pastries. The one my mom made used potato starch instead of flour and was a bit less sweet but pretty similar.
I made this frosting for my son’s b-day cake adding few tablespoons of orange marmalade and a tablespoon of Cointreau (it was chocolate-orange cake). I turned out fabulous!
It was a bit too sweet for me so maybe next time I will reduce the amount of sugar. Other than that, it’s great!
MissyDew on 10.7.2010
Oh, PW, you’ve got me all giddy – AGAIN!! I’m thrilled you like this recipe and that so many other people do, too. My oldest heard me scream with delight when I saw it featured again tonight and just said I need to make it for him. Now.
He’s an incredibly picky eater and he likes two kinds of cake. He says yellow with chocolate frosting is ok but chocolate with this frosting is so much better.
I’ve read where some people have had problems with it being runny or separating. I can’t stress enough that the flour/milk mixture needs to be really thick and completely cooled. It should feel cool if you touch it. The other thing is that you need to beat/whip the heck out of it. If it looks curdled, you haven’t beaten it enough. Also, if you use margarine, a lot of those have water in them and that could make it separate or be runny.
I’ve also read a couple of comments where it tastes bland to people. I’m wondering if unsalted butter was used? Or margarine? Maybe not enough vanilla? Maybe artificial vanilla?
Well, I think I need to dig into my recipe collection and pull a couple others favorites out to share with you and TK.
Thanks again for featuring the recipe. I need to head into my kitchen now.
~MissyDew aka Cheryl
Jazzy on 10.7.2010
I made it not long after you did the last post about it. I’m not crazy about it, but then I’m a buttercream kind-a gal. My dad, however, LOVED it! He does not generally like frosting of any kind other than the whipped (cream) frosting, he says it’s too sweet. He really enjoyed this, though.
Stephanie on 10.7.2010
This is similar to my Grandma’s recipe for frosting and I could eat it by the bowl full!
Kendra on 10.7.2010
Mine tasted great, but the texture was terrible and it looked terrible. I still need to give it one more go…
catlover5589 on 10.7.2010
Sweet! A frosting that doesn’t require powdered sugar, I tend to forget to buy it. You’re making me hungry. Looks delicious!
Thank you!
Linda R on 10.7.2010
This is an old frosting recipe in many variations. Pretty sure my mother makes it with cornstarch rather than the flour. The one things she has found is you MUST use whole milk. We usually have skim in the house and it just doesn’t thicken well with the skim milk….but oh so yummy…..love it in whoopie pies!!! mmmhhh….not everyone likes it in my household either, but my mom still makes my chocolate layer cake with it for my birthday……not sure how many more years she’ll keep doing that…she’s 74 and cooking less and less
Nancy on 10.7.2010
I made the cake and the frosting the last time you posted it and I liked the icing pretty well when it was fresh, but couldn’t stand it the next time a cut apiece of cake. i hate to say it, but my kids really didn’t like it and i threw the rest of the cake away.
Dawn in Michigan on 10.7.2010
I owe you a belated THANK YOU, Ree. I made this for Easter and LOVED it!! I put it on cupcakes and shared it with friends – they were immediately transported back to their wedding and said this frosting reminded them of their cake! I never had this kind of frosting before that, but I love it!!
Heather N. on 10.7.2010
I make this frosting too! It is so creamy and good! Mine calls for Crisco & butter…nothing but the good stuff! We use it on a very dense, chocolaty dump cake.
theymakemecook on 10.7.2010
it was just okay for me. i’d rather homemade cream cheese frosting. but then I don’t really like cake very much, i’ve always been a pie kind of gal…. even as a kid when i picked my birthday dessert it was always always pie. my kids are the same way. but i’m glad i made it to see what a roux frosting was like.
Betsy on 10.7.2010
I made this frosting after the last time it was posted on here. It has become my favorite! I made it one time for a church potluck. There were two girls in front of me in line and when they got to the cupcakes the older one looked at them and passed, while the younger girl took one and tasted the frosting for her sister. “Ooooh! So good!” she said, and the older girl reached back and took the last cupcake! I’m glad to see the recipe again. “Ooooh! So Good!”
marie on 10.7.2010
This is a long-time family favorite. I actually prefer it on yellow cake…it is so very wonderful. and, yes, it used to be made with crisco-like shortening…I use butter just because the idea of all that crisco is kind of creepy; but the frosting is GREAT.