French Cream Frosting
A cooked vanilla frosting for French Chocolate Cake my Grandma used to make when she would make a layered cake (may have been doubled - I don't remember).
A cooked vanilla frosting for French Chocolate Cake my Grandma used to make when she would make a layered cake (may have been doubled - I don't remember).
- Carbohydrate 27.6854291666667 g
- Cholesterol 20.53875 mg
- Fat 7.75449666666667 g
- Fiber 0.0900000015894572 g
- Protein 0.508709166666667 g
- Saturated Fat 4.89568958333333 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (41g)
- Sodium 55.6045 mg
- Sugar 27.5954291650772 g
- Trans Fat 0.549973833333335 g
- Calories 178 calories
Step-by-step
- Cook milk and flour together until thick.
- Beat butter and sugar together with a mixer until light and well blended.
- Add vanilla, flour and milk mixture and beat until creamy and light.
- Frost cake.
The Cooking Stage
Boiling the milk and flour together requires constant whisking to prevent scorching at the base of the saucepan. Cook this slurry until it reaches a thick, paste-like consistency before removing it from the heat source. Cool the cooked flour paste completely to room temperature before combining it with the butter mixture, otherwise the residual heat will melt the dairy fats and break the emulsion.
Sugar Variations
Granulated white sugar provides both sweetness and bulk, creating the necessary structure for whipping air into the fats. Splenda can replace sugar by volume for lower calorie content, but expect a slight texture difference because artificial sweeteners lack the crystallization properties of sucrose that contribute to firmness. Butter cannot be swapped for shortening without losing the distinct dairy flavor profile that defines this style of icing.
Historical Roots
Cooked flour frostings trace back to early twentieth-century domestic baking traditions before commercial shortening dominated American kitchens. Pastry cooks utilized this method, often called ermine frosting, to stabilize butter-based toppings without relying solely on powdered sugar or raw egg whites. Stored in a refrigerator, the finished icing maintains its spreadable consistency for up to forty-eight hours in an airtight container.
