Old Fashioned Custard Frosting

By
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Diana Rattray
Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.
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Updated on 09/18/19
red velvet cake with old-fashioned frosting
Arx0nt / Getty Images
Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 2 mins
Total: 17 mins
Servings: 20 servings

This old fashioned frosting is made with milk and flour beat into sugar and butter mixture. Since it's thickened with flour instead of confectioner's sugar, the frosting has far less sugar than the typical powdered sugar frosting, 

The frosting is beaten until it loses the grittiness from the sugar and resembles fluffy whipped cream. 

Red velvet cake is traditionally frosted with this frosting.

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Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 3/4 cup butter (unsalted, softened)
  • 3/4 cup sugar (granulated, superfine if possible)
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. In a saucepan add a small amount of the milk to flour then stir to make a smooth paste. Add remaining milk.

  3. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture boils and thickens.

  4. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute longer.

  5. Remove from the heat and let it cool.

  6. In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy.

  7. Gradually add the sugar and salt; beat until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.

  8. Add the cooled milk and flour mixture and beat until very light and fluffy; beat in the vanilla.

  9. Enjoy!

Tip

  • This recipe yields enough to frost a two layer cake.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
123 Calories
8g Fat
12g Carbs
1g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 20
Amount per serving
Calories 123
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 11%
Saturated Fat 5g 24%
Cholesterol 21mg 7%
Sodium 82mg 4%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Protein 1g
Calcium 36mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)