Strawberry Frosting

Cooked Frosting

I love to experiment with different frosting recipes. You can get quite different textures using similar ingredients (butter, sugar, etc.) by combining them in different ways. This frosting recipe isn’t as sweet as the standard cake-decorating frosting. It stays soft even when refrigerated. The frosting is very smooth, and it is a good background for adding your choice of flavoring.

1 ½ cups sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Strawberry extract (I used about ½ teaspoon of concentrated LorAnn flavoring—add according to taste)
Food coloring, if desired

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; mix until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Add the vanilla extract, strawberry flavoring, and food coloring and mix until combined. Taste and adjust flavoring as desired. If the frosting is too soft, put it in the refrigerator to chill slightly then mix again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.

Recipe source: Adapted from Baked