Sometimes wonderful things result from laziness and that’s exactly what happened here. Our mom needed Felicia and I to bake cupcakes for a co-worker’s retirement party, but we were all out of powered sugar. Thankfully, we live in the modern era where information is vast and accessible. One internet search and we found a convenient solution to our frosting dilemma. I was initially skeptical if this frosting would pan out, but it did and it did so beautifully! Whipped long enough, this frosting boasts a velvety smooth texture. Plus, the relatively low amount of granulated sugar gives it just the right touch of sweetness, bypassing the tooth-achingly sweet effect of many powered sugar frostings.

Furthermore, this basic frosting recipe can be easily customized by mixing in additional flavorings or spices. For example, I added a packet of the 3-in-1 instant coffee mix I got from my travels in Xianggelila, China! I usually only buy powdered sugar for the purpose of making frosting, but this one’s a game changer. Powered sugar-less or not, this may just be my new go-to frosting recipe!

Basic Powdered Sugar-less Frosting

Frosts 24 cupcakes (Adapted from AllRecipies)

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter, softened for 1 hr (don’t let it get too soft)
• 1 cup granulated sugar

Directions

1. In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk over medium-high heat. Once bubbling, lower the heat slightly and continue whisking until mixture is very thick. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Let cool completely before using in the next step.
2. Meanwhile using an electric mixer on high speed, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Then add the completely cooled milk mixture and continue beating on high speed for 15 minutes or until texture is smooth like whipped cream (let the mixer rest as needed). Add in additional flavorings as desired.