Photo: Allie Chanthorn Reinmann
Sweetened condensed milk is the ingredient behind many delicious treats, like dulce de leche, brigadeiro, Thai iced coffee, and a host of other delights. This viscous, sweet dairy is celebrated for its malty, candy-like flavor, and a thick consistency that allows it to stretch across different lanes of culinary usage. It will readily dissolve into hot coffee, but when whipped with a saturated fat, it turns into a gorgeously fluffy cake frosting.
This frosting has a light, airy consistency, and the flavor is fantastic, with subtle notes of caramelized milk. Sweetened condensed milk comes pre-sweetened—it’s right there in the name!—so there’s no need to add any sugar. The only other ingredient you need is butter.
Sweetened condensed milk frosting comes together easily, and in around ten or fifteen minutes. The only issue I had was that my butter got too cold during the mixing process (sorry, butter, heat’s expensive these days). It’s important that you use soft butter, not just room temperature. Employ the use of your microwave if your home runs chilly (or try these methods), and your frosting will come together much quicker.
Add softened butter to the bowl of a stand mixer (using a hand mixer is fine too). Beat the butter with a whisk attachment until it’s light in color and aerated, about five minutes. Be sure to scrape the bottom and sides as you go. Add the condensed milk, a little bit at a time, whisking after each addition. (I did this in four additions because it’s not easy to drizzle in without the whisk shooting strands of thickened milk everywhere.) Whisk for a few minutes until fluffy.
This frosting is ready to go exactly as-is, though some folks might enjoy a splash of vanilla extract, and/or a pinch of salt. Explore adding food colorings, or different flavors by adding a dash of extracts, melted chocolate, espresso powder, or fruit purées or powders. Spread it over layer cakes, pipe onto cupcakes, melt it over hot waffles, or eat it with a spoon (the true test of a good frosting).
