Italian Meringue Buttercream - just tastes like butter

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Permalink Reply by Bettina Dwyer on September 9, 2012 at 5:22am

Of course it tastes like butter at that point. Once you've added all the butter you then add your flavouring. I make a lot of vanilla, chocolate, lime, lemon, espresso coffee, hazelnut and even orange! Persevere with it, it's well worth the effort and a lot more stable than buttercream.

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Permalink Reply by Kylee Ghodsi on September 9, 2012 at 7:11am

Thanks for the reply.  The recipe I had didn't mention adding any flavoring at the end.  Would you have a favorite recipe for Italian Meringue Buttercream that you would be willing to share with me?

Bettina Dwyer said:

Of course it tastes like butter at that point. Once you've added all the butter you then add your flavouring. I make a lot of vanilla, chocolate, lime, lemon, espresso coffee, hazelnut and even orange! Persevere with it, it's well worth the effort and a lot more stable than buttercream.

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Permalink Reply by Bettina Dwyer on September 9, 2012 at 5:22pm

I use a recipe I found on Cake Central a few years ago.

http://cakecentral.com/recipe/vanilla-italian-meringue-buttercream

When you add flavours with a lot of liquid you do have to be careful as you can break the emulsion (the buttercream) by adding too much liquid.

I have used the following"

1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Raspberry puree (1/4cup for every two cups of IMBC)

Lemon juice - juice of two lemons plus zest

Lime juice - juice of two limes plus zest ( I tend to go by taste for the juices as sometimes they are more or less juicy and flavoursome at different times of the year)

Orange juice(see above)

Liquers one or two tablespoons

2 ounces of melted cooled bitterweet chocolate

Peppermint extract

Rose water

Lemon myrtle (native Australian product)

Wattle seed powder (another native Australian product - gives a coffeeish flavour)

Hazelnut spread (2 tablespoons)

Any fruit curd

I prefer this to ordinary buttercream as it has a lovely mouth feel, isn't too sweet, is more stable in hot weather and pipes really well

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Permalink Reply by Kylee Ghodsi on September 9, 2012 at 7:46pm

Thanks so much for this recipe.  I will try it out just as soon as I can.  Can you tell me how this frosting goes under fondant?  I know that you are not supposed to refrigerate cakes covered in fondant, but will the Italian Meringue Frosting hold up if I leave it overnight and don't refrigerate it?

Bettina Dwyer said:

I use a recipe I found on Cake Central a few years ago.

http://cakecentral.com/recipe/vanilla-italian-meringue-buttercream

When you add flavours with a lot of liquid you do have to be careful as you can break the emulsion (the buttercream) by adding too much liquid.

I have used the following"

1 - 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Raspberry puree (1/4cup for every two cups of IMBC)

Lemon juice - juice of two lemons plus zest

Lime juice - juice of two limes plus zest ( I tend to go by taste for the juices as sometimes they are more or less juicy and flavoursome at different times of the year)

Orange juice(see above)

Liquers one or two tablespoons

2 ounces of melted cooled bitterweet chocolate

Peppermint extract

Rose water

Lemon myrtle (native Australian product)

Wattle seed powder (another native Australian product - gives a coffeeish flavour)

Hazelnut spread (2 tablespoons)

Any fruit curd

I prefer this to ordinary buttercream as it has a lovely mouth feel, isn't too sweet, is more stable in hot weather and pipes really well

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Permalink Reply by Bettina Dwyer on September 9, 2012 at 8:12pm

Although it is more stable than ordinary buttercream, it will soften in extreme heat and thus make the fondant slip. I prefer to use chocolate ganache under my fondant these days. Ganache is more stable in higher temps, it gives you a really good base to work on and you can get those lovely sharp edges. But if I do use buttercream under fondant I use this recipe.

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