Italian Meringue Buttercream
Quick question for those of you out there that have tried making Italian meringue buttercream. My first batch tasted bad (too buttery - like taking a bite out of a stick of sweetened butter), but I made it again and it turned out lovely. I added coconut extract and the frosting was beautiful, light and delicious. I put it in the fridge to use the next day on a cake but when I went to use it it was back to a buttery consistency. I let it warm up to room temp and put it back into my blender to whip up again but it just went heavy and felt like butter (when you dipped your fingure in it it felt oily like butter again instead of fluffy and light). I'm thinking that I didn't allow it to come to full room temp before I whipped it up (it was still a bit cold). I love the taste but I tried putting it on a cake after trying to whip it up and it was horrible.... ideas?
I know some people who make cakes professionally only use italian meringue buttercream so I don't know why I'm having so many problems with this frosting...
I know some people who make cakes professionally only use italian meringue buttercream so I don't know why I'm having so many problems with this frosting...
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Marie-France Jutras on
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Thanks Helen! That helps a lot. I'll have to try your tips. I guess with my cakes is that I haven't gotten the perfectly smooth cake down pat yet. Practice, practice, practice eh? :)
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Permalink Reply by Nikki Riley on
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I tried making IMBC this past weekend for a wedding cake tasting and it was horrible. It was soupy and tasted like butter. I don't know what I did wrong. I let the sugar reach the right temp & whisked for 10 mins as the recipe said. I'm scared to try to make it again. Egg whites frighten me, lol.
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Permalink Reply by Kathy Kmonk on
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Your bowl and beaters must be free of any grease or oil, otherwise the egg whites won't beat up properly. I was afraid to attempt IMBC until I watched a Warren Brown video demonstrating it on Youtube. (I have since posted it here under videos.) He broke it down and made it look real easy. I have made it twice since and it has turned out perfectly each time. I've posted his recipe under the recipe section.
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Permalink Reply by ceshell on
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I'm curious as to when it was soupy for you? If it was after you added the butter, then your butter/meringue might have still been too warm. When it turns soupy, it needs to be rechilled before continuing to beat. It is almost always salvageable though (if temperature was the issue). You may find that you overchill it and then it turns curdly AND separates and then you think "OH this is BUNK!" and want to give up, but then you just warm up the bowl gently (I use my hands or a warm towel) and eventually it will come back together...i.e. --^--what Helen wrote--^--. I have rescued soupy IMBC, which I wsa certain would need to be thrown out, numerous times (you'd think I wouldn't encounter the problem by now...uhhh....!!)
If you thought it tasted too much like butter, I recommend adding more vanilla. I add 3TBSP. Make sure your butter is unsalted. And then if it's STILL too buttery for you, just try the chocolate version (add about 1/4 cup melted (but room temp) 60-70% chocolate. Yummmm..
And try Helen's smoothing technique - it absolutely positively works, and my cakes are living proof :-)
Nikki Riley said:I tried making IMBC this past weekend for a wedding cake tasting and it was horrible. It was soupy and tasted like butter. I don't know what I did wrong. I let the sugar reach the right temp & whisked for 10 mins as the recipe said. I'm scared to try to make it again. Egg whites frighten me, lol.
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Permalink Reply by metria on
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there are several recipes that change the ratios of their ingredients. you might have to do trial and error to see which works best for you.
I have a blog post where I compare the ingredient ratios in 3 IMBC recipes here.
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Permalink Reply by Karen Marie on
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The reason Swiss and Italian buttercream gets soupy is for 2 reasons
1. The meringue was too hot and not cooled enough. You have to stick your clean finger down into the middle and if you feel any warmth at all it is still too hot, Just turn the mixer on medium until it is room temperature. Mkae sure the butter is very soft but not melted. You really cant overmix cooked meringue.
2. You added the butter in too small amounts and whipped too much between. Add the butter in very large chunks, beat for about 10 seconds to just incorporate then add the next chunk. when it is all in the woekbowl then turn up to high and whip till it is light and fluffy. There will be a minute ir 2 where you will think it has separated but keep whipping.. Like magic!
Nikki Riley said:I tried making IMBC this past weekend for a wedding cake tasting and it was horrible. It was soupy and tasted like butter. I don't know what I did wrong. I let the sugar reach the right temp & whisked for 10 mins as the recipe said. I'm scared to try to make it again. Egg whites frighten me, lol.
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Permalink Reply by Alex Jenkins on
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About the butter taste, I agree with ceshell, not enough flavoring! Meringue buttercreams are like blank canvasses, they are nothing (but butter!) until you flavor them. The first one I made, i thought "who would eat this crap?" LOL. Then I started adding things, and It is all I use now.
I have never had a problem with mine seperating, and I keep mine frozen for up to 3 weeks. I just set it out, or even microwave it for a few seconds at a time (stir, stir, stir!) to bring it back up to temp. Most of the time I don't even have to put it back in the mixer, just whisk it with a fork, and it comes back beatifully. I have not yet tried Duff"s rewarming method of holding a propane torch to the mixing bowl while rewhipping it, but know I will eventually, just because it looks so cool;) LOL
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Italian and Swiss buttercream HAS to be at room temperature before rewhipping it. Dont rush this step or you will have a gooey mess. The other must is tomake sure the meringue is completely cool before you add the butter. You will again get soup. And if you feel that there is too much butter then dont add as much next time. And defintley add flavor flavor flavor! Swiss and Italian buttercream are all I use too.
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Permalink Reply by Jeanne on
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If you whip it up and it's too cold and it separates on you and looks like liquidy cottage cheese... don't throw it out. Just let it warm up and it will come back just fine. It's very temperature sensitive, but it's resilliant as hell.
Also... use only unsalted butter. Salted butter just makes it taste like sweet butter to me no matter what you add to it. Make it with unstaled butter though and it's like vanilla ice cream.
=]
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Ok, I'm attempting it again for a wedding shower cake... Quick question: do you all keep your cakes out of the fridge after you ice them with IMBC? Is it ok to sit outside the fridge overnight? I'm thinking that I want to get this recipe down pat so I can use it more often but all my cakes sit out on the counter overnight. I don't refrigerate my cakes. Is this an issue with IMBC?
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I put it in the fridge. There's egg whites in it and I wouldn't want to take any chances.
Marie-France Jutras said:Ok, I'm attempting it again for a wedding shower cake... Quick question: do you all keep your cakes out of the fridge after you ice them with IMBC? Is it ok to sit outside the fridge overnight? I'm thinking that I want to get this recipe down pat so I can use it more often but all my cakes sit out on the counter overnight. I don't refrigerate my cakes. Is this an issue with IMBC?
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Jeanne great point about the cold buttercream...it is like resurrecting it from the dead!
If you have cooked the egg whites to 155 degrees you can leave it out...it will be shelf stable...especially the Italian buttercream. If you do refrigerate the cake make sure you take it out at least an hour or 2 before serving.
I agree with Jeanne use only unsalted butter...well for everything in baking...allows you to control the salt....plus the salt content can vary alot from brand to brand and salty buttercream is terrible....
Marie-France Jutras said:Ok, I'm attempting it again for a wedding shower cake... Quick question: do you all keep your cakes out of the fridge after you ice them with IMBC? Is it ok to sit outside the fridge overnight? I'm thinking that I want to get this recipe down pat so I can use it more often but all my cakes sit out on the counter overnight. I don't refrigerate my cakes. Is this an issue with IMBC?
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