Swiss Vs. Italian Meringue Flavor Differrence
Decorating By jcmm1014 Updated 9 Jun 2011 , 12:12am by OhGanache
Well I have never made either of these frostings..so what is the difference flavor wise or texturally.and if someone could please tell me how many batches I would need to frost a 12x18 cake. Does meringue hold up well. Can I decorate thurs for a saturday party....so many questions..
Thanks
Susie 
Well They actually taste a lot a like, but I personally prefer swiss meringue because I think it tastes a little richer and gives it that extra something. How many batches you need depends on your recipe.... I usually bake and crumb coat on thursday and refrigerate it overnight. Then I make a fresh batch of frosting and cover and decorate the cake friday, then deliver sat. hope this helps
The ingredients can be identical, so there really is no difference in taste or texture. The icing holds up just as well as any other butter-based icing. How big is the "batch". The max I can make in my K5 is 15oz egg whites, and that should cover it, but not with a lot to spare.
The ingredients can be identical, so there really is no difference in taste or texture.
Does a fried egg taste like a scrambled egg or a hard-boiled egg?
Taste isn't just about ingredients.
I really depends on your recipe. For Swiss and Italian recipes I use they are nearly identical. Only someone VERY familiar with baking would be able to tell the difference. I also make a french buttercream that is identical in procedure to the Italian, but uses a pate a bomb instead of a meringue )whole eggs & soft ball sugar sugar), and a TON more butter. I personally don't like it--WAYYYY too buttery for me--but I do occasionally get requests for it.
I have been using Colette Peter's recipe for Meringue Buttercream and it is sooo yummy. It melts in your mouth. One recipe makes a ton, so only one batch for your 12x18. I sometime even halve it to cover generously a 9 inch round and usually have some left over. The things I like best is that it can be left at room temp for 24hrs, it is super simple, you can add all kinds of flavors to enhance it, it holds up great in the freezer and fridge and you can even micro it if you forget to take it out of the fridge soon enough. Let me know if you want the recipe...
Did I mention only 3 ingredients??
I have been using Colette Peter's recipe for Meringue Buttercream and it is sooo yummy. It melts in your mouth. One recipe makes a ton, so only one batch for your 12x18. I sometime even halve it to cover generously a 9 inch round and usually have some left over. The things I like best is that it can be left at room temp for 24hrs, it is super simple, you can add all kinds of flavors to enhance it, it holds up great in the freezer and fridge and you can even micro it if you forget to take it out of the fridge soon enough. Let me know if you want the recipe...
Did I mention only 3 ingredients??
I would love that recipe, I am always up to try a new meringue buttercream!!! Thanks so much!!! [email protected]
Jessica
I would love the recipe cainecakemaker!...I'm sure I'm not the only one! It just so happens I've run out of crisco for my bc and I don't feel like running to the store. This might save me!
I am not up enough on CC protocol to know where I should post this recipe for the "masses". Should I just post it as a reply here?
yup, here is fine. Later you could go to the recipe section and post it there if you like.
Here is Colette's recipe:
1 1/2 cups egg whites (room temp)
3 cups sugar
3 LBS (yes, pounds) butter, room temp.
Combine egg whites and sugar in bowl. Place over simmering water and stir constantly until mixture is hot to touch.
Mix egg whites and sugar mixture on high until cool and stiff peaks form.
On medium speed, add butter about 1/4 cup at a time. It will be runny at first and by the time you are done it is thick and creamy.
Add 1 Tablespoon flavoring (vanilla, almond, etc.) I have added chocolate before as well.
That recipe sounds simple enough. With all that butter, does it have a really buttery taste? ...I love the taste of butter, but some don't so I'm curious. 
Yes, it is pretty buttery. It is definitely different than powdered sugar buttercream. I have only ever gotten raves about it. I personally love the Almond flavored one on a french vanilla cake. I use 2 Tbs of the almond.
Wow thanks for the recipe. There is a huge amount of butter, I would def add more flavoring. In my SMBC I add 1/4 cup of vanilla. I am curious too if you can pipe with this BC. Thanks again for posting this!!
Yes, it pipes pretty good. It is odd how well it stands up even though it seems thin.
Can anyone tell me if IMBC and SMBC is used for only covering a cake? If so is it only used to cover the cake before you put on the fondant?
Can it be used to fill a cake too?
I would also like to know if its suitable for topping a cupcake? Has anyone tried this and can you pipe a swirl with these type of buttercreams?
Im trying to find a way to top a cupcake without using tradional butter and powdered sugar combo which is often heavy and can get a little sickly and too rich, id love to make a light fluffy buttercream for cupcakes and make lovey piped swirls and roses.
I am not up enough on CC protocol to know where I should post this recipe for the "masses". Should I just post it as a reply here?
If it's a recipe directly out of a published book, then in all fairness to the book's author people should get hold of the book if they want it. If it's a recipe you found online, or your own version of a recipe, then it's fine to share. That's my personal rule anyway.
SMBC and IMBC do taste almost identical. I find the IMBC method to be much quicker and easier than SMBC - whisking eggwhites & sugar in a double boiler is a lot more work than throwing sugar and water in a pan with a thermometer and leaving it undisturbed until it gets to temperature! - but that's just me, plenty of people find SMBC easier and/or or get nervous handling hot sugar.
I do tweak my IMBC recipe to make it a bit less 'buttery'.
I am glad this post came up! I have a pregnant friend in another state, and I wanted to express a cake to her. I wanted to use SMBC using powdered egg whites. Do you think the cake will be safe? I just wanted to make sure it woul be safe for her to consume once she got it!
Thanks
SMBC and IMBC do taste almost identical. I find the IMBC method to be much quicker and easier than SMBC - whisking eggwhites & sugar in a double boiler is a lot more work than throwing sugar and water in a pan with a thermometer and leaving it undisturbed until it gets to temperature! - but that's just me, plenty of people find SMBC easier and/or or get nervous handling hot sugar.
I do tweak my IMBC recipe to make it a bit less 'buttery'.
Hi Coral,
Would you mind sharing what you do to your buttercream to make it less buttery? Thanks
Hi Coral,
Would you mind sharing what you do to your buttercream to make it less buttery? Thanks
I start with this recipe here (this is actually a really good tutorial for those who have never made IMBC)
I reduce the butter by about one third, add in one extra egg white, increase the sugar by about one quarter (make sure you have just enough water to wet all the sugar before heating it, you may need an extra teaspoon or so of water), and after adding in all the butter I add approximately 180g of cooled melted white (or dark) chocolate. I apologise if that's a bit unclear, but I've made it so many times that my measurements are kind of guesstimated now...IMBC is pretty forgiving and will take a bit of tweaking.
Here is Colette's recipe:
1 1/2 cups egg whites (room temp)
3 cups sugar
3 LBS (yes, pounds) butter, room temp.
Combine egg whites and sugar in bowl. Place over simmering water and stir constantly until mixture is hot to touch.
Mix egg whites and sugar mixture on high until cool and stiff peaks form.
On medium speed, add butter about 1/4 cup at a time. It will be runny at first and by the time you are done it is thick and creamy.
Add 1 Tablespoon flavoring (vanilla, almond, etc.) I have added chocolate before as well.
This recipe is very, very close and probably is the classic 1:2:3 ratio of SMBC. 1.5 cups of eggs at roughly 1 oz per large egg white is 12 ounces, times 2 is 24 ounces. 3 cups of sugar is 21 ounces, close enough. 12 times 3 is 36, exactly 3 lbs of sugar. My guess is Collette weighs her stuff and this recipe is the closest to that ratio for SMBC.
I use this for my SMBC and it is devine. Done right it does not taste buttery. Use unsalted butter. And never, never use it without flavoring. In fact don't even taste it until you add the flavoring. Then you won't think that all you can taste is butter. I never taste pure butter when I make mine.
I use this for my SMBC and it is devine. Done right it does not taste buttery. Use unsalted butter. And never, never use it without flavoring. In fact don't even taste it until you add the flavoring. Then you won't think that all you can taste is butter. I never taste pure butter when I make mine.
Yes, definitely unsalted butter, regardless of whether you're making SMBC or IMBC. I know some people use half salted, half unsalted. When you're making something with a lot of butter in it then salted v unsalted does make a big difference.
Hi Coral,
Would you mind sharing what you do to your buttercream to make it less buttery? Thanks
I start with this recipe here (this is actually a really good tutorial for those who have never made IMBC)
I reduce the butter by about one third, add in one extra egg white, increase the sugar by about one quarter (make sure you have just enough water to wet all the sugar before heating it, you may need an extra teaspoon or so of water), and after adding in all the butter I add approximately 180g of cooled melted white (or dark) chocolate. I apologise if that's a bit unclear, but I've made it so many times that my measurements are kind of guesstimated now...IMBC is pretty forgiving and will take a bit of tweaking.
Thank you so much Coral for sharing, I will try it this weekend
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