I have used Toba Garrett's French Vanilla BC to ice a cake and with a couple of layers it came out pretty well. I took a cake iced with it to a party and it was a hit. I'm doing a cake for a baby shower this weekend and DH thinks I should use this icing as opposed to a regular buttercream (with shortening). However, I'm wondering if it will be stable enough to do a border.

If not, could I maybe use it to ice the cake and another icing to do the border? Any suggestions on what I should use?

Thoughts?

Thanks in advance,

WebDiva

I'm glad to hear about this recipe from Toba. I have her book and haven't tried any recipes yet.

I would use the french vanilla bc for the icing and the other buttercream with shortening for the decorations.

I used the French vanilla icing for the following 2 cakes. Used it for everything except the flowers, they are royal. It worked fine. Just make sure to refrigerate after you decorate for a couple hours toharden it up before transporting.

Thanks for the input sweetbaker and Euphoriabakery (thanks for the pics)...I'm not sure exactly what I'm going to do yet...I think I may ice the cakes and decorate the sides with French Vanilla BC and do the border in regular BC since I want it to be a bit more stiff. Euphoria, I'm not actually transporting it anywhere...the baby shower is at my house!...so that makes it a tad easier...but I will stick it in the fridge.

Thanks!

please give up the recipe!!! i would love to have it. TIA

HI alracntna!!! Euphoriabakery posted it earlier on another thread so I just copied and pasted it.

Euphoriabakery wrote:

French Vanilla Buttercream
Toba's comments:"This is simply the most delicious icing ever. It tastes like vanilla ice cream. Use this icing when looking for something simular to whipped cream.

Ingredients
1 1/2 Cups(345g) granulated sugar
3/4Cup(6floz or 180ml) milk
1 1/2Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4tsp salt
1Tbsp pure vanilla extract
3/8Cup(3floz or90ml) whipping cream
1 1/4 lbs (567 g) unsalted butter, room temperature

1. Make custard by heating milk and sugar until sugar crystals dissolve. Add flour and salt and whisk over an ice bath until the custard has cooled, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1/2 hour to cool the mixture. Whisk in vanilla extract.

2. Pour custard mixture into a mixer bowl with a paddle attachment. Add cut-up butter and add whipping cream. Mix on LOW speed to incorporate ingredients. Gradually increase speed to MEDIUM-HIGH until the mixture begins to thicken. It takes at least 7 to 9 minutes for the butter to be completely incorporated.

3. Put the icing in a plastic container with a lid and refrigerate. It will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator or freeze for 2 months.

Note: Don't panic if the buttercream looks like cottage cheese. The more you beat this buttercream, the creamier it gets.

Storage: Store the icing in an airtight container and freeze. The icing will keep for up to 2 months.

Yeild: 5 to 6 Cups


I can't wait to give it a try!! Hugs, ~Denise

Thank you so much. i am still working on the IMBC and i am on my 4th batch so if it does not come out again then i will do this instead. thanks again.

That sounds so good! It's different--not a powdered sugar buttercream, and not a meringue buttercream either. I can't wait to try it. Thanks for sharing.

okay here goes....


I take 1/2c water and 2 1/4 c sugar and make simple syrup that i cook till it has boiled for 7 min. then i whip 8 lg egg whites till they fluff. then i take the hot simple syrup and pour it down the side of the egg whites while whisking on about a 6 on my KA then i wait till it is completely cooled. i think this is where i mess up cause for it to completely cool it has to whip for a long time i am talking like 45 min to an hour. is this okay? anyway after that i add 3c of butter and thats when it just turns to water. i think it is cause it is still to warm when i add the butter but then i am back to the question of is it okay to whip it for so long for the syrup and egg mixture to cool? am i making since?

It shouldn't take that long to cool...
I wonder what's happening?

Mine usually takes 20 minutes or so. By the time the egg white mixture is fluffy, the mixture is cool enough to add the butter.


As you add the butter, the icing will start to break down and look kind of liquidy. Just keep beating and it will start to come together and look smooth and creamy. It's kind of like magic! The first time I made IMBC, I thought I did something wrong because it looked awful as I added the butter. But I just kept beating it and eventually it came together beautifully.

You might try making Martha Stewart's Swiss Meringue buttercream. The ingredients are similar, but instead of making the syrup, you heat the egg whites and the sugar together and then beat them.

The Toba Garrett recipe sounds easiest of all! Maybe you should cut your losses and go with that.

The IMBC and Swiss Meringues can be used to make flowers and borders as well as to ice the cake.

Is the Toba recipe good for piping flowers? Does anyone know?

Thank you i am doing this now. i will let yall know what happens. cross your fingers.

I just edited my last post and added some more info.

Good luck! I hope it works for you.

One more thing...don't soften the butter too much before you add it. It shouldn't be hard, but you don't want it melty either.

I suggest you use a Meringue buttercream, either Swiss or Italian as it is much firmer. I've used the French Vanilla Btcm and it is incredibly delicious...almost the same as whipped cream. But I personally find that it's too loose for my taste.

yum!

I've found that Toba Garrett's recipe tastes too much like sweetened butter. Many of my friends and family prefer the Dede Wilson's IMBC. It is very moldable when making corners, etc. My own preference is an all-butter powdered sugar BC for the taste, but it doesn't spread very well.

Well, I made the cake for the baby shower yesterday. It was a two-tier yellow cake, with raspberry buttercream frosting and French Vanilla Buttercream icing. I used Toba's "Decorator's buttercream" for the borders and decorations. It came out well. And it was a hit! Everyone thought it was delicious! It was my first cake that wasn't made for a class or just for my house. There were only crumbs left!

Thanks for the help.

BTW---I personally think that Toba's FV BC tastes almost like whipped vanilla ice cream. People making comments about how "light" and tasty it was. I think that it may have something to do with how long I mixed it to get it that "light". At any rate, people really did like it.

I just made some and I am not sure if I like it. It tastes like an extra sweet custard. I am going to try it on a chocolate cake and see what hubby thinks. He is not a good critic though cause he seems to like anything I bake. My 6 year old tasted it and liked it. I asked him what it tasted like and he said hmmmm butter. Not sure if that is good or bad

I've made it before, and I actually like using it to fill my peach cookies or clothepins. It's really good. Not sure how I like it for the cake...it is a little moist, but delicious.

Quick question: What is IMBC?

Thx!

HI DeniseMarlaine!!

It's Italian Meringue Buttercream.

You have a beautiful name!! Nice to met ya!!

Hugs, ~Denise

After I beat the syrup into the whites for a while, I put a bowl of ice under it to make sure it cools completely before I add the butter. The butter is just soft enough that I can push a dent into it, not too soft.

i like Dede Wilson's the best. Also Rose Levy Birenbaums Mouselline BC. It's in the Cake Bible. The BC in the Whimsical Bakehouse are good as well as their cakes. If you have any questions Wilson will email you back as well as Rose L. Birenbaum. I think she may have a blog.

Hey, nice to meet you too Denise ! This forum is SO cool--I learn something new every time I log in. Just wish I had more time to spend here. . .

Italian Meringue Buttercream--sounds yummy. I'll have to look that one up for my next project.

Hugs back--DENISE

I put it on a cake and I won't use this recipe again. Don't use it unless you LOVE and I mean LOVE butter. That is what it tastes like. Really sweet butter. Even my kids who will eat just about anything didn't like it. Excuse the big dip in the cake I just wanted to use the ballerina and the cake was just for us. It said Happy Nothing on it.......lol.

Thanks for the warning--I guess it doesn't sound so good after all. Your cake is very pretty. What size pan did you use?

I used Toba's French Vanilla BC and I will never make it again. I had to add almost a pound of powdered sugar to make it sweet. It tasted like butter with a little bit of sugar in it. I didnt like it. I followed the recipe exactly. I am dying to try her Chocolate buttercream recipe, though. It looks really good.

I used a 11x9 I think I just needed something to put the frosting on and I really wanted to use the ballerina.....I found her at the dollar store. BAker let me know if you make the Chocolate Buttercream.....

I'm glad I'm not the only one that isn't crazy about it. Makes me feel better Seems like it just needs more substance, you know