Imbc Photos For Inspiration Please!
Decorating By crazycakes2007 Updated 22 Aug 2011 , 10:36pm by litlecuchi
1) It varies according to your recipe and your taste....but for a recipe with 2 pounds of butter, I generally use 1.5 tablespoons of vanilla. Other flavourings might be milder or stronger, so you just have to add a little and taste-test.
2) It doesn't crust at all
3) Generally you keep your finished cake in the fridge, but you have to take it out and bring it back up to room temperature for a few hours before it is softer and ready to eat. (Just like a stick of butter. You wouldn't eat that right from the fridge, it has to be tempered so it is soft/glossy/spreadable!)
I haven't read all the pages of thread, but the ones that I did have made me really want to try IMBC!!! I've been tiring of the standard BC and wanted to try something else. The pictures that have been posted are unbelievable, and the tips are great! I think I love CC almost as much as my own family!
I only use IMBC for all my cakes whether it's under fondant or on kids cakes. I got hooked on it several years ago and think it's the best icing ever. I use the WBH recipe. It's sometimes a bother to make it but you can't beat the taste and it smoothes like a dream. Once you try this you'll never want the powdered sugar icing again. All my brides love it too. It is a little different when it comes to coloring it. So I've reduced the amount of butter and added white margarine in it's place to stabilize and improve the coloring. Hope these pics work, as I've never posted pics here before. But here are a few cakes done with IMBC.
Shirley,
Hmmm, thought for sure with all that butter it would be low cal... LOL Loved using the IMBC and I was really happy with how easy it was to make, I thought it was going to be difficult but it was really forgiving. I put my butter in too soon, so it was soupy at first, so I put it in an ice bath and kept mixing until it was perfect. Thanks for the compliment I can only hope with plenty of practice my cakes will look like yours. And thanks for sharing your recipe!
Oh no, not that quickly! You'll be fine. Chill the cake(s) thouroughly overnight in the fridge and transport it in a closed box or boxes. Within only two hours, they should still be pretty cold and firm when you get them to the venue. (I do this in hot, hot summer weather here and we get into the 90's & 100's F, no problem.)
When you get to the venue, the cake can sit in room temp/very light air conditioning for 12+ hours, no worries. I've had cakes sit 18 hours and nothing has happened.
It will be cold and hard when you get there, so plan to let it sit at least 4-5 hours before you can cut it and eat it anyway. (Or the icing is cold and hard.)
Hello Antonia74,
I can't believe I am talking to you . I am your big fan.
I am really appreciated.
I met a couple who is going to married in Oct and had a meeting.
To tell you the truth, This is my first time to make a wedding cake.
so I had a no ideas how the meeting goes...
The bride wants 3 tiered fondant cakes.
When I use IMBC underneath the fondant cover , can I sit the cake at room temperature over night or 2 nights ???? How many days ahead can I start frost and put fondant cover ?
Anyway,Her design for the cake is not for sure if I like it or not..
Because she wants a gold ribbon around the bottom of first cake with red border .
The second tired cake will be also gold ribbon with Aqua blue border
The third one will be gold ribbon with peppermint green border.
She also wants red roses and daisies ( gold bud)
and.... wants me to use scroll pattern press the side of cake.
She told me she likes very colorful.
Personally, I don't like this design but The cake will be for bride not me.
Do you think that I still need to listen and make what she wants or
I should tell her that it needs to be changed a little bit to look nice ?
Thanks.
You're NOT going to love every cake design you get asked to do, but there's no problem with making design suggestions to your clients. That's certainly part of your job. Don't use the word "nicer" though when you approach them...just say you'd like to show them some cakes that showcase their amazing colours in different ways! 
There's nothing wrong at all with showing clients some other options for designs, sure. If a client sends me a photo of something they like, my first question to them is "What do you like about that cake? The colour? The number of tiers? The shape? The flowers on it? The details?" Sometimes it's nice for them to see 10 other cakes with similar details, so they can pick which one they like best.
The cake your clients wants sounds pretty colourful, but maybe that's something that can be achieved with flowers or ribbons instead of you having to tint all that icing??
(Maybe suggest to the couple that people might shy away from eating brightly-coloured icing? You know, with all the teeth bleaching that goes on nowadays! Maybe the threat of people not eating her cake will make her change her mind?)
Anyway...in the end, they are the ones paying you, so if they don't budge, you do what they want. There's no harm in suggesting alternatives or even showing them more photos or ideas from online. Choice is great...and you may end up with them selecting another design that will be a bit better for you too! 
You're NOT going to love every cake design you get asked to do, but there's no problem with making design suggestions to your clients. That's certainly part of your job. Don't use the word "nicer" though when you approach them...just say you'd like to show them some cakes that showcase their amazing colours in different ways!
There's nothing wrong at all with showing clients some other options for designs, sure. If a client sends me a photo of something they like, my first question to them is "What do you like about that cake? The colour? The number of tiers? The shape? The flowers on it? The details?" Sometimes it's nice for them to see 10 other cakes with similar details, so they can pick which one they like best.
The cake your clients wants sounds pretty colourful, but maybe that's something that can be achieved with flowers or ribbons instead of you having to tint all that icing??
(Maybe suggest to the couple that people might shy away from eating brightly-coloured icing? You know, with all the teeth bleaching that goes on nowadays! Maybe the threat of people not eating her cake will make her change her mind?)
Anyway...in the end, they are the ones paying you, so if they don't budge, you do what they want. There's no harm in suggesting alternatives or even showing them more photos or ideas from online. Choice is great...and you may end up with them selecting another design that will be a bit better for you too!
You are right. While the meeting, I was not sure how to suggest other ideas.
Oh... Talking about IMBC, Is the iced cake not getting sweat underneath the fondant if I put the fondant when the IMBC is still cold ?
I know you are very busy woman, but..Thank you for answering all of my questions .
Sorry to change the subject, a little, but what is IMBC and WBH? I am new and I am having a hard time when people use all of these acronyms.
Well, I'm not an expert by any means, but this is my little cake that I made to try out IMBC for the first time (it was so amazingly delicious)
http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=371173
Thanks, everyone, for the great smoothing and decorating tips! My dh and I both really liked the taste of IMBC, but my kids didn't. So I mixed the IMBC with some buttercream that I had, and we found a new favourite for all of us! The blend is now my favourite.
I make my IMBC with the little cartons of pasteurized egg whites from the grocery store. I will definitely look for some powdered egg whites, too! I didn't know they were any different from !
Beautiful cakes posted, all!
I had posted a question a few months back wondering if I mixed half buttercream with half IMBC, would it crust? I hate buttercream and love the taste of IMBC, but I am nervous about a frosting that doesn't crust. The first and last time I tried IMBC, it was a disaster for me. How does this 50/50 mixture work for you? I'm dying to know..........
Wow! My computer has been broken, so here I'm back to see this wonderful thread that little ol' me started. You are all so talented, thank you for your posts.
Chocolateandpeanutbutter.... YOU"RE THE ONE! You're the one! It was your picture of the little cake with roses on top that I couldn't find again, but inspired me to think it was possible to do roses with IMBC. I wish you lived closer so I could pay you to teach me how to do flowers so well!
Ruthwells, your flowers are stunning. Jkalman, ladyonzlake, you are truly inspiring! Of course Shirley and Helen, I hate to put you on cake pedestals, but I'm one of your many secret admirers.
I'm exclusively IMBC now. I wish we had a section for that!
Cheryl
Crazy Cakes
Aaaww, thanks Cheryl. Here is a picture of my latest cake with IMBC. It takes awhile to get it this smooth, but worth the effort I think.
As for mixing IMBC with standard powdered sugar/Crisco based, I tried it once and didn't like the texture. It wasn't as easy to smooth either. I can't use the Viva towel or Melvira's method with the roller because IMBC doesn't crust, but having the icing crust or not crust doesn't make a difference in smoothing IMBC if you are willling to take the time to do it. I crumb coat, chill, final coat as smoothly as I can and then put the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes, heat a chocolate scraper or wallpaper scraper till barely warm, directly over a stove burner and smooth the icing. Sometimes you have to smooth, wipe the scraper, heat and smooth again. And I might put the cake back in the freezer several times until I am satisfied with the looks.
I love your recipe Shirley! I do have a question though, my fondant accents that I have dried such as flowers and leaves won't stay on my iced cake. The icing is so soft that they just slide down or fall off after a bit. Do you think I could add some powered sugar in the icing to make it stiffer or do you have some ideas other than putting toothpicks or spagetti in each piece? Thanks Pam from Bama
Pam I don't understand why they won't stay on. That gumpaste Seahorse on the side didn't move, I squirted a little of the buttercream behind it and stuck him on. The cake was chilled overnight before delivery so maybe that helps too. I have also laid fondant cutouts such as diamonds, circles and stripes on the iced cake and had them stay in place all through the reception. All of my flowers are gumpaste and are wired, if I were going to attach them to the sides I think I would use either a floral pick or push a drinking straw in and insert the flower wire into the straw.
If you add powdered sugar to IMBC you will deflate it and change the texture as well.
This forum has been a BIG help! I love the taste of meringue icings, but could not get mine smooth enough, but I will definitely have to try these methods, and just keep practicing I guess! I was wondering, if you use SMBC if everything is the same, because that is the meringue icing I have used? Thanks,
Christie
Yes, you can use IMBC or SMBC according to your preference. I have heard some say IMBC is more stable since you get the sugar mixture to a certain temp, but I have not had that experience. I use SMBC if I want it to be a lighter color... Colette Peters' recipe... because my recipe for IMBC has egg yoke in it, so it is a darker ivory ( I use Alice Medrich's recipe from her great book called Cocolat). I hear Martha Stewart's IMBC is a good recipe, but I have not tried it. I actually mixed IMBC and SMBC on my last cake to get the right color! Thanks for keeping this thread going. <<<<Cheryl
Yes, you can use IMBC or SMBC according to your preference. I have heard some say IMBC is more stable since you get the sugar mixture to a certain temp, but I have not had that experience. I use SMBC if I want it to be a lighter color... Colette Peters' recipe... because my recipe for IMBC has egg yoke in it, so it is a darker ivory ( I use Alice Medrich's recipe from her great book called Cocolat). I hear Martha Stewart's IMBC is a good recipe, but I have not tried it. I actually mixed IMBC and SMBC on my last cake to get the right color! Thanks for keeping this thread going.
<<<<Cheryl
Cheryl,
Hang on to Alice Medrich's Cocolat book, it has been out of print for a few years and if it ever comes up on eBAY (seldom) it seems to go for over $100.00. I have tried nearly every recipe in her book and each one has turned out perfectly and tastes fabulous. Her buttercream recipe is one I found I could mix in with powdered sugar/crisco based buttercream and it worked well. I have just found I prefer the IMBC nowadays. I use all egg whites and no egg yolks in her Cocolat recipe, it works well and makes the finished icing less yellow in color.
Thanks guys. I do use Martha Stewart's SMBC, and I love it. I just didn't know how to smooth it, so I'm going to try again this week! Thanks,
Christie
Antonia and Shirley W, I tried to follow both of your IMBC smoothing advice, and my IMBC got hard on my refrigerated cake. I got pot marks... can you tell me what I did wrong? I was pretty happy, and the bride was happy (which is all that matters!), but I would like to improve on the looks and also I must get faster. I'm a turtle decorator! Thanks for looking, anyone can make improvement suggestions please!
Gosh, my photos are too big to attach here. Can you look at my photos to see those IMBC potmarks? Thanks! <<<Cheryl
oh no no, no no, no no no NO!.....the only time it tastes like straight butter is when its cold and unflavored. no, when its at room temperature, its like silk. very very light, fluffy and smooth.
Oooh you took the words right out of my mouth melysa. The flavoring makes all the difference. The recipe I use calls for 2-3 tsp of flavoring or liqueur, and I always use closer to 3 (just plain ol' vanilla).
If you taste your freshly-made icing and decide it was a big mistake because it tastes like butter, don't give up! Add a little more flavoring. Like magic, it will just turn into pure paradise once you get the right amount.
I know this thread is from a while ago but the information is just amazingly helpful....SOOO looking forward to trying this IMBC.
Regarding the flavoring of it,......has anyone added Creme Bouquet to it? I have a bottle and was wondering...have yet to use it at all.
Would SMBC or IMBC be a good idea to use on CCC (cupcake cake = pull apart cupcake cake)? I was wondering if the icing is kind of soft I might have problem with straight top as the icing could easily go in the gasps; and I could ended up with a bumpy top. ????????????
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