Quote:
Originally Posted by Naty
Maria,
Thank you for replying and please, please, please send me the recipe! Either post, private message or to:
423May@gmail.com.
I live in Miami and need a good recipe that does not "melt"-----I do alot of outdoor cakes! I would love to have your recipe for the Italian Meringue Buttercream.
One question - you says it pipes well, is it sturdy enough for flowers like roses?
How do you freeze it? I didn't know you could even do that!!! Please elaborate.
Thanks in advance,
Naty
Sure, I will give you all the info I can. This info is according to baking 911. They give you lots of specifics on this and many types of icings..
I did this recipe, but I haven't tried making roses yet. It is very thick though, so you may be able to. However, like it says here, it will soften, but it can stand warm weather. I guess, its best to try it and see.
Keep looking below, I will give you one that seems a little simpler to do and one that is for a smaller amount of icing... Try the smallest recipe first, then move up...
This makes a stable meringue from the cooked sugar beaten into it. You can refrigerate it for a week, or freeze for several months. Be sure to allow the buttercream to come to room temperature, then whip it with an electric mixer on medium speed until it is once again thick, smooth, and shiny and returns to its original volume. This is a good buttercream to use in warm weather, but it will soften because of its high butter content.
Italian Meringue Buttercream
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, slightly soft
1 cup Crisco® shortening
8 large egg whites *NOTE
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoon clear, pure or powdered vanilla
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
In a mixer, or by hand, beat butter and shortening together until smooth. Set aside in a cool area (68º F).
Combine egg whites and cream of tartar in large mixing bowl. Whip on a low medium until frothy. When white color is constant, slowly add 1/2 cup of sugar in a very fine stream. Continue to beat on medium.
While egg whites are beating, combine 1 cup of sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir until dissolved, cook over medium heat until boiling. Cook to 250º F, as measured with a Candy Thermometer.
If egg whites haven't yet reached a shiny, but softly stiff stage, turn them up onto high to finish beating. If whites reach shiny/soft/stiff stage before sugar syrup is ready, reduce speed to stir and keep mixing until syrup is ready. Increase speed of mixture. Pour a Tablespoon of syrup into whites (stay away from pouring them onto whip), beat for 10 seconds, continue until all of syrup is used. Beat meringue until bottom of bowl has cooled to about 98°. You want the meringue to return to a stiff/shiny peak before adding the butter mixture. This will make a more stable buttercream.
Using paddle, add butter, one heaping tablespoon at a time allowing mixture to mix for 10-15 seconds between additions. Continue until all butter is mixed in. If mixture breaks, continue beating at low-medium speed and mixture will come back together. Cool for about an hour in a cool area before using. Use immediately.
NOTE: For a sweeter tasting Italian Meringue Buttercream, beat in 1 cups of sifted powdered sugar in the end
Smaller Recipe:Italian Meringue Buttercream
1 1/4 cups sugar
5 large egg whites
pinch cream of tartar
1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled
1 tsp. vanilla extract
In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Continue boiling until syrup reaches 238° on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage).
Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, and beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar. Beat on high speed until stiff but not dry; do not overbeat.
With mixer running, add syrup to whites in a stream, beating on high speed until no longer steaming, about 3 minutes. Add butter bit by bit, beating until spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes; beat in vanilla. If icing curdles, don´t panic! Just keep beating until smooth.
And a larger recipe:
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
2 1/4 cups sugar
12 egg whites (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
1 1/2 pounds unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into 1" pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Paste Food colouring (if desired)
Velvet Underground Chocolate Cake (or any layer cake)
Coffee Mousse for filling
Yield: 8 cups
Instructions:
1. In a saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Use a clean pastry brush and cold water to wash down any sugar crystals that form on the sides of the pan as the water heats. When it comes to a boil set a timer for seven minutes, and let boil.
2. After four or five minutes, in the bowl of an electric mixer, begin to whip egg whites at high speed. Whip until stiff (they should be done when the timer goes off).
3. With the mixer on high speed, slowly beat the sugar syrup into the egg whites, pouring the syrup to the side of the bowl to avoid the whip.
4. Continue to beat until the bowl is cool to the touch, about 10 minutes.
5. Slowly add the butter pieces. When the buttercream begins to jump out of the bowl (trust me, you'll notice), reduce the speed to low and mix the vanilla in at low speed.
5. Beat until light and fluffy. At some points the mixture might look curdled. Just keep beating; it will become smooth again.
6. If desired, reserve one third of icing and leave white. Colour the rest of the icing with blue or pink or whatever colour you want the base colour of the cake to be
