I tried mixing coloring in smbc that had been in the refrigerator, I thought I could just mix it in as I was remixing it but it acts like there is water in it now is that because I didn't wait for it to get to room temp?
TIA

Come on all you smbc experts.

I tried adding color to SMBC and it just broke and got really gross looking - i threw it out.

I would LOVE to know how to color smbc!

I'm no expert with SMBC per se, but I use IMBC all the time. You should always let it come to room temp before mixing. the MBC's are a bit different from your standard decorator's buttercream because they have a lot less solids. DBC is mostly powdered sugar - easy for the coloring to grab onto. A MBC is almost all butter, with a relatively small amount of sugar and egg whites suspended in the fat. Butter and liquid (even gel coloring) don't really like to mix at all, even less so when it's cold. These 2 things make it very difficult to achieve really vivid colors with SMBC or IMBC. =( But I love the stuff anyway.

If you have leftover cold SMBC or IMBC buttercream that you want to re-use, let it come to room temperature naturally on your counter for a few hours until it is soft enough to push a fork into easily...then whip it again to the same soft freshly-made consistency.

If it's a bit cold when you start to mix it again, you'll notice that it seems to split and look curdled (like cottage cheese). DON'T PANIC and don't throw it out and don't add anything like icing sugar! The butter in the icing is just too cold and it needs a good mix to return to the right temperature. Just keep the mixer running and walk away for 5 minutes. When you return, it will be smooth and uniform once again, ready to use. You can even use a blow-torch on the metal bowl for a few seconds and it will warm the sides thus speading up the process.

It's not hard to tint the MBCs to vivid/dark/ colours. Just use Americolor brand pastes. All the brightly-coloured cakes in my Photos are done with them and many of those are in IMBC.

Thanks so much.
Now for my second question. My client just came and picked up the cake. She thought it looked great, thank God. She told me her event got postponed until next week, and she was going to freeze the cake. Is that going to work?

I use the candy colors. Someone on here suggested it. Works great! I usually airbrush mine though because I hate mixing all the colors.

I hate to sound ignorant, but what is SMBC and IMBC? I know it stands for something-something buttercream, but could you fill in the something-something's for me? Thanks!!!

jus subbing to this thread. Good tips in here!
(and I couldnt figure out how to sub without posting )

italian meringue butter cream
swiss meringue butter cream

Thank you! When would you use the Swiss, and when would you use the Italian?

Kim - they both have the same ingredients, it's just the method that's different.

In SMBC, you cook the egg whites and sugar on a double boiler to a certain temp (I think around 158-160, but not sure) then whip in the mixer until cool, then add the butter.

In IMBC, you cook the sugar on the stove with a little water (to 238-240), whip the egg whites in the mixer, then slowly add the sugar to the eggs, whip until cool, then add butter.

IMBC is a bit more stable at warmer temperatures, plus I hate anything requiring a double boiler, so it's what I always make.

Thanks, Ali! I'm a newbie, but learning everything I can! I will search on this site for a IMBC recipe, and give it a try! If you have a recipe suggestion, I will take it!

http://www.cakescanada.com/HowTo/IMBC2.pdf

http://www.cakescanada.com/HowTo/how-to-SMBC.pdf

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/tasty-swiss-meringue-buttercream?autonomy_kw=buttercream&rsc=header_7

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/italian-meringue-buttercream?autonomy_kw=italian%20meringue%20buttercream&rsc=header_3


Here's two step-by-step photo how-to's for IMBC and SMBC and links to Martha Stewart's recipes.

I use Martha Stewart's recipe from here:

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/italian-meringue-buttercream

I have my butter at cool room temperature rather than chilled. If you let your meringue cool completely before adding the butter, it won't melt anyway, and I've had meringue fly across the counter from a chunk of cold butter moving too fast. I put a fan on it in the summer or when I'm making a double batch, partly from impatience and partly because I've heard that an Italian meringue is more stable if it cools faster.

Helen, do you know anything about the cooling bit?

I whip the meringue on medium/high speed until the bottom of the metal mixing bowl is room temp to the touch, THEN I start adding my soft butter. If I'm in a rush, I take the whole bowl of whipped meringue and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes so I can add my butter faster.

But I never whip chilled or cold butter into the mixer, ever. Not only does it cause any other ingredients (dry or liquid) to splash out as you mentioned, it's not good for the whisk attachment as it can break the individual wires off.

After the butter is incorporated, I do also like to switch to the paddle attachment for a few minutes on high. It makes the icing really creamy and smooth, getting rid of most of the air bubbles. (Pretty much the consistency of soft whipped cream.) It's perfect this way for icing chilled cakes and giving them that smooth-as-glass apprearance!

I know I asked earlier but can anyone tell me what will happen when a cake is frosted with smbc frozen and then thawed. I am afraid when my client does this she will not be happy with the results. I already told her this but her event got canceled until next week so she wanted to try it.

Well, it kind of depends how she is freezing and thawing it. Is she just placing it in the freezer and then pulling it out a day/12 hours or so before she eats it? How big of a cake are we talking about? Tiered? Can the filling be frozen too, or is it a curd/mousse? Was it brightly coloured

She might find it has taken on the flavour of whatever else she has in the freezer this week. It might also take a day to thaw completely, depending on how large it is. There's a lot of questions, but in short...yes, she can technically freeze and thaw a cake out that is already iced in SMBC or IMBC. How it tastes...well, that depends.

If it were my client, I'd let her know what she can expect.

1- She should know that the larger/denser the cake, the longer it will take to thaw out all the way to the center.
2- She should know that fillings like mousses and curds won't thaw well, they may be runnier than usual.
3- She should be advised that bright colours may run.
4- She should be told that as the cake thaws, the icing may bead with condensation but that she should NOT try to use a paper towel on the icing. It will evaporate away, just let it be.
5- She should be gently advised that it should work, but the results are up to her and the decision she made to attempt it. You'll help her with whatever info you can, but it's not a recommendation you made.

Thanks,
It is just a 1/2 sheet with smbc filling. She was going to just freeze it in the box for about a week. The colors are not dark but there is emblem on it that has some royal icing in it. I don't think she will be picky I told her about the condensation and that I didn't know how well it would thaw and she seemed o.k. with the whole thing.