Favorite SMBC or IMBC recipe? - Page 2

Jen, Still looking at your site -- you're way to funny.

Jen, I was wondering... because you cook the egg white does that kill any bacteria that might be in the egg whites? Or does it still need to be refrigerated?

Well, I think I'm funny. Others, not so much.

Cooking to 160 kills any and all cooties. The amount of sugar prevents any bacteria from growing further. I refrigerate because it makes transport easier and I want my product to taste fresh. But I eat SMBC that has been sitting out on the counter for several days. I've never gotten sick.

I fear no egg. Ever.

Jen

Double post.

Thanks Jen.

Question about this as a filling...do you just fill it as is? I'm wondering if there's a "smushing out" factor with this as a filling, if it warms up at all. I can't imagine dam-ing it with an American BC that's thickened, and there isn't any way to thicken the MBCs up is there? Do you just have to do more layers of thinner filling vs. 1 or 2 layers of 1/2"-or so filling?

I see no issues as long as everything stays colder, but it can't always be kept at colder temps until cut.

I'm a regular user of SMBC, I just love it. But! it does not hold up well in the heat so I never use it in the summer; rather, I use ganache & if I need bc I make wiltons that I've modified somewhat (less marge and more vanilla).

Meringue buttercreams are all one consistency. You don't thin it, you don't thicken it like you do for ABC. You have one consistency that you use for everything from your crumb coat, filling, final coat, piping, roses etc. The only thing you manipulate is the temperature. Cold SMBC scrapes and makes sharp corners. Room temperature pipes/smoothes like a dream. Slightly cool buttercream pipes into roses, and you have to rotate your piping bags so it does not warm up with your hands.

I use it as a filling just fine. It does not smoosh out. I generally do 4 layers of cake with 3 layers of filling, but I have been lazy and not torted my layers and just did one filling with no problems, although 1/2" sounds like a lot. I know of plenty of bakeries and professional cake artists that live in some of the hottest parts of the country and use meringue buttercreams exclusively. Air conditioning is your friend, and if it's hot where you live, you have air conditioning.

I was sort of afraid to try SMBC and IMBC because there are so many posts about people having trouble. But I decided to try a batch of SMBC (because it seemed like the easier of the the two.) It worked fine for me, but I wasn't crazy about the taste. Then I made a lemon SMBC that used whole eggs - that was amazing! Then I made an SMBC with a couple whole eggs and the rest egg whites, plus extra vanilla. Again, amazing. Then I made a raspberry SMBC, using fresh raspberry puree... amazing. This week I made a caramel IMBC, again using part whole eggs, and used it to fill a Guiness chocolate cake. Wow!

I like it best when the cake is served at a temp below 75F, but I don't like it when it comes right out of the frig, either. Air conditioned house temp works good for me.

I'm finding both IMBC and SMBC to be easy to make and extremely forgiving. I like both best with strong flavors. This works really well for me as an alternative to refrigerated, perishable fillings... cream mousses, custards, etc. I do mostly fondant work and can't refrigerate a large cake. I use a layer of filling (no dam) that is about 3/8" thick.

I'll continue to use American (PS) buttercream for the cakes that I make for children, but from now on, I'm going with either IMBC or SMBC for my cakes made for adult crowds. The one exception is that I pair an all butter PS chocolate buttercream with chocolate ganache. I just can't give that one up yet

I read this post earlier today and have always been an SMBC girl! Well I made IMBC and should I say it is the only MB I will make. The flavor to me I can tell the difference in the mouth feel. Though they are both smooth, IMBC has a more dense but smooth feel (more body) And it is less fluid. I cooked my sugar syrup for a long while. I like it a lot more. I have not used it on a cake yet to see how it will be, but I love it, and to be less taste of butter. That is just my opinion.

I use Warren Brown's IMBC. I have a favorite SMBC for caramel flavor. But when I decide to venture out with more SMBC bases, I will definitely be using FromScratch's recipe. You can see from the quality of her work that the recipe is balanced. Plus FromScratch has a cream cheese variation that I could shoot myself for not trying ahead of time. I had a wedding cake with three of the tiers in cream cheese. I've used a regular recipe many time under fondant, but each time I forget what a pain it is.