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Help: IMBC and SMBC recipe? Best one?

post #1 of 37
1/2/12 at 9:53am
Thread Starter 
Hello,

So for years now I have made the american buttercream... but after repeatedly enjoying the amazing cupcakes at my local shop (should anyone be from Toronto... I'm talking about Wedding Cake Shoppe on College street's amazing buttery cupcake frosting!!!)

So now I want to try a new recipe to get a less sweet and more smooth butter taste. I know that which one to use is all preference and what people like better.

So after searching on here for a good IMBC and a SMBC I am finding so many. Can someone please suggest to me their favourite IMBC and SMBC so that I could do 2 tests runs and get baking icon_smile.gif

Should anyone be willing to share their thoughts as to taste and which they prefer in terms of a silky smooth butter taste I would greatly appreciate it!

Also, I recently broke my candy thermometer... I'm assuming I can't make either of these recipes without one right? I should probably go out and buy 1 before I start.

Thanks SO much in advance!

Sara
Sara's Cake Creations
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Sara's Cake Creations
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post #2 of 37
1/2/12 at 10:02am
Sara,

You can make SMBC without a candy thermometer. FromscratchSF recipe is pretty good. I have tried it myself. But i am not in for her mixing method. She asks us to put all of the butter at once and mix it on low. But sometimes i find there is too much butter. I prefer to do it a tbsp at a time. Sometimes we do not need a full lb of butter. You can look her her blog on wordpress. She has the recipe there.

For IMBC i prefer The cake bible version with little changes. Comes out good and tastes not too sweet. But surely you do need a candy thermometer.
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post #3 of 37
1/2/12 at 11:00am
I think the texture of both would be very similar. I've only ever made IMBC, but from what I undersatnd the results are almost the same, with the IMBC being a bit firmer and more stable. But other than that, same product. As for recipes, I use Warren Brown's Cake Love IMBC. Depending on ingredients it can vary wildly in taste. If I use salted butter...TERRIBLE. Same if you don't use a lot of vanilla, I use more than the recipe calls for. It cuts down on the buttery taste.
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post #4 of 37
1/2/12 at 11:18am
what about crusting ones for both and do they hold up under fondant?
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post #5 of 37
1/2/12 at 11:23am
neither will crust. crusting happens when the ratio to fat and sugar is in favour of the sugar. In this case there isn't a hope in hell of achieving that!! There is a lot of fat, not so much sugar.

I've never used it under fondant, but have been told it's fine.
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post #6 of 37
1/2/12 at 11:24am
I use a combination of Cakejournal's tutorial and the video 'how to make boiled icing (Italian Meringue)' on youtube. Ingredients based on video. My thermometer's figures were washed off. I set my timer on 5 minutes once the syrup starts boiling on very high heat. Then I start whiping whites. As soon as the timer sets off I start pouring the syrup into the whites. I follow the video recipe to the end. The video will not go up to the buttercream stage. I then blend pastry fat with margarine in another bowl to make the marge stable. (I have not seen shortening in our shops and butter price is high around here) I mix with the IM a little at a time until the right consistency. Yum-o!
Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now. -quotebites.com

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Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now. -quotebites.com

http://m.facebook.com/Edible.Elegance.cakes.Zimbabwe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73178569@N05/
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post #7 of 37
1/2/12 at 12:25pm
I make IMBC because I don't like standing over a stove constantly whisking. Go to YouTube and look up Warren Brown's IMBC recipe. That's the exact recipe I use, except I add more sugar.

Both types of buttercream are basically the same thing and it's just in the preparation methods that they are different. Just make sure you use good unsalted butter and plenty of flavoring and it will turn out well.

Annie

The Dude abides.

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The Dude abides.

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post #8 of 37
1/2/12 at 12:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by rosech

I then blend pastry fat with margarine in another bowl to make the marge stable. (I have not seen shortening in our shops and butter price is high around here) I mix with the IM a little at a time until the right consistency. Yum-o!



what's pastry fat?
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post #9 of 37
1/2/12 at 12:42pm
It's written puff pastry fat on package and used for pies. It's more stable than butter/margarine. No flavor. Not sure how it compares with your shortening.
Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now. -quotebites.com

http://m.facebook.com/Edible.Elegance.cakes.Zimbabwe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73178569@N05/
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Life is short. If there was ever a moment to follow your passion and do something that matters to you, that moment is now. -quotebites.com

http://m.facebook.com/Edible.Elegance.cakes.Zimbabwe
http://www.flickr.com/photos/73178569@N05/
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post #10 of 37
1/2/12 at 1:04pm
so how do you smooth it. Or is for under fondant only?
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post #11 of 37
1/2/12 at 3:22pm
I used the SMBC from smittenkitchen's blog and the IMBC from Warren Brown's cakelove site. I plan to give fromscratchsf's cream cheese SMBC very soon-her recipes are great icon_smile.gif

Both are silky smooth and the vanilla and chocolate reminds me of ice cream. I, too use a lot of flavoring and have never heard the complaint of it being too buttery. It frosts easily and any problems I encountered from either of them were user error for sure. I try different butter creams but always come back to SMBC and IMBC.

By the way, always use unsalted butter....
HTH
I am a scratch baker working towards becoming a decorator, too Man, I hope practice really makes perfect
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I am a scratch baker working towards becoming a decorator, too Man, I hope practice really makes perfect
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post #12 of 37
1/3/12 at 9:44am
The only difference i notice between IMBC and SMBC are that IMBC is more firm and more stable. SMBC is a little on the soft side. But not a great deal on difference in texture and taste. Just the method of making it. When the egg Whites are at room temperature i go with IMBC. When i have not time to wait for that i do SMBC icon_smile.gif
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post #13 of 37
1/3/12 at 3:52pm
IMBC is easier to make in my opinion. It's pretty much foolproof.

I won't post the whole process as it's the same on pretty much every recipe, but I wanted to post my recipe as it is so easy to scale.

It's basically 1 egg white/10g sugar... 50g sugar/20ml water... 100g unsalted butter and just multiply it by how many egg whites you want to use. I usually make a 5 egg white recipe so it's 5 E.W, 50g sugar... 250g sugar/ 100ml water... 500g unsalted butter... easy peasy! icon_smile.gif
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post #14 of 37
1/3/12 at 6:11pm
Thread Starter 
thanks tigachu! I tried both of those recipes the SMBC and the IMBC and well wow don't know what I was so afraid of they really weren't that hard to make and I LOVE them both! I agree they are very similar in taste I find the SMBC a touch more of a silkier butter taste.

Can I pick your brains with a few more questions:

1) I guess I put it in the fridge since there's butter in it? And when I want to use it, do I just let it come down to room temperature or do I have to whip it again?

2) How would I make chocolate? Do I ad cocoa powder or melted chocolate? and at what stage of the mixing do I add it?

3) How do I go about creating some of the following flavors? they are some of my favourites at local bakeries... do I add flavorings like Lorann's or do I use purees??

Some I would like to create are:
Almond.... I guess just add almond extract?
Banana buttercream?
Mocha buttercream?
Maple buttercream?
Cappucino buttercream? (maybe mix in espresso?)
Hazelnut? do I add nutella or ground hazelnut??
Irish cream? (add irish cream liquor I guess??)
Peanut butter buttercream?
Orange buttercream?
Lemon buttercream?
Raspberry buttercream?
Strawberry buttercream?

Again... with american buttercream I would probably just add some extract or pureed strawberries but I'm not sure if I can do that here? I would like the flavor to be as natural as possible and I would prefer to use yummy ingredients as apose to extracts.

Thank you all SO much in advance! I am in love with SMBC and IMBC!!! Can't wait to learn to expand it!

Sara
Sara's Cake Creations
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Sara's Cake Creations
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post #15 of 37
1/3/12 at 6:13pm
Thread Starter 
thanks everyone!!!!
Sara's Cake Creations
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Sara's Cake Creations
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