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Smbc.... Supposed to taste like straight butter?

post #1 of 24
1/2/12 at 6:39pm
Thread Starter 
I've been contemplating the idea of trying smbc. So I finally caved. All the recipes were about the same. 1c gran sugar. 5 egg whites. 4 sticks unsalted butter. Van x... Cooking etc.... So I made it... And the egg white and sugar mix after the mixer had it's way with it, Was pretty good. But once the butter went in.... It just tasted like straight butter xs 5.... I couldn't put that on my cake! I don't even think i would put it on my French toast cupcakes and they use a very butter rich icing.

Is this normal? I even made another batch of the sugar egg white mix to dilute the butter with no luck. I mean I know butter cream should taste like butter... But it was more buttery than my toast this morning!!!

Any comments?
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post #2 of 24
1/2/12 at 7:09pm
I never used smbc for the past 2 years for that exact reason ...way too buttery. Until I came on here and started trying recipes. I don't remember the name of the recipe exactly ( well dressed smbc might be close) but it is 1 cup granulated sugar , 3 sticks of butter , 5 egg whites and when I made it ..LOVED it. So smooth and definitely not overwhelming butter flavour. Also holds other flavouring well. Maybe that extra 1/2 cup butter made the difference?
When you get to the end of your rope~~tie a knot and hang on
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When you get to the end of your rope~~tie a knot and hang on
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post #3 of 24
1/2/12 at 7:12pm
I LOVE smbc. I wish I could use only that for the rest of forever!

However...I have heard tell of the blasphemy of using shortening as a sub for some of the butter to lighten up on the butter flavor.
Fall down 7 times....get up 8
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Fall down 7 times....get up 8
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post #4 of 24
1/2/12 at 7:53pm
If you are used to ABC, you have trained your taste buds to expect super sweet icing so when you taste SMBC, all you think you taste is butter. Once you readjust your taste buds you won't be able to go back to ABC. icon_biggrin.gif

But think of it like this... I'd never eat a stick of butter straight. YUCK. But slather butter on bread? Yum yum. Unflavored SMBC is fantastic on cake because it enhances the flavor of the cake without overpowering it with extra flavorings.

But the biggest benefit of SMBC is it can hold a ton more natural flavorings then ABC. If you are only using a tsp of vanilla or something you are totally missing it's potential. Try a tbsp or more of vanilla bean paste, 1/4 cup strawberry puree, 1/2 cup raspberry preserves, or fold in 8oz of melted but cooled chocolate as variations. It's divine!
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post #5 of 24
1/2/12 at 9:14pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by esangston

I've been contemplating the idea of trying smbc. So I finally caved. All the recipes were about the same. 1c gran sugar. 5 egg whites. 4 sticks unsalted butter. Van x... Cooking etc.... So I made it... And the egg white and sugar mix after the mixer had it's way with it, Was pretty good. But once the butter went in.... It just tasted like straight butter xs 5.... I couldn't put that on my cake! I don't even think i would put it on my French toast cupcakes and they use a very butter rich icing.

Is this normal? I even made another batch of the sugar egg white mix to dilute the butter with no luck. I mean I know butter cream should taste like butter... But it was more buttery than my toast this morning!!!

Any comments?



My family's exact reaction icon_lol.gif

I'd suggest taking the batch you have and using it as an experiment. Measure it out into 4 equal parts and try additives. Figure out what you like and then when you make it again, you multiply the additive by 4.

I've used 1/3 hi ratio shortening to help heat stabilize it. Can't tell the difference.
I've added some PS to sweeten it---LOVE it--and so does the family.

Rae
I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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I love you, but your emergency is not my crisis!

They say that a little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but it is not one half so bad as a lot of ignorance.--Terry Pratchett (b.194
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post #6 of 24
1/2/12 at 9:34pm
I use margarine in all recipes because of the price of butter in our area. I found the recipe amount too much so I just add a little at a time to the meringue till right consistency.
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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

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post #7 of 24
1/2/12 at 9:35pm
Thread Starter 
Hmm glad it's not just me lol. I liked the method behind it. I hate hate hate super sweet icings. I'm strong believer that the inventor of icing intended it to have a taste besides sugar! I've been trying to shy away from shortening based icings as well as it's either all in with ps or it tastes like straight shortening. We have family whose diabetic and with as much icing as my kids inhale, it's prob better to get away from the bc.

I will say this. After adding the extra egg white sugar mix, essentially diluting the butter to 2 sticks per 5 whites and 1 sugar, the butter was less noticeable but still there. It took almost a whole bottle of root beer concentrate to get it to taste like root beer.... My root beer float cupcakes were an epic fail but perfection doesn't come overnight.... I had to disguise the bland cupcakes with root beer in the icing lol,,, But my kids never mind the failures for dessert!

I did have some leftover that didn't have rb concentrate in it so I added some dark cocoa powder... The butter flavor added to that and it is actually pretty good.l

What's the heat tolerance for this anyways? My meringue experience is limited to, oh last nights buttery fiasco lol... Is the egg white sugar mix the same that you can torch? Basically will my roses survive the georgia summers? Or will they wilt in the heat?

Thanks for the replies... I was so sure I did something wrong!
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post #8 of 24
1/2/12 at 11:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FromScratchSF

Unflavored SMBC is fantastic on cake because it enhances the flavor of the cake without overpowering it with extra flavorings.

I swear that's when it's best. Unflavored, unfooled with. Perfect.
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post #9 of 24
1/3/12 at 4:02am
I use an IMBC recipe to which I add a bit of extra sugar and two to three tablespoons of NM vanilla (if I want a good vanilla taste). I use Warren Brown's recipe from Cake Love.

The Dude abides.

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The Dude abides.

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post #10 of 24
1/3/12 at 7:33am
Thread Starter 
I think I might try imbc next. I think my next tasting I'm gonna do an icing tasting. Every couple of months I get together with some friends and a few of my loyal customers and they sample out different flavors of cakes cupcakes and cookies... Its churned up so much business lately... Once i get all these icings to a point where I think their awesome.... Thinking I'd use smbc, abc made with half butter, the rest shortening, maybe imbc and I might add this recipe I found that was similar to abc but called for whipping cream... And maybe a cream cheese... I don't do a lot with cream cheese icing, I'd like to master at one too lol am I forgetting something?
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post #11 of 24
1/3/12 at 7:44am
You might want to go to FromScratchSF's blog. She has the best tutorial on SMBC (which I follow for IMBC too, the end of it).

http://fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/more-about-swiss-meringue-buttercream-like-my-other-post-wasnt-long-enough-i-had-to-go-write-another-epic-post/

There's a previous post before this. And there's also a delicious cream cheese SMBC tutorial.
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post #12 of 24
1/3/12 at 7:47am
Try Charlotte's in the Recipe section. Sort of a hybrid ABC with the MBCs, but no butter. It's all I've used for years.
Answers to the most often asked questions re: SPS. SPS instructions are on Page 15 of the Sticky at the top of the Cake Decorating Forum. Supplies can be ordered from Oasis Supply, Global or BakeryCrafts.
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Answers to the most often asked questions re: SPS. SPS instructions are on Page 15 of the Sticky at the top of the Cake Decorating Forum. Supplies can be ordered from Oasis Supply, Global or BakeryCrafts.
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post #13 of 24
1/3/12 at 8:01am
I notice most recipes ask for a rsp. or 2 of vanilla. You really need to add at least a TBLS. and a half, if not 2 TBLS.
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post #14 of 24
1/3/12 at 8:34am
Leah, I searched for Charlotte's recipe but I couldn't find it. Would you point me to it? Thanks
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post #15 of 24
1/3/12 at 8:36am
Quote:
Originally Posted by leah_s

Try Charlotte's in the Recipe section. Sort of a hybrid ABC with the MBCs, but no butter. It's all I've used for years.



Leah,

Where do we find this recipe? I tried searching without any luck. Thanks!
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