Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Recipes › BITTER italian Buttercream
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

BITTER italian Buttercream

post #1 of 15
4/23/12 at 4:33pm
Thread Starter 
Can someone tell me if Italian buttercream made with merigune powder supposed to have a very bitter taste?. Made 2 batches and both are bitter, can they be saved?? icon_sad.gif
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 15
4/23/12 at 6:19pm
I didn't know you could make IMBC with meringue powder... maybe that's the problem? I'm not experienced with the powder, sorry I can't be more help.
www.superstarpastrydesign.com
Reply
www.superstarpastrydesign.com
Reply
post #3 of 15
4/24/12 at 3:51am
Do you mean sour? I have never had meringue powder turn anything bitter but definitely sour. Did you use the Wilton brand? The first time I tried Charlotte's Whipped Cream Buttercream I used the Wilton meringue powder and everyone thought it was lemon buttercream. Luckily I used it on a lemon cake so that kind of saved it, but I will never make that mistake again.

If I were you, I wouldn't use meringue powder for any meringue buttercream. I would use the powdered egg whites and reconstitute with warm water. They smell a little funky but you can't tell the difference in the final product.

Annie

The Dude abides.

Reply

The Dude abides.

Reply
post #4 of 15
4/24/12 at 4:02am
Thread Starter 
The receipe I found was the King Aruthur Itialian Buttercrem, and yes I used the Wilton brand of merigune powder. I'm making a wedding cake, and I wanted to try somthing different the American Buttercream.

Thanks again for you help.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 15
4/24/12 at 4:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnieCahill

Do you mean sour? I have never had meringue powder turn anything bitter but definitely sour. Did you use the Wilton brand? The first time I tried Charlotte's Whipped Cream Buttercream I used the Wilton meringue powder and everyone thought it was lemon buttercream. Luckily I used it on a lemon cake so that kind of saved it, but I will never make that mistake again.

If I were you, I wouldn't use meringue powder for any meringue buttercream. I would use the powdered egg whites and reconstitute with warm water. They smell a little funky but you can't tell the difference in the final product.

Annie



I will try to find the powder egg whites, do you know if you would use the same amount?

and wnated to let you know, Lv your BT picture, it looks like my little girl Ziva
Reply
Reply
post #6 of 15
4/24/12 at 4:15am
I can't remember the brand I used, but it's kind of expensive. There are instructions on the box about how to reconstitute them. It also tells you how much of the powder is equivalent to a raw white. So you just have to follow the directions and replace them just as it says on the box. It's really easy.

I love Bostons. I have two. The one in the picture is Geoffrey and I have another, Bridget. They are half brother and sister and they were born two days apart. They will be three in June.

The Dude abides.

Reply

The Dude abides.

Reply
post #7 of 15
4/24/12 at 4:16am
I forgot to say that meringue powder has all kinds of additives in it, if you look at the label, which is probably why it throws off the taste of the buttercream. The powdered egg whites are just straight egg whites.

The Dude abides.

Reply

The Dude abides.

Reply
post #8 of 15
4/24/12 at 8:49am
I use the Deb El brand-its called Just Whites. You can find it in the baking aisle of the grocery store (Wegmans has it in the baking aisle and the organic aisle). I love it!! HTH
I am a scratch baker working towards becoming a decorator, too Man, I hope practice really makes perfect
Reply
I am a scratch baker working towards becoming a decorator, too Man, I hope practice really makes perfect
Reply
post #9 of 15
4/26/12 at 1:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by AnnieCahill

I can't remember the brand I used, but it's kind of expensive. There are instructions on the box about how to reconstitute them. It also tells you how much of the powder is equivalent to a raw white. So you just have to follow the directions and replace them just as it says on the box. It's really easy.

I love Bostons. I have two. The one in the picture is Geoffrey and I have another, Bridget. They are half brother and sister and they were born two days apart. They will be three in June.
Reply
Reply
post #10 of 15
5/1/12 at 1:12am
What is the benefit of using powdered egg whites over fresh egg whites?
Reply
Reply
post #11 of 15
5/1/12 at 3:41am
Some people may be leery of using shell eggs but with Italian Meringue buttercream you are cooking them to 245 degrees which is well above the 160 required by the American Egg Board.

The Dude abides.

Reply

The Dude abides.

Reply
post #12 of 15
5/1/12 at 11:58pm
Swiss meringue buttercream should also be heated to above 160 or it is undercooked and unsafe.

I too, don't get the powdered egg white thing. Eggs are too easy and completely safe if handled correctly. In IMBC, the eggs have actually been turned into a confection.
Reply
Reply
post #13 of 15
5/2/12 at 7:45am
I've made IMBC with powdered egg whites. For me, it's not a matter of safety or any other reason, other than the convenience of it. I don't want to throw out the egg yolks as I won't have time to make anything else for a while. And I don't want to freeze them either.

I use Deb El Just Whites. They're 100% egg whites. I ordered a few brands once and I found some tiny after taste after using some. Sure enough, I went to check the containers, and the ones with the aftertaste were the other brands. They had sodium lauryl sulfate added as a whipping aid, used usually in shampoos to make a lather.

http://www.countrykitchensa.com/shop/food-items/dry-egg-whites/46/593/784/619057/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_dodecyl_sulfate

Don't get those.
Reply
Reply
post #14 of 15
5/2/12 at 10:43pm
I only pay .08 per egg, so a batch of IMBC for a 9 inch cake is .48.

At .13 per egg, the cost is .78.

Is meringue powder cheaper than that?
Reply
Reply
post #15 of 15
5/3/12 at 7:23am
Quote:
Originally Posted by scp1127

I only pay .08 per egg, so a batch of IMBC for a 9 inch cake is .48.

At .13 per egg, the cost is .78.

Is meringue powder cheaper than that?



No, it's not cheaper to make IMBC with dried egg whites. It's a lot more expensive. But I don't sell desserts; this is just a hobby and I give everything away every Monday of the week. If I have the pasteurized liquid egg whites in a carton, I'll use those preferably. But if I'm out of those, I have the dried ones.

Plus, I don't think I can get your prices for my eggs. I go to regular supermarkets where I can buy a dozen eggs for $3.29 or so. At that price, each egg is 27 cents. Dried egg whites would be about $4.62 for 3 oz, which yields 21 egg whites. 22 cents per egg white (no yolk).

Of course, people can buy the dried egg whites cheaper if they're buying in bulk and not at a fancy store. Sometimes, that's as much time I have...just enough to go to the fancy store, grab a can of it, pay for it, and walk away. But I can carry them in my bag without breaking them!
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Recipes
Cake Central › Cake Forums › Cake Talk › Recipes › BITTER italian Buttercream