SMBC experts - can you take a look at my recipe

The recipe I have is a little too buttery, so I add more powdered sugar.  Mine is

 

1 cup egg whites

1 cup sugar

6 sticks butter

1 tbs vanilla

1 cup of powdered sugar

 

But I usually add about 2 cups powdered sugar ( I don't measure, just to taste).  Believe it or not, but it really does not thicken it up too much, and has a perfect blend of buttery and sweet.
 

You aren't putting nearly enough flavoring in it. Butter is a platform for flavor, and the beauty of SMBC is that it can hold large quantities of purées, oils, real chocolate, and booze.

Vanilla extract is not a flavoring, really. It's a flavor enhancer - but by itself or put too much and it tastes gross and like alcohol. I use vanilla bean paste, and per lb of butter I add around 2 tablespoons of VBP - which is the equivalent of about 2 vanilla beans. I add it to taste, and by the time I'm done it tastes like high quality vanilla ice cream without the frozen part.

To make strawberry I add at least a cup of strawberry purée.

Chocolate I do 10oz melted couverture bittersweet.

Anyway, nobody complains that my buttercream is "too buttery" and I use Plugra - 87% butterfat and the most buttery butter there is!

Good luck!

Personally I would never add powdered sugar to SMBC, it kind of defeats the whole purpose of SMbc, just my HO I totally agree with FromScratchSF, you must add lots of flavor to even out the butter and get the flavor to come through

I make smbc and use different ingredients at the end. Crumbboss makes her smbc and she does use some powder sugar. She is a great baker and shares her knowlege. I have made her smbc also and it is delicious. I have made a full batch of american b/c and added that to smbc also. Saw this technique on c/c. That is very good also. So, we all like different taste and that is ok.

Here is the recipe I use. I found it online but dont remember where. It makes approx 15 cups of icing but you could cut the recipe in half if you wanted to. I dont think this recipe taste to buttery as I have used different recipes before that did taste to buttery. This recipe is bar far the best tasting SMBC I have ever made or tasted.

 

16 large egg whites or 2 cups of liquid egg whites

4 cups granulated sugar

5 cups (10 sticks) of UNSALTED butter, softened but cool, cut into cubes

2 TABLESPOONS pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

 

 

Edited to say: I found the recipe online at: https://sites.google.com/site/sweetapolitaprintables/sweetapolita-s-swiss-meringue-buttercream

margaret braun's recipe advises one tablespoon of vanilla to every three egg whites

 

(and 3/4 cup sugar-- butter is 1 1/3 cups which is 2 sticks plus 5 tablespoons)

 

so according to her formula that i have used forever--

 

op, you are lacking almost 3 tablespoons of vanilla to hit the mark (2.5)

 

you just need to punch up the flavor

 

i wonder where these weeny flavored smbc recipes come from--this problem surfaces frequently

that recipe is aromatherapy at the reception!!!  it's lovely-ness