Hello everyone

I have done quite a few cakes including wedding cakes but my work has always been in ganache. A bride of mine wants this cake I am wondering if all you experience people can help me here.. I have a few questions:

-What would be the best buttercream to use for this? ( I use ganache under the fondant)> I am assuming it would be a crusting buttercream? Would SMBC work?

-I will crumb coat the cake just like I do with the ganache and make all the edges perfectly shaped and sharp like I would do for under the fondant. Then rest it for a day

-I will then apply another coat and texture it right away...Does it sound right?

-Also what would be the best tool/ stick to use this exact pattern...

Looking forward to all the replies and thank you so much in advance :)

AYes SMBC will work. You don't need to let is rest a day, simply put it in the fridge until butter hardened. Does not even take an hour, and I would the texture simply with an offset spatula

Thanks :)

Is SMBS crusting or non crusting..They want ivory so I was thinking maybe coact it with white ganache first and then apply a layer of buttercream for the texture.. How thick should the final layer of buttercream be? Not too thick, right?

AButtercream crusts because of a ratio of fat/sugar, usually with hi ratio shortening (or Crisco) as an ingredient and powdered sugar.

Swiss Meringue & Italian Meringue BC are whipped and not as sweet, light and fluffy this is what I use if not ganache (oh there's French BC too).

I'll add a link with the recipes. You don't need a crusting BC for this design and you can make the final coat as thick/thin as you want (same as you would with ganache).

Ahttp://www.joepastry.com/2008/italian_meringue_buttercream_imbc/

To the left (on the page from the link) there's an option called Pastry Components, when you click that there will be Buttercream, and under that it has recipes for American (crusting), French, Swiss, & Italian BC as well as the differences.

AThank you!!! :)

I'm with Smckinney07. Definitely a SMBC or IMBC. That's actually what it looks like to me. I think it will complement your ganache very well. It's really easy to work with and will give you that nice ivory color with the amount of butter that is in it. It does not crust. 

If you have never made it before, watch a couple videos on how to. You want to make sure your meringue is no longer hot before you add your butter. If you add the butter a little too soon, don't panic and throw it out! It will have a cottage cheesy texture to it. Just keep whipping the heck out of it, and it will come back together.

AThank you!! Yes i did watch a few videos but have never made it. For the texture , is it as simple as it looks or should i practice on a dummy?

SMBC is actually very easy to make!! A few more steps than normal, but super easy!!! 

I think the effect is as easy as it looks. I have a very small offset spatula I bought from Wilton a while back. It's probably about 3/4 inch wide. That's what it looks like was used (if that sentence makes any sense whatsoever!).

If you screw up, You can smooth the BC back out and start over. It's VERY forgiving!!!

AGreat. Thanks a lott for your help. I feel much more relaxed :))

I am one who does NOT like either SMBC or IMBC.  One might as well just eat a stick of real butter :(

American BC (using 1/2 butter & 1/2 shortening) is much more acceptable to most pallets.

AYou can do this with any kind of buttercream you want. Just drag a spatula around the sides of the cake to make the texture.

A

Ah,but then it's not SMBC anymore, it's a hybrid. I mix it half and half occasionally, but i was going to add that it depends on the butter, too. I find that some butter makes the meringue buttercreams too strong a butter flavor and not neutral enough to be flavored well with other things. You're really supposed to be putting liqueurs etc into it, so if you don't do that and just use it straight it can taste too strongly of butter and it isn't good.

AI made a cake with a similar texture, except the request was for it to be a little bit looser or casual (in my mind I think "messy" lol) than your example. I used Swiss Meriingue Buttercream. I iced it nice and smooth and then laid my small offset spatula against it as I spun the cake around on my turntable and gradually moved the spatula down the cake as I went along. It's the hibiscus cake in my gallery if you're interested.

Thanks everyone for the help...

Interesting..I hate american buttercream... I know hate is a strong word, but I seriously dislike it...I was thinking SMBC would be the perfect solution...Now I know not everyone likes SMBC either :(

AI mix ABC and IMBC all the time, usually half and half. It doesn't really crust. Today I mixed about 1/4 and 3/4 because I wanted to be sure it hardened in the fridge. I find IMBC too buttery and ABC too sweet; the mixture gives me the best of each without the worst of each, if that makes any sense.

AI started decorating with American BC, I used Crisco because I didn't think it would make a difference. One day I was ording supplies and got a small tub of hi ratio shortening and I could really taste the difference! I know this is a hot topic on here, this is just my preference.

Then I tried ganache and fell in love! I'm a huge chocolate fan and I just like working with it. Then I tried the IMBC & SMBC, I haven't gone back since! I like to use fresh, seasonal fruit for flavoring my BC and the do seem to be able to take liquid much better without ruining the consistency, as Kara said.

I dont really care what anyone else uses and I don't mean to sound like a snob! Oddly enough, it just ends up taking me longer to ice my cakes with crusting BC. That's not to say I haven't whipped up American for last min cupcakes for my daughters class parties-she usually forgets to mention until bedtime the day before ;)