Would You Bother With Imbc/smbc If Covering With Fondant?
Decorating By lrlt2000 Updated 2 Mar 2011 , 9:31pm by FromScratchSF
I haven't made a cake in awhile, and I'm making a baby shower topsy turvy for this weekend. I usually just make a regular BC (usually Julie's Less Sweet BC recipe), and thought about trying a MBC.
BUT would you go through the trouble of trying a MBC, which requires more effort (i.e., cooking/heating/combing/more bowls/etc.) if I'm just going to cover it all with fondant!?
How do IMBC/SMBC compare to regular BC for filling/torting? Also, sometimes, if I want a flavored filling I just throw it into my BC (like, raspberry or strawberry jam)--can I do this as simply, with a meringue BC?
LOL, thanks for the details
I have a crazy week, a 6 month old, an 8 and 6 year old, and a husband who's gone most of the week!!!! Between the IMBC and the SMBC, which is easier?
Any tips that I need to know when working with MBC that differ from working with regular BC (i.e., does it need refrigerating, do I store at room temp, do I use it the same way when covering with fondant, etc.)?
try WBH house buttercream..You don't have to boil sugar etc and it is a good solid BC.You also don't have to refrigerate it..just keep it cold in a garage or cool.
I use italian/swiss all the time, it worths the extra as people will compliment the texture and flavor versus ABC.
here is the recipe....
Whimsical Bake House Buttercream
In Mixer bowl, stir together:
6 Cups Confectioners' Sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Using whip attachment, add and whip on low speed:
1 cup boiling water (3/4 cup on hot days)
Whip until smooth and is cool.
Add and whip until smooth again:
2-3/4 cup Hi-Ratio or regular vegetable shortening
6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) butter; slightly chilled and cut into 1" pieces
Turn up mixer to medium-high. Whip until double in volume and is light and fluffy. About 10-20 minutes. Recipe will almost fill a 5-quart mixer bowl when done.
Makes 9 1/2 cups
IMBC is my very favorite for covering with fondant! (but then, I've never tried SMBC). I can smooth it, chill it, and cover it with fondant. If there's any imperfections in the IMBC that show through the fondant then, I can use the fondant smoother to kind of push the icing around underneath because it doesn't crust. I love it!
How long before being eaten can I make ahead?? I have to make all icing/fondant today (ideally). Is it as stable/versatile as ABC? Is the completed cake okay to keep at room temp?
I have had this icing up to 3 weeks in my fridge..very versatile.It is non crusting...
Yes, but what about the MBCs that use eggs? Can someone comment on made-ahead time, storage tips, storage of completed cake, etc. using a true meringue?
Absolutely use SMBC or IMBC. The taste is so important, even if under fondant. Some people peel off the fondant and you want them to have amazing icing underneath. I usually make SMBC, fill and crumb coat my cake and refrigerate overnight, then cover with fondant and add decor, etc.
You can make the SMBC a few days ahead if you like but I find it only takes about 20 -30 min to have a big batch ready to use.
I love IMBC. About the eggs, there's no problem since you pour extremely hot syrup on top of the eggs. But if you want to make sure, use the pasteurized egg whites. I use those all the time.
You can freeze IMBC and then bring it back to room temperature (allow enough time).
I've found these instructions for freezing/working with it, useful:
http://sugarsweetcakesandtreats.blogspot.com/2011/01/baptism-cake.html
Go with the better buttercream... European!
SMBC and IMBC are the same, only the mixing method is different. SMBC is easier to make since you don't have to mess with over-cooking the sugar syrup. With SMBC you put your mixing bowl right over your hot water to cook your eggs/sugar, this is really hard with a 60q Hobart, so bakeries do IMBC to make in massive quantities (much easier to make sugar syrup in quantity). The flavor is virtually the same.
European buttercreams do NOT need to be refrigerated unless it's hot out. People put butter, cream, milk, and 1/2 & 1/2 in crisco icing all the time and never have a second thought about making people sick. The same science that makes that milk last for a year in crisco icing is the same science that prevents bacteria growing in European buttercreams.
I make SMBC exclusively. I will make it in quantity (my KA can do 3 batches at a time, and I am a small batch baker), measure it out per job, put it in a zip lock bag, push out all the air and leave on my workstation for up to 3 days. I only go 3 days because I think the bag starts to make the buttercream taste a little funny. I'm sure there are other storage methods but this works for me. I just squeeze it out in a bowl to smooth it out and add flavorings.
I have fondant covered cakes and eaten a slice a full 7 days after I made it. Cake was unrefrigerated the whole time. Cake was a little dry, SMBC tasted fantastic.
Good luck!
Jen
I agree with Jen, I too use SMBC exclusively, except lately I have been using ganache as a crumb coat under fondant which is awesome, but I still always fill with SMBC. Both SMBC and IMBC are very stable and like Jen said work well at room temp for several days. I too bag mine, but I put into the fridge to extend the life. When I need it, I just melt 1/3 of it in the microwave, then add it to the cold buttercream and rewhip until stable and soft again.
I love SMBC because it uses delicious ingredients, is not too sweet, can be flavored naturally with just about anything, does not use shortening or gritty powdered sugar, and is stable for stacking! I do not ever use shortening in my frostings unless I am making vegan buttercream and then I use only organic non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening.
I have tried SMBC and just found it to be too buttery. I felt like I was eating a stick of butter. I was intrigued by the European buttercreams but did not like the texture of the SMBC, too greasy. Maybe it was my recipe - could that have been it?? I used Toba Garrett's recipe from The Well Decorated Cake.
I think Toba's recipe has one extra lb of butter.
There are many recipes out there, but most of them have the same proportions. I remember that for 6 oz of egg whites most recipes usually have 1 lb of butter.
Toba's recipe has 3 lbs. of butter for every 12 oz of egg whites.
My perfect SMBC is (drum roll please.......)
6.25 oz. egg whites (could be 4 eggs, could be 7, best results you should always weigh)
7 oz. sugar
Pinch salt
1 lb butter, at least 72 degrees (best quality butter only, I use Gilt Edge which is a local SF brand, organic with no additives or flavorings)
If I make meringue topping for my cupcake I'll bump the sugar up to 8 oz and skip the butter. Makes a nice sweet cooked meringue topping that tastes like marshmallow, and tastes even better if you run a torch over it.
Biggest mistakes people make: Whip meringue using whip on high to firm peak and until it's cool to the touch, then swap to paddle and mix on low. NEVER higher then that, you can't force the emulsion to happen faster, it will just break your meringue and you will get sweetend butter (which is the biggest complaint - sorry people, it's generally not the recipe, it's impatience that makes it "taste like gobs of butter"). It may take 20 minutes or more for you to make this. You have to be committed and not in a hurry. The colder your butter is, the longer it takes.
Tip: If you have lots of holes in your finished SMBC and it's not smooth, hold the bowl over warm water and stir, it should soften it up a bit more and it will smooth out. Melting is not your goal, only dropping the overall temp a few degrees.
8oz 72% bittersweet chocolate to 1 batch for chocolate. Don't use semi sweet or milk, you will just have to use more chocolate to get it to firm up to a workable consistency and it'll be super sweet. Not more then 8 oz of Bittersweet, you will seize your buttercream.
8oz REAL white chocolate with minimum 30% cocoa butter for white chocolate version. Never use candy melts or white "chocolate" that has no cocoa butter. It's nasty.
I am also willing to share my magically perfect cream cheese version that's I've sub't to CC a few times that won't get greenlight for some reason, PM if interested, it has a different mixing method.
Good luck!
I'm soooooo thankful for your sharing
But I'm scared!!! WAH! I will bake cakes tomorrow and try the MBC on Thursday, after my 6 month old goes off to "school"--in the meantime, I'm going to be reading and re-reading all of these posts. . . BE the MBC
My perfect SMBC is (drum roll please.......)
6.25 oz. egg whites (could be 4 eggs, could be 7, best results you should always weigh)
7 oz. sugar
Pinch salt
1 lb butter, at least 72 degrees (best quality butter only, I use Gilt Edge which is a local SF brand, organic with no additives or flavorings)
If I make meringue topping for my cupcake I'll bump the sugar up to 8 oz and skip the butter. Makes a nice sweet cooked meringue topping that tastes like marshmallow, and tastes even better if you run a torch over it.
Biggest mistakes people make: Whip meringue using whip on high to firm peak and until it's cool to the touch, then swap to paddle and mix on low. NEVER higher then that, you can't force the emulsion to happen faster, it will just break your meringue and you will get sweetend butter (which is the biggest complaint - sorry people, it's generally not the recipe, it's impatience that makes it "taste like gobs of butter"). It may take 20 minutes or more for you to make this. You have to be committed and not in a hurry. The colder your butter is, the longer it takes.
Tip: If you have lots of holes in your finished SMBC and it's not smooth, hold the bowl over warm water and stir, it should soften it up a bit more and it will smooth out. Melting is not your goal, only dropping the overall temp a few degrees.
8oz 72% bittersweet chocolate to 1 batch for chocolate. Don't use semi sweet or milk, you will just have to use more chocolate to get it to firm up to a workable consistency and it'll be super sweet. Not more then 8 oz of Bittersweet, you will seize your buttercream.
8oz REAL white chocolate with minimum 30% cocoa butter for white chocolate version. Never use candy melts or white "chocolate" that has no cocoa butter. It's nasty.
I am also willing to share my magically perfect cream cheese version that's I've sub't to CC a few times that won't get greenlight for some reason, PM if interested, it has a different mixing method.
Good luck!
Wow, what great tips, and thanks for sharing your recipe! My SMBC always turns out (according to my family) "too buttery" or "tastes like bubble gum" I can't understand the bubble gum thing at all....I use Penzey's vanilla and Land O Lakes butter, which I thought were good quality. But perhaps it's all in the technique, so I'll get out my scale and give this a try.
pm'd you about your cream cheese recipe
Make sure you use only unsalted butter when making MBC's. If you use salted it tastes gross (IMHO). Like a sweetened butter spread... good on scones... not so much on cake.
I don't like to put any salt in it, but a pinch wouldn't effect anything in a bad way.
Wow, what great tips, and thanks for sharing your recipe! My SMBC always turns out (according to my family) "too buttery" or "tastes like bubble gum" I can't understand the bubble gum thing at all....I use Penzey's vanilla and Land O Lakes butter, which I thought were good quality. But perhaps it's all in the technique, so I'll get out my scale and give this a try.
pm'd you about your cream cheese recipe
You would think because this stuff is so expensive it's high quality - the problem specifically with Land o Lakes is they add "natural flavoring" to it to enhance the butter flavor. So when you use it in a baked good or in a buttercream, you actually are not tasting real butter, you are tasting their "natural flavoring" (go check the box!). Scratch and European buttercreams don't do well with artificial.
The perfect butter for this is hard to find, I'll admit, because your general grocery store butters suck (especially generic store brands). I am fortunate to have found the brand that I did, and they don't sell in stores, only to high end restaurants. I'm in California so brands here that are pretty good are Clover Farms, Dutch Creamery, and Strauss Family Farms. Plugera butter is a national super high end European butter that in my area is about $6-7/pound, but it IS the best in flavor, but it will make your BC have a more yellow from all the butterfat in it... But if this is for personal consumption and you really want your SMBC to be out of this world in flavor, try and find regular Plugera and splurge.
If you want to learn more about different butters, I actually did research and wrote a blog post about it several months ago, http://fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/the-church-of-butter/ if you are interested.
Oh, and yes, UNSALTED butter, I never buy the salted stuff so I don't think twice about it.
Wow, what great tips, and thanks for sharing your recipe! My SMBC always turns out (according to my family) "too buttery" or "tastes like bubble gum" I can't understand the bubble gum thing at all....I use Penzey's vanilla and Land O Lakes butter, which I thought were good quality. But perhaps it's all in the technique, so I'll get out my scale and give this a try.
pm'd you about your cream cheese recipe
You would think because this stuff is so expensive it's high quality - the problem specifically with Land o Lakes is they add "natural flavoring" to it to enhance the butter flavor. So when you use it in a baked good or in a buttercream, you actually are not tasting real butter, you are tasting their "natural flavoring" (go check the box!). Scratch and European buttercreams don't do well with artificial.
The perfect butter for this is hard to find, I'll admit, because your general grocery store butters suck (especially generic store brands). I am fortunate to have found the brand that I did, and they don't sell in stores, only to high end restaurants. I'm in California so brands here that are pretty good are Clover Farms, Dutch Creamery, and Strauss Family Farms. Plugera butter is a national super high end European butter that in my area is about $6-7/pound, but it IS the best in flavor, but it will make your BC have a more yellow from all the butterfat in it... But if this is for personal consumption and you really want your SMBC to be out of this world in flavor, try and find regular Plugera and splurge.
If you want to learn more about different butters, I actually did research and wrote a blog post about it several months ago, http://fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2010/08/30/the-church-of-butter/ if you are interested.
Oh, and yes, UNSALTED butter, I never buy the salted stuff so I don't think twice about it.
Well, dang! Guess I'll have to try some Kerrygold. This baking hobby is going to make me go broke.
Yes, quality butter is super important. I always taste a tiny bit of my butter first too just to make sure it doesn't taste off before I make a big batch of buttercream.
I make my SMBC in bulk, by weight only. Here's one recipe, you can double or triple depending on how much volume your mixer can handle.
10 oz egg whites (I use pasteurized egg whites in liquid form so I don't waste yolks)
16 oz (1 lb) sugar
20 oz (5 sticks) unsalted butter - soft enough to squish in your fingers but still cold
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp high quality vanilla extract
pinch of finely ground pure sea salt
I tried SMBC once, and I will never make another buttercream ever! It was soooo delicious! and did not get that buttery flavor that most people seem to be complaining about. I used a recipe that I found on youtube from Dayane Bakes. It was very simple and easy to make. And held up great at room temp. And I live in the Caribbean Where it is super hot. The recipe calls for
1/2 cup egg whites( about 3 large eggs)
1 cup sugar (I added a 1/3 cup extra)
3 sticks unsalted butter
THe ingredients for the butter I bought said Cream and water. It did not have any butter flavor. I guess that had something to do with the out come.
Thanks so much for all the tips. I love smbc but have found it tastes too buttery, so thanks Jen for sharing your knowledge. Just so that I understand it properly (English is not my first language), I mix it on high until it is cooled down & it forms firm peaks and then I switch to low to add the other ingredients?
oh and here's my tip i forgot to add...
before beginning, wipe down your mixing bowl and mixing attachments with a little lemon juice to make sure there are no oils or residue on them that would prevent your meringue reaching its full volume.
if you want to try an even yummier, caramel like version of SMBC, try using brown sugar instead of white:
8 oz egg whites
20 oz brown sugar
24 oz (6 sticks) unsalted butter
1 Tbsp Vanilla
Yum!
Oh crud!!! I bought a ton of generic butter (I need to make a lot of icing and this one is not an income cake)! Ugh! I'll have to go back out to get the good stuff
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