I thought I would share one of my favorite and what I call a true buttercream type and recipes with everyone. If you have not tried a meringue buttercream, you need to. They are the smoothest and less sweet icings I have tasted. Perfect if your cake and/or fillings are chocked full of sugar, which is where my sweetness hails.
How do they differ from the powdered sugar frostings? Meringue buttercreams are just that, eggs, either whites or yolks whipped, with the addition of boiled sugar slowly added, then whipped until cooled to room temp., and then butter and flavorings are added. You can substitute part shortening for butter, as in any buttercream or powdered sugar frosting recipe for more stability.
Of the many different variations and recipes one can find, typically they all can be classified in one of the following different kinds of buttercreams below. Others may organize them differently, but I classify them this way:
1. Meringue Based:
1. Italian Buttercream: A cooked meringue made with a hot sugar syrup.
2. Swiss Meringue: A meringue made from whites and sugar warmed together over a bain marie. This dissolves the sugar.
2. Yolk Based:
Pâte á bombe: Sometimes referred to as a French buttercream. A buttercream here is made with yolks and hot sugar syrup.
3. Butter Based:
Here you will find basic recipes ranging from only butter and powdered sugar to the incorporation of other ingredients such as cream cheese, melted chocolate, cream or non-fat milk powder. Sometimes shortening or an emulsified shortening is added for stability.
4. Shortening Based:
Sometimes referred to as Decorator's Icing or Decorator's Buttercream. While this buttercream can be used for icing a cake, it is used mainly for decoration like roses and for piping borders and edging. Shortening has a much higher melting point making it suitable for those decorations needing a firmer look or handling. Since shortening does have a higher melting point, it will not have the same mouth feel as the above buttercreams, and can be very waxy to eat. If used for icing rather than strictly for decorating, butter and/or a liquid will be added for better mouth feel and flavor.
As far as piping, you can do basic piped borders, etc, but for detailed work, this is probably not the best frosting of choice. I encourage anyone who has not tasted this on a cake, to give it a try.
The following has one of my favorite Italian Meringue recipes from Dede Wilson's latest Cake book (a great book btw) and a number of other classic meringue varieties;
Italian Buttercream
Adapted from "Wedding Cakes You Can Make: Designing, Baking, and Decorating the Perfect Wedding Cake" by Dede Wilson, who in this book gives a very detailed description on how to make this icing. If you've never made this type of icing before, this is a great reference book to look to for guidance, and it gives help on how to "fix" buttercreams, and what to do if too cold or too warm. This recipe makes a wonderful buttercream with a smooth consistency, not too sweet and freezes well.
1 1/4 c plus 1/3 c sugar
1/2 c water
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 t cream of tartar
1 1/2 lbs. (6 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into pats
Place the 1 1/4 c sugar and the water in a saucepan. Stir to wet the sugar and bring to boil over medium heat and wash the sides of the pan. Place the whites in a grease-free mixing bowl and whip until frothy. Add in the cream of tartar and continue to whip until soft peaks form. Add in the 1/3 c of the sugar. Continue whipping until stiff, glossy peaks form. Meanwhile, keep boiling the sugar syrup until the temperature reaches 248*F. When the syrup is ready, reduce mixing speed of the whites to medium and slowly pour in the hot syrup into the egg whites. Try not to get any of the syrup on the sides of the bowl or hard sugar balls may form in the meringue. Continue to whip until cooled, which may take up to 15 minutes. Add in the the pats of butter and whip until combined, smooth and the butter is incorporated.
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Italian Buttercream
This version is adapted from the Roux Brothers cookbook, "The Roux Brothers on Patisserie," a good cookbook for basic French pastry. The use of glucose with the sugar syrup helps to prevent sugar crystals from forming during boiling.
1 c plus 2 T water
3 c sugar
1/2 c glucose
9 egg whites
4 1/2 c butter, room temperature
Place water, sugar and glucose in a heavy sugar pan. Stir until mixture boils, wash down sides with wet, clean pastry brush and insert candy thermometer. Boil until the temperature of the syrup reaches 110°C, then start beating the egg whites in a stand up electric mixer, until stiff. When sugar reaches 120°C remove from heat and put the speed of the egg whites to the lowest. Pour the syrup into the whipped whites in a slow, steady stream, trying not to get syrup on the wire whip or the edge of the bowl. Continue to beat the meringue until it is nearly cold, about 15 minutes. Begin beating in the butter, a little at a time, and continue beating until smooth.
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Italian Buttercream
This is the recipe I use in the kitchen. Industry recipe sized. Keeps well and is good for adding any number of flavors.
Sugar 6 # 9 oz.
Water as needed to cover sugar in pot
Whites 2 1/2 qts.
Sugar 3 # 3 oz.
Butter, 17 #
unsalted soft
Heat first sugar and water to 121°C. Add this to meringue that has been beaten to stiff peaks with second sugar. Add in butter, in chunks. Note: if pastry kitchen is very warm, use slightly cooler butter; if meringue is very cold before adding butter or if butter has not incorporated into meringue (large cold chunks still in buttercream) use a hand torch around stainless steel bowl to help melt product. Of course, only use torch as directed by manufacturer.
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Swiss Buttercream
Unknown source. It has been in my kitchen book forever. While measured in cups, it is an industry recipe.
4 c whites
8 c sugar
5 # unsalted butter
Combine sugar and whites in the same mixing bowl you'll be whipping the eggs in. Place over a bain marie or steam table and heat until the whites are warmed through and the sugar is completely dissolved. When stirring, avoid using whipping tools or action as the incorporation of air at this stage may prevent sugar from being dissolved. Attach to mixer and wipe the outside of bowl if it has water on it. Whip stiff, then add in the butter in parts until incorporated.
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French Buttercream
This buttercream recipe contains egg yolks and is adapted from "Professional Baking." While an industry recipe, scales down well for home use.
2 lb. sugar
8 oz. water
12 oz. egg yolks
2 1/2 lbs. butter
1/2 oz. vanilla
Bring the sugar and water to a boil, and continue to boil until 115°C. While the sugar is boiling, whip the yolks in a stand up mixer until they are thick and very light. When the sugar comes to temperature, remove from heat and slowly add in a stream to the whipping yolks, on a medium-low speed. Continue to whip until yolks are completely cooled. Mixture will be light and thick. While machine is running, add in the butter in chunks, but add it only as fast as can be absorbed into the mixture. Last, add in the vanilla.
Thanks Rodney for all the buttercream info. I like to use the swiss meringue when I want something less sweet than the simple buttercream (pow. sugar/ butter) but still fairly stable. Simple buttercreams can get too soft in our hot and humid climate (lovely Kauai). I have also tried a 50/50 butter/ shortening blend for a better tasting decorator buttercream.
I do the 50/50 when I am a)in a hurry, lol or b) hot weather like you stated, but for the most party they are way to sweet for me. Do you use hi-ratio shortening? I fell in love with this stuff. It contains emulsifiers that whip up where regular shortening does not. It also does not leave that Crisco aftertaste on the tongue. Oh, and hi-ratio shortening makes pie and tart crust more flakey.
I've only used the standard crisco type shortening (and only when I have to). Is there a particular brand of shortening that is high-ratio? Another thing I make sometimes is a vegan "butter"cream. I like to use Earth's Balance brand margarine, I find it gets the closest to real butter flavor and texture.
First i want to say, Rodney you are a wealth of information...you should teach!
Second, i just wanted to add a few things i learned a few weeks ago in class, we just finished basic and classical cakes...with the Italian Buttercream, it's super important that you're butter and the temp of your meringue are consistant...for example room temp butter that's soft, but not melted... and room temp meringue are key! Also a trick i learned for making the Italian meringue is to pour the sugar syrup close to the edge of the bowl to avoid the beater...sugar syrup on a whip attachment is a very bad thing...Also we've found in class that if you pull the syrup off the heat before 245F it works out better, there is a lower chance that your sugar will recrystalize... If you're in a humid climate, try to heat the sugar syrup to a slightly higher temp, this will create a more stable meringue to add butter too, resulting in a more stable cake...but the more stable the frosting, the less smooth the mouth feel, so be wery of that one. I hope these little tips help too...
Hi Rodney! Thanks for the listing of all the buttercreams. I was wondering, how many cups does the Roux Brothers version render? I would like to try that version, but scaled down.
Apparently the author of the recipes I posted above has contacted Tribe because she got her panties in a bunch about me not properly crediting her work, and rightfully so. Although that first recipe is a direct copy from Dede Wilson's recipe for Italian Meringue, so not sure how she is pulling that one out of her bag, but nonetheless..(insert drumroll)... authored by;
Renee Shelton
Webmaster, Creator and Writer/Editer of PastrySampler.com
CEO Beach Cuisine Inc.
The author has requested the recipes from her article be removed. The original article can be found here:
www.pastrysampler.com/Questio...ream.htm
