This is not only one of the best tasting frostings, but its also great for decorating cupcakes with swirls and covering cakes. The Italian meringue buttercream recipe. I must say though that the cupcakes frosting on the photo did cause me problems, as I had to make it over five times to get it right.
My problem was, when I was adding the sugar syrup to the egg whites. It turned into a milky soup… that have never happend to me before and the only thing that made it ok was simply to buy new fresh egg whites and start over again with the sugar syrup. So it can be a bit tricky to make, but when it’s made it is so delicious.
Italian meringue buttercream (IMBC).
Makes 8 cups.
1/2 cup of cold water (120ml)
2 1/4 cups of caster sugar (530ml / 430gr)
1 cup of egg whites (about 6 egg whites) I use pasturized eggwhites only!
1 1/2 pound of soft unsalted butter (680gr)
1 tsp of vanilla extract
Kitchen stand mixer
First set the timer on 7 mins & pour the eggwhites into the kitchen mixer with whisk attachment.
Step 1:
Place sugar & water in a casserole and bring it to the boil and start the timer. Boil it on medium/low temperature. If the syrup starts to darken quickly turn down the temperature a little.
Step 2:
When the sugar syrup has been boiling for 5 mins. Start the kitchen mixer on full speed and whisk the egg whites for the last 2 mins. When the timer is up the sugar syrup is done. With the mixer still going on high speed slowly pour the hot syrup down the side of the mixing bowl. Discard any leftover syrup in the casserole. Be very carefull not to get burned on the hot syrup.
Step 3:
When all sugar syrup has been added it should look thick and fluffy. Stop the mixer and change for the paddle attachment. To avoid meringue splatter all over your kitchen place a clean kitchen towel over the mixer. Set the timer on 10 mins and beat on high speed. This is how long it takes in my mixer for the mixing bowl to be cool to the touch.
After 10 mins. You should now have a lovely thick meringue like on the photo.
Step 4:
Now its time to add the butter. Start the mixer on high speed and with a knife cut pieces of the butter and add it to the meringue. When all butter is added it will not take long for mixture to turn into nice thick smoothe buttercream. When that happend slow down the mixer and add 1 tsp of vanilla extract. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl and start again. I do this two times. You should now have a bowl full of lovely Italian meringue buttercream.
Note: If the IMBC wont combine just continue to whip whip whip. It will eventually get smooth. If you are still having problems, place both bowl with paddle attachment into the refrigerator and let it “cool” down a bit and then whip it again.
You can easily freeze any left over IMBC. Just remember to let the cold IMBC come back to room temperature before you placing it in the mixer to get it smooth.
Flavour options:
Raspberry: 1/4 cup of raspberry puré or more pr. 2 cups of IMBC
Lemon Curd: 1/2 cup of Lemon Curd pr. 2 cups of IMBC
Chocolate: 2-3 oz of melted chocolate, cooled down to 98 F, pr. 1 cup of IMBC
Coffee: 2 tbsp of instant coffee mixed with 2 tbsp of warm (not boiling) water pr 3 cups of IMBC
In my article “Cupcake decorating part 4” you can learn how to make beautiful swirls on you cupcakes using Italian meringue buttercream.
You can also visit my tutorial section if you want to learn how to make other icings and frostings.
See a video from CakeLove making IMBC here and see how Dyann Bakes make Swiss meringue buttercream here.
Happy Caking!
Louise
I could not get it to come together as an airy meringue after beating for ten minutes after adding the boiling sugar liquid. I tried three times and ended up with soup. No matter how slowly I added the hot sugar and no matter how long I beat it for. I was worried I was going to blow the motor out of my kitchen aid mixer. Very disappointed and out of a lot of ingredients. Yicks!!
Love this recipe! How many cupcakes can you do with one complete batch?
I am wondering this as well. I didn’t see anywhere that said.
Hi! Would this recipe be good for piping flowers/flower petals on my cupcakes or would a traditional buttercream work better for this? Thanks! 🙂
I made it today and it was really delicious i got i at the first try it was Nice and fluffy and delicious
I made this recipe before and it was wonderful, this time I had a problem. When I started adding the sugar syrup, my egg whites slowly started to turn to liquid. is there any way to save that it that happens again? I know when it does happen after adding the butter, whipping will help to stabilize, but I haven’t added butter, so please let me know. Thank you
My grandma and I tried to make some, but the syrup keeps crystalizing within seconds of finishing. It’s really odd. We tried it twice and had the same issue both times. Does anyone have any ideas on what went wrong and how to fix it?
Yes! this has also happened to me, but if I catch it just as it’s crystallizing, I add it anyway and it smooths out in the mixer regardless… very forgiving recipe in this sense.
I find that 5 minutes boiling is too long… try 3 min, then follow rest of steps. I think things like this go a bit different depending on whether it’s summer weather (hotter) or winter and altitude… but I’m no scientist!! lol
I swear by this recipe though – it’s the best combo.. not too greasy, light enough, but decorates beautifully and not too sweet. Love it on chiffon cakes!
I made this tonight and its amazing! So soft and fluffy. So delicious. Can’t wait to use it.
Hi this look amazing . I have been lookin for a good recipe i will try this one. But i have a question. After we boil sugar and water do we leave this to get cold? Or do we put hot syrup into egg whites? Thanks
You pour the hot syrup in very slowly, down the side of the bowl. Drizzle it.
I love this frosting it’s the only buttercream I use and everyone goes crazy over it. I make half batches by cutting all ingredients in half and use it for cupcakes and for filling my French Macaron.
Can this recipe be cut in half?
Fresh egg whites work much better. Adding such a high ratio of sugar at that temperature actually cooks and stabilizes the egg whites so you don’t have to worry about pasteurization.
Hi, your recipe looks amazing! But I wanted to know if it was possible to half the ingredients? would the result be the same?
I half this recipe all the time to frost my cupcakes. It’s always worked out perfect for me.
Any recipe can be cut in half, I believe. I don’t know why you wouldn’t be able to.
Katie – every recipe can NOT be halved… Many can, of course, but the chemistry of baking in some cases requires at least a certain, specific quantity of some ingredients (or combinations of ingredients) in order to obtain the desired reaction. Luckily, this is not one such recipe, however!
I made this tonight and followed the recipe exactly, but during the cooling phase when the meringue is meant to be beaten on high for 10 minutes, my meringue went hard and crumbly! I re-made it and beat it on low instead until the bowl was cool, and that time it turned out perfectly. Gorgeous!
Thank you for the recipe! Can IMBC be left at room temperature? For how long?
I have made this recipe heaps and heaps of times and never had a problem. It is a fabulous recipe. The last three or four times I made this I substituted a third of the butter ratio with crisco for hot weather conditions and it was fine but I didn’t like the taste that much and it was still a bit soft. I then made another batch using high ratio shortening and for the first time ever my buttercream fell apart and nothing I could do would fix it. However taste was nice! What am I doing wrong? Please help me!!! 🙂
Hi. This looks amazing! I am making my daughter’s christening cake and hate fondant icing. I am making a rainbow cake with 6 layers and hope this will be enough! How much syrup do you add to the egg whites because you say to discard what you don’t use – how do I know how much to use or discard! Thank you!
I have made this frosting using this recipe many times. What I interpret those instructions to mean, is when you are pouring the syrup, the stream will stop coming out of your pot towards the end. So as you pour, it starts cooling off and thickening on the sides of the pot you cooked the sugar in. THAT part is what you discard. So pour your syrup slowly into the mixing bowl until it won’t come out any more on it’s own…as in, don’t scrape the sides and try to get every last little bit. If your pot is thick enough, it shouldn’t lose heat so quickly that you don’t get enough syrup out before it’s thickened.
Hi Louise, have been following your blog for quite a few years, just wanted to tell you that your IMB is the best and so are all of your tutorials. Thank you for sharing.
What a great recipe! I had never made Italian meringue buttercream frosting before. I followed your instructions and came up with the most beautiful and tasty frosting. The only question I had was how long it will keep in the refrigerator.
Oh my…After a terrible failure, I wasn’t about to give up. Ran to the computer and found this recipe. Cleaned the kitchen for the mess i had just made and printed your recipe. Perfect… just perfect. As it began to whip and get smooth and glossy, I just had to let you know. I never comment but this recipe is a perfect no fail Italian meringue buttercream. Thank you!
You are making the world sweeter I post at a time!
Hi Louise,
I habe followed your site for a good few years and have used this recipe time and time again with great results. Could I please have your advice, I have been asked by a friend to make her wedding cake, she would like a chocolate cake with rasperry buttercream, do you think i could use IMBC flavoured with raspberry puree to fill and cover cake under rolled fondant?
P.S your site is the best there is!
Maria
Thanks heaps. It turned out awesome. I think I may have over whipped it with the butter but it piped really well. Thank you!!
Could I leave the butter out and just pipe it while it is white?
Do you mean when it’s a meringue? You can do that only it may not hold it’s shape very well. But for swirls on cupcakes it’s perfect.
Can it be salvaged if it’s watery and lumpy? Does it need anything to give it more body? Help! :/
Is this problem after the butter is added?
Hi, I’m a little confused by the instruction to turn down the heat if the sugar starts to darken quickly. If it gets dark one should probably start over, as the sugar is _way_ past the recommended “softball” stage.
The reason I wrote this, is because all stoves acts differently. So it is meant as a little warning if you know that your stove heats up quickly. One reader have used a light browned sugar syrup and got a really nice caramel flavored buttercream. But of course the best syrup is at soft ball stage and “white” in color.
Ok, thanks for clearing that up 🙂
Just tried this recipe today and loved it!! Thanks so much for the great instructions, it made my first time doing this super easy.
Thank you so much for an awesome recipe! My IMBC has worked out beautiful and then I took some out and mixed lemon curd with it. ABSOLUTELY YUMMMMM thanks again
Can I use meringue powder and water instead of egg whites ? If so, how much of powder and water should I use ?
Please see this recipe https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/italian-buttercream-recipe as this is made with meringue powder instead.
thanks!
hi, how long would it last in the refrigerator?
I keep mine 1 week in the refrigerator.
Hey,
I am doing my first wedding cake OUTSIDE in June. What’s the best icing to uses and how far in advance could I make the gumpaste roses without them cracking??
Thanks jen
I always loves rolled fondant icing for covering cakes. If you use gumpaste you can make the roses weeks ahead. As long as you store them dry xand out of the sun. They will dry stone hard and will of course not be good to eat. I almost never see my roses cracking when made weeks in advance.
Thank you for conquering my fear of IMBC. I used your recipe for a total gluten free wedding cake for my brides and I loved it as well as her family and guest. I currently offer the IMBC as one of my buttercream choices.
Let me know how to upload a photo of the wedding cake.
Again, thanks for the wondefule IMBC recipe.
Hi Ann, Im happy to hear that the wedding cake and the IMBC were a hit 🙂 You can send a photo to my email/contact or upload it on the CakeJournal Facebook page. Thanks! Louise x
Great wee recipe! Worked brilliantly! It will be my buttercream of choice from now on. Followed instructions to the letter and it worked great! I was a little anxious about making sure it reach 248 degrees as other recipes state of I did use my sugar thermometer and it did. I won’t bother with it the next time. More time consuming then conventional butter cream but Definitly worth the effort.
I don’t use the thermometer either anymore. I just go with the “soft ball” stage when checking the sugar syrup before pouring it into the meringue. Yes, it may take a little more time to make but it is so much more GOOD 🙂
Hi, I so love dis recipe but I have a little problem. Where I come from we have a lot of heat and I want to use dis recipe for a wedding. So I don’t know how long IMBC will last under heat. The temprature in my country is 36 degrees. Is there any thing dat I can add and will not affect the taste?
If you add 2 Tbsp of dry Dream Whip to the recipe when you add the butter, it should help to hold the shape and consistency while weather is hot.
Hi Louise, just wondering if IMBC could be frozen for a later event? Or would it keep in the fridge in a air tight container? The party isn’t till the end of April & we want to make it easier on the day, we were going to pipe it on the cupcakes on the day.
Cheers
You can freeze it no problem. Just make sure that you take it out a few days before allowing it to thaw slowly in the refrigerator. Then the night before it is going to be used take it out of the fridge and leave it on the kitchen table. Next day take 1/3 part of the IMBC and place it in a bowl. Place the rest in the mixingbowl. Gently heat up the small part of IMBC in the microwave until its warm but not comepletly melted. Take it out. Start beating the IMBC that’s in the mixing bowl and then add the “warm” part to that and beat until its combined and smooth.
Hi louise, thanks for d recipe. Pls I have a problem here, where I come from, we have a lot of HEAT and d IMBC tends to melt quickly and I want to use d recipe for a cupcake fountain for a wedding. So I don’t know wat to add to make it last longer wit out melting
I think that we much ask some the other readers who have experience with IMBC in hot weather. The weather in Denmark is mixing. So I have not tried it when it was really hot.
I hope some can help.
Hi! We dont have caster sugar in vancouver. Can i use granulated or icing sugar?
Granulated should be fine since it will be melted with water and turned into sugar syrup.
Hi Louise, thank you fr this recipe! But my IMBC came out buttery and heavy…is it suppose to be like that? I was expecting a light and fluffy heavenly icing…I did double the recipe thought, you think that was my mistake? I’m sad is not what I expected 🙁
It should be light and fluffy. It could be the double recipe that did it wrong?
pls can we also color d meringue? cause i tried once and it gave me a bitter taste.
You can color both the meringue and the meringue buttercreme only with the buttercreme it can be difficult to get bright colors
Should I always use pasturized eggs/egg whites whenever I bake?
It depends on in which country you live in. Here in Denmark we are adviced to use pasturized egg products when making things that will not be cooked properly, due to salmonella. In other countries they are not that strict. I only use pasturized for this frosting and the meringue frosting. I don’t use it for my cakes/cookies.
Thank You for sharing. This is a great tutorial. I was afraid making italian meringue buttercream, not to mention that I have no candy thermometer. I read Your tutorial once and my buttercream turned out wonderful. I am so happy! I’ve just made the most smooth and delicious raspberry flavoured buttercream ever!
Hugs! :)))
Good to hear. My candy thermometer broke and I have not bought a new one. But then I use the water test instead have not had a problem. As long as the sugar syrup is at soft ball stage. Love it with raspberry.
hi,
Icing looks amazing, is their any way I can make this without egg whites I so want to try this recipe but I cannot use eggs as we are vegetarian.
Love your website very helpful 🙂 thank you for sharing with us.
No, sorry 🙁
I also wanted to add that after I added the syrup, and mixed it for a good amount of time, I put it into the freezer for about 10 minutes, just enough to make sure it was thoroughly cooled. Last time I added the butter into the mix (even with the scrambled bits) and it melted! I ended up turning my first batch into a sugar cookie recipe!
I made this tonight, used only 4 egg whites because I had only 6 oz of butter and it was still really good. I’ll add the rest of the butter tomorrow. The first time I made this I didn’t pour the syrup as slowly as I needed to and there were tiny bits of ‘scrambled’ egg whites in it. That was a bummer! This time, I simply poured it extra, extra slow and into the whisk, with my kitchen aid on a 10 speed- it got tempered correctly. WORKED OUT FINE! Sure am happy that this frosting freezes because it makes a very large amount. I’m going to use it sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies!
Great recipe!
Between chocolate chip cookies sounds very very good.
Hi i have a few questions hope not to overwhelm you:) i recently started baking cakes and i just dont like buttercream im from belarus so most of our cakes our soft creams that cannot be used under fondant.i been using heavy whipping cream,cream cheese and sugar. Yumi but fondant jc is just too heavy. I have been managing but its so risky is this buttercream tasty and can it be used under fondant. I made buttercream twice and even after cooled cakes it seemec to just melt inti the cakes. So no icing between the layers. Any tips and suggestions. Thank u so much
I have never had any problems using this bc under fondant. The taste of this bc is sweet and buttery.
Great recipe. Ususally I use traditional butter cream for cupcakes and will try this recipe to see the diffences.
May I know after putting this buttercream on top of the cupcakes, do I have to keep the cupcakes in fridge? or just keep in room temperature is fine?
Thanks!
Okay, after reading over 400 comments I am terrified haha!
I have been reading the steps over and over and over again and I’m still afraid of wasting that much eggs and butter but I’ll try it anyways, (because I love to bake). I don’t have a candy thermometer (only a cheap one for only meet) but I’ll use it if I get nervous or anything!
And I will update! 🙂
If your buttercream split your whites were probably just a tad bit too warm. Butter melts below body temperature, so you have to make sure you feel NO heat coming from the bowl. Also, if the mixture looks a little curdled after adding all the butter try adding just a bit more!
I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS RECIPE!!! I have made so many variations in flavourings and it comes out a winner every time! Raspberry was to die for, Maple syrup & spice for Pumpkin cupcakes, Turkish delight bits with rose water was a hit, Cola with popping candy rocked. And of course the good old vanilla has replaced my usual vanilla buttercream (which i could never seem to get a smooth consistency). Ym yum YUM!!!!!!
I love this recipe! I have never had a fail! It was always salvagable! I have used this recipe for 2 years now for both my boys cake! Everyone loves this frosting! Thanks for the visual! I truly love it!
I made swiss buttercream but when i refrigerate it it get real hard.
Does the Italian buttercream gets hard too.
hi for the italian buttercream can i use a hand mixer as well?
I think maybe your issue w/ the whole soupiness when adding sugar + egg whites was using pasteurized egg-whites. They usually flop in comparison to freshly separated. Other than that it was a great recipe.
Looks yum! I made a swiss meringue buttercream recipe off the martha stewart website and when i added the butter, it wouldnt combine and just became a runny split mess. What went wrong? :s
It can happen that the mixture splits. Dont worry just keep whip whip whip eventually it will combine into a silk smooth buttercream. You can also try and place bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator for a couple of minutes and then re whip.
Awesome AWESOME recipe! Thanks!
how long does this icing keep
I keep mine for 1 week in the refrigerator. Longer if you freeze it. It is important that you let it come back to room temperature. I then take about a cup or more of the icing and gently heat it for a few seconds in the microwave. Add this to the rest and whip it until smooth.
I know that it is buttercream but it always tastes like sweetened butter, it pipes beautifully but I just wish it didn’t taste like you put a heap of sugar into a pound of butter and whipped it. Beautiful pictures BTW.
Cloudy, I thought the same thing so halved the butter and used shortening to fill the 1 1/2 pound requirement. The consistency was still beautiful, still buttery, but not overwhelmingly. This is my very favorite buttercream, even though it is a bit more labor-intensive than most!
Can I use meringue powder instead of egg whites?
You can but I would then recomend you to use another recipe as I have not made this with meringue powder. Try this:https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/italian-buttercream-recipe
I have not tried this recipe but just wanted to make sure. Don’t the egg whites start ‘cooking’ when hot boiling sugar syrup is added?
No, you will not get poached egg whites 🙂
Brilliant recipe! My first ever IMBC… Will use this again! Thank you…
The instructions for this were not necessarily the best. I had to make this 3 times and look at someone else’s site for advice before I got it right. My IMBC was turning soupy because when you whip the egg whites you need to whip them to stiff peaks, not just for 2 minutes. I also added a pinch of cream of tartar to the egg whites before whipping. The sugar syrup needs to be at 248 degrees Fahrenheit before adding it to the stiff egg whites. Hope this helps.
Sometimes the mixtures gets a bit wet and curdled. To fix that, mix it on med/high for quite some time. Eventually it will form a perfect consistency.
Love this recipe! I halved all the ingredients bar the butter and when it came time to add the butter I had it all cubed ready. I added each piece until the mixture started to pull together and look like buttercream and then I added a bit more just for good measure! 😛
Thank you very much! I will be using this again and again 🙂
Hi,
It looks like a great recipe, only the amount of butter is really big.
Is it possible to reduce it? I want to use it to decorate an ELMO’S cake, so I need to color it and spread it.
I would not recommend to start reducing the amount of butter. Then it would be better to look for another recipe with less butter amount. Try and click on the link in the bottom to a you tube video from Cake Love. He use a little less butter for his IMBC 🙂
hi this looks like a simple recipe…can i leave the IMBC iced cupcakes at room temperature for a couple of days??
You should store the cupcakes in the refrigerator. Or wait to iced them until a couple of hours before serving if possible.
thanks Louise..will try to make some tomorrow…1 more thing..some IMBC recipes use cream of tartar..why is that??? what is the consistency of this icing?? is it like buttercream?? I would like to use the star tip to pipe out the icing onto the cupcake, so will it hold its shape at room temperature?? can i cut down the recipe by half & make the icing??will it be the same??sorry for bothering you with so many questions just that its my first try on this icing & i dont want to mess it up…thanks Sarah
I guess the use of cream of tartar is to give the meringue more volume. The consistency is like buttercream only more silky. They can hold the shape but if it’s too warm it can loose the shape a little bit.
I have not had the best of luck cutting this recipe down in half. You could try the recipe from Cake Love link in the bottom of the tutorial. It is pretty much the same only it does make a smaller portion.
The measurements must be off – it made a complete mess as there was too much fluff. Plus at 7 mins my sugar syrup was golden brown (no mention of this in the instructions). Still working on it, will be upset if 10 eggs and 700g of butter is down the drain.
Jane, I’m sorry that you had problems with the recipe. Apparently there have been a few other readers having problems with the amount of 10 egg whites so I have changed the recipe to only using 1 cup of egg whites (about 6 egg whites)
For your problem with the sugar syrup going brown the temperature have been to high. As stoves are different and what works for me, may not work for others, I have added in the post that the syrup should not turn brown and to lower the temperature a bit. Again sorry for the problems.
as we’re in a very warm spot, putting the finished bowl into the refrigerator for 5 minutes really helped! excellent recipe.
After covering the cake with this IMBC, can I keep it at room temp? Or refrigerate? If so how many days?
I would only keep it out for a couple of hours. I always store in the refrigerator (1 week) for longer place it in the freezer
What is caster sugar?
White sugar
Hi there,
Do you think some of the butter could be replaced with cream cheese to make a cream cheese IMBC? If do what quantities should I use?
Thanks 🙂
I honestly don’t know….. If you want a great cream cheese frosting you should try the recipe from the Glorious Treats blog https://www.glorioustreats.com/2010/02/recipe-cream-cheese-frosting.html
Hi Louise… After ready how long the IMBC remains without losing the detail of the tip? I am Brazilian and I love it all here. Thanks in advance! Hugs
Hi Adrianna, I’m not sure that I understand your question 🙂 Do you mean for how long you can store the IMBC?
I mean, after you apply on the cupcake, how long it keeps without losing the detail of the decor. Sorry, just see it only now, I searched for your answer for several days, I ended up forgetting. tyvm 🙂
A couple of hours or more depending on the room temperature.
Hi Louise!
Loving your webiste, can you please tell me how do you keep you icing white? My icing turns pale yellow
My Italian buttercream is also pale yellow. It could be the butter that you are using. My butter is rather pale on it’s own.
This buttercream is now my goto.. I may never go back to powdered sugar again, except to top my cinnamon rolls and lemon bars. wow.. can’t emphasize enough, quality butter and sugar for this one. My candy thermometer broke and your timings are perfect
It is the best 🙂 I can’t eat the powdered sugar buttercream out there. They are so so sweet.
I only wished that it was a little better to color but you can’t have it all. I never use the thermometer anymore I can easily tell when the syrup is right 🙂
Can you add food coloring to this frosting?
It is very difficult to get a really good strong coloring with this buttercream. Also it is very pale yellow which will affect the color too. Often the color will be light pastel.
When you say caster sugar, do you mean karo syrup?
No, just plain white sugar.
Turned out awesome! One question, do the cupcakes need to be refrigerated or is the IMBC ok at room temperature?
Depending on when they will be eaten and if it’s very warm I would keep them refrigerated until about 1 hour before serving.
What does this frosting taste like? I tend to avoid buttercream because I find it to be heavy and rich and too sweet. I usually hand whip heavy whipping cream with a little sugar to get a light whipped cream to top cakes, but its not great for decorating Does this have a lighter flavor than traditional buttercream?
It taste sweet and light buttery. I think it’s better than a super sweet regular buttercream. It is great for coating and piping.
Hi, new to this site and love it! this is probably a silly question but, how long can you keep the frosting for and how would you store it?
I keep it for 1 week in the refrigerator. If longer place it in the freezer.
Quick question, I notice on your picture you have a flower decoration – what is it made of?? I have mastered this buttercream, (it is by far my favourite. Extremely silky!!!!) and I make decorations like your fantasy flower (from rolled fondant, shaped & dried)) but after they have been on the cake for a day they go soft & lose their shape. 🙁 I guess the moisture from the IMBC interferes with them? Or am I doing something wrong?! Thanks 🙂
The flowers are made with fondant added Tylo powder (GumTex) It helps the fondant to dry and it takes a bit longer before it goes soft if placed on BC
I have tried this 3 times and failed at all the attempts . I get as far as the whipping the sugar in stage and as soon as i add but all down hill from here. I really dont know what do. I live in a small Caribbean island called St.Lucia and i cant find a high quality butter.
What happens when you add the butter? Does it get soupy? Have you tried to place the bowl in the fridge to cool down a bit?
Hi Louise,
I have just tried this and the syrup looked fab UNTIL I turned the heat off! Before it was even all in the egg whites it had crystalised and the meringue is now mixing but lumpy!
Am I going to have to throw this away as the egg whites will surely be raw?
ANY help would be great as I promised my boys cupcakes forthe fete tomorrow!
xx
Sorry for the late reply Nicky. I would not use it of course. I would try and start over again with new whites and syrup. Try and take the syrup off a few minutes before and see if this helps. If not try and take a look at the CakeLove link at the bottom of the tutorial it may be a little easier to use.
this recipe was too big for my kenwood mixer it was almost overflowing when it turned to meringue i would suggest using just half the recipe at a time.
I so sorry I have never thought that it could be a problem. You can try the Cake Love recipe a the bottom of the tutorial as this makes a smaller portion.
I’m betting the reason your meringue turned soupy was because of the egg whites. Because you bought them the way you did instead of using them fresh, they didn’t react the way they’re supposed to react.
i love this recipe, first batch in bin 2nd batch perfect 3rd batch still good but i have one question you say 1 cup egg whites = 10 eggs whites when i put the egg whites in my cup measure it came to 6 egg whites, also when pouring sugar into meringue i get hardened sugar on one side of the bowl so i then have to transfer the mixture into another bowl so as not to get the sugar bits in my mix
I have changed the recipe to saying only 6 egg whites. About the sugar bits in your meringue. I helps a lot if you slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl. When I make it I can see some harden sugar around the bowl but not sugar bits in the mixture.
I don’t have Lurpak butter here in TX…What other brands would be considered high quality butter or what qualities should I look for to choose a high quality butter?
The butter brands that I have heard mentioned most on other baking blogs are the Land O Lakes and the Plugrá butter. But of course I have not tried them.
And you are the best Chef!… you never hide anything from us, you tell all your secrets ;)Thanks for your help & advise Mwahhhh GiGi 🙂
Yeyyyyyyyyyyy… i did it and it tastes more than super delicious, its true when you advised for the use of high quality butter!!..Wow, i tried it before with standard baking butter and it tasted very buttery, but now when i used Lurpak, it makes all the difference in taste, its very creamy, smooth, satiny and super delicious!! Yummy 🙂 so thank you for the post of using Lurpak!!! its a great success!!! Thank you Louis for your recipe, I encourage everyone to give it a try 😉 GiGi
Good to hear Gigi 🙂 Lurpak is the best butter brand 😉
Can this buttercream stand the heat of the sun? I’ll be selling my cupcakes in the middle of the summer and I’m worried which frosting should I use.
It will get a little soft. But I don’t think that I would actually starts melting unless it is placed direct in the sun. Try and make a few cupcakes with the IMBC and see how they turn out after times out in a warm place.
I tried making the IMBC. It looked great until I added cocoa powder and then it looked like it sperated, not smooth. What would cause this to happen and how can I avoid this happening again?
I would use melted chocolate instead if you want the chocolate flavor. It will still look smooth afterwards.
Hi Louise,
Would I be able to substitute the egg whites with meringue powder? If so, how much meringue powder must I use? Or may be you can let me know how heavy is ur 1cup of egg whites?
Thank u.
Cindy from Spore
Cindy, You can use the recipe for Italian buttercream from King Arthur Flour as this is made with meringue powder https://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes/italian-buttercream-recipe.
Thk u Louise!
Its realy nice way to make and decorate cakes and ice cream….thank to share this…
keep it up
IMBC is the ONLY buttercream I use. As mentioned quality unsalted butter is important and I buy mine from a local creamery so I know it’s fresh. I also cook the sugar water to 250 F before adding it to the meringue. If the mixture become soupy after adding the butter, keep blending, it all comes together as the mixture cools. I love this the IMBC because I will not use anything shortening based in my baking, it takes purees, flavors, liquors, and holds up well. I bring it to room temp. and remix it to cream it up after it’s been stored and prior to icing a project.
I hesitate to comment because I admire Louise and feel that my talent is not a tenth of hers; however, I may have a solution to your problem. I have found that the quality of butter that I use, makes all the difference in the world to the taste of my buttercream. I don’t know how the butter is in the UK, but here in the USA, there are different qualities of butter. I scrimp and save in every other aspect of making cakes, but when it comes to butter, I buy the best. 🙂
You are so right on this one Kelli. Use a good brand when it comes to butter used in frostings. I myself use Lurpak unsalted butter.
delicious! will cupcakes iced with IMBC need to be refrigerated because of the egg whites?
If they are to be saved for the next day? Then yes! But I have not experienced problems, when they have been out for 4 hours. Maybe the IMBC was a little more soft at the end but still delicious.
I tried the recipe and it was really nice and creamy but it had a really butter type taste, what would you suggest? (I have already tried adding more vanilla essence and I am trying to not add any flavours)
Please help! 🙂
It is hard not to get the butter flavor since it is a buttercream. Most of the times I never add flavoring as I like it just as it is. But you can use flavors like lemon essence (or lemon curd?) or raspberry jam (puree) which both can give more freshness to the buttercream. I would not recommend to use those flavors under fondant as the fruit acid can melt the fondant. But if you are making a only buttercream covered cake they are perfect.
Wow this is awesome so delicious and perfect on cake thanks Louise i love u
Thank you so much for the recipe. Can I ask could you use this to replace the buttercream on a big cake…ie with jam or lemon curd in the middle and under fondant on the top……I hate buttercream so would be lovely to find an alternative . If you can how do u store the cake before eating, as u cant put fondant in the fridge ..can u?
Thanks
You can use the IMBC as the same way you would with regular buttercream. It smooths perfectly on the cake and it a great base for fondant covered cakes. I have always stored my cakes in the fridge. The only is problem is that when you take the cake out it often starts to sweat.
To eliminate this you can Place a large cardboard box in the fridge and place the cake inside along with a bowl filled with baking soda (bicarbonate) the baking soda should then absorb any moisture keeping the cake dry. I have not tried it, but I have seen it being used at at big US cake company.
Great!
I’m Italian Blogger, your recipes are fantastic and well explained.
Congratulations!
Laura
I would love to use this icing on an ice cream cake..how would it hold up being put back in the freezer and then out to eat. Thanks
I have not tried this on ice cream. But it freezes beautiful and hold it’s shape if piped. So I don’t thins that it would be a problem when thawed a bit.
Thank you so much for this recipe and clear instructions!! I was a bit worried when it curdled but Martha steered me right! I know this is an old post but it’s the only one that worked for me and was delicious! So excited to ice my cake now!!
PS. Do you know how long this will keep?
I have stored it in the refrigerator for 1 week, with no problems. But it is better to keep it in the freezer if you need to store it for longer. Make sure that it has thawed completely, then take 2/3 of the buttercream and gently warm it in the microwave, stir and then add it to the rest of the buttercream. Place it in the mixer and whip it well.
THERE ARE A FEW THINGS TO HELP WHEN MAKING ANY BUTTERCREAM 😉
I LEARNED THIS IN PASTRY SCHOOL. MAKE SURE YOUR EGGS ARE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE-AN ALWAYS IN BAKING. TO HELP COOL DOWN THE BUTTERCREAM AFTER YOU ADD THE HOT SYRUP PLACE ICE PACKS AROUND THE BOTTOM OF THE BOWL WHEN WHIPPING TO COOL IT FASTER ;)MAKE SURE YOUR BUTTER IS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE ALSO-NOT MELTED OR TOO COLD.
Love the ice pack tip 🙂 Thx
Hi Louise!Thank you for all your recipes…about this one I want to ask you if I need to refrigerate the cupcakes frosted with it…or can I keep them in a let’s say 24 degrees temp?(will it melt with the fondant decorations?)
You can keep it out for 4 hours. Then you should refrigerate the buttercream. No, buttercream of fondant likes very hot weather. So if possible keep your cupcakes in a cool place.
Hoping you can help> I love this recipe but am nervous to use it on my cakes> I want to put it on my cakes as a filler & under coat for my MMF. I normally take 2-3 days to decorate a cake then deliver. Is the IMBC still safe? I don’t keep my cakes in the fridge as I bake from home I don’t have a extra fridge. If you do freeze or keep left over how long are they safe for?
Personally I would personally not keep it out for more than 3 days. I once found some FAQ from Whimsical Bakehouse about how long it can be stored outside and did write this in one of the comments on this post but I can’t find it. Maybe you can find some good hint’s in this post from CakeCentral https://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopic-737168-30.html
I am so excited I found your site via pinterest! I used to always give up when the finish product looked like cottage cheese and watery. Now I know just keep on whipping. I also put butter in right after pouring in hot syrup and had to put in fridge to become firm again. So yummy…worth the effort.
Hi, thanks for your quick replied. May I ask, how early can I make the cream cheese frosting a head of time, and do i have to keep it in the refrigerator? and do you know how long I could leave the cupcakes up at room temp?
Hi, Your cupcakes look amazing! I’m a fan of whipped icing just because I think it’s less sweet. I want to make a bunch of cupcakes for a party, but want to make them ahead of time, but whipped icing won’t be great for that, I think. I was wondering, how do you make buttercream that’s not too sweet? I would love to hear your opinion.
Have you tried the Italian butter cream? I don’t find it that sweet. You could also try and make a cream cheese frosting? I really like the one from Glorious Treats https://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2010/02/cream-cheese-frosting-recipe.html
Hi Louise,
Ur site is lovely……Can der be a substitute for egg whites in the above recipe???
You cannot make this without the meringue. You would have to make a basic butter cream then.
Hey Louise!
I am about to take on my first big project and I am excited to try your vanilla cupcakes with the imbc, however I want to flavor it. At what point would you add flavoring and how? I’m thinking chocolate and maybe a strawberry…
Nevermind, reading is clearly fundamental 🙂 I found all the answers I needed. I will let you know how it goes!
Ashley: How did it go?
The egg whites wouldn’t meringue, so I had to do something different, but your vanilla cupcake recipe is SOOO good and it translates well into a sheet cake, I did have to triple the recipe though. I refuse to give up in this recipe though! I will probably have to separate the egg whites myself this time, then I could just make custard! Please keep making more wonderful things. I have so much to learn about baking and decorating and you have been such a tremendous help! THANKS LOUISE!!!
I have tried this a few times. When I added the sugar syrup it turned into a milky soup. It helped when I placed the egg whites in a plastic container and lowered them into some warm water. Of course without any water getting in the egg whites. You can also try and add a little sugar to the egg whites when they starts to foam.
I want to make this frosting but the mixer stand I have isn’t kitchen aid, meaning the paddle doesn’t rotate the bowl does. Will this recipe still work, I’m afraid I will not get the stiffness needed. And also does this frosting tend to melt because of the butter?
I must say that I honestly don’t know. At first you should use the whisk for the egg whites. It can get soft if it’s very hot where you live.
I want to make this frosting but the mixer stand I have isn’t kitchen aid, meaning the paddle doesn’t rotate the bowl does. Will this recipe still work, I’m afraid I will not get the stiffness needed. And also does this frosting tend to melt because of the butter?
NO PROBLEM with your mixer, I had it in my country PERU, and I worked very well.
I think that you should try anyway. You can use a hand held mixer, it’s just much easier with the mixer since you can walk away from it. Please let me know how it worked.
Hi Louise,
I always make crusting buttercream to cover my cakes so I can later smooth them. The IMBC looks delicious and I would love to try it, does the IMBC crust as well?
The IMBC does not crust. But stays smooth all the way. It is perfect, if you want to make the ruffled cakes that you have seen a lot lately in the cake world.
I cut the recipe in half and after boiling for 4 min, it started turning a caramel color so I started pouring it in. By the time it was half poured in, the remaining half was a dark caramel. This made the buttercream ivory (which I think is pretty) but I don’t know if that was supposed to happen.
Also, my buttercream is kind of “pitty” (has little pits when I pipe it) and isn’t as smooth as yours in the picture. What could I do to fix this? Thanks
I would not recommend to half this recipe as you can end up with problems like you did. Even if it gives you a nice ivory color 😉 If you want to make a smaller portion I can highly recommend to use the recipe from Cake Love that you can find at the end of the post (Youtube link). The directions is a little bit different.
The pits could be small sugar crystals from the hot syrup when you poured it into the meringue. Try to pour in between bowl and whisk.
Hi Louise,
I followed your tutorial to the letter as i really wanted to learn how to make this frosting. I had tried it once before and the mixture became runny and gave me a lot of problems. So few days ago i did it your way (ofcourse did 1/3 of the recipe just to be on the safe side) and i must say it came out so well. The frosting looked exactly like yours. I was thrilled. Only concern was i would have liked it a bit sweeter which i will work on next time. But other than that thank you so much for this website. It is an inspiration for a self taught baker like me. Keep up the good work!
Wow! I made this for my husband’s birthday cake, and he said that it was the best frosting he’d ever had– and he’s quite the contessuer. I made it with rapadura sugar that went through the food processor, and it worked perfectly. First successful buttercream ever! The tips on timing were so welcome and helpful. And the tea towel! Thank you for telling us about the tea towel. What a mess! Lots of love to you and your site! Thanks again! ~~Alena
You can just use a handheld, no problem.
Fra: Disqus [mailto:]
Sendt: 16. oktober 2011 21:33
Til: [email protected]
Emne: [cakejournal] Re: How to make Italian meringue buttercream
NOTE: This comment is waiting for your approval. It is not yet published on your site. ======
you could make the IMBC and then add a homemade caramel.?
I got the recipe from Karinne writer of this site https://www.gateauxdulac.blogspot.com/
1 cup white sugar
3 tbsp water
2/3 cup maple syrup
3 tbsp butter
1/2 cup cream (cooking 15% fat)
1/2 tsp salt (optional)
Combine sugar and water in a sauce pan and boil for until medium brown Without whisking or moving the pan.
Add the maple syrup and cook for a couple of minutes until the mixture is well blended (5 min)
Remove from heat and add butter and cream. Stir until combined.
Let it cool completely before adding the salt
Fra: Disqus [mailto:]
Sendt: 22. september 2011 08:31
Til: [email protected]
Emne: [cakejournal] Re: How to make Italian meringue buttercream
NOTE: This comment is waiting for your approval. It is not yet published on your site.
======
If the IMBC turns soupy and looks like cottage cheese, simply just place it in the refrigerator to cool a bit. Then start whipping it again. It is impossible to ruin this bc and it will always comes together in the end. You just need to let your mixer whip whip whip.
Fra: Disqus [mailto:]
Sendt: 5. november 2011 18:57
Til: [email protected]
Emne: [cakejournal] Re: How to make Italian meringue buttercream
NOTE: This comment is waiting for your approval. It is not yet published on your site. ======
Hi Louise,
I just recently discovered your website. Great!
I have a question: how long can you store Italian Merengue or IMBC?
Finally managed to crack this today. First time I did it and it turned to milky soup like you say. I figured the trick is to make sure that you beat the eggs and dont skimp on time. So yummy! Thankyou (Works with trex (using 500g) but you will need to add a flavouring or else it tastes too ‘fatty’ lemon, vanilla and almond are all yummy!
Lou x
So you changed the butter for trex?
Fra: Disqus [mailto:]
Sendt: 21. oktober 2011 16:54
Til: [email protected]
Emne: [cakejournal] Re: How to make Italian meringue buttercream
NOTE: This comment is waiting for your approval. It is not yet published on your site. ======
Hello love your blog! I just want to know if its possible to use regular white sugar instead of caster sugar. Thank you.
Yes, you can.
I use pasteurized egg whites all the time so that could not be the problem. I have never seen it being overworked. I have not tried it with powdered egg whites. I think that you can but just don’t expect the same consistency/flavor. You can always whip it back together.
Do the eggs have to be room temperture or can they be right out of the refrigerator?
When making meringue for the IMBC you get much more volume if the egg whites is a room temperature. You can take a short cut by pouring the egg whites into a tall container with a lid and lower it into warm water for a couple of minutes. Make sure that no water gets into the container.
anyone tried to freeze this??
You can freeze this with no problems. Take it out the day before you are going to use it and let it get back to room temperature. On the following day take 1/3 of the imbc and heat it in the microwave until it’s warm to the touch. Place the remaining of the 2/3 in the bowl of your mixer and beat it on medium speed. Then add the warmed imbc and beat until it’s soft and creamy. I got this tip from the Confetti cake book and used it last time. It worked like a dream.
Hi. I’d like to try this but the problem is, I don’t have a mixer with paddle attachment. 🙁 Does this mean I won’t be able to get it to this consistency without it? I’m only using a hand mixer, by the way. So only whisk and beaters are available. Thank you so much. I love your blog, and I hope to be able to bake well in time.
You can still make it if you have a handheld mixer. You may get a little tired in your arm though 😉
Fra: Disqus [mailto:]
Sendt: 9. oktober 2011 22:29
Til: [email protected]
Emne: [cakejournal] Re: How to make Italian meringue buttercream
NOTE: This comment is waiting for your approval. It is not yet published on your site. ======
I keep mine out for 1 day only, If they are stored in a cool room. If not served right away. It can last well covered for 2 weeks in the fridge. Take it out the day before you plan to use it. On the day take 1/3 of the IMBC. Place it in a bowl and gently heat it for a couple of seconds. It may get a bit liquid. Place the rest of the IMBC in the mixing bowl and add the heated part and give it a good whip. It combines beautifully.
is there any way i can make this without any dairy or eggs? D: halp
No, this Italian meringue buttercream cannot be made without butter and eggs. You would need to look for another type of frosting.
I have one for you that is awesome. I do not have it with me right now so I’ll have to get it and send it to you. I used in on my wedding cake and other wedding cakes as well. The best compliment i got was from a 13 year old boy who had to tell me he loved it. I was so touched.
there is a small amount of milk that is used to make a flour/milk paste. this is beat into a shortening/sugar mixture. You beat at high speed until it grows fluffy and add the almond extract.
The only buttercream without butter is called bakers buttercream. It’s that fluffy white stuff on sheet cakes you get from the local bakery, they use sugar and vegetable shortening (instead of butter) to make it, most people in cake decorating circles don’t like it because it basically tastes nasty. But you could probably flavour it.
The reason bakers use it is because of its pure white colour.
Thanks for the recipe, i have always wanted to try and make italian meringue buttercrem, now i definitely will be, it looks yummy, yummy, i love experimenting x
this recipe was the easiest to follow, I have tried making italian buttercream before and failed miserable, this came out perfect on the first try. Thanks!
HI Louise! I’m really looking forward to making this! About how many cupcakes does it cover? Thank you!
I haven’t really taken any notes on how many, sorry. It all depends how you pipe your swirl. There should be enough for 12 CC maybe more?
hi there, thank you for your recipe, may i ask, how long do you have to refrigerate cake with IMBC frosting before covering with fondant?
Not long. About 15 minutes.
hi thank you for your reply, another question, when i covered it with fondant, it was too soft and there was a lot of bubbles on fondant, what do you think i did wrong?
It sounds to me that you may have worked to much with your fondant. That is, if there were bubbles in the fondant and not between bc and fondant. If it was the last then use a clean pin and “pop” the air bubbles, then smooth with a cake smoother.
I have just edited my answer to Maui. Hot sugar syrup makes the best meringue. I would not replace it with corn syrup. You will not get the same texture.
I made this and it just tastes like butter could this be made with more sugar syrup or less butter or maybe even margerine
I would not recommend you to reduce the amount of butter. Nor add more sugar syrup or margarine. You can try and add some flavoring like: lemon curd, melted chocolate, coffee or fruit puree.
As I live in UK could you convert measurements to grams or ounces please, just cant get my head around cups and have been meaning to try this icing for a while. I have been asked to make cupcakes for my grandson’s first birthday and they love mascapone frosting but in the heat it doesn’t hold up too well. I am hoping this will turn out to be a good substitute and they like it just as much as the mascapone one.
It should be written in grams and ml in the recipe?? I’m not sure that this will hold better in the heat. Not much does. But you can place the decorated cupcakes in the refrigerator and the IMBC will set beautifully. Take them out about 30 minutes before and they should be just enough softened for eating, if the weather is very hot. We only have rainy days here in Denmark at the moment 🙁
Question ; what temp should the butter be ? I tried it at room temp and my meringue became a soup that wouldn’t want to rise back, even after I put it in the fridge to cool…..
Sometimes my butter are close to being half melted, it still comes together. You just need to whip whip whip….
I totally made it this time ! Finally ! After the first two failed attempt, I did another one, took my time and waited for the meringue to be completely cooled off, and then added the butter. Absolutely the nicest buttercream ever ! I added some homemade caramel to give it a caramel taste and it’s perfect ! Your 7 minutes and then 10 minutes tips helped me a lot !!! Thanks !
I would love to try out your caramel trick 🙂 Sounds delicious.
I’ll email you the recipe. Very simple, but it’s the best caramel I’ve tasted so far and goes very well with the IMBC.
Thank you!
I have only tried to freeze leftover icing not if it’s on cupcakes. The sets perfect in the refrigerator though.
can i half this recipe and still use the same times on boiling and mixing?
Make the recipe from CakeLove (link in the bottom of the post) This makes half portion. I don’t think that you can just half the recipe and still use the same boiling time. It have been discussed in the comments.
its a desaster.. the end its a soup.. buttercream soup!! what happened?????????
help me pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
You can make it with a handheld mixer but it takes time… Also you need to hold it and cannot do anything else while mixing. But yes, it is possible. If you want to halve the recipe, you should try the one from Cake Love. There are a link at the end of the post.
I’m so sorry that this is not working out for both of you. I have had problems same type even with pasteurized egg whites. It helped me when I bought some new egg whites. I am no expert when using egg white powder for this butter cream. However it should have helped placing both bowl and whisk in the refrigerator to cool down. I know that it can come together but if it’s very hot and humid it can give you trouble. I hope it works out next time.
THATS KOOL
so nice ,i love it
My husband doesn’t really like the taste of buttercream and that’s basically all that I have been using since I started baking insanely for the past 6 months. I tried this recipe today and got it on the first try and it is delicious. My hubby liked it so much better than regular buttercream. I used the meringue powder, but think that I’d like to try regular egg whites, because the powder does have a different taste to it. Thank you so much for this post…it’s amazing!
Thanks for the beautiful recipe. Please can you advise how I can achieve a pure white colour with this recipe. Is it possible to add something to achieve this?
I find the end product is a light cream colour and I need to produce a pure white cream for a project.
I don’t think that a pure white color can be achieved. This butter cream that is very difficult to color. You could make a meringue frosting instead if you are planning to use it on cupcakes?
https://www.cakejourna.wpengine.com/recipes/white-meringue-frosting
Dear cake journal,
if i were to heat the sugar syrup on an induction cooker, how many farenheit should i cook it on? Also, should i start the 7 minutes timer as i start the fire or wait until the sugar syrup boils before starting the timer?
Please help me, and thanks alot for your recipe. Have been really concerned about not having a candy thermometer. 🙂
Could you reply me at [email protected]?
I’m sorry but I have not experience with an induction cooker…. But when I make it I start the timer when the sugar starts to boil.
I made my first IMBC a few weeks ago and it was so nice! Loved not having that overly sweet gritty regular butter cream. But, as others said it did seem a but buttery tasting for me. I would love a blend of the just meringue and the meringue buttercream. I saw people asking about reducing the butter, did anyone ever try this? Or do you think it might work to make a half batch of the IMBC and half of just the meringue and fold them together?
I have not tried it. But it does sound interesting with the half IMBC and the meringue. But I am not sure that it would be good to use under rolled fondant but maybe on cupcakes if it can hold the shape?.
It can be difficult to tint the IMBC properly. You will only get soft muted colors. But if you want to color I would add it after its combined. Use the mixer. In general with BC or RI, you can use powdered food colors, but I would recommend you to use gel colors. Powder is great for coloring gum paste flowers.
I know that some have used the meringue powder from wilton but the taste and consistency was not the same as with real egg white. So you must do a test and see how it goes.
I made these for a customer to use at a dinner party as lemon meringue cupcakes – I tasted the extra one I always make with new recipes and this is absolutely the finest topping I have ever made
hi I have made this Italian meringue buttercream
it’s so easy and it very light and I have used it for a 2-9 inch cake and 24 cupcakes …p.s. can I cut the sugar down a bit? and thank you for this recipes!
You should then try the IMBC by CakeLove’s Warran Brown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxWmiHRTMz8
I needed to make mini wedding cupcakes for an upcoming shower so I decided to practice. I got both the cake and the icing right on the 1st try thanks to this tutorial! It was perfect and now that I have done it once, it wasn’t nearly as difficult as I feared. I followed the recipe exactly. I piped the buttercream on the cupcakes and then sprayed PME Pearl Lustre Spray and sprinked edible glitter and pixie dust. I put pearl jimmies or opal sanding sugar on some of them for variety. They would also be great for a little girls party. They were like a sparkly dream cupcake…I got the best comments from people. Thanks for making me look good!
Dixie, I can only imagine how beautiful they looked 🙂
oh and another thing: I want to ice the cupcakes at least a day before the party, does this cream keep well in the fridge? how long can i store it in the fridge?
It will harden in the fridge and hold the shape. I keep it for max. 2 weeks in the fridge.
Hi Louise,
thanks for this post. I’d never heard of this cream, as i avoid buttercream at all costs, preferring fresh double or whipped cream any day. However, I am planning to make a cupcake bouquet for my little girl’s party, and I am not sure if the whipped cream wont slide off when its in the bouquet at an angle…so I am keen to try this recipe. can i ask how many cupcakes u think this mixture would suffice? would it be “strong” enough to stay put on the cupcake rather than slide off? Hope u can help, thx.
Oh and ur cupcakes look soooo yummy!
S
Just FYI, this Italian buttercream does taste of butter, but it’s better tasting than the regular sweet BC. In my opinion. The recipe will make enough for 24 cupcakes if not making the swirls too big. It should not slide off even if the cupcake is at an angle.
I love your blog! I wish I have the time to bake…
This is an amazing recipe. I have always wanted to be able to make this frosting and I followed your recipe to the letter last night. It worked perfect
Thanks
I look forward to trying more of your tips and tricks
Good to hear that it went well. I love IMBC 🙂
Thank you so much for the best buttercream recipe and such amazing instructions! I linked to this post on my blog, since I used the recipe for a friend’s wedding cupcake tower. I hope that is okay. Please feel free to let me know if it isn’t.
All fine by me 🙂
Thanks! 🙂
hello … what is caster sugar?
Regular white sugar.
I love a good silky smooth frosting. Your cupcakes are so cute.
I know the recipe several years and believe it is the best.
The most beautiful but it is how I saw it with pictures!
Very nice job Louise
Hi,
I tried the recipe, all was perfect no soupy meringue, until the butter was all incorporated and suddenly everything became curdy !
After many chill and beating session, everything separate, some beating later I finally filtered the liquid from the buttery block and beat the buttery block until smooth and added little by little the liquid, eventually it’s in one part now lol I don’t know if it has the right consistency but at last it looks like something !
Hi I just love your tutorial it was very easy to follow,I am taking a Wilton cake decorating class at the moment and I am adamant not to use shortening or meringue powder. I made the Italian buttercream recipe with fresh egg whites and cream of tartar, everything turned out wonderful, until I got to my class and my icing that had been sitting around for 2 hours already started to separate!! In a jam I added A LOT of powdered sugar from a co student which did bring it back together to a medium consistency, but whilst icing it softened again from my hands and my flowers started to become un defined. I made do with what I had but needless to say my cake design was the worst in class ( as everyone else had pearly white wilton/crisco/meringue icing! )When I got home I refrigerated my cake for 30 mins and it set beautifully, We are still eating the cake today, it tastes great with no greasy bitter taste that you do get from the wilton recipe. My question is what can I do to the icing to make it stiff and stay stiff for this weeks class besides taking a cooler filled with Ice…LOL any help would be great I would hate to have to make the crisco version, my Daughter has never eaten food made from it and I would prefer it to stay that way.
i find making a lemon filling easier, specially since i will have so so many unused egg yolks. so i just wanted to know if it would be ok to substitute the lemon curd with the lemon filling?
also my mixing bowl is plastic. is that a problem when pouring in the hot sugar syrup?
hey so i wondering, is the paddle attachment absolutely necessary? because my mixer doesn’t include one. I really hope you can reply quick. i want to make this for my nephew’s birthday.
I’ve just finished making this for the last week, had some major problems with curdling and separation, I just ended up with a cottage cheese solid and a gloopy liquid. I tried chilling it and rewhipping but to no avail.
But today I took most of the solids out and melted it in a bowl on top of a pan of boiling water, and rewhipped it – and it worked! So for all those who have trouble with a soup of cottage cheese, melt it 🙂
I made this with an electrical handmixer and no paddle attachment, so it is doable, just makes your arm tired
I make cupcakes for friends and family and can’t wait to try IMBC, I have been asked to make some cupcakes for a friend’s grandchilds christening.As I live in the UK could you please convert the recipe into grams or ounces as I am so confused by cups and I really want to get it right! Thanks.
I just started learning how to bake. In school we kitchen stand mixer. For now I only have electrict hand mixer. My question is, can I still make IMBC using my elect. Hand Mixer? My son’s teacher asking me to bake her a bday cake, i’m afraid i can only give a cake without the cing. Please Help!
IMBC is the best! Thanks for all the tips!
It is dead easy. If your mixture turn’s soupy it is because the Merengue is to warm. Cool your merengue in the fridge and once it’s cold enough (not too cold else it will turn lumpy) it will come together.
hi!
I’m studying to become a pastry chef and they thaught us in school that you shouldn’t heat the sugarsyrup to more than 121 degrees celsius when making italian meringue. When the syrup is about 100-110 degrees you start to beat the eggwhites and they should be at the soft peak state when the syrup is 121.
Maybe your syrup was to hot and that’s why the eggwhites collapsed?
Hi Louise,
I tried making IMBC using your recipe and it turn out well. So glad that I have found this website. Thanks for sharing and greatly appreciated!!!
Hi Louise, I really enjoy your website! It is fun to see all the great cupcakes you have made. I have a question though. What is the difference between Swiss Meringue Buttercream and Italian Meringue Buttercream?
hi Louise your webbie is awesome.
would like to try this recipe when I find the time. thanks for sharing!!!
Hi Louise,
This is a fantastic recipe and a marvellous website. I added a little more vanilla extract to the IMBC as the butter taste was a bit strong. I need to hurry up and put it on a cake as I keep dipping in with a teaspoon!
Hi Louise!
I tried making this buttercream the other day and I don’t know if there is such of a thing called over mixing for swiss meringue buttercream but just as it seemed to get thick and creamy…. The buttercream started to separate. It seemed like the butter and egg whites separated. Do you know why this happened.?
Dear Louise, I am doing research on a suitable icing for teachers’ day cupcakes. Do you know how long this icing will keep outside the fridge? Where we live, it is always hot and humid. I can keep the cakes in air-conditioned room. Do you think it will still keep for at least 48 hours? Don’t want the poor teachers to get sick.
I tried this for with half of the ingredients and it turned out superb! I had to keep it for 10 mins in the fridge and then beat it again but it was so hassle free and easy. I tastes great too and so so smooth! I always have problems with the usual buttercream which sometimes is a bit grainy.
I just want to know whether I could flavour it with lemon? how much lemon juice should I add? would it affect the consistency?
2 1/4 cups of caster sugar (530ml)–> is 530ml the same with 530 grams? sorry if it looks like a silly question
Hello,
I tried your IMBC after doing lots of research. I found that you have a great thing and I like the amount that it makes. I am pretty new to decorating cakes and I have sold all my cakes with IMBC. Why would anyone use the other stuff ever again.
Thanks for the recipe and Blessings to You.
Marnée Kaufman
Hello,
I tried your IMBC after doing lots of research. I found that you have a great thing and I like the amount that it makes. I am pretty new to decorating cakes and I have sold them. All with the IMBC Why would anyone use the other stuff again.
Thanks for the recipe and Blessings to You.
Marnée Kaufman
Hi what is the difference if I add in icing sugar to the egg white and later add in the butter instead of cooking the sugar syrup?
Thanks so much for the reply, Louise. That is indeed the same recipe and they are indeed really yummy! I did make homemade graham crackers (easy!) and caramel sauce (burnt the first batch, second was great), but I don’t have the meringue part down yet. This last time I made them, by the time I got the cakes unmolded, the meringue was breaking down a bit. It still tasted good but wasn’t quite as pretty as I’d hoped (no swirling peaks to brown — more like humps:) Originally I was thinking that if the meringues were frozen on the parchment, I could just peel the parchment off the bottom and then set the meringues on top of the cakes. Probably won’t work but would make an interesting experiment. Thanks again!
Suzanne: I must say pass to your question on making the IMBC with maple syrup. I just dont know if that is possible? dont know if it can be made “thick” and then just added as a flavor?
Emilie: The cakes sounds delicious. I did some research and found this (apparently from the same recipe you use) Like it says this is a speedy cake to make. So im not sure that the freezer thing wil work. How will you get the meringues off the parchment? I would just go with the speedy serving Mmmmm I must try these. https://moogieland.blogspot.com/2010/06/frozen-lemon-cream-cakes-with-toasted.html
I just discovered your site, Louise, and love it! Will definitely be checking your posts frequently. In the meantime, I have a quick question for you regarding freezing meringues. I’m making some frozen lemon cream cakes (from the current issue of Fine Cooking), and when I made them once before, I found that by the time I’d piped the meringue onto the top of the 3″ cakes I’d just removed from the freezer, and then browned the top of the meringue with a kitchen torch, that the cake was starting to melt. I’m sure doing it in the heat of summer doesn’t help. Anyway, I was wondering if I could pipe the meringue onto parchment (having drawn pencil circles of the cake diameter on the back side), and then freeze them. Then when I’ve unmolded the frozen cakes, I’d have the meringue ready to set on top and then brown. So I’m wondering if:1) it would work to freeze them like that, and if so, would it work to take them out of the freezer and brown them right away, or would they need to thaw slightly first, so they’d be the right temperature to brown and the right consistency when served. Hope that’s not too many questions! Thanks!
Hi Louise, I’ve made your buttercream over and over, always came out perfetc. Now I am asked to do a maple imbc; can I substitute the sugar syrup for maple syrup, and if so, would I use the same quantity? (i.e. 2 3/4 cups (water + sugar) or 2 1/4 cups – just the sugar quantity)? And do I still boil it for the full 7 minutes?)
Thanks so much for a great recipe!
Felicia: Well since it is different on the safety by using raw eggwhites from place to place I will advice you to follow the health regulations in your country. I can not use raw egg whites so thats why I use pasturized. If you see the video in the CakeLove link at the bottom of my post.Then you can see that he use raw eggwhites but I will not recomend you to do so unless you know that there are no “danger” using raw eggwhites. You can also use meringuw powder, but I have heard that it wont give you the same texture and there can be a slightly difference in the taste.
I would not recomend making this buttercream if you dont have a mixer, stand or handheld. Sorry!
Also remember not to serve raw eggs to elderly weak, pregnant and small kids.
Hi Louise,
I’m wondering what is the substitute for pasteurised egg-white? Is it possible to just use normal egg-white? Or is there a no egg-white option?
Also, if I don’t have a mixer, could I just manually whip the cream?
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
I love buttercream!
smiles, Fe
Millie: I honestly dont know. Im not sure that you can boil Splenda into a sugar syrup the same way that you can with normal sugar.
Can this recipe be made with Splenda?
pankake: Of course no stoves act the same. But if you want to make sure that the sugar syrup have the correct temp. Then use a candy themormetor and cook on low heat then until the temp reach 120 C
Hi There,
I don’t know what I am doing wrong, but I cannot get this recipe. I cannot cook the syrup on medium high for 7min because it burns, or of I don’t leave it on as long I go to pour it down the side of the bowl but before it hits the egg whites it sets on the bowl and what does make it to the egg mixture goes hard and doesn’t mix in. Please help me as I really want to make this but have no idea what I am doing wrong.
Thanks
Valérie: No, sorry I have not tried that.
Mandy: I know this is late. But I know that this question have been asked many times before. 1 tablespoon of meringue powder mixed with 2 tbsp. of water is equals with the white from one egg.
You need 10 egg whites. Thats what I always use.
Bippo: It is so good with the LC.
Valerie: I dont know really. I just pipe. I think that it can go with 24 cupcakes. Depending on how big the swirl is of course but I have never counted when I piped on cupcakes.
Hi, thanks for the post.
Just wondering how many cupcakes can i pipe with this recipe?
Thanks!
Oh my God! I made some lemon curd and whipped it in to some left over IMBC, and it was the most delicious thing ever! So creamy and sharp. I highly recommend it; it made for the best butterfly cakes.
Thank you again for this recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing. I am a beginner and have now made this recipe 5 times within the the past 2 months and it has worked perfectly each time. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Hi Louise,
I’m going to bake cupcakes this weekend and I’m planning on using IMBC as the frositng. However, how much of meringue powder should I use to substitute the egg whites? Hope to hear from you soon! and i can’t wait to try this delish IMBC!! You are awesome!
Your step by step recipe is just perfect, I’m going to try it this week to cover my cousin’s birthday cake ! I have a question : do you know how to use titanium dioxide to have a very white BC ? Again thank you for the recipe and for your help !
Thanks for this tutorial even though i tried it and it became soup but i’ll try again. Thank you so much for all your tutorials, it is helping to add xter to the kids cakes i make.
Leigh: I hope that it went good?
Kara: It is very important that the meringue/bowl is cool to the touch. What I do is that before I add the butter I scrape down the meringue. This also helps it to get cold. But last time I made it. My butter was not soft enough so I put it in the microwave for a few secs. Some of the butter was meltet and luke warm but it did not ruin the process of the IMBC.
If it get runny, you just need to let it whip whip whip, it will get smooth in the end.
Sarah Bell: they are made out of fondant with some tylo powder, I let them dry in my cornstarch box: https://astore.amazon.com/cakejoucom-20/detail/1565076796 and when they are firm I dust them with pearl powder dust.
Crislyn: If the CC’s can stay in a cool room just until serving it should not be a problem I think. You can store it in a airthight container at room temp. for max 3 days. If its in the refrigerator then you can store it for 3 weeks. Take it out 1 day before you are going to use it and bring it back to room temp. You can beat it very lightly before use.
Bippo: Great that you had luck in making smaller quantities. I failed badly when I tried.
I made this on a hot UK day, and it worked well. Knowing to keep whisking when it looked curdled was helpful.
I made quarter quantities, guessing the amount of castor sugar (130 g) because you only gave volume. I boiled the syrup until it looked and behaved like softball syrup when stirred (all that failed fudge finally paid off!) which took about 4 minutes.
The finished product was more like sweet whipped cream than what I expect from buttercream. Certainly an interesting, less sweet, option, although I think I prefer normal buttercream in most contexts.
I used raw egg whites because I’m pretty confident of the Lion mark in this country, but everyone has to assess their own risk. If I’d been feeding a pregnant woman, or someone immune-compromised, I’d probably have avoided it.
PS – How far ahead can I make this frosting and store it in the frige? How long can the cupcakes with this icing stay un-refrigerated?
Hi Loise. I love your site. Wanted to ask how you think this recipe would hold up on a warm summer day. Want to do a cupcake tower for my mom’s 60th birthday and it will be in July in California. Of couse, it wont be in the direct sun, but it will be a warm day. I really, really dont like using shortening and need a buttercream that can “take the heat” 🙂
Where did you get those large pearlised balls from. I’ve been searching on the internet and can’t seem to find any? Really like the recipe by the way. 😉
So, I am trying this recipe for the first time and am really enjoying the flavor. My problem comes when I add the butter. Up to that point, it’s perfect consistency and all that jazz. Than I add the butter and D:< happens. Right now the second batch is sitting and cooling. I wonder if it isn't waiting until the meringue is cooler. I waited the 10 minutes, but I wonder if 15 wouldn't be better?
Hi Louise,
Thanks for this recipe, I cant wait to try it. I have just read through all 182 comments and its been a really good learning experience. Have made notes about some of the great advice given above next to where I copied down this recipe, so fingers crossed, the recipe will work for me!
Bunnie: Normally you should have been able to rewhip it when it have been in the fridge, but if the weather is hot like it is in Malaysia it can cause problems when making IMBC. I dont know what can be done to get this icing to love hot conditions,
I tried making this the other day but it was too runny. It was splattering all over the place when i added the soften butter. Do you think weather has anything to do with how this icing turn out? I am living in Malaysia and the weather is hot and humid most of the time.
Another thing, I did put the whole bowl and paddle into the fridge for awhile hoping it will harden up but it did not. Could you please help as I really like the taste of this icing.
Sarah: Im not sure what cause your problem. When I add the SS it turns into a thick fluffy meringue. I have never seen bits of cooked eggwhites. After adding the butter remember now and then and scrabe down the sides of the bowl.
Hi 🙂 I have just made this recipe twice. Tastes great! My issue is the texture of the eggwhites, once finished whippping (before adding butter) there’s little ‘bits’ of cooked eggwhites through it. I made it a second time (using vegetable shortening instead of butter as I needed it white- the taste isn’t as fantastic but an ok compromise) and poured the sugar syrup in slower- but still had the same issue. Can you help?
Hola Louise!
Im from Costa Rica and I´m a huge fan of your blog. Im a totally amateur on this but I love all this pastry stuff and I actually have a little pastry business here in Costa Rica. Thanks to people like you and all your tutorials and advices I can apply all this techniques in my business and it is letting me grow.
Thank you thank you ¡Muchas gracias!
Hope you keep doing this cause it is a beautiful thing you make!
Kim: I have not tried it with meringue powder and I know there are some of the comments that are about that so you will have to browse through them.
For your question on transfering a picture to the cake are you thinking of this? https://www.cakejourna.wpengine.com/nggallery/page-2609/image/65
I cant remember the tip size, just know that it was really big.
whats the tip used to frost those cupcakes dear
Thanks for the response dear ..
wanted to ask one more quick question Here in our place we wont get pasturized egg whites can i use meringue powder will it givethe same results as with pasturized egg whites in that case what would be the measurement . and one more question i wanted to ask i dont know whether it would be appropriate to ask in meringue section . many times i tried to draw the picture and transfer it on to cake with piping gel and melted choclate but results are in vain .
can u pls share your ideas on this so that i wanted to give one more try .
looking forward to hear from u soon
once again thank you for ur great recipes
I love Italian Meringue BC. Last night my first attempt to make this BC and i’m very satisfied the result! The taste is so yummy! Very light tescture but still stiff.
Kim: You can make it with a handheld, You might get tired holding the handheld 😉 You can take it outside only if it is burning hot it may not stay nice for long. I have only tried it on cupcakes for a couple of hours and that was ok. The IMBC is super for borders, ruffles ect.
Isabell: OUCH!!! Sweety I am so sorry to hear that. I have made a note in the post about NOT to scrape out the rest of the syrup only pouring. I so hope that your wrist will get better.
Jeniflufft: I think that you may be right on the taste after 1 day. But I eat it anyway lol!
Firstly, I adore your website! Secondly i just wanted to say WOW! I usually buy the tubs of American frosting which i don’t really like the taste of, but they pipe well. I decided to try this recipe yesterday and it is amazing! The taste is like ice-cream and the texture is silky smooth, i will never make normal buttercream ever again! Also mine turned to soup, but i kept on whipping and whipping as suggested and it turned out beautiful. The only thing i would say is that it didn’t seem to taste as sweet the next day, but i might just have eaten too many and become immune to the sweetness!
Thanks for your great site, it is one of the best!
I tried making the imbc and i burned my self horrible… when i tried getting out the rest of the sugar sirup and i had it on the spoon and it droped from the spoon on my wrist…
i have a huge hole in my writs now, since 2 months…
>-<
and it didnt work out after all because i think it wasnt warm enought…
Hi Louise, yes, the egg whites did go very runny and the sugar syrup clumped and went quite hard. I will try adding some sugar to the egg whites next time. Perhaps adding some cream of tartar may help stabilise the egg whites too? Thanks for your advice. I love your site 🙂
Hi
if i want to use this italian cream for birthdays can i take it outside i mean how long it would stay ..
can i use electric beaters instead of kitchen aid ..
can i go for piping borders and flowers
really looking forward to hear from you soon
thanks again for great recipe
Yvonne Smith: did the egg whites turn liquid? because that what happend to me once. I think that you maybe can avoid it by adding 1-2 tbsp of sugar when you beat the egwhites. Or try and look at the IMBC from Cake Love/youtube video because he add some of the sugar to the eggwhites too.
Hi Louise, I tried your recipe for IMBC and the first time it came out beautifully. However, the second and third times I tried it the sugar syrup clumped after I added it to the egg whites. I was very careful to add it slowly and to not let it hit the beaters. Is there another reason that this may have happened? I have not tried it again since then.
Ruby: I know that some dont like the greasy taste of the IMBC. Im not sure it would be a good idea to cut down on the butter. But you can try, if it goes well I would love to know.
fiona: To me the swiss and the imbc are the same only with a differennt way in the making of the two.
Luisa: Castor sugar, white sugar just dont use powdered sugar.
Hi Louise,thank you for the recipe i was just wondering since here in Canada I’m having a hard time finding castor sugar can I use regular sugar or any other type of sugar?
Thank you so much ( sorry if you gave the answer before too many posts to go through 🙁 )
Thanks again
Hi there !!! Can you tell me if this is much different to Swiss Meringue Buttercream ( which I love !) it looks so similar and has the same ingredients I am wondering what the differnce is in the finished product ?
Thanks ! Love your blog x x
Hi Louise – thank you for your reply. Pls don’t apologize, I was hoping you would reply, but it was the weekend! I have to say, I was nervous to try IMBC. I read about all the problems some bakers had, and I didn’t want to waste a pound of butter. I read your instructions carefully, got all my ingredients ready, bought a candy thermometer, read again and it came out perfectly on my first try! I was expecting the soupy/curdling to happen, but it didn’t! And, the IMBC held up nicely the day after. My coworkers were so impressed. I got huge compliments and I was able to tint the IMBC a nice dark shade of pink.
I would like to say that I thought the taste was very smooth and silky, but a bit greasy tasting. It was very light and fluffy, not sweet at all, but the taste was a bit greasy, just my opinion.
I wonder if the recipe would work with just less butter?
Lastly, I still cannot perfect my swirl, I keep trying, but it’s the end part I can’t get, I am decorating from a 90 degree angle and when I end, I pause before lifting straight up, but not getting a good result. I use several different Wilton tips, including the famous 1M 🙁
Dre: I guess that a regular buttercream or the IMBC would be the best choice if you are making “fur”. I dont have a favourite BC recipe, since I mostly make this IMBC.
Molly: You’re right it is difficult to work with in hot weather.
Kassandra: Thank you for the tips!
Ruby: Sorry I’ve been out of the house this weekend. I guess that you could store them in the car. The IMBC itself can be stored outside the fridge for 2 days. But if you have decorations on the CC’s I think that they will go soft and sticky if in the car. If you have a cooler room inside best to store them there.
Do what you feel best. Im sure that they will not taste bad.
The pink comes from raspberry pure. It is a little hard coloring IMBC in dark colors.
Hello again – your picture of the cupcakes at the top is beautiful. What color did you use to get it so pink? Would it be the Wilton icing colors, and if so, was it pink, rose or maybe a touch of red?
Hello – I hope you can reply to my comment as soon as possible, I plan to make the buttercream in the morning.
My question is that I am frosting the cupcakes on Sunday afternoon and then bringing them to work the next day (Monday).
Should I store the frosted cupcakes in the fridge (I don’t have room so I could leave them in my car, it is cold here in Toronto) or can I leave them out for the next day?
Secondly, do you think they will keep well for 2 days, depending on your answer to how I can store it.
I read about how to store the buttercream, but my question is more on frosted cupcake/cake.
Thank you
thank you for the recipe. i tried it this morning and it turned out well. my family loved it. it wasn’t sweet (my family prefer that) and the texture was really smooth. the icing was perfect for the 2 dozen sponge cupcakes i made 🙂
thank you again for sharing this recipe.
I love the rasberry flavored kind. The water is always best at room temp. Also you can make this recipie into fruit dip by trading cream cheese for water and adding brown sugar and maple syrup to taste
Also, meringue frostings won’t set if it is humid. I did 300 cupcakes for a friend’s wedding and I ended up pouring the frosting over all of those cupcakes! ugh!
What a great website! I was wondering what kind of frosting to use to decorate cupcakes. I will be using mostly a hair tip since I will be making Sesame street character cupcakes. I dislike canned frosting and that really sweet frosting you get from a grocery store cake. Thank you 🙂
Tee C: You are not the first one with this issue 😉 My guess is that this recipe should not be dived into 1/2 batch. So thats proberly why you ended up with the “wrong” taste. I have not found other recipes made with only “half” measurements yet.
Have you tried to make it with the “right” measurements once?
I am a novice decorator/baker and try many different recipes. I LOVE this site and tried this recipe. Can you please tell me what I did wrong? I tried to divide the recipe and make only 1/2 a batch, but in the end it tasted like eating a sweet stick of pure butter! I couldn’t stand more than a fingertip full. All it tasted like to me was lightly sweetened butter (even though the texture was great). Maybe I had the incorrect measurements for the butter once I tried to divide the recipe?? Please help and thank for taking time to put together an awesome cite.
Noeleen: Well eventhough you didn’t like it in the end, Im happy that you gave it a shot. Oposit you I dont like the real buttercream which is too sweet for my tooth. So what a luck that we all can have a frosting that we each love the most 🙂
wendi: Thank you so much for your feedback on using the meringue powder instead of fresh egg whites. I do agree with you that even though I do have a metal bowl Im not sure that I would trust the raw egg whites either.
For your crusting buttercream without crisco please see what I found on the wilton site: https://www.wilton.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=7&threadid=95885
Thank you for your IMBC guide it took a lot of stress out of the process. I made two batches of IMBC, the first using meringue powder to replace egg whites and the second using fresh egg whites in the same quantities as cakelove.
The mix with the meringue powder was horrible. According to Wilton meringue powder label use 2 teaspoons meringue powder and 2 tablespoons water for each egg white. All I can say was the texture was lovely it came together well but the taste was ‘powdery’.
The egg white IMBC also came together perfectly, I was a bit worried about using raw egg whites and my mixing bowl is not metal so i wasn’t sure it would retain enough heat to cook the egg whites.. I’m still not but the only pasteurized egg whites in Australia that I’ve been able to find are frozen and their label says they are not suitable for whipping. The taste of this mix though is absolutely wonderful. Now i just need a crusting BC recipe that doesn’t use crisco as it is not readily available here. Again many thanks 🙂
Hi Wendi
I am in Australia, and was a bit miffed at not being able to use crisco for buttercream. I substitute with Copha. It works brilliantly. You have to be careful of adding it melted, but not hot, or it will go lumpy.
Good luck, hope this helps.
Love when readers can help out 🙂
I tried this recipe, and I was so super excited to try it! It sounds so wonderful, and I thought I would experiment with it. I usually make the Wilton buttercream recipe, which my family loves, but I thought I would just try something different for my sister’s birthday cake. Well, let me tell you, it took close to a half hour to get the meringue anywhere near what it should have looked like, and even then it was a little too liquid-y. So I decided, after much frustration, that I would just start to add the butter. Well, to my surprise, it started to take shape. By the time I was done, I had a fabulous looking icing, and I was very pleased. I took a fingerful and was even more pleased. Then I told my mom to try it, and she didn’t like it. So then I tried it again…this time taking an actual swipe from inside the bowl rather than from the edge. Well, I just don’t like it. It was too butter-y for me, and not nearly sweet enough for my sweet tooth. In fact, just imagining it that evening made me physically sick. I still used it, and my family still enjoyed the cake, but I couldn’t eat any, and they all agreed that they prefer the Wilton recipe. Go figure.
While I didn’t like it, I am happy to hear that so many people did; and though I am slightly disappointed, I can certainly chalk it up to a learning experience.
Thanks for all your hard work and effort that you put into this wonderful journal. I absolutely love reading about your creations, and seeing them come to life. It sure is a pleasure!
use less butter, thats is what you have to do…….use only 3 sticks of butter…..
Eva: If it is too soft then put it in the refrigerator for a while. This will help it to set more. It is not a problem that you dont have a paddle. Many makes it only with a whisk.
I have followed the steps.. but my IMBC is a bit too soft and not thick enough to hold up the swirls. I’m not sure if you understands me…
I dont have the paddle so I used whisk all the way. Is it because of that?
Need some help please =)
Pamela: Im not sure that the texture will be the same if you cut down on the butter. I think that it would be better to add some sort of flavouring instead.
For the coating, Yes you should be able to use choc or coffee paste. The problem is with the fruit puree= fruit acid, it simply melts the fondant cover.
Hi Louise,
I made this IMBC and it indeed taste way better than all other bc.
I find that the buttery taste is slightly over-whelming, is it ok for me to reduce ?
I am going to use it as a coating before covering with fondant, u said can only use the vanila flavor? what abt other non-fruit puree like choc, coffee paste ?
Thks millions !
Nadine: Well its hard to take out the butter flavor when its a buttercream that you are making 😉 I really like the taste of the IMBC than a regular BC. So its different from one to another to like the butter taste or not. But you can add extra flavor if you like.
Hi Louise,
Thanks for the easy to follow step-by-step guide to Italian Meringue Buttercream. I’ve always been too afraid to try it out but your recipe makes it a lot less scary. Thanks so much!!!
Hi,
I made the recipe, but only needed half of it. Everything looked great, but at the end it tasted too much like butter.. did I do something wrong of does it has to taste like this? I thought it would be fmore fluffy… I didn’t take too much butter, because I used 340 gr.
kind regards from the Netherlands,
Nadine
Shira: Im not sure that I would try and do it myself. Please try and look at the end of the post there are 2 vidoes and both of them use raw eggwhite. But still im not sure that I personly would trust it for beeing safe made that way. Again that Warren Brown from CakeLove knows what he’s doing I think?
Xine:
1 tablespoon of meringue powder mixed with 2 tbsp. of water is equals with the white from one egg.
You need 10 egg whites. Thats what I always use.
You add the flavor when the imbc is done. Try the raspberry or lemon curd flavor YUM!!
Follow up question, at what point in the procedure would you add the items in the flavor options part, For example the “2 tbsp of instant coffee mixed with 2 tbsp of warm (not boiling) water pr 3 cups of IMBC” do you add it to the finished buttercream and beat it?
Thank you.
What would be the liquid to meringue powder ratio to get 1 cup of eggwhites? 250 ml liquid and how much meringue powder?
Hi Louise,
In Singapore it is hard to find pasteurized egg white except using meringue powder, so I had the same problem like some of the ppl who read yr blog. Then find this solution from http://www.about.com on how to make pasteurized egg… I read about this in one of my Chinese cook book selection written by a Japanese pastry chef. So hope this is useful. and I’m going to try it.
“Pasteurization is a process where food is heated to 140°F, killing harmful bacteria. Egg yolks would normally start to cook at 140°F, but you can use a microwave to pasteurize egg yolks without cooking them, so they can safely be used in mayonnaise and other preparations requiring raw egg yolks.”
Hi Louise,
Happy New Year! What a wonderful recipe. Lately I do lots of cupcakes and trying to search for a icing recipe that is not as sweet compare to traditional butter cream or royal icing. Again, you make my day ;>!!!
this looks delisiou i cant wait to mke it for my moms suprise party bash. i know wow
My first time trying to make this and your step by step is great! So easy to follow and it came out beautifully. I have to make a cupcake shaped cake and a bunch of cupcakes for a birthday party this weekend, and it’s the perfect frosting! Thank you!
noura: Did it melt on cupcakes or cake?
it tasted so good but it melted sooo fast:( is there anyway for it not 2 melt
siobhan: It needs to get back to room temp and then try and test the texture of it to see IF it needs a rewhip. It can seperate but it should be able to get it back togehter. it have happend to me once on a very hot day and it was still a little cold I could not save it either.
hi louise! thanks for letting me know this can be stored in the fridge for 3 weeks – do i let it sit out back to room temp and rewhip it? i have tired before and the butter in the icing was separating and melting from the rest of the icing – yikes!
Thank you so much Louise, i did it, it’s delicious, it tastes like whipping cream… Thanks for all of your tutorials.
Nani: You can use normal granulated sugar for this or if the sugar is more fine I guess that would work too. Just don use confectioners sugar (like flour) as this wont work.
Hi Louise,
Thanks for sharing all your baking an decorate experiences. I have a question, i don’t knowu all the types of sugar, granulated, caster, confectioners and icing… in my country y found granulated, another called “azucar flor”, it’s finer than granulated, and “azucar impalpable”, it’s even finer, like flour. In IMBC you used caster sugar, and i don’t know what it means… Plase help me, because i really try this recipe. Thanks, and sorry for my english, i´m from Chile. i hope that you understand me. Bye.
I just mad this today & I have to say it was very easy,ive never even made a meringue,Ive never boiled sugar or done anything like this,it turned out perfect & it tastes soooo good,a great alternative to regular buttercream,im using it for my sons bday this weekend & the kids already love it (had to taste test it with the kids ;)Thank you so much.
siobhan: I have tried with a smaller batch but that was not a good idea to do. I think it has something to do with the amount of sugar/water and the cooking time for it. If you stil want to try, then do it with a handheld mixer and a smaller bowl. But im not sure that it will work though.
In fridge well covered 3 weeks.
Hi there – I tried this recipe and it is the BEST i have ever tried – thank you SO much – just 2 questions – how can i make a smaller batch? and, can i store this in the fridge and for how long?
thanks for all your help!
Jacqueline: Great 🙂
Kitty: All the flavors sounds yum.
Glidz: Good to hear.
Hi Louise,
I just wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe. I tried it just this weekend and it turned out great! I will be using this recipe for an upcoming birthday party next weekend. Thanks again and I love your website. I am so glad to have stumbled onto it. Keep up the great work!
Hi Louise,
Kitty from Perth, Australia here. I will NEVER use normal buttercream again. I made a batch of this and everyone that has tried it, is in love with it. It is just so silky without being overly sweet. We made; lemon curd; white chocolate; raspberry; chocolate (just with cocoa powder); orange cream cheese & vanilla. Every single one tasted perfect. I can’t thank you enough for posting this! :0)
You’re right, I made it again and it tastes just like ice cream…plus everyone just loved it! I will never make basic BC again. I also love the way it spreads!
Jacqueline: Swiss or IMBC is very close the same thing only with a few changes in how you make it. It depends on how much is buttery to you, I personal cant take the normal BC, but like IMBC so much more. Yes it has a buttery taste but there is a BIG difference in the taste, if you make it with unsalted butter. Imbc spread just as smooth and softly as swiss.
Lee: Yep, it is the most gorgeous buttercream 🙂
Hi Louise,
I have been a long time lurker and fan, and today I finally got around to trying to make IMBC and I have one word for you! WOW! What gorgeous buttercream, will definitely be my favoured BC from now on.
I used pausterised egg whites and followed your instructions to the letter and it came out perfect! I was a bit skeptical at the beginning when i add the syrup and it just like like a puddle of white liquid but once i added the butter it was great!
Thanks a million!
Thank you for
Hello, I just recently made SMBC and it tasted very buttery to me almost like eating softened butter, I realized after the fact that I had used salted butter. I’m going to attemp the IMBC but was wondering will it have the same strong butter taste as the SMBC. I have been using the basic BC (icing sugar, butter, short ing) and don’t really prefer it. Now that I have a KA mixer I want to switch to SMBC/IM. The Swiss spread so beautiful and smooth, loved it! Just a lil uneasy about overly buttery taste. Thanks
Carol: Yes, its YUM!
Hi Louise, I swear i have never tasted anything like this, It is the first time i have made it and i think im in love lol, It is delicious, thank you for sharing 🙂
dina: Im sorry but I dont know. Apparently pasturized egg products is not a common thing worldwide. I know that some use meringue powder and some just use raw eggwhites. Here in denmak we just dont use fresh eggwhites unless they are being used cooked, boiled or baked.
Have you seen the video from CakeLove at the end of the post? he talks about the use of raw eggwhites.
where do you find pastuarized egg whites? They are not sold in the grocery store here in Virginia.
Taz: I haave not tried it myself. But what you could do is to glue the image on a fondant disc. instead of placing it direct on the IMBC
Lorrine: It should be able to be stored outside for three days. It can be a bit sensitive when the weather is very varm and humid. For 1 night there should not be a problem if you have made your cut outs whit tylo powder or they are at least very very dry. They can go soft by beeing on the IMBC
Hi Louise,
Since fondant cannot be refrigerated, can I place fondant cut-outs on IMBC without refrgeration for 1 night, our weather in Malaysia is hot & humid ?
Hi – thanks for posting this wonderful recipe!!
I was wondering if you could you use an edible image with IMBC?
Hope to hear from you soon!! Thanks sooooo much! 🙂
Anne: pasturized eggwhites is liquid, some does use meringue powder but there can be a small difference in the taste of it. Most american makes it with either fresh eggwhites or meringue powder. But due to the risk of salmonella infection I always use pasteturized eggwhites.
Hello,
I am dying to try this recipe! Just wondering about the pasteurized eggwhites… is that the same as meringue powder?
Thank you! 🙂
Cynthia: Great to hear that the plastic guard can be used as well. Because it is soo messy 🙂
Nofi: You can use your HM only be prepared that the mixing can take long. I would use the wire beaters for the HM.
Hi Louise,
I don’t have a Kitchen Aid mixer (K.A) – it’s on my wish list for Christmas =P.. so I’m confused what to use using my hand mixer (H.M)..
Whisk on K.A = whisk on H.M? (there’s only 1 in the box)
Paddle on K.A = dough hook on H.M?
Can I use the wire beaters (H.M)?
Thank you for all of your recipes. I love it.
Loved this icing! I made two batches and the second one I put the plastic guard on my bowl (Kitchen Aid stand mixer) while whipping the meringue and it was much less messy. I still used the towel but my mixer was less coated in goo! I used 1/2 t vanilla and 1/2 t coconut to go on pineapple and coconut flavored cake for luau party.
Tashia: At the moment I only have a cake stand gallery with the readers cake stands. Im glad that you liked the mmf & IMBC 🙂
What a great site Louise! I have been glued to your blog and comments over the last couple of days in my first attempt at MMF and IMBC and wow was it helpful! I have succesfully made both and the cake looks great! Thanks for your time that you put into this to help all of us out! Is there are way to post pictures of made cakes or view other cakes that have been made by other bloggers? Just curious! Thanks a lot!
Just to let you know Elma, I managed to salver it by popping in the fridge for 10mins before whipping on full speed for 5mins
Hi Elma, I just had the exact same thing happen – after I added the syrup it went gorgeous and glossy and thick but as soon as butter was added its become soupy and bitty I’v just put in fridge for 10mins and am gonna beat again and see what happens – I hope I can save it!!
hi louse,
sory to say that i did that i put the whole thing in the fridge for a day then i whip it again but its still soupy, i gave up but thanks anyway.
Elma: If it turns liquid or like cottage cheese then put the whole thing including whiskers in the refrigerator to get cold. Then you can whip it up smoothe again. Its can go wrong. You just need to whip whip whip.
You can use meringue powder but the exact amount I dont know. I think someone have written it in one of the comments.
and a follow-up, do you know how to use meringue powder instead of eggwhites? if so, how much meringue powder will i use for this recipe? its such a waste if i dont use it? where can i use it anyway?
hi louise,
:(, i made this last weekend, it didn’t turn out as yours, it became soggy when i added the butter. i used an ordinary mixer, that’s all i have, when i beat the eggwhites and sugar syrup it was ok, foamy and all but when i add the butter it became liquid…how i wish i didnt add the butter. it gone to waste…what did i do wrong? pls help.
Theresa: It is devine, but im not sure that it would hold up for 6-8 hours unrefrigerated of course depending on how warm the room temp is. I would contact the local health dep. just to be on the safe side.
What you maybe do at home may not be wise if you are selling your cupcakes.
Jessica: Thank you for that.
just a comment on cooking the sugar syrup: the lower the temperature under the syrup, the longer it will cook. and the longer sugar cooks, the more caramelization you get. you always want to cook sugar on high heat!
I have a drean to open a cupcake shop and have always used ABC. This recipe sounds divine. After making and icing cupcakes if I use pasturized egg whites are they fine to sit in a unrefrigerated case for 6-8 hours and will they hold up.
Angie: Please read Inblooms comment I think there is help on the way 🙂
I just made this recipe for the very first cake I’ve ever made, and it worked perfectly! Thanks so much for the clear and concise directions. I really appreciate everything on your site — thanks for all that you do!
I can’t believe I was successful with the IMBC the first try! It must be easy. I have a cheap mixer without the whisk or paddle attachment for one. I also cut the recipe in half as I wasn’t going to be using this batch really, just trying it out. With half the recipe, the 7 min. was too long and my syrup turned to sugar again so I did that part over and the second time around I just waited until it was syrupy … and I though oh no way is this gonna work – and it did! My husband who hates sweet stuff tried it and was like “Oh my God, don’t ever make that other stuff (BC) again”. YEA! I’m new to all of this but loving it and your blog will be one of my favorites. Thanks!!!
Thank you for the great directions and pictures! I don’t usually like buttercream, but I think I’ll love this. I just tried this recipe and after a few tries, I couldn’t get it to work. It finally dawned on me what I did wrong…I was thinking that I wanted to try a smaller amount first, so I cut the recipe in half, but that wouldn’t work with the same boiling times, would it? I kept ending up with rock candy mixed with egg whites. Do you suggest that if I wanted to cut the recipe in half, that I should measure the temperature of the sugar syrup (and if so, what temperature). Or would you know what boiling times to use?
Dear Louise,
at first congratulations for your page, I have tried some recipes and they are delicious.
I have been looking for this recipe, I will try this today
wish me luck! 😀
Shanna: It is soo good to pipe. I dont think that this can be made any stiffer since you dont use icing sugar to make it.
I have tried several buttercream recipes and for some reason have failed miserably. It comes out so so. I made this recipe yesterday expecting to be throwing it all out and I made it PERFECT first attempt. It was light, fluffy, buttery and not over the top sweet like some buttercreams are. I didn’t try piping with it – I just spread it under a cake I was covering with fondant. Does this pipe well? It seems a little soft. Unless there is a way you can make this stiffer so it holds shape when piped. Excellent recipe and pictures. Thank you
Rani: Pasturized egg whites have been treated so that there are no risk of salmonella. I am most sure that I did read about a new product in the UK for pasturized egg whites. I think it was in one of the cake magazines that you can buy at your news stands. It is not in a powder form but liquid.
Hi Louise,
Fantastic post – thank you!! I live in the UK and i’m confused about the pasturised egg whites! Are these fresh eggs? Or a dried powder?? I really want to make these today and my supermarket Tescos had no idea what a pasturised egg was!!!
Thanks for you help!!
ilove making cakess! Yours look so delilouss!!!!!!!!! (:
Yes!!! that sounds Yummy!!!!
please let us know how it works out!!!
Thanks a bunch..
Bri: Was it melted white chocolate? Im so eager to try that out.
ana: I use this IMBC for covering cakes before fondant. It is fantastic to get a smooth surface better than regular buttercream. Note that you can only use the plain vanilla one and not one with fruit pure because that would melt the fondant.
I dont think that you can get anything better than IMBC…. well maybe chocolate ganache? Btw: Im going to try it with white melted chocolate soon. Yummy 🙂
Hello Louise!
I made this frosting for my mother’s birthday cake and I flavored it with white chocolate. It was delicious! Sweet but light. This might be my new favorite frosting.
Hi louise!!
Love this recipe.. I have tried it to cover cakes and cupcakes and pipe, it is delicious!!!! but, is this the same buttercream you use to cover cakes which you are going to cover with fondant too? If not can you share a buttercream recipe similar to this for fondant covered cakes that taste as good as this???
Thanks a buch!!!
Ana….
Teresa: 1) I would store the cupcakes in a airthight container. But do let a bit of the lid be open because the cupcakes can “condense” and get sticky.
2) you can use the IMBC right away, and if put in the fridge it will just harden but get soft again after 1-2 hours outside the fridge. 3) if you cover the cake the night before then just store it outside away from heat. If stored in the fridge the fondant will start to sweat when taking out of the fridge, but most cake do dry up nicely. Good luck!
Florence: Personally I would not use raw eggs but pasturized but thats because the danish health dep. do not recomend to use raw eggs if you can not be sure it is cooked properly. You can however use a meringue powder instead. For the covering of the cars cake I think that I would use fondant I love the look of fondant cakes.
Hola! Louise, I found your wonderfull page looking cake tips in general but now it was for a good and homemade buttercream, this one is exactly what I was looking for. Since I lived in Venezuela where the weather is always warm, and a little chili by November to February, and about the eggs we should be very carefull, therefore II wanted to be sure that eggs were cooked, I should taste how it will behave the butter and warm weather together. I am starting my business and I should deliver a Cars cake next wednesday for a school birthday. Do you think it would be a good idea to made it buttercrear or will be better a foundant since kids will be all around?
I want to thank you to provide people as me around the world with your knowledge about cake solutions.
Just had to read the questions and answers and all mine noe have been answered. I have a bowl over so in thje fridge it goes till thursday. Again Many Thanks Louise. PS: I love your blog
Hi Louise
I have just made this buttercream and it is brilliant. It will be my buttercream of choice from now on and it tastes great too. Many Thanks for the recipe. Simply the Best.