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How to make Italian meringue buttercream

October 12, 2008 by Louise 508 Comments

Italian meringue buttercream

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.

Italian meringue buttercream 1

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.

Italian meringue buttercream 2

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.

Italian meringue buttercream 3

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.

Italian meringue buttercream 4

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

Previous Post: « Littlest Pet Shop Birthday cake again
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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Connie

    February 19, 2021 at 2:11 PM

    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!!

    Reply
  2. Brandi

    November 10, 2015 at 10:27 PM

    Love this recipe! How many cupcakes can you do with one complete batch?

    Reply
    • Hawkette

      February 22, 2017 at 12:51 AM

      I am wondering this as well. I didn’t see anywhere that said.

      Reply
  3. Savannah

    April 5, 2015 at 2:53 PM

    Hi! Would this recipe be good for piping flowers/flower petals on my cupcakes or would a traditional buttercream work better for this? Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
  4. Jeanine

    August 29, 2014 at 11:08 PM

    I made it today and it was really delicious i got i at the first try it was Nice and fluffy and delicious

    Reply
  5. Anna

    August 16, 2014 at 9:06 PM

    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

    Reply
  6. Katie

    August 10, 2014 at 11:38 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Carolina Radovan

      July 23, 2017 at 5:50 PM

      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!

      Reply
  7. Debbie

    July 30, 2014 at 11:15 AM

    I made this tonight and its amazing! So soft and fluffy. So delicious. Can’t wait to use it.

    Reply
  8. tugba

    July 8, 2014 at 11:37 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Laura

      April 15, 2018 at 4:50 PM

      You pour the hot syrup in very slowly, down the side of the bowl. Drizzle it.

      Reply
  9. Jay Elkheart

    April 27, 2014 at 7:04 PM

    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.

    Reply
  10. Celeste

    April 23, 2014 at 2:11 PM

    Can this recipe be cut in half?

    Reply
  11. Kylee

    March 27, 2014 at 9:27 PM

    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.

    Reply
  12. Hanifah Allen

    March 11, 2014 at 7:14 PM

    Hi, your recipe looks amazing! But I wanted to know if it was possible to half the ingredients? would the result be the same?

    Reply
    • Jay

      April 27, 2014 at 7:00 PM

      I half this recipe all the time to frost my cupcakes. It’s always worked out perfect for me.

      Reply
    • Katie

      August 10, 2014 at 11:40 PM

      Any recipe can be cut in half, I believe. I don’t know why you wouldn’t be able to.

      Reply
      • Michael

        October 9, 2014 at 2:54 PM

        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!

  13. jennyc28

    December 7, 2013 at 3:50 AM

    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!

    Reply
  14. Denise

    October 26, 2013 at 12:33 AM

    Thank you for the recipe! Can IMBC be left at room temperature? For how long?

    Reply
  15. Lucy

    October 25, 2013 at 3:55 AM

    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!!! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Katya

    October 3, 2013 at 1:19 AM

    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!

    Reply
    • Jennifer

      October 14, 2013 at 9:12 PM

      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.

      Reply
  17. Elena

    August 28, 2013 at 3:09 AM

    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.

    Reply
  18. Jennifer

    August 26, 2013 at 1:03 AM

    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.

    Reply
  19. brenda

    August 15, 2013 at 8:52 PM

    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!

    Reply
  20. Heidi

    July 9, 2013 at 6:32 PM

    You are making the world sweeter I post at a time!

    Reply
  21. Maria Delia-Savage

    July 7, 2013 at 9:10 PM

    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

    Reply
  22. Natasha

    June 21, 2013 at 5:23 AM

    Thanks heaps. It turned out awesome. I think I may have over whipped it with the butter but it piped really well. Thank you!!

    Reply
  23. Natasha

    June 20, 2013 at 11:42 AM

    Could I leave the butter out and just pipe it while it is white?

    Reply
    • Louise

      June 20, 2013 at 1:34 PM

      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.

      Reply
  24. Valerie

    June 13, 2013 at 2:19 AM

    Can it be salvaged if it’s watery and lumpy? Does it need anything to give it more body? Help! :/

    Reply
    • Louise

      June 14, 2013 at 9:27 AM

      Is this problem after the butter is added?

      Reply
  25. Eva

    May 20, 2013 at 10:49 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      May 22, 2013 at 11:50 PM

      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.

      Reply
      • Eva

        May 23, 2013 at 5:09 PM

        Ok, thanks for clearing that up 🙂

  26. Jessica

    May 12, 2013 at 6:48 AM

    Just tried this recipe today and loved it!! Thanks so much for the great instructions, it made my first time doing this super easy.

    Reply
  27. kristy's cake pops

    May 10, 2013 at 5:56 AM

    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

    Reply
  28. BB

    May 2, 2013 at 11:09 PM

    Can I use meringue powder and water instead of egg whites ? If so, how much of powder and water should I use ?

    Reply
    • BB

      May 5, 2013 at 11:43 PM

      thanks!

      Reply
  29. Debbie

    May 2, 2013 at 11:48 AM

    hi, how long would it last in the refrigerator?

    Reply
    • Louise

      May 2, 2013 at 5:56 PM

      I keep mine 1 week in the refrigerator.

      Reply
  30. jen

    May 2, 2013 at 4:25 AM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      May 2, 2013 at 6:00 PM

      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.

      Reply
  31. Ann Neal

    May 1, 2013 at 10:15 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      May 2, 2013 at 6:04 PM

      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

      Reply
  32. Ruth

    April 11, 2013 at 11:18 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      April 15, 2013 at 11:28 AM

      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 🙂

      Reply
  33. vicky9ja

    April 6, 2013 at 12:04 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Racheal

      April 29, 2013 at 3:44 AM

      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.

      Reply
  34. Louise

    April 5, 2013 at 12:21 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      April 7, 2013 at 12:54 PM

      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.

      Reply
  35. vicky9ja

    April 5, 2013 at 10:38 AM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      April 7, 2013 at 12:56 PM

      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.

      Reply
  36. Nikki

    April 4, 2013 at 9:46 PM

    Hi! We dont have caster sugar in vancouver. Can i use granulated or icing sugar?

    Reply
    • Louise

      April 7, 2013 at 12:57 PM

      Granulated should be fine since it will be melted with water and turned into sugar syrup.

      Reply
  37. Rosie

    March 19, 2013 at 3:15 PM

    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 🙁

    Reply
    • Louise

      March 20, 2013 at 2:14 PM

      It should be light and fluffy. It could be the double recipe that did it wrong?

      Reply
  38. vicky9ja

    March 7, 2013 at 2:31 PM

    pls can we also color d meringue? cause i tried once and it gave me a bitter taste.

    Reply
    • Louise

      March 10, 2013 at 10:13 AM

      You can color both the meringue and the meringue buttercreme only with the buttercreme it can be difficult to get bright colors

      Reply
  39. Glenn Hernandez

    February 23, 2013 at 6:51 AM

    Should I always use pasturized eggs/egg whites whenever I bake?

    Reply
    • Louise

      February 25, 2013 at 9:17 PM

      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.

      Reply
  40. Rita

    February 13, 2013 at 10:54 PM

    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! :)))

    Reply
    • Louise

      February 14, 2013 at 1:58 PM

      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.

      Reply
  41. Shikha

    February 5, 2013 at 8:51 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      February 5, 2013 at 10:29 PM

      No, sorry 🙁

      Reply
  42. Ashley

    January 25, 2013 at 4:04 AM

    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!

    Reply
  43. Ashley

    January 25, 2013 at 4:00 AM

    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!

    Reply
    • Louise

      January 25, 2013 at 7:31 AM

      Between chocolate chip cookies sounds very very good.

      Reply
  44. alina

    January 19, 2013 at 6:34 AM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      January 20, 2013 at 7:33 PM

      I have never had any problems using this bc under fondant. The taste of this bc is sweet and buttery.

      Reply
  45. Candy Miu

    January 3, 2013 at 3:39 AM

    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!

    Reply
  46. Medina

    December 31, 2012 at 7:43 AM

    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! 🙂

    Reply
  47. Chelsea

    December 27, 2012 at 10:27 PM

    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!

    Reply
  48. Karina May JAKKU

    November 27, 2012 at 6:55 AM

    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!!!!!!

    Reply
  49. Millie

    November 19, 2012 at 12:06 AM

    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!

    Reply
  50. natasha

    November 10, 2012 at 1:27 AM

    I made swiss buttercream but when i refrigerate it it get real hard.
    Does the Italian buttercream gets hard too.

    Reply
  51. nawaal

    November 2, 2012 at 3:17 PM

    hi for the italian buttercream can i use a hand mixer as well?

    Reply
  52. Alana

    October 31, 2012 at 4:40 PM

    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.

    Reply
  53. Rhiannon

    October 29, 2012 at 5:58 AM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      October 29, 2012 at 8:29 AM

      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.

      Reply
  54. Ritzdi

    October 28, 2012 at 1:30 AM

    Awesome AWESOME recipe! Thanks!

    Reply
  55. karan

    October 26, 2012 at 9:52 PM

    how long does this icing keep

    Reply
    • Louise

      October 29, 2012 at 8:36 AM

      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.

      Reply
  56. Cloudy

    October 25, 2012 at 11:38 AM

    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.

    Reply
    • Heather

      December 21, 2012 at 3:47 PM

      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!

      Reply
  57. saheda

    October 17, 2012 at 6:58 AM

    Can I use meringue powder instead of egg whites?

    Reply
    • Louise

      October 17, 2012 at 8:45 PM

      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

      Reply
  58. Aliena

    September 19, 2012 at 9:03 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Louise

      October 17, 2012 at 7:55 PM

      No, you will not get poached egg whites 🙂

      Reply
  59. Caroline

    September 19, 2012 at 6:16 PM

    Brilliant recipe! My first ever IMBC… Will use this again! Thank you…

    Reply
  60. Kristyn

    September 1, 2012 at 6:34 AM

    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.

    Reply
  61. Jackie

    August 31, 2012 at 1:44 AM

    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.

    Reply
  62. Iain Hunt

    August 24, 2012 at 4:11 PM

    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 🙂

    Reply
  63. Shanny

    August 23, 2012 at 9:53 AM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 23, 2012 at 7:52 PM

      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 🙂

      Reply
  64. Sarah

    August 19, 2012 at 3:18 PM

    hi this looks like a simple recipe…can i leave the IMBC iced cupcakes at room temperature for a couple of days??

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 12:23 PM

      You should store the cupcakes in the refrigerator. Or wait to iced them until a couple of hours before serving if possible.

      Reply
      • sarah

        August 20, 2012 at 2:23 PM

        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

      • Louise

        August 23, 2012 at 7:58 PM

        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.

  65. Jane

    August 10, 2012 at 4:56 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 12:22 PM

      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.

      Reply
  66. Dora

    August 8, 2012 at 1:32 AM

    as we’re in a very warm spot, putting the finished bowl into the refrigerator for 5 minutes really helped! excellent recipe.

    Reply
  67. Crystal

    August 5, 2012 at 12:31 AM

    After covering the cake with this IMBC, can I keep it at room temp? Or refrigerate? If so how many days?

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 11:01 AM

      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

      Reply
  68. Caroline

    August 4, 2012 at 10:07 PM

    What is caster sugar?

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 11:00 AM

      White sugar

      Reply
  69. Kelly

    August 3, 2012 at 10:27 AM

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 10:22 AM

      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

      Reply
  70. Adriana Oliveira

    July 26, 2012 at 4:26 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 9:56 AM

      Hi Adrianna, I’m not sure that I understand your question 🙂 Do you mean for how long you can store the IMBC?

      Reply
      • Adriana Oliveira

        October 12, 2012 at 5:13 PM

        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 🙂

      • Louise

        October 17, 2012 at 8:27 PM

        A couple of hours or more depending on the room temperature.

  71. Sonika

    July 24, 2012 at 5:11 PM

    Hi Louise!
    Loving your webiste, can you please tell me how do you keep you icing white? My icing turns pale yellow

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 9:44 AM

      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.

      Reply
  72. Elisa

    July 24, 2012 at 2:18 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 9:43 AM

      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 🙂

      Reply
  73. Stephanie

    July 21, 2012 at 3:14 AM

    Can you add food coloring to this frosting?

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 9:31 AM

      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.

      Reply
  74. Kate

    July 19, 2012 at 3:48 PM

    When you say caster sugar, do you mean karo syrup?

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 9:26 AM

      No, just plain white sugar.

      Reply
  75. Brenda

    July 18, 2012 at 4:47 PM

    Turned out awesome! One question, do the cupcakes need to be refrigerated or is the IMBC ok at room temperature?

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 9:23 AM

      Depending on when they will be eaten and if it’s very warm I would keep them refrigerated until about 1 hour before serving.

      Reply
  76. N Kibria

    July 18, 2012 at 6:49 AM

    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?

    Reply
    • Louise

      August 20, 2012 at 9:16 AM

      It taste sweet and light buttery. I think it’s better than a super sweet regular buttercream. It is great for coating and piping.

      Reply
  77. Jacky

    July 12, 2012 at 6:11 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Louise

      July 15, 2012 at 2:25 PM

      I keep it for 1 week in the refrigerator. If longer place it in the freezer.

      Reply
  78. Claire

    July 9, 2012 at 3:26 PM

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Louise

      July 11, 2012 at 10:01 AM

      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

      Reply
  79. Janelle

    June 28, 2012 at 7:28 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      July 11, 2012 at 10:32 AM

      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?

      Reply
  80. Nicky

    June 28, 2012 at 4:38 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      July 11, 2012 at 10:37 AM

      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.

      Reply
  81. kate

    June 28, 2012 at 4:53 AM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      July 11, 2012 at 10:51 AM

      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.

      Reply
  82. Samantha

    June 18, 2012 at 5:28 PM

    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.

    Reply
  83. sally

    June 15, 2012 at 11:06 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      June 16, 2012 at 9:54 AM

      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.

      Reply
  84. Tami G

    June 13, 2012 at 3:39 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Louise

      June 14, 2012 at 7:35 AM

      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.

      Reply
  85. Gihan

    June 10, 2012 at 9:48 PM

    And you are the best Chef!… you never hide anything from us, you tell all your secrets ;)Thanks for your help & advise Mwahhhh GiGi 🙂

    Reply
  86. Gihan

    June 9, 2012 at 1:41 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      June 10, 2012 at 10:07 AM

      Good to hear Gigi 🙂 Lurpak is the best butter brand 😉

      Reply
  87. Lorie

    June 8, 2012 at 11:58 AM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      June 10, 2012 at 10:13 AM

      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.

      Reply
  88. Vicki

    June 8, 2012 at 3:12 AM

    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?

    Reply
    • Louise

      June 10, 2012 at 10:16 AM

      I would use melted chocolate instead if you want the chocolate flavor. It will still look smooth afterwards.

      Reply
  89. Cindy

    June 4, 2012 at 4:14 AM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      June 4, 2012 at 9:18 AM

      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.

      Reply
      • Cindy Ong

        June 8, 2012 at 2:11 PM

        Thk u Louise!

  90. Rajshree Rajani

    June 1, 2012 at 9:03 AM

    Its realy nice way to make and decorate cakes and ice cream….thank to share this…
    keep it up

    Reply
  91. Renae Heineck - Custom Cakes

    May 22, 2012 at 5:25 PM

    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.

    Reply
  92. Kelli Grim

    May 18, 2012 at 4:46 AM

    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. 🙂

    Reply
    • Louise

      May 18, 2012 at 9:36 PM

      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.

      Reply
  93. Alexa

    May 14, 2012 at 3:51 AM

    delicious! will cupcakes iced with IMBC need to be refrigerated because of the egg whites?

    Reply
    • Louise

      May 14, 2012 at 7:19 PM

      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.

      Reply
  94. Humaira

    May 6, 2012 at 2:53 PM

    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! 🙂

    Reply
    • Louise

      May 8, 2012 at 9:23 PM

      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.

      Reply
  95. Uccy

    May 6, 2012 at 12:50 AM

    Wow this is awesome so delicious and perfect on cake thanks Louise i love u

    Reply
  96. Michelle

    April 30, 2012 at 9:55 AM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      April 30, 2012 at 10:31 PM

      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.

      Reply
  97. LAURA

    April 10, 2012 at 11:27 AM

    Great!
    I’m Italian Blogger, your recipes are fantastic and well explained.
    Congratulations!

    Laura

    Reply
  98. Wendy Miller

    March 28, 2012 at 6:28 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      March 31, 2012 at 8:52 AM

      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.

      Reply
  99. Starry

    March 15, 2012 at 10:26 AM

    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!!

    Reply
    • Starry

      March 15, 2012 at 10:30 AM

      PS. Do you know how long this will keep?

      Reply
      • Louise

        March 20, 2012 at 1:31 PM

        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.

  100. MARY K. ONEY

    March 13, 2012 at 7:45 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      March 14, 2012 at 4:44 PM

      Love the ice pack tip 🙂 Thx

      Reply
  101. Lexi Alecsandra

    March 11, 2012 at 12:42 PM

    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?)

    Reply
    • Louise

      March 13, 2012 at 12:26 PM

      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.

      Reply
  102. Liza Traut

    March 6, 2012 at 6:43 AM

    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?

    Reply
    • Louise

      March 6, 2012 at 8:56 PM

      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

      Reply
  103. Kim

    February 20, 2012 at 5:13 AM

    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.

    Reply
  104. sweetnickie

    February 6, 2012 at 6:22 PM

    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?

    Reply
  105. sweetnickie

    February 6, 2012 at 7:34 AM

    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.

    Reply
    • Louise

      February 6, 2012 at 10:37 AM

      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

      Reply
  106. Hanisha

    January 29, 2012 at 5:28 AM

    Hi Louise,
    Ur site is lovely……Can der be a substitute for egg whites in the above recipe???

    Reply
    • Louise

      January 29, 2012 at 5:27 PM

      You cannot make this without the meringue. You would have to make a basic butter cream then.

      Reply
  107. Ashley

    January 25, 2012 at 8:13 PM

    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…

    Reply
    • Ashley

      January 25, 2012 at 9:24 PM

      Nevermind, reading is clearly fundamental 🙂 I found all the answers I needed. I will let you know how it goes!

      Reply
      • Louise

        January 27, 2012 at 10:42 PM

        Ashley: How did it go?

      • Ashley

        February 7, 2012 at 3:10 PM

        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!!!

      • Louise

        February 8, 2012 at 4:54 PM

        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.

  108. Elda

    January 24, 2012 at 11:41 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Louise

      January 27, 2012 at 10:45 PM

      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.

      Reply
      • Rosana

        March 17, 2012 at 11:46 PM

        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.

      • Louise

        March 20, 2012 at 1:25 PM

        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.

  109. Karen

    January 24, 2012 at 9:18 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Louise

      January 24, 2012 at 10:09 PM

      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.

      Reply
  110. Bridgette @ Baking Bridgette

    January 20, 2012 at 11:01 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Louise

      January 24, 2012 at 10:18 PM

      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.

      Reply
  111. Probo

    January 17, 2012 at 3:03 PM

    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!

    Reply
  112. Alena Rose Solenne

    November 23, 2011 at 2:44 AM

    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

    Reply
  113. Anonymous

    November 19, 2011 at 11:00 AM

    You can just use a handheld, no problem.

    Fra: Disqus [mailto:]
    Sendt: 16. oktober 2011 21:33
    Til: louise@cakejournal.com
    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. ======

    Reply
  114. Anonymous

    November 13, 2011 at 1:00 AM

    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: louise@cakejournal.com
    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.
    ======

    Reply
  115. Anonymous

    November 10, 2011 at 11:33 PM

    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: louise@cakejournal.com
    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. ======

    Reply
  116. Maureen Tjon Sie Kie

    November 9, 2011 at 6:36 PM

    Hi Louise,
    I just recently discovered your website. Great!
    I have a question: how long can you store Italian Merengue or IMBC?

    Reply
  117. Easydais

    October 21, 2011 at 4:53 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      November 19, 2011 at 10:00 PM

      So you changed the butter for trex?

      Fra: Disqus [mailto:]
      Sendt: 21. oktober 2011 16:54
      Til: louise@cakejournal.com
      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. ======

      Reply
  118. Sweetmav

    October 19, 2011 at 4:58 PM

    Hello love your blog! I just want to know if its possible to use regular white sugar instead of caster sugar. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      October 19, 2011 at 11:09 PM

      Yes, you can.

      Reply
  119. Anonymous

    October 14, 2011 at 10:51 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Mary Jane Moritz

      January 20, 2012 at 10:45 PM

      Do the eggs have to be room temperture or can they be right out of the refrigerator?

      Reply
      • Louise

        January 24, 2012 at 10:21 PM

        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.

  120. Oliveral

    October 11, 2011 at 3:57 PM

    anyone tried to freeze this??

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      October 11, 2011 at 9:53 PM

      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.

      Reply
  121. Sam

    October 9, 2011 at 10:28 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      November 13, 2011 at 1:42 AM

      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: louise@cakejournal.com
      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. ======

      Reply
  122. Anonymous

    September 26, 2011 at 9:39 PM

    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.

    Reply
  123. gigi

    September 25, 2011 at 3:03 AM

    is there any way i can make this without any dairy or eggs?  D: halp

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      September 25, 2011 at 10:49 AM

      No, this Italian meringue buttercream cannot be made without butter and eggs. You would need to look for another type of frosting.

      Reply
      • MJM

        January 20, 2012 at 10:52 PM

        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.

    • Dramione27

      January 13, 2012 at 2:57 AM

      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.

      Reply
  124. Jo

    September 14, 2011 at 5:23 PM

    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

    Reply
  125. Taz2cute4u

    August 11, 2011 at 7:56 PM

    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!

    Reply
  126. Kezia

    August 8, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    HI Louise! I’m really looking forward to making this! About how many cupcakes does it cover? Thank you!

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      August 16, 2011 at 7:33 PM

      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?

      Reply
  127. Eds_dex

    August 6, 2011 at 9:01 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      August 8, 2011 at 4:03 PM

      Not long. About 15 minutes.

      Reply
      • Eds_dex

        August 18, 2011 at 7:13 PM

        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?

      • Anonymous

        October 11, 2011 at 10:44 PM

        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.

  128. Anonymous

    August 5, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    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.

    Reply
  129. Ljosey56

    July 28, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    I made this and it just tastes like butter could this be made with more sugar syrup or less butter or maybe even margerine

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      July 29, 2011 at 11:34 PM

      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.

      Reply
  130. cupcakequeen

    July 28, 2011 at 10:59 AM

    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.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      July 29, 2011 at 11:24 PM

      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 🙁

      Reply
  131. Gateauxdulac

    July 22, 2011 at 2:45 AM

    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…..

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      July 22, 2011 at 7:50 AM

      Sometimes my butter are close to being half melted, it still comes together. You just need to whip whip whip….

      Reply
      • Gateauxdulac

        July 27, 2011 at 11:54 PM

        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 !

      • Anonymous

        July 29, 2011 at 11:15 PM

        I would love to try out your caramel trick 🙂 Sounds delicious.

      • Gateauxdulac

        July 30, 2011 at 12:46 AM

        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.

      • Anonymous

        July 30, 2011 at 6:47 AM

        Thank you!

  132. Anonymous

    June 2, 2011 at 6:38 AM

    I have only tried to freeze leftover icing not if it’s on cupcakes. The sets perfect in the refrigerator though.

    Reply
    • Tanisha Lane

      June 15, 2011 at 1:16 AM

      can i half this recipe and still use the same times on boiling and mixing?

      Reply
      • Anonymous

        June 15, 2011 at 11:19 AM

        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.

  133. Morgana_saraiva

    May 30, 2011 at 12:15 AM

    its  a desaster.. the end its a soup.. buttercream soup!! what happened?????????
    help me pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

    Reply
  134. Anonymous

    May 22, 2011 at 7:24 PM

    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.

    Reply
  135. Anonymous

    May 21, 2011 at 10:05 PM

    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.

    Reply
  136. simone

    May 10, 2011 at 6:27 PM

    THATS KOOL

    Reply
  137. Letiziayu

    April 30, 2011 at 3:08 PM

    so nice ,i love it

    Reply
  138. Pear9bear

    April 21, 2011 at 10:03 PM

    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!

    Reply
  139. Mary

    April 19, 2011 at 9:26 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      April 20, 2011 at 9:44 AM

      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://cakejournal.com/recipes/white-meringue-frosting

      Reply
  140. Simple Baker

    April 19, 2011 at 8:49 AM

    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 lim.yingxuan@dhs.sg?

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      May 22, 2011 at 8:59 PM

      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.

      Reply
  141. Katie

    April 17, 2011 at 1:19 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      May 22, 2011 at 8:51 PM

      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?.

      Reply
  142. Anonymous

    March 31, 2011 at 6:32 AM

    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.

    Reply
  143. Anonymous

    March 28, 2011 at 7:55 PM

    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.

    Reply
  144. JanetDelicakes

    March 25, 2011 at 11:06 AM

    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

    Reply
  145. Lilbitrucker2004

    March 20, 2011 at 12:28 AM

    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!

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 21, 2011 at 6:56 PM

      You should then try the IMBC by CakeLove’s Warran Brown: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxWmiHRTMz8

      Reply
  146. Dixie

    March 16, 2011 at 7:30 AM

    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!

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 16, 2011 at 9:41 AM

      Dixie, I can only imagine how beautiful they looked 🙂

      Reply
  147. S A N

    March 13, 2011 at 1:46 PM

    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?

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 14, 2011 at 11:18 AM

      It will harden in the fridge and hold the shape. I keep it for max. 2 weeks in the fridge.

      Reply
  148. S A N

    March 13, 2011 at 1:45 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 14, 2011 at 11:17 AM

      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.

      Reply
  149. satomi

    March 11, 2011 at 8:50 PM

    I love your blog! I wish I have the time to bake…

    Reply
  150. Rakhshanda

    March 1, 2011 at 8:26 PM

    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

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      March 1, 2011 at 9:05 PM

      Good to hear that it went well. I love IMBC 🙂

      Reply
  151. Marie

    February 17, 2011 at 5:36 PM

    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.

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      February 17, 2011 at 7:00 PM

      All fine by me 🙂

      Reply
      • Marie

        February 18, 2011 at 12:04 AM

        Thanks! 🙂

  152. alexis

    February 9, 2011 at 4:39 PM

    hello … what is caster sugar?

    Reply
    • Anonymous

      February 9, 2011 at 8:25 PM

      Regular white sugar.

      Reply
  153. Jenn@eatcakefordinner

    February 6, 2011 at 5:25 AM

    I love a good silky smooth frosting. Your cupcakes are so cute.

    Reply
  154. Maria - Greece

    January 19, 2011 at 5:26 PM

    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

    Reply
  155. Crea

    December 28, 2010 at 7:43 PM

    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 !

    Reply
  156. Amelia

    December 15, 2010 at 4:37 AM

    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.

    Reply
  157. Nusrat

    December 1, 2010 at 7:20 PM

    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?

    Reply
  158. Nusrat

    November 30, 2010 at 1:40 PM

    also my mixing bowl is plastic. is that a problem when pouring in the hot sugar syrup?

    Reply
  159. Nusrat

    November 30, 2010 at 1:21 PM

    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.

    Reply
  160. Emily

    November 24, 2010 at 3:22 AM

    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

    Reply
  161. karen

    November 22, 2010 at 10:20 AM

    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.

    Reply
  162. Ching Salazar

    November 20, 2010 at 8:13 AM

    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!

    Reply
  163. Danielle

    November 15, 2010 at 9:17 PM

    IMBC is the best! Thanks for all the tips!

    Reply
  164. Jeanette

    October 21, 2010 at 7:14 PM

    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.

    Reply
  165. moster bakar

    September 23, 2010 at 7:25 PM

    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?

    Reply
  166. Happy Gal

    September 23, 2010 at 3:12 PM

    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!!!

    Reply
  167. brandy

    September 20, 2010 at 8:30 AM

    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?

    Reply
  168. Cool

    September 15, 2010 at 7:07 AM

    hi Louise your webbie is awesome.
    would like to try this recipe when I find the time. thanks for sharing!!!

    Reply
  169. Sue

    September 1, 2010 at 1:53 PM

    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!

    Reply
  170. Mia

    August 24, 2010 at 11:07 PM

    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.?

    Reply
  171. elizabeth

    August 5, 2010 at 7:29 AM

    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.

    Reply
  172. Tanuja

    July 30, 2010 at 1:29 PM

    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?

    Reply
  173. eyva

    July 23, 2010 at 7:03 AM

    2 1/4 cups of caster sugar (530ml)–> is 530ml the same with 530 grams? sorry if it looks like a silly question

    Reply
  174. Marnee Kaugfman

    July 23, 2010 at 12:53 AM

    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

    Reply
  175. Marnee Kaugfman

    July 23, 2010 at 12:50 AM

    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

    Reply
  176. Agnes

    July 7, 2010 at 12:16 PM

    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?

    Reply
  177. Emilie

    July 3, 2010 at 3:09 PM

    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!

    Reply
  178. Louise

    June 30, 2010 at 11:09 PM

    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

    Reply
  179. Emilie

    June 26, 2010 at 3:58 PM

    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!

    Reply
  180. Suzanne

    June 24, 2010 at 2:50 PM

    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!

    Reply
  181. Louise

    June 23, 2010 at 11:59 AM

    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.

    Reply
  182. Felicia

    June 22, 2010 at 3:24 AM

    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

    Reply
  183. Louise

    June 20, 2010 at 11:19 PM

    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.

    Reply
  184. Millie

    June 12, 2010 at 1:10 AM

    Can this recipe be made with Splenda?

    Reply
  185. Louise

    June 7, 2010 at 5:21 PM

    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

    Reply
  186. pankake

    June 6, 2010 at 5:49 AM

    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

    Reply
  187. Louise

    June 5, 2010 at 11:00 PM

    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.

    Reply
  188. Valerie

    May 30, 2010 at 11:08 AM

    Hi, thanks for the post.
    Just wondering how many cupcakes can i pipe with this recipe?
    Thanks!

    Reply
  189. Bippo

    May 27, 2010 at 10:31 PM

    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.

    Reply
  190. Nancy

    May 26, 2010 at 11:55 PM

    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!

    Reply
  191. Mandy

    May 26, 2010 at 3:51 PM

    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!

    Reply
  192. Valérie

    May 26, 2010 at 12:02 AM

    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 !

    Reply
  193. Deliciously-Yumm

    May 25, 2010 at 5:29 PM

    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.

    Reply
  194. Louise

    May 24, 2010 at 7:31 PM

    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.

    Reply
  195. Bippo

    May 24, 2010 at 12:52 PM

    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.

    Reply
  196. Crislyn

    May 20, 2010 at 11:36 PM

    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?

    Reply
  197. Crislyn

    May 20, 2010 at 11:20 PM

    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” 🙂

    Reply
  198. Sarah Bell

    May 18, 2010 at 11:57 PM

    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. 😉

    Reply
  199. Kara

    May 16, 2010 at 9:16 PM

    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?

    Reply
  200. Leigh

    May 13, 2010 at 10:00 PM

    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!

    Reply
  201. Louise

    May 12, 2010 at 1:21 PM

    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,

    Reply
  202. Bunnie

    April 27, 2010 at 9:35 AM

    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.

    Reply
  203. Louise

    April 17, 2010 at 9:20 PM

    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.

    Reply
  204. Sarah

    April 8, 2010 at 8:00 AM

    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?

    Reply
  205. Deean

    March 16, 2010 at 6:31 AM

    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!

    Reply
  206. Louise

    March 16, 2010 at 12:08 AM

    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://cakejournal.com/nggallery/page-2609/image/65

    I cant remember the tip size, just know that it was really big.

    Reply
  207. Kim

    March 14, 2010 at 12:58 AM

    whats the tip used to frost those cupcakes dear

    Reply
  208. Kim

    March 14, 2010 at 12:56 AM

    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

    Reply
  209. Hanny

    March 12, 2010 at 5:44 AM

    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.

    Reply
  210. Louise

    March 7, 2010 at 12:30 AM

    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!

    Reply
  211. Jeniflufft

    March 6, 2010 at 9:44 PM

    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!

    Reply
  212. Isabell

    March 5, 2010 at 9:19 PM

    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…

    Reply
  213. Yvonne Smith

    March 3, 2010 at 1:11 AM

    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 🙂

    Reply
  214. kim

    March 2, 2010 at 4:04 PM

    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

    Reply
  215. Louise

    February 27, 2010 at 11:06 PM

    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.

    Reply
  216. Yvonne Smith

    February 22, 2010 at 7:03 AM

    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.

    Reply
  217. Louise

    February 19, 2010 at 1:40 AM

    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.

    Reply
  218. Luisa

    February 18, 2010 at 6:04 PM

    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

    Reply
  219. fiona

    February 11, 2010 at 3:45 PM

    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

    Reply
  220. Ruby

    February 9, 2010 at 2:54 AM

    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 🙁

    Reply
  221. Louise

    February 7, 2010 at 9:54 PM

    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.

    Reply
  222. Ruby

    February 7, 2010 at 4:13 AM

    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?

    Reply
  223. Ruby

    February 7, 2010 at 4:12 AM

    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

    Reply
  224. jaleesa

    February 6, 2010 at 10:54 AM

    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.

    Reply
  225. Kassandra

    February 3, 2010 at 6:26 AM

    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

    Reply
  226. Molly

    January 31, 2010 at 5:08 AM

    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!

    Reply
  227. Dre

    January 30, 2010 at 10:51 PM

    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 🙂

    Reply
  228. Louise

    January 27, 2010 at 6:15 PM

    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?

    Reply
  229. Tee C.

    January 27, 2010 at 5:16 AM

    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.

    Reply
  230. Louise

    January 25, 2010 at 12:37 AM

    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

    Reply
  231. wendi

    January 23, 2010 at 7:24 AM

    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 🙂

    Reply
    • Emma

      June 8, 2011 at 1:33 AM

      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.

      Reply
      • Anonymous

        June 8, 2011 at 8:06 PM

        Love when readers can help out 🙂

  232. Noeleen

    January 22, 2010 at 8:58 PM

    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!

    Reply
    • heidib

      February 20, 2011 at 9:25 AM

      use less butter, thats is what you have to do…….use only 3 sticks of butter…..

      Reply
  233. Louise

    January 22, 2010 at 11:09 AM

    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.

    Reply
  234. Eva

    January 21, 2010 at 9:17 PM

    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 =)

    Reply
  235. Louise

    January 20, 2010 at 10:17 PM

    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.

    Reply
  236. Pamela

    January 20, 2010 at 9:45 PM

    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 !

    Reply
  237. Louise

    January 17, 2010 at 11:07 PM

    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.

    Reply
  238. fancypants

    January 15, 2010 at 1:16 AM

    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!!!

    Reply
  239. Nadine

    January 9, 2010 at 4:42 PM

    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

    Reply
  240. Louise

    January 5, 2010 at 11:28 PM

    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!!

    Reply
  241. xine

    January 5, 2010 at 4:31 PM

    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.

    Reply
  242. xine

    January 5, 2010 at 4:15 PM

    What would be the liquid to meringue powder ratio to get 1 cup of eggwhites? 250 ml liquid and how much meringue powder?

    Reply
  243. Shira

    January 4, 2010 at 7:32 PM

    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.”

    Reply
  244. Shira

    January 4, 2010 at 7:08 PM

    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 ;>!!!

    Reply
  245. sarah

    January 1, 2010 at 7:33 PM

    this looks delisiou i cant wait to mke it for my moms suprise party bash. i know wow

    Reply
  246. Lucy

    January 1, 2010 at 1:45 AM

    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!

    Reply
  247. Louise

    December 25, 2009 at 10:37 PM

    noura: Did it melt on cupcakes or cake?

    Reply
  248. noura

    November 22, 2009 at 4:02 PM

    it tasted so good but it melted sooo fast:( is there anyway for it not 2 melt

    Reply
  249. Louise

    November 20, 2009 at 1:38 AM

    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.

    Reply
  250. siobhan

    November 17, 2009 at 10:50 PM

    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!

    Reply
  251. Nani

    November 15, 2009 at 2:50 PM

    Thank you so much Louise, i did it, it’s delicious, it tastes like whipping cream… Thanks for all of your tutorials.

    Reply
  252. Louise

    November 10, 2009 at 11:09 PM

    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.

    Reply
  253. Nani

    November 7, 2009 at 4:38 AM

    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.

    Reply
  254. Miranda

    October 30, 2009 at 6:12 AM

    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.

    Reply
  255. Louise

    October 20, 2009 at 8:16 PM

    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.

    Reply
  256. siobhan

    October 20, 2009 at 3:10 AM

    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!

    Reply
  257. Louise

    October 12, 2009 at 11:28 PM

    Jacqueline: Great 🙂

    Kitty: All the flavors sounds yum.

    Glidz: Good to hear.

    Reply
  258. Gildz

    October 11, 2009 at 2:59 AM

    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!

    Reply
  259. Kitty

    October 11, 2009 at 1:13 AM

    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)

    Reply
  260. Jacqueline

    October 5, 2009 at 10:14 PM

    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!

    Reply
  261. Louise

    October 5, 2009 at 8:37 PM

    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 🙂

    Reply
  262. Lee

    October 2, 2009 at 10:17 AM

    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

    Reply
  263. Jacqueline

    October 1, 2009 at 3:36 PM

    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

    Reply
  264. Louise

    October 1, 2009 at 1:15 PM

    Carol: Yes, its YUM!

    Reply
  265. Carol

    September 30, 2009 at 12:39 AM

    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 🙂

    Reply
  266. Louise

    September 23, 2009 at 8:51 PM

    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.

    Reply
  267. dina

    September 20, 2009 at 1:44 PM

    where do you find pastuarized egg whites? They are not sold in the grocery store here in Virginia.

    Reply
  268. Louise

    September 6, 2009 at 10:05 PM

    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

    Reply
  269. Lorrine

    September 4, 2009 at 4:06 PM

    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 ?

    Reply
  270. Taz

    August 27, 2009 at 3:57 PM

    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! 🙂

    Reply
  271. Louise

    August 24, 2009 at 9:34 AM

    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.

    Reply
  272. Anne

    August 21, 2009 at 11:47 AM

    Hello,
    I am dying to try this recipe! Just wondering about the pasteurized eggwhites… is that the same as meringue powder?

    Thank you! 🙂

    Reply
  273. Louise

    August 19, 2009 at 12:02 PM

    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.

    Reply
  274. Nofi

    August 18, 2009 at 8:49 AM

    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.

    Reply
  275. Cynthia

    August 16, 2009 at 8:08 PM

    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.

    Reply
  276. Louise

    August 9, 2009 at 10:00 PM

    Tashia: At the moment I only have a cake stand gallery with the readers cake stands. Im glad that you liked the mmf & IMBC 🙂

    Reply
  277. Tashia

    August 8, 2009 at 5:03 PM

    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!

    Reply
  278. Jaime

    August 5, 2009 at 5:06 PM

    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

    Reply
  279. Jaime

    August 5, 2009 at 4:12 PM

    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!!

    Reply
  280. elma

    July 28, 2009 at 1:28 PM

    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.

    Reply
  281. Louise

    July 28, 2009 at 1:01 PM

    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.

    Reply
  282. elma

    July 27, 2009 at 6:54 AM

    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?

    Reply
  283. elma

    July 27, 2009 at 6:47 AM

    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.

    Reply
  284. Louise

    July 25, 2009 at 12:33 AM

    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.

    Reply
  285. Jessica

    July 23, 2009 at 6:06 AM

    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!

    Reply
  286. Theresa

    July 22, 2009 at 2:15 PM

    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.

    Reply
  287. Louise

    July 19, 2009 at 8:36 PM

    Angie: Please read Inblooms comment I think there is help on the way 🙂

    Reply
  288. Michelle

    July 15, 2009 at 3:51 AM

    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!

    Reply
  289. Inblooms

    July 14, 2009 at 3:25 AM

    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!!!

    Reply
  290. Angie

    July 9, 2009 at 9:54 PM

    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?

    Reply
  291. April

    July 2, 2009 at 9:15 PM

    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! 😀

    Reply
  292. Louise

    June 26, 2009 at 11:38 PM

    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.

    Reply
  293. Shanna

    June 25, 2009 at 12:41 AM

    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

    Reply
  294. Louise

    June 21, 2009 at 11:58 PM

    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.

    Reply
  295. Rani

    June 14, 2009 at 11:12 AM

    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!!

    Reply
  296. Addy (:

    June 11, 2009 at 9:34 PM

    ilove making cakess! Yours look so delilouss!!!!!!!!! (:

    Reply
  297. ana

    June 5, 2009 at 1:59 AM

    Yes!!! that sounds Yummy!!!!
    please let us know how it works out!!!
    Thanks a bunch..

    Reply
  298. Louise

    June 4, 2009 at 11:42 PM

    Bri: Was it melted white chocolate? Im so eager to try that out.

    Reply
  299. Louise

    June 4, 2009 at 11:41 PM

    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 🙂

    Reply
  300. Bri

    June 4, 2009 at 8:44 PM

    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.

    Reply
  301. ana

    June 4, 2009 at 7:43 PM

    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….

    Reply
  302. Louise

    May 30, 2009 at 10:33 PM

    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.

    Reply
  303. Florence

    May 25, 2009 at 12:24 AM

    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.

    Reply
  304. kerrie

    May 22, 2009 at 12:47 PM

    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

    Reply
  305. kerrie

    May 22, 2009 at 9:19 AM

    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.

    Reply
  306. teresa

    May 21, 2009 at 6:07 AM

    Wow! Louise, I am so impressed with this site and with you! I am new to baking and many of these terms I am just getting familiar with, so please forgive my questions if they seem silly. I would love to make a cupcake tower with cupcakes decorated with pink IMBC for my daughter’s birthday. But, still am not clear on a few points-(1) If I make the cupcakes first should I refrigerate them until ready to decorate or leave at room temp (I would only make them 1-2 days before) (2)Once I make the IMBC can I pipe it on to the cupcakes right away, and finally, once that is done (say the night before the party), can i store the decorated cakes in the fridge or will that ruin the IMBC? I also am considering making her own personal cake with the same BC then covering in MM fondant–have I learned correctly, that fondant should not go in the fridge after it is on the cake? If so, how should the cake be stored since it does have the BC under it??

    Reply
  307. Claire

    May 21, 2009 at 5:26 AM

    I love this recipe for IMBC, i took a huge risk and tried it for the very first time on the morning that the 85 wedding cupcakes had to be delivered, Mmmm!!!! but i had a back up plan if it all went wrong.

    I don’t have a kitchen aid mixer, so used my hand whisk,
    i didn’t have a paddle, so used dough hooks,
    and i didn’t have a metal bowl, so was concerned the hot sugar would melt my plastic bowl one.

    But it all went perfect!!!, i flavoured one batch with lemon curd, and a second with peppermint and a hint of soft green colouring, the guests at the Champagne house wedding reception were raving about them and i distributed a few left overs to my local fan club for free advertising.

    Thanks so much C x

    Reply
  308. Louise

    May 19, 2009 at 9:14 PM

    lmn: Sorry to hear that you could not save it. It should have worked when you chill it. did you use the whisk or the paddle when whipping?

    I find it best to use the paddle before you add the butter. I hope that you have better luck next time.

    Reply
  309. lmn

    May 19, 2009 at 5:23 PM

    I’m so sad – I tried this recipe for my daughter’s birthday cake and just could not get it to come together. I used egg white powder since my eggs were not pasteurized and got a nice merengue but when I added the butter it was very soupy. I thought maybe it was too warm so put it in the freezer to firm up a bit before whipping again but it never came together despite numerous chill/whip sessions (over an hour of whipping in total!)- it stayed like cottage cheese and the liquid completely separated out. The taste is exactly what I’m looking for so I am hopeful I can get it to work another time. I ended up having to use the disgusting “American style buttercream” to frost and decorate the cake.

    Reply
  310. Louise

    May 19, 2009 at 9:23 AM

    Kelly: I have not really tried this in very warm weather yet. I think that I would go on the safe side and use regular shortning buttercream.

    Reply
  311. Kelly

    May 18, 2009 at 9:44 PM

    Hi! I’m really excited to give this frosting a try.

    I was wondering though, will this hold up on a warm day better than the more simple buttercream frosting recipes? I’m making a wedding cake for my sister whose reception is going to be outdoors in a covered area in Washington (state). Its supposed to be anywhere from 85-high 90’s that day. She is insistent on having a buttercream frosting. Should be we ok?

    Reply
  312. Louise

    May 14, 2009 at 11:31 PM

    Cinderella: Yes it can, see above photo 🙂

    aileenlnbh: I have never made a two toned cupcake. But the way you describe it the you go and make them.

    Cherrie: That is the best of IMBC. You can always beat it perfect again.

    Reply
  313. Cherrie

    May 13, 2009 at 7:39 AM

    Well, on my second attempt this worked, and I am sooo glad I attempted it again. Here in Australia, the humidity can be quite high and causes havoc with temperature. My meringue mix was perfect until I added the butter and it turned to soup, then I added more and it curdled. I placed my bowl in a larger bowl of iced water and kept whipping it – voila – it turned out perfect!

    Reply
  314. aileenlnbh

    May 8, 2009 at 2:38 PM

    hi louise. this is divine. gonna post some cuppie pics i made with this to my flickr that you can see soon. pps have you ever done the swirl on a cuppie that is two different colours – babycakesnz has one just a little scroll down on her main blog page – is it just filling the piping bag on one side with this and then the other side with say the raspberry version – do you have any pics of this ? thanks 🙂

    Reply
  315. Cinderella

    May 5, 2009 at 1:45 PM

    Hi Louise,
    I was just wondering if this is the recipie with wich you cover your cupcakes?
    As in, can this mixture be piped onto cupcakes, then withstand sugar flowers and so on?
    Thank you so so so much,
    Your cakes are an inspiration and though I am only 20, I have been baking for many years and have yet to find cakes that look half as good as yours!

    Reply
  316. Louise

    April 30, 2009 at 4:03 PM

    Maui: I am pretty sure that you need the sugar syrup to make the thick glossy meringue for the IMBC.

    Reply
  317. Maui

    April 29, 2009 at 6:44 AM

    Question for those who used egg white powder: since making the sugar syrup is just to “cook” the meringue to make sure the egg whites are safe, should you make the sugar syrup still, since you used egg white powder instead of egg whites?

    Reply
  318. Louise

    April 27, 2009 at 10:24 PM

    Nancy: I keep mine IMBC for 1 week in the refrigerator but you can also freeze it. You should be able to pipe flowers, they do in the Whimsical bakehouse book.

    Reply
  319. Nancy

    April 24, 2009 at 6:43 PM

    Hi, I just made this and it is wonderful. Someone tried it and said it was a little bit of heaven. My question is How long will it last , can it go in the refrigerator and can you make flowers with it. I heard that once you try this you won’t go back to the other buttercreme. Thanks so much for the recipe.

    Reply
  320. Kosiette

    April 9, 2009 at 3:03 AM

    just tried it it works perfectly, ur awesome!!

    Reply
  321. Louise

    March 12, 2009 at 1:55 PM

    dpotter: Great news!!! I will edit the post and write a note that it can work with egg white powder aswell. Thank you for the info.

    Reply
  322. dpotter

    March 10, 2009 at 1:52 AM

    hey there, just to let you know i made this today using meri-white powder and it turned out great, and tasted yummy…… as ive never made it before ive nothing to compare it to but its definately a winner!!!!!!!

    thank you so much for sharing it ……..

    Reply
  323. Louise

    March 6, 2009 at 6:24 PM

    Manetta: I have not tried, but I asked a friend who said that some use it but that it can give a funny taste afterwards.

    Reply
  324. Manetta

    March 6, 2009 at 4:50 PM

    Can Meringue Powder be a substitute for egg whites?

    Reply
  325. Louise

    March 1, 2009 at 11:40 AM

    dpotter: The story is that we here in denmark dont use fresh eggwhites if we aren’t sure that they have been properly cooked.

    I have not tried meri-white for IMBC though. I have for royal icing though.

    Try the dough prongs first. If it dont work then just use the whisks.

    Reply
  326. dpotter

    February 27, 2009 at 6:57 PM

    and while im here,i only have a mixer with different attachments, i have a dough( 2x single prongs) would this be the same as a paddle and the others would be the same a whisk maybe…….

    not explaining myself well am i!!!!

    Reply
  327. dpotter

    February 27, 2009 at 6:44 PM

    this just looks amazing!!!!! whats the story with pasturized egg whites, im from ireland and cannot find such a thing, was gonna try meri-white powder, have you ever used it?

    thanks for all your help

    Reply
  328. Louise

    February 17, 2009 at 1:07 PM

    Caroline P: well there is not only Italian but also: Swiss and French to make it even more confusing. So I found this interesting reading online https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-buttercream.htm

    For flavoring I like : vanilla, raspberry, lemon, lemon curd, coffee and chocolate.

    Reply
  329. Caroline P

    February 16, 2009 at 6:48 PM

    What makes it Italian?
    Just curious!
    THANK YOU!
    And Also…
    What flavoring would you say goes the best with this?
    Vanilla or other?

    Reply
  330. Louise

    February 3, 2009 at 4:13 PM

    Andrea: I have not had that problem after it was made and it needed a re whip. I just use the paddle and beat it on low speed. The good thing is that it can almost anytime be saved if it seperates.

    I dont warm it up.

    Reply
  331. Andrea

    January 31, 2009 at 6:09 PM

    I made it and it was awesome. My girlfriend made it as well and just took hers out of the fridge and let it come to room temp. She started to mix it and it got all separated. She did not wait long enough to see if it would go back to normal. She gave up. Mine is in the fridge now and I am scared it will be ruined. Do I wait until room temp to put in mixer, then put on high? Or some websites are saying you have to warm up the buttercream while it is mixing with a blow torch on the outside of the bowl? Is that necessary?

    Reply
  332. Louise

    January 31, 2009 at 2:01 AM

    Kavita: Sorry but no it wont work with a whisk.

    Reply
  333. Anonymous

    January 23, 2009 at 11:54 AM

    Hi Louise, brilliant tutorial as always!

    Quick question – I dont have a mixer or electirc whisk…can i whisk with a normal whisk?

    Thanks!
    Kavita

    Reply
  334. Louise

    January 21, 2009 at 9:23 PM

    Princess: You can half the recipe if you like but the sugar syrup cooking time is still the same.

    Line: Mmmmm I have not tried that yet 🙂

    Reply
    • Dr Shummu

      May 15, 2011 at 10:08 AM

       hi lousie,
      my question might not sound very intelligent but just wanted to know 530 ml of c.s is d same as 530 gms right ? and als .. can i use icing sugar instead?
      i dont have a kitchen aid will a hand held beater do ?
      thanks.. please please do help

      Reply
      • Anonymous

        May 17, 2011 at 9:14 PM

        I have just checked with my converter and it says 430 grams. You cannot use powdered sugar it needs to be caster sugar. A hand held can do only you may get a little tired in your hand while whisking the egg white/sugar syrup to “cold” consistency. But if you hold a few breaks in between it should not ruin the mixture.

        Good luck!

      • Anonymous

        May 17, 2011 at 9:14 PM

        I have just checked with my converter and it says 430 grams. You cannot use powdered sugar it needs to be caster sugar. A hand held can do only you may get a little tired in your hand while whisking the egg white/sugar syrup to “cold” consistency. But if you hold a few breaks in between it should not ruin the mixture.

        Good luck!

  335. Line

    January 20, 2009 at 5:00 PM

    Also made it with a hand mixer today 🙂 and flavoured it with homemade strawberry puré. it was hard work but sooo good 🙂

    Reply
  336. princess

    January 19, 2009 at 5:25 AM

    Thanks a lot for such precise instructions! Most of the recipes do not mention the time required for the sugar syrup to reach the desired stage and instead recommend using a candy thermometer which I haven’t been successful finding yet :(.. So your recipe is a real find for me – just one question – if I want to make just half the quantity of buttercream, I assume I would just halve the ingredients – does the time taken for the sugar syrup to get done remain the same even then or do I need to adjust it? I plan to make this cake for my husband’s birthday next week and I would be really grateful if you could help me out with this query before that

    Reply
  337. Carmen

    January 19, 2009 at 1:30 AM

    Saludos :se ve suave , cremoso y con volumen , voy a probarlo.
    me parece muy bien que enseñen estas recetas ya que nos ayudan tanto
    Muchas gracias por la magnifica receta

    Reply
  338. Louise

    January 14, 2009 at 12:51 PM

    Sonal: I always use three days when making cake. 1st day for baking, 2nd for splitting/filling and maybe decorate, 3rd for decorating and or eating.

    I have not tried to let the IMBC stay out for long so I had to ask a friend and we came to 4-6 hours maybe longer. But again I have not tried it.

    Reply
  339. sonal

    January 12, 2009 at 8:25 PM

    hi, thanks for the wonderful recipe, i did try this out. i have a qs though. i have iced my cake with thd buttercream, now do i need to refrigerate it? i plan to lay fondanr over it too. how long will the cake with this buttercream last if left outside the fridge? thanks. i need to know because how many days in advance i can prepare the cake before i deliver it! thank you again!

    Reply
  340. Louise

    January 4, 2009 at 1:04 AM

    Tara: It can work with a handheld and I am glad that you like the IMBC. also thank you for the tips 🙂

    Reply
  341. Tara

    December 31, 2008 at 5:02 AM

    Awesome! Thank you so much for posting the recipe! I just made cup cakes and iced them with the IMBC and I can barely stop from eating them before the NYE party!

    I made mine using a hand mixer and it didn’t take any longer to make than your recipe said – i used the whisk attachment and then in place of the paddle attachment i used the regular beaters.

    My only tip for people using hand mixers is to make sure you use the biggest bowl you’ve got to counteract the splatter! And also make sure you keep wiping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula!

    Thanks again for this yummy recipe! I think it will surely become my favourite icing!

    Reply
  342. Louise

    December 26, 2008 at 11:25 PM

    Michelle: YEAH!!! its really nice and soo good. Im glad that you like the way I make the tutorials thanks.

    Reply
  343. Michelle

    December 20, 2008 at 7:36 AM

    WOW! I’ve never tried IMBC before this but it is now my favorite icing! I too went through the soupy stage (5-10 minutes in the refrigerator to cool it took care of the problem) as well as the “cottage cheese” problem once I started mixing it out of the fridge. But I just kept the mixer going on high and in just a few minutes I had the lightest, smoothest, creamiest icing I’ve ever had!

    Thank you so much, Louise, for this recipe! I was amazed at HOW accurate your step by step instructions are! Perfect!

    Reply
  344. Louise

    November 24, 2008 at 1:12 AM

    Kris: Im not sure how I get that prize on your blog.

    Siri: Yes if its to runny it need refrigerating. Its a dream to pipe with.

    Reply
  345. Louise

    November 23, 2008 at 9:49 PM

    Audrey: I have not tried it myself but I dont think so 🙁

    Reply
  346. Siri

    November 23, 2008 at 6:21 PM

    I just made your mmf recipie and now I finished the IMBC and I love it!! I don’t really like buttercream, but this tastes just great! I was wondering if it is possible to make it stiffer, so that I can use it for piping? It came out a bit to “runny”. It will probably become a bit better after refridgerating, so I’ll see tomorrow. I do regret only making half a portion though… Might have to make more later!

    Reply
  347. kris

    November 23, 2008 at 1:33 PM

    A prize for you, “fantasia”. Compliments for your blog!

    Reply
  348. Audrey

    November 14, 2008 at 6:49 PM

    Can’t wait to try out the recipe but it’s very hot and humid here in Malaysia. How many days can IMBC keep at room temperature (around 30C) without spoiling? The traditional buttercream of butter and icing sugar can keep around 4 days but is too sweet for most of my family.

    Reply
  349. Louise

    November 11, 2008 at 12:29 PM

    Dorothy: THX

    Lara: well yes I guess it is. Pure albumen is dried egg white powder. You will be needing 250 mls to get 1 cup = 10 eggwhites

    CakeBreak: It is all normal. But I think that in all IMBC dont like hot weather 🙁

    So far I have not tried the cottage cheese stage yet. But it can most of the times be “saved” by whipping it up again.

    Reply
  350. Cakebreak

    November 8, 2008 at 6:57 PM

    I made this IMBC and I did go through the cottage cheese stage and I was very disappointed, but I kept the mixer running and it turned out to be wonderful cream, it tasted like ice cream. But it does not hold well where I am at South Florida. If I have left overs, then I have to whip it again after taking out of refrigerator or freezer and it will go through the cottage cheese stage again and then become smooth cream. Is that normal?

    Reply
  351. Lara

    November 8, 2008 at 10:58 AM

    Is pasturised egg white the same as pure albumen? Your recipe states :
    1 cup of eggwhites (10) .
    How much in grams/mls is this please? I am in the UK.
    Many thanks – can’t wait to make some. It sounds delicious.
    I love receiving your emails!

    Reply
  352. Dorothy

    November 3, 2008 at 5:59 AM

    thanks for the tutorial! you’re super helpful!!

    Reply
  353. Louise

    October 26, 2008 at 6:16 PM

    Theresia: I store it in the refrigeator for up to 2 weeks, or you can freeze it. Either way you need to bring it back to room temprature and then whip it smoothe.

    You can make it by using a hand mixer. It just takes long and your hand might get tired…. But it can work.

    Reply
  354. Theresia

    October 25, 2008 at 4:46 PM

    Dear Louise,
    Thank you for sharing the IMBC recipe and the tutorial. I search alot of recipes about IMBC and most of them was fail.

    How to store the IMBC?, is it possible to make IMBC using hand mixer?

    Reply
  355. Andy Abraham

    October 21, 2008 at 3:22 PM

    I love buttercream. Sweet Dessert

    Reply
  356. Louise

    October 20, 2008 at 9:59 PM

    Becky: yep! It supports really well. But we dont have the heat that you do. But try it. Normally I would make bc from half icing sugar/half butter for crumbcoating but when I can have the lovely IMBC under fondant then I will go for this alltime.

    Reply
  357. Becky

    October 20, 2008 at 12:02 AM

    Good idea! I will try the unsalted butter; it is much milder.
    Yeah…eating it out of the bowl…guilty!!!
    Oh…you use the IMBC and then cover it with fondant? It supports the fondant well enough?

    Reply
  358. Louise

    October 19, 2008 at 8:44 PM

    Becky: Fantastic!!!!!
    I think you were right on the too soft butter problem.
    I would not use shortning in this. If using the unsalted butter the butter taste is not that powerful like if it was salted butter. You could maybe try adding lemon flavouring to it??? Regular buttercream is to much for me. With this I could eat it out of the bowl… lol.

    Reply
  359. Becky

    October 19, 2008 at 7:44 PM

    WOW!!! Thanks, Louise…in the *maybe* 5 or 10 minutes from when I posted my comment, the IMBC chilled in the fridge. I took it out, whipped it up, and…voila! Perfection! I think my butter was too soft. I let it get to room temperature, which here in Texas, is 80 degrees. My room temperature is a little warmer than normal 🙂
    Thank you SO MUCH for the advice!
    Due to oversampling while making this, I now have a sugar/butter high. I absolutely hate using vegetable shortning, but I wonder if it would cut the strong butter taste if my family isn’t thrilled?
    P.S. NIckey’s comment helped, but mine never reached the “cottage cheese” step, as it was only in the fridge 5 or 10 minutes, tops.
    Now…on to the fondant cupcakes 🙂

    Reply
  360. Louise

    October 19, 2008 at 7:34 PM

    Becky: No I have not tried this problem but just cool it and then whip it up again. It will come together in the end. Try and read Nickey’s comment above.

    Reply
    • Angel

      March 16, 2011 at 9:14 PM

      Mine has. I just kept whipping it…it turned out fine.

      Reply
  361. Becky

    October 19, 2008 at 7:20 PM

    OK, mine turned soupy as well, but it didn’t turn soupy until I added the butter!!! >:( I had a lovely whipped meringue even after I added the hot sugar mixture, but when the butter was added, it turned to soup. It’s in my fridge now…has this ever happened to you?

    Reply
    • Morgana_saraiva

      May 30, 2011 at 12:18 AM

      becky!!! its the same w me.. i dont know what to do..

      Reply
      • Anonymous

        May 31, 2011 at 12:46 PM

        Place the bowl and whisk in the fridge to get a little cold. Even if it seems ruined just keep whisking. It should combine in the end.

  362. Louise

    October 17, 2008 at 9:38 AM

    Carmen: Thank you

    Reply
  363. carmen

    October 17, 2008 at 9:33 AM

    thanks for all
    your recipe is perfect
    your cake are wonderful

    Reply
  364. Louise

    October 17, 2008 at 12:22 AM

    Susieshomemade: I know but I had ny troubles with it ;o)

    angela: The IMBC wont settle hard unless you store it in the fridge. I dont think that this taste like cold butter more like sweet cream.

    Gis: he he…

    mrs K: well with the “bad” eggwhites mine turned into thin milk and I just didn’t bother to try get it to ´get it thick. I was just so happy when it worked out with the new eggwhites.

    Jill: here in Denmark the food and health dep. advice us to use psturized egg products if it will not be cooked over 167F. So thats why I only use pasturized eggs. I have heard that some says the meringue will be cooked though when the syrup is added. Did you see the cakelove podcast?? he talk about it aswell.

    Teri: great to hear that you like it

    Lisa: i have seen the Dyann SMBC and i think it is the same thing only made in a different way. I just love how nice it is to coat the cake with before fondant.

    margaret: Pasturized egg whites have been heated up so there will be no risk of salmonella ect.. I always use pasturized egg products when I want to be sure that I wont get sick of using “raw” eggs. It will still 1 cup if you use the pasturized eggwhites.

    Nickey: thanks for the info :o)

    adetutu: Your welcome.

    Marie: Great to hear. This is also my new favourite frosting from now on. I just love the silky texture.

    Emily S: jep same here….

    Jessica N: it will not crust but it is pipeable.

    Rena: Good to hear.

    Reply
  365. Rena

    October 16, 2008 at 11:01 PM

    Thank you so much for posting the recipe and directions. I just made it and it is perfectly lovely.

    Reply
  366. Jessica N.

    October 15, 2008 at 7:30 PM

    Will this butter cream crust? And can I pipe it?

    Reply
  367. Emily S

    October 15, 2008 at 2:35 AM

    I was completely against regular buttercream until I started using this recipe about a year ago. Everyone flips out over it!

    Reply
  368. Marie

    October 14, 2008 at 9:37 PM

    Louise,

    I’ve got to tell you that this is the most delicious IMBC I’ve ever had. The directions are so well laid out and easy to follow. After decorating my cake, I put it in the refrigerator and even after letting it get cold, this icing melts in your mouth. Creamy, soft and delicious! Thanks so much for the recipe, I’ll be using it often.

    Marie

    Reply
  369. adetutu

    October 14, 2008 at 7:08 PM

    Thanks for the merrigue butter cream, I will try it.
    Thanks for all the tips in making it.

    Reply
  370. Nickey

    October 14, 2008 at 3:34 PM

    Hey Louise,

    I’m offten using this IMBC from the whimsical bakehouse. Everyone is loving it! You can keep it for a longer period in the refrigerator, ad all sorts of flavors and it has a lovely texture……. Just whip it up again after getting it from the fridge, it first gets like cottage cheese, but just continue whipping (you can put the bowl in a bit of warm water to speed it up) and it gets fluffy again!
    It doesn’t taste like butter, it’s creamy….its delicious!

    Thanks for your good tips, love reading your blogg!

    Nickey

    Reply
  371. margaret

    October 14, 2008 at 5:04 AM

    Hello Louise -what is pasturized egg whites and if we are using latter, what is the amount?

    tks.

    margaret

    margban@gmail.com

    Reply
  372. Lisa

    October 14, 2008 at 3:15 AM

    Hi Louise
    Thanks for that. I will definitely try it out. I made the Swiss Meringue on Saturday (Dyann’s version) for my daughter’s birthday cake and it turned out awesome!!!! I couldn’t believe how smooth and creamy it turned out, I found it so easy to make as well!! The IMBC seems very similar to the SMBC.
    I covered it in the IMBC first, then covered it in fondant.
    For those of you who want to have a looksie at my first attempt at a fondant cake, here’s a link to my facebook page
    https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=1388568&l=5eaf9&id=533706455
    Cheers and thanks again Louise, you’re a champ!!

    Reply
  373. Teri

    October 13, 2008 at 9:39 PM

    Hi Louise,
    I love the texture!!! Thank you for your great instructions and photos! You are always so helpful and inspiring!!

    Jill, the hot sugar cooks the egg whites. Or if you’re worried, use pasturized egg whites.

    Aloha!!

    Reply
  374. Benazir

    October 13, 2008 at 7:11 PM

    Hi Lousise
    I subscribed to your posts a while back, but it’s only today that I actually paid attention the the e-mail I got! This recipe is PURE GENIUS!!! It tastes gorgeous. I just happened to bake a cake today and this buttercream was a life saver.
    Thanks so much!
    xxx
    http://www.addicted2rainbowdrops.blogspot.com

    Reply
  375. Jennifer Rose

    October 13, 2008 at 5:51 PM

    I wish I had a bigger kitchen so I could try this. Its looks so good 🙂

    Reply
  376. dulzuramagica

    October 13, 2008 at 5:03 PM

    oooops forgot to ask !!! Can I refrigerate leftovers??

    Reply
    • kels

      June 21, 2011 at 12:15 AM

      hey there!  as a pastry chef I have both frozen and refrigerated Italian buttercreams (but only in dire situations).  This kind of buttercream works better fresh, but if you do put it in the fridge to use later the trick is to let it come to room temp before trying to mix it again.  If it splits use a little (but very little) bit of heat to bring it together.  I normally use a brulee torch on the bottom of the kitchen aid bowl (not holding it there but moving it back and forth in waves to not burn my bowl or my product), but a bain marie could work as well…just remember you are only using the heat to re-emulsify the icing so be careful not to melt it.  At the end of the day you are mixing water (egg whites) and oil (butter), so it is all about emulsification.

      Reply
  377. dulzuramagica

    October 13, 2008 at 5:01 PM

    Thanxx for posting now I’ll give it a try I’ve been afraid of trying this for sooo long.

    Reply
  378. Jill

    October 13, 2008 at 4:03 PM

    Do you have to worry about salmonella with this recipe? I wouldn’t want to serve it to other people unless I was entirely sure that it was safe. I’ve read about how to heat up the meringue to kill off any germs, but it sort of defeats the whole timing thing with your very cool recipe….

    Reply
    • Chef Tammi

      February 19, 2011 at 7:44 PM

      You can buy pasteurized egg whites, which eliminates salmonella concerns. Also, if using regular egg whites, the heat of the sugar syrup when added to the egg whites is enough to eliminate any salmonella bacteria. You can serve & enjoy this icing without worrying that you might inadvertently make someone ill. It is perfectly safe.

      Reply
  379. mrs. k

    October 13, 2008 at 4:00 PM

    I actually made a variation of this frosting this past weekend- the recipe I had had me heat the sugar to 245 degrees celcius and it got really soupy but I just kept beating it until cooled and had no problem with it coming back to life…I did learn a while back the trick was not to pour the butter right away (oops).

    Oh and another flavor which was a huge hit this weekend- almond. It WAS really good.

    Reply
  380. Gis

    October 13, 2008 at 2:56 PM

    OMG Lou, I get this emails early morning i get so hungry! I need cake!!
    hihi 😀
    Hugs!

    Reply
  381. angela

    October 13, 2008 at 9:10 AM

    Hello… thanks for the lovely instructions… it looks so easy!
    Can you tell me though… once I have iced a cake do I have to refrigerate it, and if so, once i take it out of the fridge do I have to let it come back to room temp? I think I had cake once with this sort of icing and it reminded me so much of just eating cold butter — though I am not sure it was this sort – this looks lovely.

    Reply
  382. susieshomemade

    October 13, 2008 at 12:06 AM

    Thanks for the post! I have been looking for a recipe for this for a while:-)

    Reply

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