hello all! This weekend I had a few cakes to do and decided that I'd make the Martha Stewart IMBC recipe that was talked about in a few other posts. I was SO excited to add another type of icing to my list but something went horribly wrong. I followed the directions exactly but when I added the super hot sugar syrup to the egg whites they liquified & even after whipping for 10 minutes just stayed soupy. Where did I go wrong? Is there something that could have been done to prevent this? I'm seriously at a loss & since I've heard so many great things about this recipe I really want to give it another go.

any suggestions?

Your butter was probably too soft. You do not want the butter rock hard from the fridge, but it should only be slightly softened. The butter should give slightly, but in no way be mushy. You should still be able to slice it and then slowly add the butter pieces.

hth

Hi Peachez,

When you say "super hot," what exactly do you mean? I've never used Martha Stewart's recipe, but when I make IMBC, I keep a sharp eye on my sugar temp and pretty much run back and forth from the stove to the mixer to make sure my egg whites are stiff at the same time my syrup gets to the right temp.

Then once your syrup and egg whites are mixed, you want to add your butter -- gradually. It will start out kind of soupy but before you know it, it will emulsify and get really creamy.

Don't give up. The effort is definitely worth it -- it tastes wonderful!!!

Diane

Diane,
Thank you for the words of encouragement! The "super hot" sugar I was referring to was at soft ball stage 240 degrees like the recipe calls for. I'll be sure to give this a go one more time. I was so disappointed when it didn't work out. OH! Do you use boxed egg whites or regular eggs?

bubblezmom- thanks for the suggestion

Is the recipe for IMBC(which is what exactly) on this site? Is it a white buttercream?

IMBC = Italian Meringue Buttercream...you can find the recipe they're referring to on Martha Stewart's website. It has an ivory sort of color to it because of all of the butter in it. But it's very good, rich, but delicious! Hope this helps!

Peachez,Did you add it all at once or slowly? If you keep the mixer going on your egg whites and SLOWLY and the syrup down the side and just keep going, you should be good. I just recently tried this for the first time and it's going to be what I use unless someone wants the sweet stuff.

I poured it in a steady stream down the side of the bowl. The egg whites then turned into a messy goo that was smelling of cooked eggs. I started to add the butter but it wasn't coming together so I pitched it. I REALLY want to get this right because everyone says it's so yummy! After all the butter is added, is that when it's supposed to come together & look more like icing?

Hi Peachez,

If you smelled cooked eggs, then you were adding the sugar syrup too fast and did, indeed, cook the eggs! Try adding the syrup much more slowly next time. There is nothing magical about adding the syrup in a steady stream, either -- start with a tablespoon or two, then add a little more, then more, etc., until the eggs are brought gently up to temp and you can add the rest of the syrup in a steady stream.

If you add the syrup properly, you'll get what looks like a thick, shiny meringue (which is in fact what you'll have). When you first start adding the butter, the eggs will deflate and look thin, and you'll be sure you messed it up. But keep adding the butter gradually and it will come together (emulsify) beautifully at the end.

Good luck -- IMBC is my favorite!

Maybe your sugar syrup was too hot? You have to remove it from the heat and add it too the egg whites immediately. It should never smell like cooked eggs. Did you have the mixer running when you poured in the syrup?

Sorry, can't think of anything else. Don't give up! It really is very easy to make. It starts to look like frosting when you've almost added all the butter. Maybe 2/3 of the way through?

hth

You are all so sweet to help me out with this! Thanks to everyone who had suggestions! I'm at work right now but guess what I'm doing right after dinner tonight. I'll let you all know how it turns out

Mel,
Martha's recipe does not require the egg whites to come to room temp before adding the butter. The butter is used to cool the mixture.

Did you add cream of tartar to the egg whites? I made IMBC 2 weeks ago and asked here on this forum abt the cream of tartar and I was told to not skip that. It holds the egg whites together..

It sounds like you didn't whip your eggs long enough. When you add the syrup mixture in, it should not turn to soup. Was there something wrong with the eggs itself perhaps?

Oh my!!! This is the exact same thing that happened tome!!! I think that I went wrong with using prepackaged egg whites!

This happened to me, too. I think I didn't whip the egg/syrup mixture long enough and it was too hot when I added the butter, which caused the butter to melt. Also, I had let the butter sit until actual room temp., which is too soft.

Last weekend, I made the Swiss Meringue Buttercream from Martha's site, where you cook the egg whites with the sugar and then whip it all together with the butter once it's cooled, and I loved it! I don't know if the taste is much different than IMBC, but it was definitely very easy, creamy, rich and delicious! And I just like the idea better of actually cooking the egg whites to a safe temp. than adding the hot syrup and hoping it heats them properly. I know there's been tons of posts and research posted on this topic, but I just feel safer that way. Anyway, try the Swiss style. I plan on using this one quite often. Good luck!

Okay, I tried this recipe 3X, one try after the next. The first go round I used the candy thermometer on the sugar mixture to the soft ball stage and when I drizzled it into myegg mixture i heard it clumping up into crackled pieces of hard sugar. So I dumped it. The next time I didn't get the sugar mixture quite as hot, maybe only to 210 degrees, but when I poured it in the eggs this time it was a watery mess, but I continued and added the butter. Even after 10 minutes of mixing, no improvement at all. The next batch, the same as the second time, but I was frustrated with using so much butter and sugar down the drain, I just put it in the refridgerator to see if it would thicken, it did a little, but still down the drain it had to go. I do not know if it is worth it!

I have used pre-packaged egg whites in IMBC and they worked fine.. maybe the eggs were too cold? I added sugar syrup in really small amounts. mixed only until nlended and added the margarine.

I don't like the taste of buttercream icing but i love IMBC. I am pretty sure that my recipe says to heat the syrup to 238 degrees.

Potatocakes, because of all the rave reviews, I tried to make that recipe this past weekend. But, I think my egg whites started to cook a little because there was white film around the edge of the bowl. Should the egg whites be room temperature? Should I let the egg whites get warm in bowl over simmering water then add sugar or vice versa? I put the egg whites and sugar in bowl at same tme then put over pot of water. Is that your method? I used my sunbeam mixer bowl so maybe that didn't get hot enough for the sugar to melt. The sugar was still grainy after 3 min. and according to the recipe it should be ready in 2-3 minutes. I also saw recipe on MS where you make sugar syrup first. Maybe I should try that then the other at a later time; I don't know. Any advice?

I did not let my egg whites come to room temp. I don't know if you're supposed to or not, but it worked using them straight out of the frig. I put my egg whites and sugar in my Kitchenaid stainless steel bowl, then put that in my pot of simmering, not boiling, water. I had to constantly whisk, or the eggs would have cooked! I think the constant whisking also helped the sugar to dissolve. It only took a few minutes. I didn't time it, but instead used a candy thermometer and let it get to 160. Then I immediately put my bowl back on my mixer and started whipping like crazy!

Give it another try. Now that you've kind of got the feel of it, you'll probably be able to get it right. Even though my first try at IMBC failed, I felt more like I knew what I was doing when I made this. Good luck!

Ok thanks. I'll give it another try!

My IMBC was a success!!! I'm so happy I can't sit still! Okay, I just wanted to say a quick thank you to all that replied and helped me so much with your suggestions! This stuff tastes AMAZING!! I can't wait to try it with cake!

Yippee! Glad to hear you didn't give up on it.

Peachez, I agree with you!

I put off trying this for a VERY long time because I didn't want to deal with a frosting that required more prep. I finally decided to give it a try and the first time I put it in my mouth, I couldn't believe it!! It's the frosting I've been trying to find FOREVER! Not sure how much difference in flavor or texture between the different merinque frostings, but I am going to find out!!

I was going to try the pasterized egg whites, but it says right on the cartoon, not to use for meringue because it won't work. It said to look for a certain kind of package that says "Whipping" whites? I didn't see it anywhere. Anyone?

Yay! So glad it worked out finally!

You know, as far as prep time and such goes, I also put off trying it because I thought it would be so much more complicated than the regular Crisco/conf. sugar icing. But once I made the SMBC and got it right, I couldn't believe how easy it is! To me, it's much quicker, easier and less messy to make than the other. I plan to use it on most of my cakes, except kids cakes. I just think kids would prefer the sweeter variety.

I really do think it's the area you live in and what is the normal there. I just moved here alittle over a year ago and haven't seen or heard anyone using IMBC. But where I used to live, people loved, LOVED the cakes from a local baker. I could never figure out what it was, UNTIL NOW! My husband tasted the cake I made with the MBC, said it was the best cake I've ever made! Even my kids didn't scrape off the frosting!! Now I know, I'll be able to give people the choice.

hiya ladies (and gents)
Vitade, in the health food section of most stores (not in our wally though) they have a product called "simply whites" . All it is is dehydrated egg whites. You add water in the prescribed manner and it works great. I used it on my first attempt at a meringue frosting and it turned out fantastic. And boy does it hold airbrushed color really well. It's the frosting I used for the "horse cake" in my photos.