When To Use Buttercream Vs Imbc??
Decorating By princesscatt Updated 5 Nov 2009 , 5:06pm by princesscatt
I know that standard buttercream is sweeter then IMBC but when is it better to use one rather then the other?
It's not. It's a matter of taste. Some people like sweet, some don't.
Theresa 
IMBC is perfectly fine left out at room temp. It does NOT have to be refrigerated.
Ditto 
I use IMBC almost exclusively and my cakes hold up well, indoors & outdoors, in my tropical country's incredibly hot, humid climate.
Also boils down to technique. If you're more comfortable doing the Viva smoothing method or Melvira method, you won't able to use those techniques on IMBC.
I had a request to make a penguin on top of a round cake. I've been dying to try the IMBC b/c people request not so sweet buttercream. Can you use IMBC under fondant?
IMBC is perfectly fine left out at room temp. It does NOT have to be refrigerated.
Ditto
I use IMBC almost exclusively and my cakes hold up well, indoors & outdoors, in my tropical country's incredibly hot, humid climate.
Also boils down to technique. If you're more comfortable doing the Viva smoothing method or Melvira method, you won't able to use those techniques on IMBC.
Actually the suggestion for IMBC is that is stronger to heat than the SMBC.
Is suggested that since it has butter it should be kept refrigerated. But it can hold well out, it basically softens a bit. Only thing you have to be careful with higher tiered cakes. And not saying they can't be done, just they need a good support system.
Of course like everything there is people that dont like to leave it out and others that prefer to leave it out...
As for me..I hate cold cake..I dont even like to put the creamcheese buttercream on the fridge.. 
Edna
I don't like cold cake, either. I don't think the texture is as nice, and it dulls the flavors. I always recommend to my customers that they leave it out to warm up a bit before they eat it, unless they prefer cold cake.
That's not to say that I haven't been known to eat mostly frozen cake on occasion when I thought I needed a little piece of cake. Girl Scout cookies are good that way in a pinch, too. : )
Sorry if this is a silly question, I'm a newbie, what is "IMBC" and "SMBC"?
Thanks!
The only other thing to consider with IMBC vs BC is that BC can be colored much more deeply, whereas IMBC can't get much darker than pastel. I love the stuff and so if I want a dark colored cake, I just put fondant over it. You can use a normal thickness of icing and chill it rock-hard before applying the fondant.
I happen to be one of those people who refrigerate it for storage but I still agree that it is 100% fine to leave out for display prior to eating. I generally leave it out up to about 8 hours or so. I agree that if you do refrigerate, you want to allow at least 1-2 hrs for it to soften up before eating.
If you haven't worked with IMBC before, be sure to use plenty of vanilla in your recipe in order to hit the right flavor. It can also be turned into chocolate by adding melted, cooled chocolate. YUM!
Of course like everything there is people that dont like to leave it out and others that prefer to leave it out...
As for me..I hate cold cake..I dont even like to put the creamcheese buttercream on the fridge..
Edna [/quote]
(OK, I tried to quote Edna, but I think I did something wrong)
I recently tried IMBC for the first time, using my family as guinea pigs 
My daughter had a slice with ice cream, and it turned the frosting hard wherever it came into contact with the ice cream; really grossed her out
I put the leftovers in the fridge, and the cake had a hard shell! Just takes some getting used to, but tastes great. I put it on a german chocolate cake with cherry pie filling between the layers; YUM![/quote]
SMBC user here. I love cold cake. But I wouldn't serve cold cake to a wedding reception. It's about timing. You take it out so it is room temp at around the time they should be cutting the cake.
what's the difference between swiss and italian?? just the flavorings?
The only other thing to consider with IMBC vs BC is that BC can be colored much more deeply, whereas IMBC can't get much darker than pastel. I love the stuff and so if I want a dark colored cake, I just put fondant over it. You can use a normal thickness of icing and chill it rock-hard before applying the fondant.
So then since I'm making a black penguin IMBC would not work well with black food coloring?
I happen to be one of those people who refrigerate it for storage but I still agree that it is 100% fine to leave out for display prior to eating. I generally leave it out up to about 8 hours or so. I agree that if you do refrigerate, you want to allow at least 1-2 hrs for it to soften up before eating.
If you haven't worked with IMBC before, be sure to use plenty of vanilla in your recipe in order to hit the right flavor. It can also be turned into chocolate by adding melted, cooled chocolate. YUM!
The only other thing to consider with IMBC vs BC is that BC can be colored much more deeply, whereas IMBC can't get much darker than pastel. I love the stuff and so if I want a dark colored cake, I just put fondant over it. You can use a normal thickness of icing and chill it rock-hard before applying the fondant.
I happen to be one of those people who refrigerate it for storage but I still agree that it is 100% fine to leave out for display prior to eating. I generally leave it out up to about 8 hours or so. I agree that if you do refrigerate, you want to allow at least 1-2 hrs for it to soften up before eating.
If you haven't worked with IMBC before, be sure to use plenty of vanilla in your recipe in order to hit the right flavor. It can also be turned into chocolate by adding melted, cooled chocolate. YUM!
So then since I'm making a black penguin IMBC would not work well with black food coloring?
So then since I'm making a black penguin IMBC would not work well with black food coloring?
You wouldn't be able to turn IMBC black, but you could definitely use fondant over it. That's what I'd do but as I mentioned before, I'm an IMBC addict 
Hey I may have to eat my words . Check out this dark-colored IMBC cake Antonia74 made http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-655713.html
Although I will warn you, notice that she said she thought the icing was a bit icky. Perhaps the amt of food coloring needed changes the taste?
Anyway just wanted to pass that your way!
I have - based on from_scratch's recommendations. I don't know if I didn't use enough color or what, but I didn't really perceive a difference. The reason she recommends it though is since it's oil-based and your icing is totally oil-based (butter), she finds that it tends to color better. I just might not have tried it enough! I'm not sure why we don't use oil-based for American buttercream since that is all butter or shortening...perhaps because of all of the powdered sugar.
I have - based on from_scratch's recommendations. I don't know if I didn't use enough color or what, but I didn't really perceive a difference. The reason she recommends it though is since it's oil-based and your icing is totally oil-based (butter), she finds that it tends to color better. I just might not have tried it enough! I'm not sure why we don't use oil-based for American buttercream since that is all butter or shortening...perhaps because of all of the powdered sugar.
By the way....where is she? Haven't "seen" her in forever. 
. I just looked her up, it's FromScratch and she hasn't posted since August 
I think for the sake of not losing all my hair (going back to work 2 days before this cake is due from maternity leave-BOO) I'm going to buy black icing...it's only to cover the penguin and do the rest of the cake in IMBC for now..
what's the difference between swiss and italian?? just the flavorings?
No. Both can be flavored however you want. The difference is in the method they are made. IMBC is made by adding a hot sugar syrup to partially whipped egg whites and then further whipping to make the meringue base. SMBC is made by cooking the sugar and egg whites together in a bain marie and then whipping to make the meringue base.
I've never had any problems making dark colors using IMBC.
So then what IMBC recipe do you use that is OK to stay out ? Do you mind sharing your recipe?
My IMBC recipe is posted in the recipes section of the website. I happen to use meringue powder instead of fresh egg whites, but ALL IMBC recipes are safe to store at room temp. I only refrigerate if it is very warm to help keep the icing firm or if I will be delivering a cake in warm weather to help keep it firm for travel, or if I have a perishable filling.
People seem to think that butter will go bad within hours if left out at room temp, but this is simply not the case. We keep butter out on the counter at room temp year-round. It takes well over a week for it to go rancid in the hottest months of the year (and I live in the "deep south"). With the addition of the sugar, the butter is protected from going rancid. The icing would take weeks to go bad and any cake would be devoured long before that would ever be a problem.
Same with eggs. They do NOT have to be refrigerated. Refrigerating prolongs their life, but they will not spoil immediately from sitting out at room temp. Additionally, the egg whites in IMBC/SMBC are cooked and protected from spoilage by the sugar.
I know....the spoilage issue always makes me say hmmmm. I mean, do people think the clock starts when you deliver the cake? If you're so concerned with it being out and possibly spoiling, what about all the time you spent decorating it? Were you in a walkin freezer or fridge the whole time? Yikes.
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