I made this recipe from CC today for some cupcakes & it just seemed very greasy. Is this the way it is supposed to be? Am I doing something wrong? I followed the recipe exactly...any help would be appreciated. Thanks much~~

Sinful Swiss Meringue Butter Cream
Ingredients
1/2 cup (4 oz) of egg whites
1 cup (8 oz) of granulated sugar
1 1/2 (12 oz) cup butter
1 tsp of flavoring (I use 1/2 tsp van & 1/2 tsp almond)

Hi.

I haven't tried that recipe exactly, but I have made SMBC. It definitely has a different look and taste compared to traditional American BC. It is a bit shinier. Is that what you mean by "greasy"? Personally, I like it better than the traditional standard American BC, but that's just MHO.

Sorry this probably doesn't really answer your question. Have you tried any other recipes for SMBC? I believe the others I tried were Toba Garretts' and ShirleyW's IMBC (http://cakecentral.com/recipes/2426/Italian-Meringue-Buttercream--Shirleys-Method). There have been one or two others that I tried, but offhand I can't remember which ones; I'd have to look them up.

ive always been using martha stewart's recipie, it calls for 5 egg whites, pinch of salt, pound of butter, i cup plus 2tbsp sugar and flavoring, and ive never had a problem with it, it is supposed to be shiney hope this helps

I use martha Stewarts also and love it, so much better than regular bc

Thanks everyone. I guess I am just so used to my own buttercream that I am not too sure about this SMBC. It is so light & fluffy, but I just didn't care for the oily texture it left in my mouth. I am sorry, I said I followed the recipe exact, but I forgot I did change it up a tiny bit. I honestly didn't think it would have made such a difference though. Could it be that I used Khalua (liqueur) in place of SOME water then had to add a few drops of LorAnn's flavored oil to give it more flavor? I don't know..everyone raves about the SMBC....maybe I should just stick with my own buttercream. I just wanted to do something different.

I'm sorry your SMBC didn't turn out. Did you use unsalted sweet cream butter? I would not have replaced some of the water with Kahlua. The flavorings are best added right before the mixing is done, I believe. I think it's fabulous with at least 1 - 2 tablespoons of real vanilla extract. Or you could use Kahlua, etc. I prefer to add Kahlua in the moistening syrup, not in the icing, but that is my preference. I just keep mixing it until it makes a slapping sound in the Kitchenaid mixer.

I make IMBC, which I love, it's not too sweet and it's rich yet light. Never greasy, though. However, some people do not care for it.

Maybe you could try another recipe if you want to try it again?

Hi, Anotherslice! Thank you for your help, however, I did not understand your comment, "I prefer to add Kahlua in the moistening syrup, not in the icing." What is moistening syrup & when do you use that? The second part was that no, I did not use unsalted sweet butter. That really makes a difference? My real concern though was the oily feeling I got with the SMBC.....could these be a factor?

Unsalted butter absolutely makes all the difference. Also I like it served at room temperature. When it is chilled it is like eating a stick of butter.

Moistening syrup is typically used with sponge cakes. You brush a few tablespoons directly onto the cake. It adds extra moisture (which sponges are designed to take and need) and flavor.

Always use unsalted butter in recipes. Salted butter is a table condiment meant to be put onto foods after they are prepared (i.e. on toast, biscuits, baked potato).

I'm not really understanding the greasy feeling that you are getting? To me, icing made with shortening leaves a greasy film all over my mouth, but SMBC/IMBC is silken and because body temp melts butter, it melts and does not coat the mouth.

Wow! Thank you so much! My SMBC was exactly like eating a stick of butter & probably because, like mentioned, it was chilled. Only UNsalted butter for me from now on. Never knew it could make a difference. Whenever I used salted butter, I just left out the salt a recipe called for. SMBC doesn't call for any. Leqarn something new every day on CC. Thaks again so much for all your help! I will try SMBC again; maybe another one, other than the Sinful SMBC I found & used in CC's recipe forum.

Another, more common, name for moistening syrup is simple syrup. And although everybody's tastes are different, I haven't heard of anyone (yet) that didn't like SMBC or IMBC (slightly different but still very delicious). Before you give up, definitely try using the unsalted butter and/or a different recipe. It might be worth it. I tell people that 'regular' buttercream is more in line with children's tastes and Meringue BC's are more adult. Of course, as I already said, everyone's tastes are different, but I think of it as how most people are okay with DH or BC frosting on their cake until they make their own BC and then how people "graduate" to European BC's from there.

Totally understand! I can never use canned icing....always homemade, but like you said, it is each persons taste. Thanks, I will absolutly try SMBC again. Do you or anyone else have a preference for the recipe for SMBC?

I have to look it up, Kathi. The recipe I have was given to me by Antoinette Hartman. As I stated above, I've also made Shirley W's IMBC and it was fairly easy and delish! If you have time (energy and money) to try it, I recommend it.

SMBC is mt favorite, not greasy but silken and delightful. I find American BC to have an almost gritty feel on the tongue; never so with SMBC. And I only use real unsalted butter, never margarine.

Ellie, that seems to be the general concensus that I hear. As for margarine, the only time I've ever used it (or heard of it being used) was when I did a cake for someone with dairy allergies and used Fleischman's Light margarine in place of butter and the results were surprisingly good (for the BC - standard). Other than that I would never use margarine in BC.

I took my cup cakes I had made with the SMBC to a dinner party tonight & they were a big hit afterall! Having them not chilled was the main problem. I will never use salted butter again in my baking though. Thanks everyone. I guess it is true...'We are our own worse critics'. Also, Anotherslice, I will certainly try your flavored syrup for my cakes. I like the idea of giving them more moisture plus adding the flavor after the cake is baked. That way you can add different flavors to different cupcakes too. Great idea...thank you so much for the tip!