I made it using Martha Stewart's recipe (5 egg white, 1 1/2 cups sugar, pinch cream of tartar, 1/3 water, 1# butter, and vanilla). It didn't curdle on me or anything, so I thought I was doing great. The problem is the taste!! I have never had it before and I need someone to describe what this is supposed to taste like. Surely what I just tasted is NOT what everyone is raving about. It taste like eggs!! Mine is not sweet at all, just the faintest hint of sweetness. The only person here right now to taste test is a 16 year old, and I can't trust him on this one.

Can I add powdered sugar to this?? Someone please describe the taste and texture this frosting is supposed to have. I have already made the cakes I was going to put it on. I was going to alternate french vanilla and chocolate layers and fill and frost with the IMBC and pour chocolate ganache on top!!!!! PLEASE HELP ME!!

giving u a bump......

Did you add some flavoring like vanilla?
Jacqui

That is the recipe I use and the taste should just be a light buttery kinda taste ...no real strong flavor IMHO!

When I did make IMBC (not that recipe though) it was not really sweet just had a heavy butter taste for the most part. It doesn't taste like a powdered sugar bc to me. As for adding it, I really don't know. Good luck with it.

I've made that before and I don't care for it either. I have added powdered sugar because it just wasn't sweet enough for me. To me, those meringues taste like eating a stick of butter, just my opinion!

Yeah, I added vanilla, it does have a really light taste, but it just isn't sweet at all.

Oh, never mind I see you did add vanilla. You may want to add more vanilla but this is a not so sweet frosting. I make double what you made (12cups of frosting) and add about 4-6 TBS vanilla.
Jacqui

I no this sound dumb but what is IMBC never heard of it before.

To me, it tastes just like whipped butter. I don't care for it at all...

If you have coffee syrup...I use sugarfree vanilla in my IMBC also.
Jacqui

Well, go figure, the 16 year old likes it. He says it tastes just like whipped cream. Now that I think about it, it kinda does. Can I add powdered sugar to it and it be ok?

Maybe this frosting is a little upscale for my country taste buds, lol.

if you eat it alone, it's like eating whipped butter, but the taste changes once its on cake. Also, don't PILE it on the cake, a, thin smooth coat is all it takes.

Believe me...

Also, your recipe can take up to 2 ounce of flavor, or liq.

I add fresh fruit and complimentary liquors to make filling..

Like an ounce or so of Chamboard and some raspberries..

Give it a chance, once you get use to this icing you never want to use that tub of lard again!

Oh, yeah...I've added strawberry puree and it is soooooo good!
Jacqui

Lady,

I love this butter cream , so versatile and so easy on the ole wrists!

lol

Everyone I know loves it, they tell me it's like eating French Vanilla Ice cream!

This is what I use exclusively, it doesn't have the overly sweet taste of powder sugared icing, I liken it to whipped cream. I use MS's recipe as well, but the sugar and water amounts of different, yet the egg whites and butter amounts are the same. This is the recipe of hers I use:

Italian Meringue Buttercream

Makes 4 1/2 cups
Use this to frost the Baby Block Cake, or your favorite layer cake.


1 1/4 cups sugar

5 large egg whites

Pinch of cream of tartar

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, chilled

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Continue boiling until syrup reaches 238° on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage).

2. Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry; do not overbeat.

3. With mixer running, add syrup to whites in a stream, beating on high speed until no longer steaming, about 3 minutes. Add butter bit by bit, beating until spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes; beat in vanilla. If icing curdles, keep beating until smooth.

If yours tasted of egg its means the egg whites got cooked, it will give a scrambled egg smell. Did you slowly pour the syrup in with the whisk on low/medium low? I know a lot of people who put at least a tablespoon or two of vanilla in.

The texture to me is almost just like whipped cream. Is this right? The more I taste it, it's rubbing off on me. I added a dash of salt, more vanilla, and a little powdered sugar to it.

My thoughts are too much butter and I prefer the taste made with salted rather than unsalted.. I cut the recipe down to 12 oz. or 3 sticks of salted butter and by adding that little bit of orange extract along with the vanilla it gives it a very nice taste. Cakes iced in IMBC are best served at room temperature, not too chilled and not too warm or soft.

http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake_recipe-2426-Italian-Meringue-Buttercream--Shirleys-Method.html

no, this recipe doesn't call for powdered sugar. Cassandra if you don't like it then don't use it.

My recipe is a lot less complicated...and you can double , triple or times it by 5 and it comes out the same every time...

1 pound, (16 ounces) egg whites
2 pounds of Granulated sugar
3 pounds of unsalted, room temp butter that you cut into chunks


1 pound of egg whites...16 ounce container ( I get the containers by the egg beaters)

2 pounds of granulated sugar that I combine in a bowl ...that I then place over a pan of boiling water.

Whisk continue to whisk ( or you will get sweeten , scramble egg whites) untill all the sugar has dissolved. ( you can actually lift the whisk and let a drop fall between your fingers to feel for sugar grains..a few times!)

then take the bowl and place it with the hot sugar and egg white mix onto your mixer.

Using the balloon whisk...let it whip while it cools down. When you can touch the outside of the bowl and it no longer feels "HOT" ..just lukewarm or cool..

you add your 3 pounds of softened , room temp butter, a couple of chunks at a time.

The mix will continue to whisk around your mixing bowl...if it looks like it's curdling...it's ok..add your flavors and keep beating it, it will "smooth" itself out.

nice, satin finish..

any flavoring ,extract, or liqour

This is also called 7 minute icing......I have grown up on it, and I use it on some of my cakes that I want to look, Gum ball, or more Cartoon like.....and even some that I want to just look fluffy! (See my attached pic for an example of what it looks like.)

It's easy, but tricky!!! Takes practice to get it just right!! You'll do fine!

I like adding a little orange extract to it. It really enhances the flavor.

Do try some on a piece of cake. That can make all the difference!

It definitely isn't the sweet frosting we Americans are used to, but I for one have come to love it!

I am not asking you if you smoke, nor am I judging you if you do, but my niece and sil who smoke can't taste any sweetness in IMBC. Their taste buds are kind of shot.

That aside, one thing I've learned from this site is that icing is a personal preference. One person's favorite might be awful to someone else!

Does anyone know the different in term of taste between IMBC and SMBC?

I take back what i just posted........it's similar, but not the same....I'm trying your recipe......

Sounds very yummy!!