So yesterday I had my first attempt at making SMBC, and I came up against a few problems I thought you could help me out with.

I made the SMBC recipe from Martha Stewart, strawberry variety with strawberry cupcakes.

But the SMBC came out so runny! I thought I followed the recipe religiously, but it's obviously hard when you don't know what you are working with. It was like a very runny whipped cream. I could use it for the cupcakes and it tasted fine, but I could never ice a cake with it. It just became runnier and runnier as I was swirling it onto cupcakes. What kind of texture is it supposed to be? And how do I get it right?

It's a shame cause it kind of put me off ever using it again just because it was a lot of work for a bad result, even though I can see the flavour may be more appealing to some than normal BC.

I love that recipe! I've never had a problem with it. The only thing I could think of is maybe the eggs weren't beat to the right stiffness before you started adding the butter? It is a firm but fluffy texture, I've piped beautiful swirls with it and they have lasted for days. Not that baking lasts that long in my house

Sorry. multiple post.

sorry multiple post

hi!

it could have been several things.

- it could be like ragamuffin said, the egg whites were not whipped long enough. they need to be stiff peak. i whip mine for 8-10 minutes though it certainly could happen in less time.
be sure your sugar is fully dissolved into the egg whites. this should take about 3-4 minutes with your bowl in gently simmering/boiling water.

- was your butter completely soft at room temp? even though many recipes say room temp butter, many smbc users find they get better end results if butter is still lightly chilled. not rock hard-straight from the fridbe butter, but still cold on the outside.

- your buttercream was simply too warm. stick the whole kit and caboodle in the fridge and let it get cold, then bring it out and whip it back into ready shape. there is a trick another cc member uses (thanks jamie!) of putting frozen pea bags around her bowl while whipping to keep it cool.

- you didn't wait long enough...there is a magic moment in making smbc where it turns from soup into buttercream. just keep whipping. don't give up and all of a sudden, POOF you have buttercream instead of soup. i make smbc all the time and sometimes i still have those moments where i am sure i screwed something up and think about walking away and then WA-LA there you go and i have buttercream, lol.

diane

Very true Drake!
I had one time when my butter was very soft and it did separate and get all clumpy. I thought I'd messed it up. I changed back to my whisk attachment beat the heck out of it and had perfect buttercream.

Hi Carda,

Could u please pm me the recipe of SMBC, I'd love to try it too. I've read a lot about SMBC on CC, wud like to c the difference between normal BC & SMBC.

Also, is there a good cake recipe book of martha stewart or any1 else that you would recommend. I'm looking for a recipe book to make cakes from scratch, any suggestions?

TIA

If it's too runny, put it in the fridge and let it firm up a bit (not fully set, but a little firm) then beat the hell out of it ont he mixer till fluffy. Also, when piping, it helps to have 2 bags doing, so that you can give one a rest (int he fridge if necessary) to prevent the heat from your hands from making it too soft.

Thanks so much guys, I guess I will have to try it again. Beating it for even longer to wait for that magic to happen may be the key, and chilling it a bit. I definitely beat the eggs for 10 min + a bit, but I have to admit I was worried about beating too long because the recipe specifically said "Not dry". The peaks, should they be completely stiff or curve a little at the top?

My butter may have been too soft, if that can be an issue, cause it was completely soft.

*sigh* it's so hard when you've never done it before. If I get one success I am sure it will make me a convert.

The peaks should be firm, but still curve a little, and should be nice and glossy, not dry/flat looking. The butter should be soft, but cold/cool, not completely mushy/warm. Also, make sure the meringue is completely cool before you start adding the butter.

Thanks! Yeah, so I def think the butter must have been the issue, because the texture of the eggs sound exactly like what I had. It just went downhill from there.

Thanks so much for your advice! I made a new batch yesterday and, OMG! It is so delicious! Move over ordinary buttercream, this is the ultimate. So smooth and easy to work with and tasty. Even though you had warned me, I was about to give up when it all started looking like it was getting worse and worse, but then "pouff!" it came together.

Love, love , love it!

Mmmmmm, search out the recipe here called The Well Dressed Cake SMBC, something like that. It's all I ever use for that type, and it has never failed me. Delish!

I've had this happen once before. It was because I got a teeny-tiny drop of egg yolk in my whites and thought it wouldn't be a big deal. Learned my lesson on that one! I had to throw it all out and start over. Make sure your bowl and whisk are really clean and free of grease too.

So question.
I have never put fondant over SMBC and I really don't like regular BC.
Will SMBC hold up under fondant? What about in heat?

I just made this for the first time today and I love it! I made the Super Enhanced Cake Formula in chocolate and filled with this SMBC and it tasted like a giant soft oreo with creamy filling.

Thanks for the great recipes!

Once I started making IMBC I never went back to regular BC. There is just no comparison as far as taste goes. Everything I've read and researched says that the fondant will "seal" and keep the IMBC fresh. I've also read that refrigerating fondant will make it gummy and possibly sag so I never put my cakes in after being covered. Seems to work just fine. The cakes are still yummy and looking good once cut into.