Hi!

I just made Martha Stewart's Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream and it taste delicious. Almost like light, fluffy ice cream. My question is for those who have decorated with SMBC, can you get a smooth finish like you can with the traditional buttercream (butter, shortening, powdered sugar)? If so, does it need to chill or set at room temp first? Just wondering how easy or difficult this will be. Thanks!

I'm glad you liked the SMBC! I pretty much always use IMBC or SMBC, and I love them! You can see the pics of my cakes to see how smooth I can get them. But I'm not a professional, and I've seen IMBC/SMBC cakes much smoother than mine!

I frost the cake with both the icing and cake at room temperature. No trick really, it just takes some practice. I do usually refrigerate my cake after that usually, and decorate it when it's cold.

I never tried before, does it crust?

I crumb coat first and then chill. I try to get my final icing as smooth as possible while the icing is soft and fresh, I use an icing spatula with a really flexible blade. I heat the spatula with very hot water, wipe on a towel and smooth. I also use a chocolate scraper or putty knife, heated, for the sides. I don't refrigerate till it is finished. The upside down icing technique by Jeff Arnett works well for nice smooth edges, I just never seem to remember to do it that way until after I have begun icing the cake. His tutorial is posted here at CC.

I always use SMBC (where did you get the Strawberry recipe - her website or book??)

I don't use a hot spatula to smooth, but rather a large drywall scraper.
I did a how to once and posted it on www.cakescanda.com here
http://www.cakescanada.com/HowTo/

Look for the How to Smooth SMBC by flourgirl

I will eventually type it up for here,but I'm too busy right now with orders

YellowJacket - your cakes are beautiful and I don't see a noticable difference on the final results. I guess I just need to practice.

FlourGrl - the strawberry is in the Martha Stewart Baking book (in the back with the other icings and fillings. I will check out your how-to soon

I don't know if it crusts (yet) we'll see.

Shirley - Thanks for sharing your method. I will definitely try it!

Thanks all!
Monica

Your welcome.

mlrojas, SMBC does not crust and thanks for sharing where the recipe is from, I have that book, I will look

For the Strawberry SMBC, you make the recipe as usual, then you take a 12 oz jar of strawberry JAM, puree it in the food processor, then stir in to the SMBC with a rubber spatula in the end.

I just made the lemon curd and lemon SMBC too, my husband loved it so much his eyes rolled in the back of his head. Just hope the client likes it that much