Hi guys,

I am making a cupcake tree for my inlaws 50th wedding anniversary which is this Saturday!! In the past two weeks I have made no less than 350 cupcakes and have tried 4 different icings, all of which I found too sweet (made with confectioners sugar).

I have just whipped up (pardon the pun) an Italian butter cream icing (using meringues) for the very first time. My question is this: Is it supposed to be VERY light, almost the consistency of whipped cream? Mine is soooo light and fluffy - it's just like eating dream whip on top of a cupcake! Do you think this is too light for cupcakes? If so, would anyone have a nice icing that would suit a delicate butter cake; preferably something not too sickly sweet and with a nice light texture? My time is running out! I'm just about ready to hit panic mode!


Sherry

Yes- it's supposed to be very light, but I didn't know that was a problem

I use it with butter cake all the time and just L-O-V-E it. If you want it slightly less light, have you tried beating on low with the paddle after whipping it? It gets most of the air bubbles out. Or if you want it a little sweeter I've seen where some people add a little powdered sugar.

Italian butter cream is very light and fluffy and does not crust like BC that is made with powdered sugar and shortening. The one thing about it, because you are using fresh eggs, it must be refrigerated and can not be left out for a long period of time.

It is supposed to be light and fluffy ....and yes, you can use it on cupcakes. I work in a bakery and about half of the cupcakes we get orders for ask for the whipped topping.

Like everyone said, that's just what it's supposed to be like.
You can add just about any flavor you like: vanilla (of course), orange extract, lemon, coconut etc.

Make sure it is eaten at room temp. When cold it will be hard like a stick of butter.

Thank you all for your comments! I sincerely appreciate them. I was afraid that I may have over-beaten the mixture. The sheer lightness of it came as a total shock to me after having used stiff confectioners sugar icings most of baking life. If it is supposed to be as light and as fluffy as a cloud, I think I WILL use it!

Now, the recipe I used (egg whites and meringue powder) said that it could be left at room temperature for a week. Can this really be true?? I don't think I'll even attempt that one.

Egg whites AND meringue powder??? I can't see why you would need both. Do you mind posting the recipe and where you found it? Just curious.

I wouldn't keep it at room temp for a week, in fact I keep it refrigerated if I leave it overnight, but everything I've seen says it's safe at *cool* room temp for 2 days.

I am so sorry - it wasn't meringue powder, it was cream of tartar. Good golly, I've made so many icings in the last two days, I can no longer keep them straight.

Anyhoo, here is the recipe. I don't remember where I found it as I was simply cutting and pasting recipes into a word document.

Italian Meringue Buttercream

454g unsalted butter (softened but cool - 65 degrees)
200g sugar
60g water
5 large egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1. Cut butter into 1" pieces and set aside.
2. In small saucepan, cook 150g of sugar and water on low heat until sugar dissolves.
3. While syrup is cooking whip egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and whip until soft peak stage. Gradually beat in remaining sugar until glossy firm peak stage.
4. Increase heat on syrup and cook until firm hard ball stage (248F).
5. Remove saucepan from heat. Beat syrup into egg whites in a steady stream. Once all syrup is incorporated, continue beating at low speed until meringue is completely cooled.
6. Beat in butter at medium speed, one cube at a time. If the buttercream splits, increase the speed and continue beating until smooth before adding more butter.
6. Rebeat lightly from time to time to retain silky texture.