I am having a little trouble with the IMBC recipe on this site. I used it once and it was great (however, much more soft than what I am used to). This time it was horribly drippy. I covered a two layer half sheet and I couldn't get it smooth and piping it was a nightmare. I tried adding alot of powdered sugar, but that helpe only a very litlle. I had to keep putting it back in the fridge. HELP!
Lynn
Looking at the recipe on the recipe section here, if it is the one with shortening as well as butter it is not the recipe I use. The one I use is what Martha Stewart calls Swiss meringue buttercream, but is actually IMBC. The ingredients are
4 egg whites beaten to stiff peaks, 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar. 1/3 cup water, a pinch of cream of tartar cooked to 240 degrees, poured fairly slow over beaten whites, beaten till cool, then you add 3 sticks (12 0z) butter cut into small pieces and added a few pieces at a time, beaten till cold and shiny, then add the flavoring of 2 teaspoons vanilla, and half a capful of orange extract.
Adding powdered sugar won't rescue it. It could be a couple of things, the syrup was poured in too quickly and deflated the beaten egg whites, maybe the syrup wasn't cooked to a high enough temperature, the butter could have been too warm or was added too much at one time. Or the syrup/egg white mixture wasn't cool enough when you added the butter, beating it longer would have cooled it off more. Even if any or all of those were true you might still have been able to make it work. If you have left it in the refrigerator till it was cold you could have used the paddle attachment and beaten it on low speed, it will be very liquid and separated at first but it will eventually begin to come together if you keep beating, once it begins to combine you then turn the mixer speed to high and beat until it is fluffy and shiny.
When I make it I beat the whites with the wire attachment and use that attachment as I am beating in the cooked syrup, I beat on high speed till the outside of the bowl feels cool to the palms of my hands. Then I change to the paddle attachment and beat the butter in a few pieces at a time on medium low speed, when it is all incorporated I turn the mixer to high speed and beat till it comes together, the bowl feels cold to the palms of your hands and the icing is shiny and smooth. One of the things that can create a problem is having the butter too warm. The recipe usually calls for room temperature butter, but I find it works best with almost cold butter. Not so hard that it shatters when you slice it into pieces, but just warmed enough that it begins to give if you squeeze it with your fingers. I cut the butter into cubes and leave it in the fridge while the syrup is cooking, then take it out after I have added the cooked syrup to the egg whites and it is beating, that way it is still chilled before adding to the icing mixture.
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