I made my first cake iced in SMBC this weekend.

http://www.cakecentral.com/modules.php?name=gallery&file=displayimage&pid=1238683

I followed Well Dressed Cake recipe from this site. I was really happy with how the icing turned out. I even added some white chocolate for extra flavor.

Now I have some questions about icing with SMBC:

1. What is the best way to smooth this icing? Once it was on the cake it was so delicate and fluffy that it caused more problems the more I touched it. I tried the hot knife method that I had read about on another forum and it made the colors separate in the pink icing. I am so used to really working to smooth my icing that the unfinished look of this cake was really bothering me but I wasn't sure how to fix it!

On that note, if I wanted to use it for a wedding cake and really needed a smooth crisp finish would this even be possible with SMBC?

2. How long can a cake iced in SMBC sit out? I read so many conflicting answers from the other sites and CC. I am just wanting to make sure no one gets sick.

3. I had watched the you tube video about making SMBC (which by the way is the bomb!) and she stated that you knew the egg/sugar recipe is ready when the sugar is melted and no longer grainy. So, this is what I followed. I did not actually measure my temperature and then I read in other places that I have to get it to 160 degrees.

4. For those of you who use SMBC primarily, do you offer traditional American buttercream icing as a choice for your clients as well or do you stick to one icing? They are so different and taste and texture.

I know this is a lot of questions. I hope you all can help me out. I love this icing and want to make it work!



Thanks in Advance,
Michelle

Well since you used my recipe I will answer you questions the best I can.. (glad you liked it BTW)

#1.. smoothing this icing takes practice. If you find that it is too fluffy and it doesn't want to hold it's shape then it's probably a tad bit too warm. Either let it sit for a bit and re-whip or stick it in the fridge for a few minutes at a time and re-whip until it is firmer. When it's *really* soft.. it can be a bear to work with. I ice the top of the cake and smooth it so that it almost reaches the edge of the cake and then ice the sides so that it comes up above the top of the cake a bit and then knock the lip off. I'll post a picture of what I am taking about at the end. You can get an incerdibly sharp corner with practice. Don't use a hot knife as this will cause the butter to melt and separate. Use a warm bench scraper.. just a tad warmer than body temp.. if you can hold it to your wrist and be comfy.. it should be fine.

#2. It can sit out for a while. I have left it out for a few days with no ill effect to the taste or me. Now this was just for sh!ts and giggles and I tell customers that it can sit out for a day.. but after that it's best to chill it. This helps keep the cake from getting stale too.

#3. I heat the eggs and sugar to 160-170 degrees to be on teh safe side. The sugar will melt into the whites long before it reaches that temp so I just keep stirring until it gets where I want it to be.

#4. SMBC is all I use. If a customer doesn't like it I do have a recipe for american style buttercream that I like, but for the most part people really dig the SMBC.

I recently made a smbc covered cake and used a plastic bench scraper around the sides and on the top, I'm terrible at smoothing icing but the softness of this icing and the bench scraper made the finish perfect, I was very chuffed!!
The cake is in my pics (red and black one) and has fondant accents but you can still see how smooth the smbc went!

To answer the âhow long would it last out of the fridgeâ question⦠I chill everything, and under normal circumstances I wouldn't have cake out of the fridge - ever - but this last one had it interesting...

I took a 3-tier cake to my very close friendâs wedding in Vegas last weekend, with a tier in vanilla SMBC, another in chocolate-rum SMBC, and third in a variation of butter-only buttercream with egg yolks, not whites â donât now what its official name is - with ganache, all covered in fondant. Apparently, for $200/night in Treasure Island you donât get a fridge!!! Long story short, SMBC cakes made the drive to the airport, though security, and on the plane, then onto the hotel shuttle (that was scary hot), then sat in an air-conditioned room for a day before the reception, then (since I made enough for an army, not for just our small gathering) they were out for another day with people stopping by for helpings⦠The newlyweds took any leftover cake home and a slice of each tier made it back with me (shuttle, airport, plane, car) for hubby, who heroically stayed with our two little guys while mommy went to Vegas...

All in all, after the initial overnight (more like 14-15 hours) chill, SMBC was out in changing temperature environments for over 3 days, no issues whatsoever⦠Maybe I should mention though that I do heat it up to 160 degrees and whip it there for a few minutes⦠not taking any chances with raw eggs.

Thank you all for your replies. Jkalman, yes I love the recipe. You made it so easy to follow.

It sounds like the bench scraper is the way to go for smoothing. Shisharka after hearing your story, I definitely feel better about the cake sitting out for a period of time now. I can't believe there was no where to store it temporarily!

When you are measuring the temperature are you just using a regular kitchen thermometer or a candy thermometer?

I had also heard that you can use pasturized eggs to alleviate the worries with the eggs. Have you all done this and if so do you follow the same process?

I have a candy thermometer, but I am getting myself an instant read digital probe. Easier to handle/read.

I tried using the whites in the carton once and they didn't whip up for me. So I just use regular old whites and paturize them myself. It takes no time at all and they whip up nicer because they are heated.

I use the egg whites in the carton all the time with no problem.