So I'm really wanting to make caramel apple cupcakes, but every caramel buttercream icing I've found is for an Italian buttercream, which calls for egg whites. I've only ever made the regular buttercream icing - can someone tell me a bit more about the Italian stuff? Is it hard to make? Does it taste good? Do I have to refridgerate it or can I leave it out for a dew days while on the cupcakes? Is it safe to eat since it has egg whites in it? Will it hold its shape well?

Thanks for all your help!

Oh and ps: I'm searching for a good apple cupcake recipe - I've done a thread in the recipe request forum, but I'll also post it below in case anyone here can suggest a recipe:

I'm looking for a good apple cake recipe to use for cupcakes - can someone receommend one that they have made and used for cupcakes? It can be apple anything - cinnamon, caramel, spice, plain, etc. All the cake recipes I've found are bundt cakes, and don't want the cupcakes to be too heavy. Has anyone made apple cupcakes before?

I make Italian Buttercream with cartoned, pasteurized egg whites. Some brands work better than others, some not at all. The brand from Kroger's (Break Free) work very consistently for me. The brand by Egg Beaters do not.

I can leave mine out for two days in a row.

Thanks for the reply 3G. I live in the UK now, and they don't sell the egg whites in cartons like they do back home, so I'd have to use regular egg whites....

i make imbc with real egg whites.. the sugar mixture cooks the egg whites.. too many famous decorators make it for it not to be safe. it is delicious. i love the whimsical bakehouse recipe and dede wilsons recipe.. i also use the yolks to make french b/c... delicious. you make it like you do imbc.. dede wilson has the recipe in her books.. i make the smbc also. you make it a little different. they both taste the same to me.. and the consistency feels the same also..

Is it safe?

No...not at all.

I can eat it straight up with a spoon. It is soooooo delicious.

Dangerous, dangerous stuff.

It's only dangerous in your hips!
Edna

I guess I should have said....I hate seperating eggs....I have no use for leftover yolks, either. I'd rather pay more for less work and less waste.

In the US, salmonella eggs are a rare occurence, but still a possibilty.

I have read that it is a myth that the hot sugar "cooks" the whites....it does heat it, but it does not stay at a high enough temp for a long enough period to definitively pasteurize them.

That doesn't bother me as much as not having anything to do with the yolks and not even wanting to bother with seperating.

Either way...I have no problem leaving it out at room temp (not hot, outside, 90 degree temp) for two days or so.

I have read the same debates about the syrup cooking the whites to temp, so I always use pasteurized whites. Less work anyway, too. But I'm paranoid; I refrigerate my IMBC too (only to store the cake; I have no concerns about leaving it on display all day before serving).

Powdered egg whites work too, if you have access to them. They smell funny when first reconstituted but the difference in the finished product is nearly imperceptible.

Or of course you can just go for it with the regular ew's and figure that yes, even IF the whites aren't really cooked to food-safe temp, salmonella risk is low, at least in the US. I don't know the statistics for the UK.

I'm also in the UK - and I made it for the first time a few weeks ago; it tasted delicious & held it's shape v.well. I also mixed half of it with cocoa powder which was equally delish. Everyone liked it. I used on cupcakes on a saturday & kept them out till monday (they were the last anyway) and they still tasted delish & I lived to tell you!

It was easily made & I used egg whites as opposed to carton stuff, which, like you say, I dont think is available here. HTH

As for the do the egg whites get hot enough question, look at it this way, the egg whites should be room temp to start (room temp egg whites whip better), so anywhere from 65-75 deg F, the syrup is approx 248 deg F when added, and salmonella is killed instantly when exposed to 165 deg F heat. I haven't personally taken the temp of my egg whites after adding in the syrup, but based on the heat coming off the bottom of the bowl I'm 100% confident that the egg whites bridge that 90-100 def temp difference if not more. That being said, I tend to use powdered or liquid egg whites in the carton for convenience sake.