Swiss Versus Italian Buttercream Help!!!!!
Decorating By Miffy Updated 29 Apr 2014 , 9:13pm by MBalaska
um, well here is a quick link that briefly explains cake flour, I find it in the baking isle just above the all purpose flour.
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-cake-flour.htm
CAKE FLOUR????? can u please elaborate....I know for a fact the to get the white white wedding buttercream.... it's done with all shortening
I have the same problem,my icing is never really white cause I use 50/50 ratio - HR Short to Butter, but it's cause of the butter and I don't want to switch to just shortening....
I thought the italian BC or French BC (not sure which one is which) came out super white, guess not...
Mike - I read that tip you posted about whipping the butter for SMBC before mixing into the meringue. Do you chill the whipped butter before adding it? Is it better to add it cold or room temp?
TIA Mike!
For IM, and SM I add my fat to room temp merangue. The fat is room temp. I suppose you can chill the fat, but I don't.
Mike
Thanks for that Mike 
I'll do it your way and see how it all turns out.
Is it true that some people add salt anyway to reduce the sweetness factor somewhat, and to enhance the flavourings?
Evoir I think you hit the nail on the head!! I thought the icing was yummy but it just needed a bit of oomph! Might try a pinch of salt rather than salted butter! Thanks
I know one of the Red Velvet Cake recipes has a flour-based icing you can make, but I thought it was cooked with milk first to eliminate that 'floury' taste. I am also intrigued with your recipe Elliot1!
Nope! no cooking and no milk!
I should make one quick clarification. I start w/softened butter and mix the first 3 ingredients until they're "creamy".
I mix the warm water w/the popcorn salt and flavoring, that way i know it will all get encorporated into the icing. It is also very important to use popcorn salt and not regular table salt.
I wouldn't call it the whitest white that you'd get by using all shortening, but it's definitally not yellow or cream colored either. actually if you look at the pic i posted, the frosting is the color on the cake (although i'm sure they probably didn't use this recipe to make it )
give it a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed?!
I just did a quick search in the recipes on here:
here is one very similar to mine, it calls for only shortening and no salt?
http://cakecentral.com/recipes/1597/crusting-buttercream-faux-fondant-ii
Is it true that some people add salt anyway to reduce the sweetness factor somewhat, and to enhance the flavourings?
That's generally with the powdered sugar based icings which tend to be cloyingly, tooth achingly sweet.
Ah thank you for that. Do you know if you can put less butter in. The recipe I followed was of Martha Stewart. There are so many versions out there!!
I'm not familiar with Martha's recipe, so I can't really say whether it has "too much" butter in it or not.
I use 1/2 c liquid egg whites from a carton and 1-1/4 lbs butter.
I think IMBC is yucky. Tastes just like eating a stick of butter (and what is this everyone adding stuff to it so it doesn't taste like eating a stick of butter?). Anyway shortening doesn't have a taste. It doesn't taste like a stick of butter and it's not greasy in your mouth if you make it properly. It is sweet but everyone I know says "Icing is supposed to be sweet". I don't believe it's any more sweet than fondant or marzipan. Evidently ABC has a large following because it's the #1 type of icing sold in the US. We don't eat fondant here because most of us were raised on soft creamy frosting on sponge cakes.
I think it's all to each his own, but the "anti shortening" folks seems to squeek a little louder but if it's made well shortening icing is good, different but good.
I haven't tried SMBC and I am hoping it doesn't taste like honey butter for a roll that IMBC does. No sweet butter icing wanted.
I will say this IMBC is cheaper to make than ABC. For me at least but still prefer ABC, esp the cream cheese kind...yum.
If you don't like IMBC then you will not like SMBC. They are essentially the same thing, but with a different cooking method. Adding enough vanilla to IMBC to prevent it from tasting like a stick of butter is just like adding vanilla to any recipe to give it...well....flavor. I use the Mousseline Buttercream which I think calls for 2-3tsp...I found that the difference between sticking with 2 tsp versus using 3 was the difference between, well, icing that tasted like sweet butter and icing that tasted like heaven on a spoon. I mean, it's not supposed to taste like "butter"; it's supposed to taste like "vanilla"...but it won't, if you don't use enough. I actually prefer to use 2-3 TBSP.
Honestly I think the people who say it is gross + tastes just like butter, just have different taste buds/perceptions (although those of us who love it do just want to make sure you used enough vanilla first before counting it out!) I suppose some people are more sensitive to that taste; you're definitely not the first person who concluded that. Then again I am definitely not the first person who concluded that IMBC tastes like heaven on a spoon! To each his/her own!
I think for most of us who complain about ABC it's simply because yes, it's "supposed to be sweet" but I don't WANT to eat that much powdered sugar in a single bite; I prefer the more complex, silky taste of an MBC. Well, sometimes - sometimes ABC is a great comfort food, much like my beloved PB&J sandwich 
. It all just comes down to a matter of taste, just like if you prefer your BBQ sauce sweet or vinegary, or your salad dressing, or anything else. I have a girlfriend who loooooooooooves PS icing so that's what she's getting and I don't mind a bit. And I get to try out some of the smoothing methods for crusting BC's - yeah!
Add a touch of lavender color and it will cancel out the yellowish look of the icing made with butter.
But, but, butter is delicious!
I love butter, I never buy margarine but I love butter on bread and veggies and baked into things. I just don't like icing that tastes/feels like I am eating a stick of butter. I will give it ONE more try with more vanilla as PP suggested. It's definitely pretty and smooth icing. I just couldn't get over the butter taste. I wouldn't consider it complex tasting, It's egg whites (no taste) and butter a bit of sugar and flavor, but then I don't consider ABC complex either, sugar, flavor, shortening (no taste)...lol..I love the smell of ABC too. When I was in class everyone walking by kept saying we smelled yummy and the store security guard said "you are all under arrest until I get some of that frosting"...lol..hey and THAT was wilton icing and don't care for that...
I guess the thing is, it seems there is a lot of ABC bashing on here, not just the "I Love MBC" and most of the US would still prefer ABC. It's almost like people are ashamed to say they like ABC. Why? But I'm not! I love it. OK OK I confess I do prefer it with a little butter in it! haha..but it can't taste like butter.
I'm gonna give MBC another try with more flavoring. I think my sister will like MBC better because she doesn't like sweet icing.
Wilton Company (www.wilton.com) makes a product that takes the "yellow" out of buttery icings.
It's a flavorless additive...you simply add a teaspoonful or two (depending on the amount of icing/frosting you're making).
Remarkably, it makes the icing/frosting a very bright white!
After, the "buttery" icing becomes a TRUE WHITE...then you may "ADD" your desired food colorings (gel, powder, or liquid form) to the icing to achieve the TRUE COLOR you desire.
Hence, your "pink" will be a true pale or dark pink...instead of orangish-pink!
I hope that this product can help you...blog back if you need any help having it shipped to your country.
-LW Confections (Lolliwink)
TO FIND THIS PRODUCT SEE BELOW:
VISIT WEBSITE: www.wilton.com
CLICK: SHOP WILTON ONLINE
CLICK: ICINGS
CLICK: White White Icing Color
PRODUCT: "White White Icing Color"
My own version of Swiss Meringue Buttercream tastes a lot like sweetened whipped cream...........
I had to alter it to customize the taste to my group. 8 oz of egg whites, 2 cups of granulated sugar, 3 sticks of butter and and 1 Tablespoon of vanilla extract. for those that I know like really sweet icing, I sift in about half a cup of powdered sugar. When I need a better piping consistency I plop in a few Tablespoons of Crisco. Just my 2 cents here. I'm happy with it.
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