Nothing hapens different when you add salted butter but you will notice a saltier taste which is not appealing. Definately use unsalted butter.

ladyonzlake, Thank you for help. Your cakes on your website are awesome!

Yes, I think this post got hijacked, I apologize.

Let me see if I can summarize what I learned and what I didn't do.
1. Heat the egg whites/sugar to 160 degrees.
2. Whip with the beater until they get cool. I did some more research and I also hear that some bakers wrap a cold towel around the bowl to help it cool.
3. It should cool to room temperature before you start adding the butter.
4. Change the whip beater to the paddle (this I did).
Add room temperature butter (this I did also). I'm sorry, but I can't agree with the butter straight from the fridge thing. I think that would leave chunks of butter in the frosting. We got this once from a cupcakery. They were selling the cupcakes faster than they could make them. We didn't like the chunks at all. I think it was because they didn't have enough room temperature butter.
5. Whip it until you hear it whack against the bowl. I don't know of a more "scientific" way to put this. I guess this means the frosting is a bit stiffer than soup or batter.
6. If it curdles, keep going, it will work itself out.
7. Add flavoring at the end.

Does this sound right?

And as for flavoring. I have The Cake Bible, I'll check that out. And I definitely agree SMBC is made to be used as a base to add flavors and not used plain. Unless you like the taste of real sweet butter.

I have to disagree with the heating the sugar to only 160 degrees. I heat mine to 248 degrees, just before the hard ball candy stage. I've never seen a recipe that says 160degrees? This will ensure that your eggs whites (if using fresh egg whites versus dried) will kill any bacteria.

Actually now that I think of it wouldn't cooking meringue/sugar to 240 degrees start to cook the meringues? And that would not be a good thing. I don't know what temperature the egg whites would start cooking, but seeing how 212 is boiling, I'm going to say 240 degrees must just be for IMBC and the sugar/water combo.

Heating the sugar to soft ball stage is only for IMBC
whisking sugar and egg white over simmering water until it is not grainy is for SMBC
If you are a visual person here are two links for both b/creams

can u tell me how much whote chocolate u add? wht's your ratio? TIA


BTW: this thread DID get highjacked lol but we are ALL benefiting from the info lol...

now I know everything I did wrong.... so it's a good thread... for me at least lol

sorry if I highjacked it

Oh shoot you're right...I make IMBC not the Swiss...my apologies for the confusion!

The first time I made SMBC, I too thought too much of a buttery taste, followed Martha's receipe as well. But then I added frest strawberries to it and everyone loved it. So the more you can add to it in the way of flavors, the better it gets. Next, I am adding lemon curd.

Hi, I'm barging in here too! I think you can use the egg beaters egg whites, though I haven't tried it myself. I've made LOTS of SMBC and run into some of the problems mentioned. I use the "Well Dressed Cake" recipe from this site as well, and it stayed soupy only when I made a triple batch - the egg whites just did not cool enough. It worked to pipe eventually, but only after refrigeration.

I'm curious, can you use the meringue powder to made IMBC? I've never made IMBC, but wondered if you cooked the simple sugar and whipped up the meringue powder, would that work?

sweetooth101 - thank you so much for the links to making SMBC & IMBC. I am such a visual person that I had a tough time understanding a written recipe. I have never made either icing but am now excited to try. YAY!

I used the egg beaters boxed egg whites. Worked great! And they're pasteurized so you don't have to worry asuch about the exact temp - just make sure the sugar is dissolved & not grainy.

I use dried egg white in my IMBC and I use 2oz of chocolate to every 2 cups of BC. Make sure your chocolate has cooled or you will melt your BC and it will be too soft.

I've made SMBC for years in my shop kitchen in the downstairs of our 90 year old home in PA -not as steady of a temperature or humidity compared to a professional kitchen or a newly built house. It GREATLY matters what season and temp it is outside to determine my SMBC process. In the cold winter, when the shop is in the lower to mid sixties, I can let my butter sit out and become cool but firm. In the hot weather like we are having now, I use ice cold butter straight from the fridge to aid in cooling down the meringue. I only beat my meringue 12 minutes, regardless of the season. If after beating in all the butter and it's too soft, which it usually is in hot weather, I hold 2 ice gel-packs on each side of the bowl to cool down the bowl and firm up the BC. It should be firm but soft, not soupy or unable to hold its shape. Mine goes through the curdling stage every time while adding the last few TBSP of the butter.

I think a lot of the recipes are using to much butter, in my humble opinion. I LOVE my recipe, and don't think it's too buttery at all. My customers that have never tried it before fall in love with it! I use the following ratio from a Bronwen recipe I found years ago with a 5 qt batch in parenthesis:

2 egg whites (8 whites)
1/2 cup granulated sugar (2 cups)
4 oz unsalted butter (1 lb)

Dairies salt their butter to preserve it and make it last longer. Unsalted butter will be and taste fresher because of this practice.

I save my egg yolks in a jar to use in my vanilla butter cake, which uses only the yolks. I like the freshness of the real whites, and have never tried the packaged whites.

I cook my egg whites and sugar to 150F. BTW -substitute dark brown sugar for the white to get an AWESOME flavor!!!

I purchase my dried egg whites in bulk at honeyvillegrain.com or at my local wholesale business, but you can also find smaller quantities in your baking aisle at the grocery store. It's call "Just whites"

Oops, forgot...the directions on how much to use is on the package. I use 1/2 cup powder egg whites for 12 eggs

And dopey me, I forgot to ask how you make the meringue. Do you add the powder, sugar and some liquid in the mixer, instead of cooking the egg whites/sugar or sugar syrup on the stove?

I make IMBC so I add the amount of water to the powder egg whites per the directions...for my recipe it's 1/2 cup powder and 1 1/2 cups warm water....I put this in my KA mixer on low and let it run while I get everything else together..sugar up to temp. ect.

For SM you would add the water and powder together and proceed per recipe.

Thanks! BTW, your website is great and your cakes are gorgeous. Love the mounted deer head!

Great info! What about the powdered meringue from Wilton - does that have too many extra ingredients, or would it work as well?

mpetty:
They're in a small container (like a whipping cream container) right by the eggs. Careful what you buy - there are Egg Beaters (which are NOT just egg whites) and there are containers of JUST egg whites. Make sure you get the one that is JUST the egg whites. I can't remember how much I used, but there is an equivalency chart right on the container (it tells you how many tablespoons = one egg white). I think the recipe I used actually called for 1/2 cup or 1 cup (can't remember) of egg whites, so I just measured out accordingly. Make sure you give the container a good shake first!
Easy Peasy!

1/2 cup = 4 egg whites.

BTW the left over egg white can be frozen. I leave it in the same carton wrap it well in cling wrap and then put it in a ziplock bag. Thaw completely before using.

Thanks for the great info! Poor OP, this thread got SO hijacked...