Can This Smbc Be Saved?

Baking By ronronneuse Updated 1 Feb 2011 , 12:42am by Normita

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ronronneuse Posted 21 Jan 2011 , 10:22pm
post #1 of 6

Granted, I'm EXPERIMENTING, and I know how experiments can often go terribly awry, but...:
Was trying to make a cream cheese-ish SMBC for my neighbor who has a special diet, using goat cheese and less butter than average. Using the "Well dressed..." recipe, I started with 8oz. goat cheese, 8 oz. butter, hoping it would come together with less butter, so I beat, and beat, and beat, and when it didn't, I thought, ok, it just needs the full three cubes of fat that the recipe calls for. So I added another softened cube of butter (in chunks, like it says), and turned the sucker back on high. Well, 15 minutes later (or so), it's still all oogly and separated. In your professional opinions, and in your wealth of collective SMBC experience, do you think this thing has any chance? I've put it in the fridge to chill for awhile. Somehow in mind I'm imagining that if it solidifies a little it will whip together better later...
Many thanks!

5 replies
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Sangriacupcake Posted 21 Jan 2011 , 10:46pm
post #2 of 6

When my smbc is too soupy, it often helps to refrigerate it for 15 min. or so. If it doesn't come together after a little chilling I just start over! lol I don't know if there's anything else you can do, although I once had a less-than-perfect batch that I mixed with an equal amount of American style BC. It wasn't the best icing I ever made, but at least it didn't go to waste.

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ThreeLittleBlackbirds Posted 21 Jan 2011 , 11:09pm
post #3 of 6

I have tried and tried and tried to make a successful batch of cream cheese SMBC and have failed miserably all but one time (out of about 20 attempts). My BC will be stable and perfect and as soon as I add cream cheese or goat cheese it breaks into a curdled mess. The ONE time it worked, I put it into the fridge after I added the cream cheese for about 30 min and then beat with the whisk attachment for about 20 min and then switched to the paddle attachment for another 20 min or so. Yes, you read that right 40 minutes! And that was AFTER the 10 minutes of whipping the meringue and another five or so while adding the butter.

The trick is to make your SMBC as usual with butter only. And you cannot use less butter with the same amount of meringue or it won't emulsify. Once the SMBC is stable and stiff, add your cream cheese or goat cheese one cube at a time on low speed. If it breaks, return to fridge until really cold and then beat it until you can't stand the noise of the mixer running anymore, lol.

It takes too long and is too fussy IMO. I stick to my normal SMBC recipe or use a cream cheese frosting if I want that flavor and I'm not stacking the cakes

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FromScratchSF Posted 22 Jan 2011 , 4:32am
post #4 of 6

I make cream cheese SMBC all the time. Daily.

First, make your SMBC like you would always make it. You have to have the fat/sugar emulsion in order for it to come together. In a separate bowl, beat your cream cheese until fluffy. NO LUMPS. Very important. I beat then go through it with a spatula just to make sure it's smooth. Then, and here's the secret... you have to add the SMBC to the cream cheese, NOT the other way around. And, you use much more cream cheese then you would think, if you have too much SMBC it will look curdled. My perfect ratio for cupcakes and fillings for cakes is 1/2 lb cream cheese per 1 cup + 2 tsp SMBC (or, a heaping cup icon_biggrin.gif). I do not use it on the outsides of cakes because it's soft and hard to work with, I'll just put a nice filling of it (damed with regular SBMC otherwise your cake will collapse).

Pic here: http://picasaweb.google.com/jenniferbratko/RedVelvetCupcakes#5508303866805075202

It's my #1 top selling buttercream.

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ronronneuse Posted 22 Jan 2011 , 5:01am
post #5 of 6

Thanks, everyone, you've given me a few good ideas to try tomorrow. I put the frosting in the fridge before we went out for the night, and will see in the morning if it can be salvaged. At the moment it's very delicious, at least, if not exactly presentable...

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Normita Posted 1 Feb 2011 , 12:42am
post #6 of 6
Quote:
Originally Posted by FromScratchSF

I make cream cheese SMBC all the time. Daily.

First, make your SMBC like you would always make it. You have to have the fat/sugar emulsion in order for it to come together. In a separate bowl, beat your cream cheese until fluffy. NO LUMPS. Very important. I beat then go through it with a spatula just to make sure it's smooth. Then, and here's the secret... you have to add the SMBC to the cream cheese, NOT the other way around. And, you use much more cream cheese then you would think, if you have too much SMBC it will look curdled. My perfect ratio for cupcakes and fillings for cakes is 1/2 lb cream cheese per 1 cup + 2 tsp SMBC (or, a heaping cup icon_biggrin.gif). I do not use it on the outsides of cakes because it's soft and hard to work with, I'll just put a nice filling of it (damed with regular SBMC otherwise your cake will collapse).

Pic here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/jenniferbratko/
#5508303866805075202


So basically, this is only for a filling? I wanted to ice my cake with cream cheese frosting, but it will be too soft to add the fondant icon_sad.gif

It's my #1 top selling buttercream.


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