Smbc

Baking By Andreasmom09 Updated 6 May 2011 , 3:01pm by Claire138

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Andreasmom09 Posted 24 Apr 2011 , 4:55am
post #1 of 16

So I Made SMBC for the first time today.. It was a complet disaster!!
First it was really soupy, so i put it in the fridge for a while.. When i took it out it was all curdled looking, so i mixed it and mixed it and mixed it.. IT didnt change one bit! So it is now sitting in the bottom of the trash can..
Can anyone tell me what im doing wrong?? I fee like today was a complet disaster makes me never want to bake again =(

15 replies
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vaniti716 Posted 24 Apr 2011 , 5:04am
post #2 of 16

Awwww dont give up...this happened to me a million times but believe me if you keep trying it will get better and its the best tasting butter cream in the world....what i do is make sure that the bottom of the bowl is cool and the the butter is straight from the fridge...good luck and dont give up icon_biggrin.gif

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sunset74 Posted 24 Apr 2011 , 6:07am
post #3 of 16

I tried my first one tonight as well. It was the Martha Stewart Strawberry. and when I made it I headed up the whites and sugar till about 160 like it said, and whipped them. Then I thought I was good on temp, but might have still been a bit warm as it kind of curtled. But it said if that happened to keep the blade on and go medium high for three to five minutes. After about 4 I stopped and it looked good. Stuck my strawberries in and everything. However my question is why when I put the cupcakes in the fridge and a few hours later I wanted to eat one and it literally fell apart. Is that normal. Are you supposed to put SMBC in the fridge at all.

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LisaPeps Posted 24 Apr 2011 , 7:34am
post #4 of 16

Refrigerating meringue buttercreams makes the icing solidify because the butter hardens. Just leave it out at room temperature, it'll be fine for 2-3 days at room temp.

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texastj Posted 24 Apr 2011 , 12:36pm
post #5 of 16

Sounds like your egg whites and sugar mixture didn't cool down enough before you added the butter. If it's too warm it will be soupy, too cold curdled. Guess it's kinda like the Goldilocks of buttercream........has to be just right icon_biggrin.gif

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ThreeLittleBlackbirds Posted 24 Apr 2011 , 3:44pm
post #6 of 16

Actually every batch of SMBC goes through both a soupy stage and a curdled looking stage. There are a couple of key things to watch for. First, make sure the eggs and sugar reach 160, then make sure to whip them for no less than 10 minutes(set a timer). Then, add all of the butter at the same time (room temp butter, not warm not cold) and mix on LOW speed. The buttercream WILL look weird and curdled and broken and even soupy. Be patient, let the mixer go on low and all of a sudden it will come together like magic! You can make the buttercream with cold butter and mix on medium or even high speed BUT the buttercream will not only taste like straight butter, you won't have as much of it as it will deflate some of that lovely meringue.

The key is...patience icon_smile.gif

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pmarks0 Posted 25 Apr 2011 , 12:24am
post #7 of 16

Jen, at FromScratch, SF wrote an excellent tutorial on making SMBC. I had a different recipe I used to use, but last week I used hers (and I weighted everything as well), and it was fantastic. Her instructions are excellent and she's got terrific pictures as she goes through the steps.

http://fromscratchsf.wordpress.com/2011/03/08/tutorial-swiss-meringue-buttercream/

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sunset74 Posted 25 Apr 2011 , 12:31am
post #8 of 16

Obviously SMBC is not a crusting buttercream, so do you just learn to make it smooth or is there some kind of a trick to smoothing it?

I used it on cupcakes and it pipped okay. Do you use it for all of your pipping and if so what about roses?

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pmarks0 Posted 25 Apr 2011 , 12:52am
post #9 of 16

It's definitely not a crusting buttercream. But it's lovely and silky and smooth. You can pipe borders but it's not great for roses. All you can do is try.

Take a look at the link I posted above and read the comments. How to smooth it on cakes is described in the comments. But in a nutshell, smooth it as best you can and then pop the cake in the fridge or freezer to firm it up. Then use a bench scraper and a heated spatula to smooth it out.

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sunset74 Posted 25 Apr 2011 , 1:21am
post #10 of 16

Thanks, I did read her part of the post after I posted the question. I still want to try making IMBC as it was super easy to work with, but also did not use for flowers. Thanks for the help.

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Andreasmom09 Posted 25 Apr 2011 , 1:51am
post #11 of 16

Thanks Everyone for the great advice, i will try and make it again and we'll see how it goes this time! wish me luck lol!

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Claire138 Posted 28 Apr 2011 , 6:44pm
post #12 of 16

My question is, I follow these directions and get a beautiful SMBC but then when I want to put it into a piping bag I find it is very, very liquidy and sort of slides out of the bowl and through the nozzle of the bag before I can pipe anything (hope I'm making sense). When I add colouring it is even worse bc the colour does not seem to gel properly (I use wiltons gel colouring) and although I get the colour I want there are still liquid 'bits' that don't get incorporated into the cream.
If anyone knows what I'm talking about and has a solution please, please, please let me know!

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LisaPeps Posted 28 Apr 2011 , 11:58pm
post #13 of 16

What beater are you using to mix the buttercream? It sounds like you are using the whisking attachment. I always use the whisking attachment until I add the butter, I then switch to the K beater blade and it comes together perfectly.

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luvbuttercream Posted 29 Apr 2011 , 12:34am
post #14 of 16

Try this recipe I use it every time and have NEVER had a bad batch of SMBC. I never use cold butter it never incorporates proper. Follow these instructions to a T and all should go well. Also I don't refrigerate it at all I have but them you need to let it come back to room temp before doing anything with it.

Sinful Swiss Meringue Butter Cream
Ingredients

* 1/2 cup (4 oz) of egg whites
1 cup (8 oz) of granulated sugar
1 1/2 (12 oz) cup butter
1 tsp of flavoring (I use 3/4 tsp van & 1/4 tsp almond)

Instructions

Put eggs and sugar in your mixing bowl and beat with whisk until well combined. Put bowl over a hot bath on stove top and KEEP mixing until mixture is no longer grainy to the touch (approx 3 min). When thats done, take bowl to mixer using the balloon whisk on medium speed until a meringue like texture is achieved may take up to 10 min(but worth it if you want a slightly stiffer frosting). Replace balloon whisk for paddle. Slowly add your room temp butter in pieces and mix until smooth. Now add your extracts and (color optional-pref gel). You will notice it curd a bit approx. 3 min into mixing, keep it on medium for another 3-4 min and it will be smooth & silky. Dont get impatient it will turn out so good! Hope you enjoy.


Good luck and don't give up it is an amazing buttercream!

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Claire138 Posted 30 Apr 2011 , 8:13pm
post #15 of 16

Thanks for the responses, I think it may be my machine (Magic Mill which I love but don't think is conducive to SMBC) I will try it with a hand mixer and see how it turns out.

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Claire138 Posted 6 May 2011 , 3:01pm
post #16 of 16

Thanks so much for your help, I made it again with a hand beater and it is AWESOME! So happy, thanks again!

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