I have a wedding cake up. The bride loves Italian meringue buttercream. I am comfortable with making it, and am getting the smoothing down, a little more practice and I should have it. My concern is it is not white. even with adding a little violet to the batter, it is not as white as american buttercream.

1. If you use IMBC for wedding cakes how do you get it really white?
2. If you dont use IMBC what do you use?

I use a regular buttercream 1/2 shortening 1/2 butter...they make icing whiteners that you can add to brighten up the white of your icing.

However, unless you have something that is 'true white' next to the icing...most won't notice that it isn't pure white anyhow!

Besides the dot of violet and adding some whitener, I have also been known to replace one of the sticks of unsalted butter with high ratio shortening AND to shop for my butter at the end of February when butter is at its lightest - don't laugh, I actually contacted Land O Lakes and they said that cows eating oats and hay in the barn all winter produce the lightest colored unsalted butter. So I buy it in bulk and freeze it. Don't believe me, test it out for yourself.

Ive never thought to freeze butter . Thanks for the tip.

Ive never thought to freeze butter . Thanks for the tip.