Just wanted to share: Realizing that everyone’s tastes are different, I'm constantly looking for that ever elusive not too buttery, not too sweet icing.
Some time ago I had made a recipe called Whole Egg Meringue Icing. Pretty good, but a little too sweet for me, though not nearly as sweet as American Buttercream.
Today I made Toba Garrett's French Vanilla Buttercream. It was way too buttery for my taste, though I can see where others may like it.
So, while I’m pondering what to do with this French Vanilla Buttercream, I started paging through my various recipes. Aha, I made a half a recipe of Whole Egg Meringue Icing and added it to half of Toba’s French Vanilla. YUM! I said. YUM! My husband said.
While this is too soft for precision piping and I think too soft for covering with fondant, I found it to be smooth and delicious, not too sweet, not too buttery. I’m pretty sure it will be firm enough for a simple border piping. I cannot wait to put it on a family birthday cake this weekend.
Next experiment – I’m going to make some white chocolate ganache and add it to the other half of Toba’s recipe. Perhaps this will be firm enough to cover with fondant.
Hmmm..sounds interesting. My family isn't fond of SMBC, or too much ganache. Especially white ganache. The SMBC I have mixed half & half with cooked flour icing. Bingo..perfect icing. Ditto with the ganache, mixed it half and half with cooked flour icing. Again..perfect. Not overly sweet, and very smooth.
jchuck -- very interesting -- love cooked flour aka french (vanilla) buttercream --
i usually stayed with the classics -- i rarely think to combine recipes -- but i made several for every thing i made -- frosting to ice with -- frosting to pipe with -- whipped cream -- cooked filling -- simple syrup splash -- geez five different things for one cake -- no wonder i'm tired -- hahahahaha
but combining them half intrigues me and half makes me crazy all thing considered -- but such a good idea --
i got a family b-day cake coming up -- but i'm gonna do the russian buttercream for that --
ganache with french buttercream though -- very cool -- you're making me think
brilliant though 
here's an angle to work going forward -- let's keep all the icing goodness and scottishly remove the calories ha!
So, to the other half of Toba Garret's French Vanilla Buttercream, I added a white chocolate ganache which was made with 8 oz white chocolate and 1/3 cup cream. I let the ganache cool to room temp, whipped it slightly with a paddle, and then slowly added it the Buttercream with the paddle on low. It mixed in so smoothly. Another winner. Will be putting it on my great-granddaughter's cake which will have a fondant overlay. I'm pretty sure it's going to work.
jchuck I have made both SMBC and cooked flour icing, but never mixed them - that sounds really good and will try it soon.
-K8memphis I like your idea of removing the calories. I think with my day of experimenting I must have had 500 calories just in icing. Oook, serious sugar overload.
nana -- i just lost 40 gained back 20 -- gaghh -- on my way back down again --
le sigh
omg-- if only we could do this without resurrecting the sugar junkie within -- and when i say 'we' i mean ME heheheheh
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