How to Make Perfect Italian Meringue Buttercream
Italian Meringue Buttercream is my all time favorite frosting for cakes and cupcakes. It’s silky smooth, incredibly creamy, and absolutely gorgeous to work with. Even better is how good this buttercream tastes. After over 20 years of making this amazing meringue based buttercream, I’ve yet to have one person tell me they don’t love it. Even those people who normally don’t like frosting always LOVE Italian Meringue Buttercream.
My friends, Italian Buttercream is sublime.
If you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating Italian Meringue Buttercream, you already know. If you’re new to this gorgeous invention, what can I say to convince you that you NEED this buttercream in your life??? Because you do. Need it. In your life.
Everyone needs Italian Meringue Buttercream in their life every now and then. Even frosting haters. I should know. I’m typically one of those people who eats the cake and leaves the frosting behind. Even as a child, I remember scraping the frosting off slices of cake and cupcakes because it was just too sweet.
So, when I made Italian Meringue Buttercream for the first time (over 20 years ago!), it was a total revelation to me. Because, I love this stuff. I mean…. genuinely LOVE it.
Italian Meringue Buttercream is like eating a cloud.
That’s what one woman told me the first time she tasted it. “I don’t normally like frosting, but this is like eating a cloud.”
She’s right.
Classic Italian Meringue is simply whipped egg whites that are sweetened and stabilized with hot sugar syrup. Italian Meringue Buttercream takes this one step further by incorporating butter {lots and lots of butter!} into the meringue. It’s not overly sweet, holds up well, and is a dream to frost and decorate with.
One of the greatest things about Italian Meringue Buttercream is that it is extremely easy to incorporate all sorts of different flavorings. It’s a very welcoming kind of frosting. Kindhearted. Considerate. Generous. Your basic humanitarian… in frosting form.
Once the Italian Meringue Buttercream is complete, you can beat in melted chocolate, fruit curd or jam, extracts, marmalade, coconut cream, coffee, salted caramel… the flavors of Italian Meringue Buttercream are only limited by your personal tastes and imagination. I’ve included quite a few flavoring options below, but don’t be afraid to get creative.
Italian Meringue Buttercream might seem a bit complicated at first glance.
Please trust me when I say – it’s really not. It requires only 4 ingredients – sugar, eggs, cream of tarter & butter – and the hands on time is minimal. The first time you make Italian Meringue Buttercream, it might feel all complicated and difficult. But trust me. Once you’ve made it a couple of times, you probably won’t even need the recipe.
Having said that, Italian Meringue Buttercream is finicky when it comes to temperature and how the ingredients are incorporate. Stick with me.
I’m going to walk you through the process step-by-step. Plus, I’ve included some things you can do to recover a batch if it doesn’t quite go to plan, and thrown in some fabulous tips that readers have shared with me over the years.
Before we get started, there are a couple of tools that are super important when making this buttercream:
A candy thermometer and a standing mixer, preferably 6-quart.
As you will see, temperature is everything with this recipe. Having a candy thermometer that tells you exactly when the sugar syrup is ready to pour into the egg whites is essential.
It’s also important to have a standing mixer. I’m not saying that you can’t make Italian Meringue Buttercream with a hand held mixer, but it will be risky and challenging.
Once you add the sugar syrup to the meringue, the frosting must beat until it cools, which can take between 20 – 30 minutes. After that, you need to be able to beat in a LOT of butter. (They don’t call it buttercream for nothing!)
With a standing mixer, you just let it do it’s thing and get on with your day. But with a hand held… well, that’s a long time to stand there holding a mixer. Also, a lot of hand held mixers simply don’t have enough power to fully incorporate all that butter.
I recommend using a 6-Quart KitchenAid mixer. However, I have had readers tell me they’ve made this recipe using a 4 & 1/2 or 5-quart standing mixer and it’s worked out fine. So, use what you have.
One word of caution if using a smaller stand mixer: The egg whites will beat up into a gorgeous, fluffy meringue that might threaten to spill over the sides of a smaller mixer’s bowl. Just use a spatula to gently push the meringue back down into the bowl, and you’ll be good to go.
How to Make Italian Meringue Buttercream
Italian Meringue Buttercream is essentially meringue that’s “cooked” by pouring very hot sugar syrup into it while it beats. Once the cooked meringue cools, simply beat in plenty of butter, creating an emulsion that’s extraordinary rich and creamy.
Step #1: Heat sugar and water to between 248 and 250 degrees (F).
Add 1 & 1/4 cup sugar and 1/2 cup of water to a medium size saucepan and set it over high heat. You might be tempted to use a small saucepan. Please don’t. As the sugar cooks, it will bubble up and might spill out over the top of a small saucepan. Cleaning up burnt sugar is no fun.
After giving the sugar and water a very brief stir just to make sure all the sugar is moistened, you want to leave it alone. Do not stir it again or you’ll run the risk of encouraging little crystals to form in your syrup.
Just let it boil away until it reaches 248 – 250 degrees.
Step #2: While the sugar cooks, beat some egg whites.
Immediately after getting the sugar syrup going, crack 8 egg whites into the bowl of a standing mixer that’s fitted with the whisk attachment. Be very, very careful to not allow any yolks in the whites which can prevent the egg whites from beating up to their full potential.
Beat the eggs on high speed until they are all frothy. While the mixer continues to beat the egg whites, sprinkle in 1 teaspoon cream of tarter (which helps to stabilize the egg whites) and 1/3 cup of sugar. Keep beating until stiff peaks form. This means that if you lift the beater up, the egg whites will form stiff little “peaks” that won’t fall over.
At this point, if the sugar syrup isn’t quite ready, turn the mixer to the lowest speed, and let it continue to run. You want to keep the egg whites moving without running the risk of overheating them.
Step #3: Pour the sugar syrup into the beaten egg whites.
When the sugar syrup reaches 248-250 degrees, remove it from the heat, stop your mixer and quickly pour about 1/3 of a cup of the syrup int the egg whites. Immediately turn the mixer to to the highest speed and continue to pour the sugar syrup into the egg whites in a slow, steady stream.
As you pour, keep the stream of sugar syrup super close to the edge of the mixing bowl. Doing so will help you avoid pouring too much on the beater itself.
Once all the sugar syrup has been added, turn the mixer down to medium-high and let it beat until the meringue is completely cool. This will take somewhere between 15 and 30 minutes, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
To check that the meringue is cool, touch the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl. If it feels cool to the touch, your egg whites are most likely cool as well.
Step #4: Incorporate the butter.
This buttercream isn’t messing around. There is a LOT of butter in there – 6 whole sticks (1 & 1/2 lbs). Don’t be afraid. This recipe makes a lot of buttercream and you’re going to smear it all over a cake or over quite a few cupcakes.
It’s called buttercream for a reason. Embrace that buttery deliciousness with no regrets.
A couple of things that are important here: The butter must be at room temperature, and you want to add it slowly, a couple of tablespoons at a time.
The goal here is to create an emulsion, which is essentially the blending together of two ingredients – fat and water – that don’t really like each other all that much.
Adding the butter to the meringue slowly while the mixer beats continuously, causes all those little fat molecules to evenly distribute and suspend themselves throughout the meringue, creating that dreamy, creamy gorgeousness we call buttercream.
For Successful Italian Meringue Buttercream Temperature is Everything.
If there’s one word I can’t stress enough when it comes to Italian Meringue Buttercream it’s temperature.
- The sugar syrup must be heated to 248 degrees before added to the beaten egg whites.
- The meringue must cool down before you add the butter or the butter will melt instead of combining with the meringue.
- The butter must be at room temperature or it won’t incorporate into the meringue at all.
If something goes wrong because the temperature of the butter or meringue was too warm or too cold, don’t despair. When adding the butter to the meringue, if everything’s not at room temperature, the buttercream will “break”, meaning that rather than combining into a creamy emulsion, the butter and eggs stubbornly remain separate ingredients sharing the same bowl.
If this happens, in many cases, the buttercream can be saved.
- If you add the butter before the meringue is completely cool and see that the butter is melting rather than blending into the meringue: Stop adding the butter, turn off the mixer, and put the whole thing – bowl and whisk, into the refrigerator or freezer. When the bowl feels very cold, remove it from the refrigerator and resume beating. If the butter you’ve already added begins to incorporate into the meringue, go ahead and slowly add the rest of the butter.
- If you try to add butter to meringue that’s too cold, it will stay in little clumps and not incorporate into the egg whites. Once again, if you see this happening, stop adding the butter and bring the remaining butter to room temperature by heating it in the microwave at 50% power for 10 seconds at a time. To help the butter that’s already in the bowl warm up enough to blend into the meringue, soak a kitchen towel in hot water and hold it around the mixer bowl while it beats.
When trying to fix a broken buttercream, you’ll need to beat and beat and beat. Remember that you’re creating an emulsion, a process that requires constant beating. If the buttercream is soupy because some of the butter has melted, put the bowl in the refrigerator to cool it down and then beat and beat and beat.
If the buttercream is lumpy because the butter was too cold and won’t blend in, hold a hot towel agains the bowl and beat and beat and beat some more.
Italian Meringue Buttercream Reader tips!
If your kitchen is too hot…. One reader who made this buttercream in her California desert home in the middle of the summer wrote in to tell me that she presses ice cubes to the bowl of the mixer to cool down the meringue and as she beats in the butter. She loads up a kitchen towel with ice cubes and presses them around the bowl.
If your kitchen is too cold… Another reader wrote in to tell me that her kitchen is much colder than the rest of the house, causing the butter to not want to beat into the meringue. She put about one cup of the not-coming-together buttercream in the microwave for about 30 seconds until it melted. Then she turned the mixer on high and quickly poured the melted buttercream into the mixing bowl.
“It was like a magic trick. Faster than I could see it happen, it immediately became incorporated into beautiful buttercream! I have made the buttercream two more times since and both times I had to do this to get it to incorporate.”
How to store and reconstitute Italian Meringue Buttercream
You can make the buttercream ahead of time and store it in the refrigerator for a week or even freeze it for up to 2 months. Just make sure to allow time to bring it to room temperature before using it.
Because of the high butter content, Italian Meringue Buttercream becomes quite firm when chilled. If you make it ahead of time, which I often do, I’ve included instructions for reconstituting it to its proper creamy, spreadable state at the end of the recipe.
Italian Meringue Buttercream Flavor Additions:
Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream: (Try it on my favorite Vanilla Cake or Gluten Free Vanilla Cake!)
Add 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract to every 2 cups of buttercream. (I often also add a few drops of lemon extract to my vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream because it accentuates the vanilla flavor.)
Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream: (Delicious on Champagne Cake!)
Pour 1 cup champagne into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer until the champagne is reduced to ½ cup. Allow to cool completely and then slowly beat into a prepared batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream.
Strawberry Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream: (Delicious on Champagne Cake!)
Follow instructions above to make Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream. Add 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, stems removed, to a blender and puree (you should have about 1/3 cup. Remove about 2/3 of the buttercream from the mixing bowl. Add the pureed strawberries to the remaining buttercream and beat until completely incorporated.
White, Dark or Milk Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream: For every 2 cups of buttercream, beat in 4 ounces of melted chocolate that has cooled to room temperature. (Adding a tsp of vanilla can accentuate the chocolate flavor.)
Pistachio Italian Meringue Buttercream: Beat one 8-oz jar of Pistachio Paste into one recipe Italian Meringue Buttercream until combined.
Marmalade Italian Meringue Buttercream: For every 2 cups of buttercream, beat in 1 cup of marmalade.
Espresso Italian Meringue Buttercream: For every 2 cups of buttercream, add 1 tbsp instant espresso powder to 2 teaspoons boiling water and stir to dissolve, then beat into the buttercream.
Coconut Maple Italian Meringue Buttercream: (Delicious on mini coconut cakes!)
Beat 3/4 cups coconut cream, 3 tbsp pure maple syrup, and 1 tsp coconut extract into one finished batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream. Taste and add more coconut extract if you want a more pronounced coconut flavor.
Fresh Berry Italian Meringue Buttercream: (Try it on this Lemon Layer Cake!)
Puree raspberries, blackberries or strawberries until very smooth. If using blackberries, strain out the seeds. Add about 1/3 of a cup of berry puree to every 2 cups of buttercream, adding the puree a little at a time and beating well after each addition.
Lemon Curd Italian Meringue Buttercream: For every 2 cups of buttercream, beat in 1/3 of a cup of lemon curd.
Liquor Flavored Italian Meringue Buttercream: My favorite liquors to add are Frangelico and Kailua. Add about 2 tablespoons of liquor to every 2 cups of buttercream. Add the liquor slowly and taste often. Add as much or as little as you like.
Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream: (Perfect for classic Caramel Cake or Gluten Free Caramel Cake.)
You have two good options if you want to create a salted caramel version of Italian Meringue Buttercream.
1. Purchase store bought caramel sauce (1 1/2 – 2 cups), stir in salt to taste (1-2 tsp), and beat as much (or as little) as you like to the basic buttercream.
2. Whip up a batch of homemade salted caramel sauce and beat that into the buttercream. Start by beating in 1 & 1/2 cups, taste the buttercream, and add another 1/2 cup if you want a stronger caramel flavor.
If you’ve never made homemade caramel, I encourage you to try it. It’s sublime and much easier than you might think!
Chai Latte Italian Meringue Buttercream: (Delicious on Chai Latte Cupcakes!)
Add 11 oz melted white chocolate, 1/3 cup honey, 2 tsp vanilla, and 2-3oz powdered chai tea latte drink mix to buttercream after fully incorporating the butter. Beat until all ingredients are combined.
Mojito Italian Meringue Buttercream: Follow the instructions in this recipe for Strawberry Mojito Cupcakes to make a batch of Mint Lime Curd. Slowly beat 2 cups of lime curd and 1/3 cup white rum into a batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream until fully incorporated. Depending on the temperature of all the ingredients this could take 5-10 minutes. If it doesn’t look like it’s coming together, just keep beating. If the ingredients are too warm, or the room is too warm, and the frosting seems runny, just put it in the refrigerator for an hour or so before beating to bring it all together.
Have fun experimenting with different flavor combinations and colors!
Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream is fabulous with a tablespoon or two of Frangelico. Add a bit of coconut cream or melted and cooled white chocolate to Lemon Curd Italian Meringue Buttercream. This frosting recipe is only limited by your imagination.
To color Italian Meringue Buttercream, gel food coloring works best.
Popular Cakes Iced with Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Lemon 8-Layer Cake with Blackberry Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Mini Coconut Cakes with Coconut Maple Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Classic Yellow Cake with Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Champagne Cake with Champagne and Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Fresh Strawberry Cake with Pistachio Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Perfect Vanilla Cake with Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Caramel Cake with Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream
- Strawberry Cupcakes with Mojito Italian Meringue Buttercream
Useful tools:
- 6-Quart KitchenAid Mixer
- Icing smoother
- Angled Icing Spatula
- Revolving cake decorating stand
- Disposable Decorating Bags, 18-Inch
- Wilton Master Decorating Tip Set
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, or take a picture and tag it #ofbatteranddough on Instagram.
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Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting Recipe
- Prep Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 60 minutes
- Yield: 7 cups
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
Italian Meringue Buttercream is silky smooth, creamy, & gorgeous. Here’s how to make the perfect buttercream for cakes and cupcakes.
Ingredients
- ½ cup water
- 1¼ cup plus ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. cream of tartar
- 8 large egg whites, at room temperature (Save those egg yolks and use them to make creamy Crustless Custard Tart or Perfect Vanilla Pastry Cream)
- 6 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
Instructions
- Combine the water and 1¼ cup sugar in a small saucepan and stir once or twice just to moisten the sugar. Do not stir again; stirring encourages the sugar to crystalize. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and continue to cook until it reaches a temperature between 248 and 250 degrees.
- As soon as you set the syrup to cook, begin the meringue. Beat the egg whites in a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at medium speed until frothy. While beating, sprinkle in the cream of tartar and then the remaining ⅓ cup sugar. Beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. *The goal is to have the syrup at the right temperature and the meringue at the stiff peak stage at the same time. If the syrup is not quite ready, but the meringue is, continue to beat the egg whites with the mixer on the lowest speed until the syrup reaches the desired temperature. If the syrup is done before the meringue is ready, add a very small amount of hot (not cold) water to lower the temperature slightly.
- When the syrup is ready, turn off the mixer and quickly pour about ⅓ cup into the meringue. Immediately turn the mixer to medium-high and then continue to pour the hot syrup into the meringue in a thin, steady stream. Try to keep the syrup from getting on the beater, although some will get on there no matter what you do.
- Continue to beat the meringue with the whisk attachment at medium speed, until you touch the bottom of the bowl and it is cool to the touch. *It’s important to not add the butter before the meringue is completely cool, so that the butter doesn’t melt.
- With the mixer running at medium speed, add 2 or 3 tablespoons of the butter at a time. Beat until each addition of the butter is incorporate before adding more. Keep mixing and adding the butter bit by bit until all 6 sticks are incorporated. If the buttercream doesn’t look completely smooth at this point, just keep beating. It will smooth out. If it looks runny or curdled, the butter has probably melted. Put it in the refrigerator for 20 or 30 minutes and then continue beating until it’s smooth. (*See trouble shooting tips above the recipe in the post.)
- After the butter has been fully incorporated, you can add any flavor additions you like. (See the list of ideas right above the recipe.) At this point the buttercream is ready to use. If you’d like to store it for future use, see the notes below.
Notes
You can refrigerate Italian Meringue Buttercream for up to a week or freeze it for up to two months. To reconstitute cold buttercream, it’s important to bring it to room temperature gently so that you don’t melt the butter. The simplest way to do this is to let it sit out on the counter until it reaches room temperature.
If you don’t have time for that, you can heat it in the microwave, on very low power, in 20 second spurts, checking for softness, breaking apart and stirring the buttercream as it begins to soften up. You can also place the buttercream over a pan of gently boiling water. If you select this method, break apart and stir the buttercream consistently as it warms to ensure that the buttercream on the bottom does not overheat.
You can also use a hairdryer, blowing warm air on the sides of the bowl and across the top of the buttercream to soften. As with the other two methods, break apart and stir the buttercream together as it warms. Whichever way you bring the buttercream to room temperature, beat it for a few minutes once it’s softened in your standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until it is smooth and creamy.
It’s better to have the buttercream a bit too cold when you begin beating it than too warm. Beating will continue to soften buttercream that is still a bit too cold. If it gets too warm, place back in the refrigerator for a bit.
Keywords: buttercream, Italian meringue, frosting, cake, cake decoration
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That’s a lot of butter. Any idea on how many cups this yields? I love that you can change the flavor so easily.
Hi CW! This recipe should give you about 7 cups of buttercream. If you have extra, it stores well in the refrigerator or the freezer. And yes! There is a lot of butter in this buttercream. 🙂 That’s what makes it so delicious!
Thanks! Have a party coming up and I rather fancy the idea of only making one frosting and changing the flavor to make it seem like I did more work than I actually did. Plus this sounds delicious.
Let me know how it turns out CW!
It turned out delicious. I made two versions, one plain and one with chocolate. They were a huge hit. I have a zucchini cake that doesn’t pair well with heavy or overly sugary frotsting, and this went perfectly. Really liked that this was not overly sweet and the airyness of it is really nice too.
★★★★★
CW – I am so glad! Thanks for letting me know. It really is the only frosting I ever make. I’ll have to try it on zucchini cake!
Hi how much in weight is 6 stick of butter please
★★★★
Hi Cheryl! Each stick of butter weighs 1/4 lb (4 oz.). So, 6 sticks weighs 1 1/2 lbs (24 oz). Hope you love this buttercream!
Just curious if you have ever used the egg whites in carton vs separating eggs for this recipe.
Hi Christy – I have not ever used egg whites in a carton for this recipe. If they are just egg whites – with nothing else added – I would think they would work. If you try it, let me know!
Hi. I was wondering if this icing would hold up under fondant? Thanks
Hi Christine! Yes – Italian Meringue Buttercream is great under fondant. Just make sure to refrigerate the cake if you are decorating it in advance. The buttercream will hold up for quite a while at room temperature, but any longer than 6 hours and the cake should be refrigerated. What kind of cake are you decorating?
Can I use cream cheese as a I flavor? If possible how much portion?
Hi Rosanna! I tried to make cream cheese Italian Meringue Buttercream only once, with not great results. I thought that I could just replace some of the butter with cream cheese, but let me tell you – that does not work at all. 🙂 I haven’t tried it since, although I did do some research and found that other bakers are having success by beating the completed buttercream, bit by bit into cream cheese. The recommendations are to make the buttercream as directed, whip cream cheese in a separate bowl with an electric mixer until fluffy, and then add the buttercream, bit by bit, into the cream cheese, mixing the whole time. I’m sure I’ll try it at some point…. If you try it sometime soon, let me know how it turned out! xo
Hi, I’m from malaysia I was wondering if this buttercream can stand/stabilize in hot/humid climate
Hi there! The buttercream shouldn’t be affected by the humidity, but as with any buttercream containing butter, it will eventually melt if exposed to heat for a while. Having said that, I have used this frosting to decorate wedding cakes in the heat of summer. If the cake is going to be sitting out in a warm room for a while, I generally frost the cake and then freeze it. This allows the cake to sit out in a warm room for at least a couple of hours (depending on the actual temperature of the room). Try to avoid placing the cake in direct sunlight, however. Even if the cake is frozen, the butter will start to melt if placed in direct heat. Good luck, and please let me know if you have any other questions!
Hi, When you say 6 sticks of butter, how much does that weigh or how many cups would it be? Thanks
Hi Eleanor! Each stick of butter is equal to 4oz. and 1/2 cup. So, total for this recipe, you’ll need 24oz or 3 cups. Let me know if you have any more questions!
I have folks who don’t want fondant, but want fondant decorations. I use a crusting buttercream since it holds the decorations. Would IMB be sturdy enough to hold fondant decorations on the sides of the cake? Thank you
PS I plan to make the caramel cake and caramel IMB with caramel and chocolate ganache filled cupcakes for a luncheon this week.
Hmmm…. It will probably be fine, Lea, if the frosting is kept cool. If the room is too warm, the fondant decorations might start to slide down the cake. I’d suggest refrigerating the cake for several hours (or overnight) right after frosting the cake and adding the decorations. Since the frosting contains so much butter, it will stay cool after removing it from the refrigerator for quite a while. Good luck! The caramel and chocolate ganache filled cupcakes sound absolutely delicious!
I really like the sound of this recipe, but would like to reduce the butter – what would be the minimum amount of butter to still get a frosting I can use to pipe decorations?
Hi Carmen,
Good question. I’m not completely sure… however, you add the butter bit by bit, so I would suggest adding at least 3 sticks and then testing it, adding more until you get a consistency you’re happy with. Good luck and let me know how you like it! xo
If I ice cupcakes with IMBC, and then put them in the fridge, will the buttercream separate after the cupcakes are removed and reach room temperature, or will it hold its silky shape?
Hi Melissa! Storing cupcakes iced with Italian Meringue Buttercream in the refrigerator and then setting them out at room temperature will not change the consistency one bit. I made a batch of these Strawberry Mojito Cupcakes for a friend’s birthday party just the other weekend. They are iced with a mojito flavored version of Italian Meringue Buttercream. I stored the iced cupcakes in the refrigerator for several hours before transporting them to the party. The cupcakes sat outside in 85 degree weather for hours and held up perfectly fine, so I’m sure yours will too!
I’m looking to try to do like a mocha icing I guess? What’s your recommendation on combining the chocolate and the coffee additions for the icing in terms of what amounts of each?
Thanks!
Mocha Italian Meringue Buttercream sounds delicious James! The great thing about Italian Meringue Buttercream is how easy it is to add pretty much anything to create new flavors. To make a chocolate buttercream, beat in 4 ounces of melted chocolate that has cooled to room temperature for every 2 cups of buttercream. To give it a mocha flavor, I’d suggest adding 1 tbsp instant espresso powder to 2 teaspoons boiling water, stir to dissolve and let cool to room temperature, then beat into the buttercream. Taste the buttercream and add more espresso if you want a more pronounced coffee flavor. Good luck and let me know how it comes out!
Thank you I will let you know! That’s what I was going to try, I just wanted to make sure that I didn’t thin out the icing too much.
It was delicious! The white chocolate paired so well with the butteriness of the icing!
Yeah! I’m so glad! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! xoxo
Hi there! Is there a substitute for cream of tartar? I once bought some and never used it so would like to avoid buying again as we are moving soon and I won’t be able to take it with me. Thank you!
Hi Lyn! There really isn’t a good substitution for cream of tartar. The good news is, you can just leave it out altogether and the Italian Meringue Buttercream should come out fine. Cream of tartar acts as a stabilizer for the egg whites in this recipe. But, it’s more of an insurance policy than a necessity. Just leave it out. Good luck and let me know how it turned out! xo
Ok great!! I have never had any luck making frosting here in Singapore (only tried a couple times!) as it melts and becomes so liquid. I’ll let you know how. I go with your recipe!! Fingers crossed 🙂
Hi,
I have made IMBC quite a few times no troubles. But when I made a batch last week in preparation for a cake it went funny. I took it from fridge to come to room temperature but it just felt really slippery, oily/greasy. It wasn’t curdled or split it just didn’t seem right. I did beat to made smooth but when crumb coating a cake it would slide and just felt so buttery when rubbing between fingers. The taste was normal but the texture also felt slippery. Any ideas why or is this normal?
Hmmm…. To be honest with you, Hollie, I’m not sure why your last batch of Italian Meringue Buttercream came out greasy. It definitely sounds like the butter just didn’t completely emulsify with the meringue. This can happen for a couple of reasons. Do you remember if the meringue looked different (after adding the sugar syrup) than it usually does? If the egg whites weren’t beaten to the firm peak stage before adding the sugar syrup, or if the sugar syrup wasn’t at the right temperature, this will affect the consistency of the meringue and therefore affect how well the meringue accepts the butter. The other factor might have been temperature. Most issues with this buttercream can eventually be solved with enough beating. It sounds like you did beat the buttercream for a while before trying to ice your cake with it, but it could be that you needed to beat it for even longer. That would be my biggest suggestion if this ever happens again – keep beating. Better luck next time! Since you’ve had success with this buttercream before, you know it’s delicious enough to make trying again worth it! xoxo
Please…I made french buttercream but it isn’t sweet enough! I’m baking your cake tomorrow for a very special elderly gentleman’s birthday. What can I add to this buttercream to bring up the sweetness? It came out perfectly! I only have a professional 500 kitchen aide, not 6 qts so was afraid your buttercream wouldn’t work.
Hi Sharon! I’m certain we can bring up the sweetness in your French buttercream. My first suggestion is to add 1/2 – 1 cup of melted white chocolate to the icing. French buttercream should incorporate melted chocolate well. Do you have access to some white chocolate?
Hi,
I made tried this recipe as part of my search for the perfect icing for my sister’s wedding cake. Unfortunately, it did not turn out as expected. I followed the instruction and used room temp butter which I think was my downfall. I could not make it smooth even after refrigerating for over an hour and then trying to mix again. It still looks very lumpy/curdled which I assume is the fault of melted butter.
Going to give it another go tomorrow as this recipe came very highly recommended by my aunt and use butter at a colder temp and allow the merengue to cool for even longer (although it was cool by the time I added the butter). Suggestions to ensure a smooth frosting?
Thanks!
Hi Matthew! I’m sorry the buttercream didn’t come together for you. That’s super frustrating. I’m not completely sure why the buttercream didn’t come together, but using room temperature butter shouldn’t have been a problem. Ideally, you want both the butter and meringue at room temperature when combining them. If the meringue is too warm and melts the butter, refrigerating the buttercream and re-beating it should do the trick. I’m not sure why that didn’t happen for you… but, since you’re trying it again today, here are a couple of tips that will hopefully make today’s batch a success:
Be sure to cook the sugar syrup to between 246 and 250 degrees before adding it to the whipped egg whites. Adding butter thats on the cold side to the whipped (and cooled) meringue shouldn’t be an issue; you just might need to beat it for longer in order to get the cold butter to soften enough to incorporate. If your buttercream should break again today, try this: Scoop out a cup of curdled mixture and microwave 5 to 10 seconds, until melted but not hot. Pour the melted buttercream into the mixer while on medium speed and whip until combined.
This really is the best frosting to work with, so I really hope today’s batch works out! Keep me posted! xo
Thanks for getting back to me. Unfortunately, my second effort was no more successful than the first. I was very careful to make sure the meringue was cool enough before adding the butter. I added the butter about a tablespoon at a time until all six sticks were in and proceeded to beat for about 15 minutes. I tried your microwaving tip as well but could not get it smooth. I then put it in the fridge for about an hour and took it out and beat it for another 15 minutes. After all of this, I could not get the butter and egg whites to incorporate. I now have a bunch of creamed butter sitting in a puddle of egg whites.
Do you think I might not have beat the meringue enough? Have you ever tried creaming the butter before adding it to the meringue? I’m also trying to make this by myself with a hand held mixer which I think is creating a lot of room for error.
I was so hoping that your second batch would turn out perfectly. I was racking my brain trying to figure out what the issue might be, until I read that you’re using a hand held mixer. I am absolute sure that’s the issue. Most hand held mixers simply don’t have enough power to fully incorporate all that butter into all that meringue.
Having made this buttercream literally hundreds of times, I’ve never run into a situation where I could not get it smooth if I just kept on beating it in a standing mixer on high speed. But, I just don’t think a hand held mixer can accomplish that.
I am so sorry this buttercream didn’t turn out for you. I hate it when that happens, especially when I’m sure you would love working with this frosting as much as I do! BUT, it sounds to me like you now have a perfect excuse to gift yourself with a standing mixer!
I had a similar problem some time ago and in my frustration, I switched from the whip beater to the paddle and everything was fine. My sense was that if I followed instructions perfectly, it was a matter of beating it together. BTW, I think the pictures often look like lumpy frosting.
I have always made homemade cakes for our family bday celebrations. I have tried many recipes for Italian Buttercream and this by far is the best!! My husband just said it was the best frosting I have ever made and I have been doing this for 20 years now. This will go in the family cookbook for sure. I love you instructions as well as the flavor options. Awesome recipe!
★★★★★
Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how much you like this recipe! I can’t even tell you how much comments like this mean to me. xoxo
Hi Rebecca,
Firstly, thanks so much for all the helpful tips here and detailed responses to comments! I’ll be making a tiered cake (for the first time) and after much research have decided on IMBC as the frosting – I initially planned for AMBC, but after trying a few recipes found it far too sweet. Some questions:
1) Cake will be 3 tiered with 3 layers each (10″,8″,6″) will the recipe above be enough to frost, or both frost and fill the cake? If not, what are your recommended adjustments for the recipe (providing ample room for error and re-tries as I’m a novice).
2) Was considering filling with German buttercream for some contrast – would that be a good combination or do you recommend both filling and frosting with IMBC for either taste or ease? Both frostings would be vanilla, with the cake being chocolate, if that matters.
3) Lastly, question about how to move forward due to weather conditions!
A)Making this cake for an outdoor birthday party – at this point anticipating around 80 degrees farenheit when the cake is initially placed outside in the early evening. Table will be under an awning, away from direct sunlight all day. Do you recommend refrigerating and/or freezing the cake before hand to prevent any degeneration? If so, for how long, and how should the cake be stored/covered in the fridge or freezer? Does this affect whether or not German buttercream should be used as a filling as it’s less stable?
B) I will also be placing a few pieces of fondant decorations on the cake. You recommended refrigerating overnight to another user…I’m planning on finishing making the cake two days before the event. Upon completions, csn you confirm the cake should be refrigerated overnight (with appropriate covering if needed?) then have the fondant pieces placed, then refrigerated (or frozen?) again until the following day when it will be placed outdoors in the heat and served at least 3 hours later to keep its’ shape?
And looks like I have a couple more question! I did order a candy thermometer, withoug realizing there is already a food thermometer in the house, though it looks like it’s made for meat. Will that suffice, or should I keep the candy thermometer?
And lastly (truly this time) I also tried a few chocolate cake recipes and did decide on one that was the overwhelming favorite. However, this fluffier, tastier winning recipe dried out the very next day (admittedly, I did not store and protect it properly), while the 2nd favorite remained moist for days despite my neglect. Will immediate covering with IMBC be able to lock in the moisture of the facorite cake even a couple days in advance of serving, or should I stick with the moister cake?
Thanks in advance for all your help and guidance!!
Hello Sunny! First of all, I wanted to tell you that you will not be disappointed with your decision to make Italian Meringue Buttercream. It is sublime – both in its taste and in how easy it is to work with. Now, to answer your questions…
1.) I’d suggest making 3 batches of Italian Meringue Buttercream. Two should be enough, but three will allow you extra, which is helpful for the errors and re-trys you are planning for.
2.) I think German Buttercream would make a delicious filling; however, Italian Meringue Buttercream is so tasty, it might not be worth the extra work of making two different buttercream.
3.a) Making cakes in the summer is always a challenge. I was a professional cake decorator for years and always used Italian Meringue Buttercream, even in extremely hot temperatures. Because of the amount of butter in the frosting, it will melt if it gets to hot, so keeping it cool is advisable. Here’s what I found to be the ideal situation: Whenever possible, I liked to set up and decorate the cake on site. I would coat each layer in buttercream and then freeze them. The day of the event, I’d transport the frozen layers along with everything I needed to decorate the cakes. Then, I’d assemble and decorate the cakes at the event. It generally took the cakes a few hours to thaw completely, so even when the weather was really warm, the cakes were usually ok to sit out for a while. One word of caution: I live in Colorado, where we have very little humidity. I honestly don’t know if condensation on a thawing frosted cake would be an issue in more humid areas. If you are in a humid area, and have time, I would test this method before the event. The other thing I’d suggest, is to just keep an eye on the cake. I had to ask a couple of brides to cut the cake earlier in the reception than they had planned simply because I could see that the frosting was getting too warm. There is, after all, only so much you can do.
3.b) Again, I am concerned about condensation building up between the frosting and fondant if you add the fondant and then freeze (or even refrigerate) the cake with the fondant on it. If possible, I’d suggest adding the fondant as close to the event as possible. If freezing the cake layers isn’t an option, refrigerating them for a couple of days will be fine as well. I usually stored cakes in cake boxes (purchased on Amazon or from a cake decorating store) for refrigerating or freezing them.
For your last couple of questions… It’s good that you ordered a candy thermometer. Meat thermometers don’t usually measure high enough temperatures. Frosting the cake with Italian Meringue buttercream should keep the cakes from drying out; although without knowing much about the chocolate cake recipe you are using, I can’t promise that. In case it’s useful, this is my absolute favorite chocolate cake recipe. I’ve made it many, many times, and know that it stays nice and moist for days. The recipe calls for it to be baked in a bundt pan, but I’ve baked it in round layers, square layers, cupcakes, and even as a sheet cake, and it always works out fine.
I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I’d love to know how the cake (and the buttercream) turn out! I’d even love to see a picture, if you’re so inclined. 🙂 Happy baking!
Hi Rebecca. I am making a birthday cake for my 8 year old. Is this recipe ok to use with coloring and piping? I am using a Wilton Spongebob mold. Do you think 1 batch will be enough or should I make more?
Hi Jessica! Yes – this buttercream is a dream to decorate with. I’ve used it to decorate countless birthday and wedding cakes over the years and wouldn’t dream of using anything else. Unless your cake pan is really large, I’m sure one batch will be enough. One batch will give you 7 cups, which is quite a bit. If you’re concerned about mistakes and want to make sure to have extra “just in case”, go ahead and make a second batch and then just freeze whatever you have left over. Let me know if you have any other questions. And, I’d love it if you’d let me know how the frosting – and the cake – comes out! Happy birthday to you 8 year old!
This really is the best buttercream I have ever made. This is the only recipe I will use from now on. Thank you!
★★★★★
I felt exactly the same way the first time I made it, over 20 years ago! I’m so glad you like this recipe! Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know. xo
Odd question, but after getting the peaks with the whites, and adding the syrup, are we still using the whisk attachment? Or when I incorporate the butter, should I be using the paddle? Probably doesn’t matter too much, but my peculiar cooking habits need to know. Amazing site and cannot wait to try many of your recipes.
This is a great question! I really try to make each recipe as detailed as possible, but every now and then a reader asks a question that makes me think of a detail I had not thought to add to the instructions. So, I really appreciate your question! Yes – continue to use the whisk attachment through the entire process. I’m excited for you to make this Italian Meringue Buttercream. Let me know if you have any other questions and I’d love to hear how it comes out for you! xo
I wants to add color to this frosting . I use Amer colors Will it change the consistency. I do orders and roses. thanks
Hi Kristin! Yes – you can add color to this buttercream! It shouldn’t change the consistency at all. xo
Thanks I have a different recipe for Italian meringue buttercream. My husband doesn’t like it because he said it taste like butter. And I’ve made it for 160 people for my nephews wedding and everyone said it was awesome. that recipe is 6 egg whites 1 cup of sugar 1/3 cup of water 1/4 cup of sugar goes into the egg whites with 3/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar and a little of salt. 4 sticks room temp unsalted butter. 1 tsp vanilla. Someone was saying that if you have more meringue you will have less buttery taste is that true. I am trying your recipe tonight. I have a baptism cake to make for my nephews daughter baptism Mach 17th they’re having 100 and some people.
★★★★★
I just made this IMBC recipe for the first time and the consistency looks fantastic. I tasted it and would like it to be a little more vanilla in flavor, can I added now that it’s at the proper consistency without making it watery? Thanks for this delicious recipe!!!
★★★★★
I am so glad this buttercream turned out well! You can add as much vanilla as you like. One of the best things about this buttercream is how well it incorporates other flavors. You can beat in melted chocolate, butterscotch or caramel sauce, pureed fruit, liquors… whatever you like! The key is to start by adding a small amount, taste, add more, and repeat until it has the flavor you want. What are you going to ice with your buttercream?
I’m making a wedding cake 4 layers of chocolate cake with chocolate mousse filling and two layers of almond cake with a raspberry purée filling. There are 4 couples (myself included) celebrating over 200 yrs of marriage on Valentines Day! This IMBC was on my 50th Anniversary cake and I decided to try it myself. Your directions and recipe was spot on! Thank You!
Rebecca, I just made a second batch of IMBC and it curdled so I put it in the fridge for awhile and when I went to beat it to smooth it out there is a lot of liquid in the bottom of the bowl and the mixture will not smooth out. What did I do wrong? Please help!
Help! I’ve began this recipe and as I’m incorporating the butter, it’s becoming very thin. Is there any saving it?
Hi Kelly! Since you left this comment yesterday, I’m guessing my response is a bit late… but it sounds like the meringue was still too warm when you were adding the butter. If you pop it in the refrigerator for a bit to firm it up, then continue beating it, it should be perfectly fine. Is that what you ended up doing? How did it come out???
I’ve never made IMBC before, and am curious about the high heat of the syrup. Why does it need to be so hot when added to the egg whites? Also, how long should it cool before adding the butter? Does it take 30 minutes, and hour, or more to get the egg white and syrup mixture back to room temp before adding the butter? Thanks in advance for any tips you can offer.
Hi Kristie! The sugar syrup needs to be hot enough to cook the egg whites and stabilize them quickly without deflating them. Some recipes for Italian Meringue Buttercream call for it to be cooked to 240 degrees, which will also work. I’ve just found that cooking them to between 246 and 250 creates more consistent stability.
To answer your second question, the egg whites need to beat until they are cool. How long this takes will depend on the temperature of your kitchen, but plan on about 30 minutes. If the meringue isn’t completely cool before adding the butter, the butter will just melt and you’ll end up with a soupy mess. If this happens, however, all is not lost! Just put the bowl in the refrigerator for a while to firm up the butter, then continue to beat until it gets creamy. When it comes to this buttercream, there are very few problems that more beating won’t solve. 🙂
I’m so excited for you to make this buttercream! It really is absolutely delicious and a dream to work with. Please let me know if you run into any difficulties or have any more questions! xoxo
Hi Rebecca!
Beautiful site – I just discovered it and I can’t wait to try the recipes! I do have one question/favor to ask regarding your Italian meringue buttercream recipe. I have pretty much converted to baking with a scale using weight measurements only and not volume (except teaspoons and tablespoons for things like vanilla, but even then I prefer weight be included as well).
Given the discrepancies and inconsistencies I have noticed (more and more recently) between the weight of one stick of butter vs. another (sometimes one stick weighing in at well over 4oz and sometimes well under), and the same issue with egg whites. Also, I think the standard weight for a cup of sugar is 198 grams, but again, different chefs might apply subtle varieties. So it would be SO awesome if you could provide all components of your recipe using the specific weight measurements that work best for you.
Kindly,
Rachel
Hi Rachel! Thank you for this request. I totally hear you about there being discrepancies on things like sticks of butter and eggs. I’m happy to offer the weighted measurements, however, for this buttercream, it really isn’t necessary. If you have a bit more of one ingredient than another, it won’t affect the finished buttercream. Even if you added quite a bit more sugar, the buttercream would turn out fine, it would just be sweeter. Adding a lot more butter or egg whites, would affect the finished product, but the slight discrepancies you’re likely to have between sticks of butter or one large egg white to another won’t be enough to make a difference here.
I’m so excited for you to make this buttercream! It really is absolutely delicious and a dream to work with. Please let me know if you run into any difficulties or have any more questions! xoxo
Thank you for this recipe. I screwed it up and only made four egg whites instead of nine and than the rest of the full batch and it tasted a lot like butter so I did another full batch and left half the butter out and then Incorporated both together and it turned out fabulous thank you so much for this recipe.
★★★★★
I love this story! Your experience demonstrates how forgiving Italian Meringue Buttercream is and also how with a little ingenuity, there are few culinary mistakes that can’t be rectified. Making another batch and incorporating the two instead of just starting over is ingenious. Thank you so much for sharing this with me! xo
I know you said this recipe will make about 7 cups of IMBC. Even if I were to halve the recipe, I would have some left over because I plan on making it for the filling for macarons. How long will the IMBC stay in the freezer? Would adding any additional flavorings affect how long it will keep in the freezer? Thanks in advance!
Hi Amita! Mmmmmmm, macarons. 😋 Italian Meringue Buttercream will keep in the freezer for at least 2 months, and I’ve kept it for as long as three. It’s awesome stuff to have on hand. Flavorings shouldn’t affect how long it will keep in the freezer. If you think about it, I’d love to see a picture of your macarons! What flavor are you making?
Can you substitute cocoa powder for the melted chocolate? I made this and it was awesome but it seemed like some of the chocolate solidified in the frosting when I tried piping with it and it kept clogging the tip. Wondering if cocoa powder will work better or will it e grainy?
Hi Cathy! I’ve never tried it with coco powder, but I think it would work. I’d suggest stirring a small amount of coco powder into a small amount of buttercream to test before mixing in enough for the whole batch. My concern would be that it might add a bitter element to the frosting. If that seems to be the case, add in a bit of powdered sugar as well, which should take care of it. If you try it, will you let me know how it works? I’d love to know if this was a good option! xo
I just want to thank you for this flawless recipe. My first time making Italian buttercream and it was exceptional. Can you believe I used a hand held mixer???!!!!! I prepped everything first so I did not have to stop the mixing process. I decided to add Raspberry’s that I puréed . Wow. Thank you for having this gift that you share.
★★★★★
Hi Lisa! Thank you so much for your comment! I am so glad this recipe worked well for you and that your Buttercream was a hit. I can’t believe you used a hand held mixer! That is amazing to know and will hopefully encourage others without a standing mixer to go ahead and give it a go. Your kind words mean more than I can say. Please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you! xo
I used this recipe and added fresh strawberry puree based on your instructions for my nephew’s 5th bday bicycle cake. It turned out beautiful!!!! (I just slightly reduced the sugar since it was for kids).
Now its time for my husband’s 30th birthday cake. I am doing an open book cake and am thinking of doing a pineapple buttercream. how you tried that before? would you be able to provide details on what kind of pineapple to use and in what quantity?
Thanks a ton for this versatile recipe!
★★★★★
Hi Mansi! I’m so glad your Strawberry Italian Meringue Buttercream turned out well! And, a bicycle cake sounds so intriguing… do you have a picture you could send to me? I’d love to see it!
I’ve never added pineapple to Italian Meringue Buttercream, but now I’m dying to try it because it sounds so delicious! Here’s what I’d suggest: Pureed fresh pineapple should work well IF the pineapple is ripe and sweet. I’m not sure where you are in the world, but here in Colorado, there’s no guarantee that fresh pineapple is going to taste sweet and flavorful. Sometimes it does, and sometimes not so much. 🙂 So, I’d have a can of pineapple on hand just in case. Or, just go with the canned pineapple in the first place. Puree it just like you did with the strawberries and then add a bit at a time. The goal with adding fruit purees to IBM is to add as much flavor as possible without watering the buttercream down. If you really want to add a boost of pineapple flavor, you could even add a few drops of Pineapple Flavoring.
Let me know how it goes and if you have any more questions! xo
I am so excited to try your Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting recipe! I have been asked to make some cupcakes for a friend’s son’s wedding, 250 cupcakes, to be precise! I have never done anything on this scale before, never more than one batch of 24, so you can imagine I’m feeling just a little nervous! My biggest concern is that I will be making the cupcakes over a period of 2 days, say Wednesday and Thursday, and icing them (complete with nonpareils and ‘glitter’ on Friday. I will be driving them to their destination on Saturday, arriving Saturday evening. The wedding is scheduled for 11:30 Sunday morning, with the reception to follow immediately following. My question is: will the icing and decorations stay stable from Friday until Sunday if they are kept cool, say around 70 degrees? I am in a bit of a rush for the answer as the wedding is this weekend. Thank you so, so much!
How exciting!I think the cupcakes will be fine. The closer you can bake, ice and decorate them to the wedding, the better. So, if possible, I’d suggest baking them on Friday and icing them on Saturday. You can make the buttercream on Friday, even, refrigerating it overnight. Let it come to room temperature and beat it for a few minutes to restore it’s creaminess. To speed it to room temperature, you can put the bowl of buttercream in a larger bowl filled with hot water. The butter in the buttercream will melt on the outside of the bowl, and the inside will still be solid. This is ok. Beating will mix the melted parts with the solid and it will all come back together. Of course, if you have time Saturday morning to make the buttercream and ice the cupcakes, then you won’t have to deal with bringing it back to room temperature. Just giving you an option. 🙂
All that to say, that if you do need to ice the cupcakes on Friday and store them, I think they’ll be fine. Keep as cool as possible. I’d also suggest adding the glitter and nonpareils at the reception site. My concern is that if they sit on the buttercream for too long it will seep into the frosting, or at least bleed into it a bit. Is it possible to decorate them once you get there?
Hi,
I am making a double layer sheet cake for my son’s wedding engagement party. (I’m using your Best Vanilla Cake Recipe) The party is this Saturday. What would be my time line to frost the cake? Can I make the buttercream in advance, put it in the fridge, , decorate the cake Thursday or Friday, then refrigerate it until Saturday?
Also, how far in advance can I make the cakes?
Thank you so much!
Hi Laurie! Congratulations to your son! And kudos to you for making the cake! You can make the buttercream as far in advance as you like. The only important thing to remember when you make it ahead of time is to allow the buttercream time to come back to room temperature. The easiest way to accomplish this by letting it sit out on the countertop for several hours, or even overnight. Once it’s at room temperature beat it for several minutes to make sure it’s homogenous and creamy. If you need to bring the buttercream to room temperature more quickly, there are some instructions at the end of the recipe for options on how to do that.
You can make the cake up to 3 days ahead of time and it will still taste moist and delicious. If you freeze the layers, you can make it further in advance than that. In fact, I often freeze cake layers before decorating them simply because it makes frosting them easier. Regardless, you could frost the cake on Thursday or Friday and as long as it’s refrigerated until Saturday, it will be perfectly fine. If it were me, I’d make the cake layers on Thursday and decorate on Friday, just so that everything is as fresh as possible. But, baking the layers on Wednesday and decorating on Thursday will be work well also.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! Happy baking! I’d LOVE to see a picture of the decorated cake!
I’ve been dying to try IMBC for ages and I loved seeing this site. But I forgot the directions on my desk and decided I knew it well enough. I went back to look afterwards and I did everything wrong!! And it still came out PERFECT. My egg whites and butter were room temp, but after that things went haywire. I didn’t have cream of tarter, so I added a couple of drops of lemon juice. I heated the sugar syrup (2 cups sugar and half cup water because I was winging it from ‘memory’) to well over 250 (more like 262, but decided to drizzle it in anyway. Then I DID let it cool about 20 minutes until the bottom of the bowl was cool and started adding the 4 sticks (yes I know) to the fluff. I shut off the beater and didn’t think that it was smooth enough to pipe, so I turned it back on high for about 15 seconds and it tightened up perfectly! It Generously frosted 3 dozen large cupcakes. I can’t wait for another good excuse to bake cake!! Absolutely the best frosting I’ve ever had in my life. I’ll never go back to American BC again.
Hi Carol! This is the best comment! I just love that you made so many “mistakes” and the buttercream still came out perfectly. It’s such a great example of how forgiving this frosting is. I hope your comment encourages others who might be hesitating to jump in and make it! I felt the same as you the first time I ever made Italian Meringue Buttercream – that I’d never make American buttercream again. Thank you for taking the time to leave this comment! xo
Hi Rebecca….I will be making your IMB to frost your best vanilla cake recipe. I am wanting to pipe a trout (fish) design onto wax paper (so I can trace a pattern), freeze, then transfer the design onto the top of the frosted cake. My question is, do you think this fish design will hold up after being frozen, transferred, and then thawed. I’m afraid it might separate or the colors will bleed as the design thaws out on top of the cake. My skills aren’t good enough to pipe right onto the cake directly as I need it to look like a fish. I don’t have any experience with fondant. If you don’t think it would thaw good, I could just frost the overall cake with your frosting and do the fish design with a simple shortening frosting.
Hi Lee! Italian Meringue Buttercream freezes solid, so I think transferring a frozen buttercream fish to the cake will work, but I do have a few concerns. First of all, I’d be worried that the fish might crack or break in the transfer. Second, as you already mentioned, there might be some color bleeding that happens as the fish thaws.
Honestly, I’d suggest making the fish with royal icing. Most cake decorating supply shops cary packets of royal icing powder that you simply mix with water. Fill a pastry bag that’s fitted with a very small tip with the royal icing and pipe out the outline of the fish first. Then, you can fill in the rest of the shape. Royal icing is a bit runny – so outlining the design first is helpful. It dries fairly quickly, so you can add other colors and details over the top if you like. What do you think?
Hello again!!
I’m about to embark on this frosting. Any suggestions how much cream cheese to add to make a cream cheese version?
Hi there! About the cream cheese…. don’t add any. I’ve tried it, and it’s not good. 🙂 It’s one of those things that sounds like a good idea, but in reality, is not. I mean, I have seen recipes that add cream cheese to IMB, so I assume there are people out there that like it. So, perhaps I’m being to hasty. But… I’m not a fan. There’s already so much butter in Italian Meringue; because cream cheese is just too much like butter, it ends up being way too heavy and almost pasty.
If you want a great cream cheese buttercream recipe, might I suggest the one I used on this Red Velvet cake? It’s not too sweet (because I hate super sweet frosting) and super creamy and buttery.
Can I substitute erythritol for the sugar?
This recipe is perfect and taste great.
★★★★★
Yeah! I’m so glad to hear that you like this recipe – and the buttercream! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know!
Hi, I really want to try the salted caramel flavor. My question is, can I add blue food coloring to this to make a light blue color? I’m looking to make a bubble guppies cake and worried that the caramel color might not work with the blue I’m trying to achieve. Do you know how much that will mess with the color?
Hi Melissa! I’ve honestly never tried to color the salted caramel buttercream, so I’m not sure it would work. However, you are correct to wonder how the color of the caramel will react with the blue. My guess is that you’ll end up with a brownish blue color. If you want a bright blue color, you’ll probably need to stick to vanilla or white chocolate. However – you could fill the cake with Salted Caramel pastry cream and serve it with a drizzle of salted caramel sauce. For the salted caramel pastry cream, don’t add the whipped cream at the end; if you do, the filling will be to soft for a cake filling. Does that help? xo
Is this a scalable recipe? I’m trying to make it 1/3 size. I cut all ingredients by 1/3 based on weight. It seems to turn out like whipped butter. The meringue broke while adding the butter but then eventually it came back a bit I guess but it still seems to tast mostly like butter.
Hi Nathan! This might sound like weird advice, but I’d suggest adding a bit more butter. It sounds to me like the meringue and butter haven’t quite emulsified, which can cause the buttercream to taste too much like butter. If this is what’s happened to you, beating in a bit more room temperature butter will help. Add one tablespoon at a time, beating as you do, and tasting often. Will you let me know if that works?
Hi!
I am wanting to make lemon flavored Italian Meringue Frosting. How much lemon zest should I use? I am also wanting to add either lemon juice or extract, which one and how much do you suggest?
Tammy
Hi Tammy! I would actually suggest adding a combination of lemon curd, lemon extract, and lemon zest. I’d start by adding about 1/2 cup of lemon curd and 1 teaspoon of lemon extract and lemon zest. Blend it in to the buttercream, taste, and keep adding more until it’s as lemony as you like it. You can probably add up to a cup of lemon curd before it starts to mess with the buttercream’s consistency. And, if you want a strong lemon flavor, you might add up a full tablespoon of lemon extract. Does that help? Please let me know if you have any questions and I’d love to hear how this comes out for you!
Hello Rebecca!
I love this Italian meringue recipe you have here and your blog is a great source of amazing recipes:)!
I just recently posted a small batch cream cheese frosting recipe on my blog and I made sure to link back to this Italian meringue recipe in case my readers were curious about how to make it!!
Hope you have a great rest of your day!
★★★★★
Thank you so much! I appreciate the shout out! Happy Baking! xo
I had never made an Italian Meringue Buttercream before this. I had watched many baking shows where this was made, but stuck to the same old royal icing I had always known. This seemed intimidating, but wasn’t once I made it. I made the blackberry for the lemon layer cake and that was the part of the cake that everyone talked about. I have enough leftover that I can make something else with it for easter. Not sure I’ll ever go back to the other frosting. I’ll make this every time! Definitely versatile, especially with all the suggested flavors!
I absolutely LOVE this comment, Suzanne! You expressed my exact feelings the first time I made Italian Meringue Buttercream, which is why it’s pretty much the only frosting I’ve used for over 20 years. I’m so glad you took the plunge and gave this buttercream a try! xo
Can I make this using salted butter instead of unsalted?
Hi Mandy! From time to time, I substitute one of the sticks of unsalted butter for salted butter, but one stick is as much salted butter as I would use. Using all salted butter will make this buttercream taste quite salty. I really like higher salt content in sweet foods, but more than one stick of salted butter is too much even for me. Please let me know if you have any other questions! xo
Hi there – planning on making the icing this weekend. I’m getting married next August and will be baking my own 5 tier wedding cake…. so am practicing well in advance (with birthday cakes etc!).
Also any recommendations for sturdy doweling would be much appreciated…
I’m based in the UK – are the temperature suggestions in F or C?
Hi Samantha! Congratulations on you upcoming marriage! I’m so impressed that you’re making your own wedding cake! Yes – the temperature suggestions are in F. For Celsius, you’ll want to cook the sugar syrup to 120 C. Other than that, just be sure to read through all the instructions before you begin and I think you’ll be fine. Italian Meringue Buttercream seems complicated at first, but once you make it, you’ll realize it’s quite simple. The most important thing to pay attention to is temperature. With all that butter in the recipe, most of the problems people have with it is because the butter is too cold or to warm.
As far as dowels are concerned, these are the dowels I have in my kitchen right now. Personally, I like to use dowels that are quite thick and sturdy. That may not be necessary… I would just rather be safe than sorry. 🙂
Please let me know if you have any other questions along the way! And, after the wedding, if you think about it, I would absolutely LOVE to see a picture of your wedding cake! xo
Hello, like everyone else, I’m loving your recipe for IMB, which seems easier than SMB and FMB. However, I can never seem to find the answer to my question. After decorating my cakes and cupcakes, how long can I leave them sitting on the counter? Most storage questions seem to refer to taking the cake outside. However, I would just really like to know how long I can leave frosted cupcakes on the counter. Like, if I frost them on Friday, can they sit out until Monday afternoon safely? With American buttercream, to sugar safeguards against bacteria growing, but there is not as much sugar in this recipe comparatively. I also don’t have fridge space to store a 3 tier cake in the fridge, or 2 dozen cupcakes. Thank you!
Hi Marsha! So, probably you’re having trouble finding the answer to your question because no one wants to stick their neck out and say that you can leave it out at room temperature for a few days because of all that butter. But, you totally can. There’s a lot of conflicting information out there about whether it’s safe to leave butter out at room temperature, but I can tell you from personal experience that I’ve left cakes frosted with IMB out on the counter for 3 days (probably longer) and they’ve been perfectly fine.
The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that most cakes start to get a bit stale tasting after sitting out at room temperature for more than 2 days. But in all the years of making this frosting (over 20!), I’ve never once had an issue with leaving it out for a few days. One word of caution: the butter will melt if it gets too warm in your house. But, as long as your house stays (roughly) under 78 degrees, you’ll be fine.
Please let me know if you have any other questions! I’m so glad you like this recipe! xo
As promised, this is my new favorite kind of icing! I love an excuse to make it even just for making cupcakes from a box! My favorite flavor so far has been the strawberry champagne from the Champagne Cake recipe. ABSOLUTELY the best! I’ve done some troubleshooting with it, thought I completely lost it a few times, but it always comes back if you beat it into submission. It’s been very forgiving for this novice baker 🙂
★★★★★
It’s forgiving nature is one of my favorite things about it. It can almost always be saved. And, I’m with you about the strawberry champagne flavor. That might just be my favorite as well. Although, I really love the pistachio flavor. And the Chai. (Really, I love them all.) Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! xo
I made Italian meringue buttercream, for the first time, last night. I only flavored it with vanilla, but used salted butter, instead of unsalted. It was absolutely, unbelievably delicious and when slathered onto a butter pecan cake, did give it an almost salted-caramel taste. I know every recipe I’ve ever seen, for this type of frosting, calls for unsalted butter, but I love the salty-sweet taste combination so much, that I may never make it that way. I could see using just 1/2 or 1/3 salted butter, with the rest unsalted, though — depending on what flavor of cake it’s going to be on. Have you ever used salted butter in yours?
Hi Luna! I am so glad to hear that you liked this Buttercream! And I LOVE the idea of slathering it on a butter pecan cake! YUM!!! I actually usually add one or two sticks of salted butter because I am a salt fiend. I’ve considered adding a note in the the recipe about doing that for other salty-sweet fanatics like you and me. After your comment, I think I might. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! xo
Hi! I made this buttercream last night and put it in the fridge, my question is, once it comes back to room temperature, should I give it a whisk in the mixer again?
Yes! Absolutely! You don’t really have to be afraid of over-beating Italian Meringue Buttercream. When in doubt, beat! 🙂
Wow! I was SO intimidated to make this and turns out…it’s not that hard! And oh boy, talk about light, fluffy and delicious! Big hit for those who prefer less sweet frosting. Great recipe!
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I am SO glad to hear this Nancy! I want to copy and past your words to the beginning of the post because I am always trying to convince people to try Italian Meringue Buttercream saying, “Just trust me. It’s not that hard.” 🙂 I’m thrilled that your frosting turned out well and that everyone liked it. Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know! And thanks for participating in the Bake Club! xo
Your directions speak of making a syrup using 1-1/4 cups sugar and adding 1/3 cup sugar to make the meringue. However, your recipe for print shows 2-3/4 cups sugar. I don’t see any further use for the extra sugar mentioned in the ingredients list. Is this is typo?
Thanks!
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Hi Carolyn! I believe you’ve uncovered a weird glitch in the recipe plug-in I’m using. The recipe does say to use 1 & 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar – unless you click on the little button (1x, 2x, 3x) to double or triple the ingredients. Clicking on those buttons messes up the original ingredient amounts. When I clicked on the button to double the ingredients and then went back to the original amounts, the sugar showed up as 2 & 3/4 cups, when it should be 1 & 1/4 cups. So sorry about that! I’ve submitted a support ticket to the developers of the recipe plug-in asking them to take a look. But, in the meantime – the ingredients should be:
½ cup water
1¼ cup plus ⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cream of tartar
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
6 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I’d love to hear how your buttercream comes out!
xo
Thanks for straightening this up. Of course, I’ll let you know the outcome!
Can I ice the cake in italian buttercream then freeze the whole thing, and ensure i taker it out 1 day before eating? I am thinking of using it for a semi-naked cake which I am trying to make in advance
Hi Marina! Yes! You can freeze a cake that’s been covered in Italian Meringue Buttercream for up to 3 months. The only thing to pay attention to when the cake is thawing is condensation. If you notice little drops of water forming on the buttercream as the cake thaws, just use a tissue or paper towel to gently blot the little drops and you’ll be good to go. Depending not he size of the cake, you’ll only need about 4 hours for the cake to thaw completely. Please let me know if you have any more questions! xo
Thank you so much!
Can I use icing sugar (powdered sugar) for the buttercream or is that risky considering the cornstarch and anti-caking agent that icing sugar normally has?
Hello, I’m glad I stumbled on your page whilst looking for storage instruction for ISMBC. I only use ISMBC since learning how to make it at a Japanese buttercream flower class 3yrs ago. It beats the taste of ordinary buttercream hands down. Plus I don’t have to deal with icing sugar dust mess (and getting it down my lungs, lol!)
I have cakes for pick up next Tues, Fri and a cake class on Saturday. I want to see if I can make a batch of ISMBC to use for all. From what you say, I should be able to keep in fridge for a week and just whisk batch I need when I want to use. Is it possible to fill cakes with ISMC, ganache and leave in fridge till I cover cakes with fondant a day before pickup (saving having to whisk up cake batches)? or will filling separate in ganached cake (as it does in storage container in fridge)?
Hi Funmi! You should be able to fill and frost your cakes up to 2 days in advance, store them in the refrigerator, and they’ll be fine. The only thing I would be careful about is condensation building up between the buttercream and the fondant. To avoid this, I’d suggest allowing the frosted cake time to come to room temperature before covering it in fondant. Does that answer your question? xo
Hi Rebecca, thank you for your reply. I meant ganached cake (I dont cover with buttercream). Will ganache and filling be ok inside fridge and how long in advance can I keep pls. I cover in fondant day before collection. Hope this is ok
Hi Funmi! I think a cake covers in ganache will be fine kept in the fridge for a day or two. I don’t think I would try and keep it for longer than 2 days, but see no reason why it wouldn’t keep well until then. Please let me know if you have any more questions! xo
Thanks Rebecca. I kept ganached cake refrigerated a day before covering and delivering the cake and it was fine. Thanks so much for your advice x
Hi Rebecca, My niece has asked me to make her wedding cake. I am a novice baker, so I’ve been doing a lot of reading regarding different types of buttercream icing. I decided to try your recipe, because it sounded amazing!
I have made your IMBC icing twice, but each time the mixture becomes very thin when I start to add the butter. On the 2nd attempt, I actually measured the temperature of the egg whites (70 degrees F), and the butter was at room temperature (soft but not melting). I was able to rescue it by putting it in the refrigerator for a bit, but am wondering what I could/should do differently.
I also made some sample cupcakes, so the bride and her family could taste the IMBC. It seems like they all had he same questions/comments. Did you use sugar? This has a weird fatty texture in my mouth. Is it possible to sweeten the IMBC, so it is somewhere between IMBC and ABC? What about the fatty/oily texture?
I love your blog, and appreciate the information and your assistance.
Thanks in advance, Gwen
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Hi Gwen! Thank you so much for reaching out! It sounds like the butter isn’t completely emulsifying into the meringue for some reason. Let’s trouble shoot! First of all, it could be that you’re adding the butter too quickly. When you add the butter to the egg whites, you are creating an emulsion. To do this effectively, it’s important to only add a couple of tablespoons of butter at a time, making sure that it incorporates completely before adding more. Another thing that might be happening is that the sugar syrup isn’t getting to 248 degrees. Are you using a candy thermometer to check the temperature of the sugar syrup? Is it possible that the thermometer isn’t quite accurate? Just two ideas that might help us narrow down the problem. I’m confident we can figure it out! xoxo
Hi!
I can’t wait to make this cake for my daughter’s friend’s wedding. I just don’t see anywhere how to make the Champagne Flavor frosting. Do I boil down the Champagne and use it instead of the water that is called for in the recipe?
Thanks so much! and I just love your page 🙂
Hi Lynne! I have instructions for making Champagne Italian Meringue Buttercream in this recipe for Champagne Cake: https://ofbatteranddough.com/champagne-cake-champagne-italian-meringue-buttercream/
BUT, I should totally include those instructions on this page as well! I don’t know why I haven’t done that yet, but adding it now. Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment for me! Please let me know if you have any more questions! xo
So Good! My new favorite and with your detailed instructions and my new found patience it turned out perfectly! BFF and thank you!
I am so happy to hear that this recipe worked well for you Valarie! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! I appreciate it so much. xoxo
I live in Colorado at about 6200 feet. I have found that candy recipes cannot be cooked as high as the temperature calls for in the recipe or it will be rock hard! What alteration would you suggest for the final temperature of the sugar syrup at this altitude? Thank you for your help, your directions are amazing!
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Hi Sharon! I live in Colorado too! We are in the Denver metro area, so not quite 6200 feet, but I’ve never once had any issue with the sugar syrup and I’ve made Italian Meringue Buttercream hundreds and hundreds of times over the past 20+ years. Having said that, you can get away with cooking the sugar syrup to as low as 230 degrees. Since you’ve had issues with sugar syrups getting to hard in the past, I’d suggest cooking it to 230 degrees max and you should be fine. Will you keep me updated? And, please let me know if you have any other questions! xoxo
thanks for your knowledge, I will try with my bakery!!!
It’s very helpful to find some recipe of buttercream that can frosting out leave in room temp.
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You are most welcome! Please let me know how this buttercream comes out for you! xo
I have 1 more question, for your recipe. how much the cake can I use for decorate, 1 or 2 ponds??
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This recipe makes 7 cups of Buttercream, Noon. How far that will go, will depend on how thickly you want to frost your cakes, but for me it’s enough for a 12-inch layer cake or about 32 cupcakes. I hope that helps! xo
Hi,
Are all of the flavoring options added at the very end, after the butter has been totally incorporated?
Just asking, because I’m interested in making the White Chocolate option, and it says to melt the chocolate, then let cool to room temperature. When it cools to room temperature, won’t it be too hard?
Thank you for a delicious looking recipe. I will let you know how the White Chocolate version comes out! 🙂
Hi there! I can see where that might be a bit confusing…. Yes, you do want to add any flavoring ingredients to the Italian Meringue Buttercream at the very end, after the butter is fully incorporated. The important thing about adding the melted white chocolate is that it not be warm, or it will melt the butter. So heat it gently, stirring often, just until it’s melted. Then, let it cool, stirring every now and then. When it’s still melted, but also not warm to the touch, go ahead and add it to the buttercream.
If the chocolate is too warm when you add it, and the butter starts to melt, no worries! Just beat the chocolate into the buttercream until it’s fully incorporated and then put it in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to firm up the butter. Re-beat it for a couple of minutes and you should be golden. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And, I can’t wait to hear what you think! xo
I tried my hand at this buttercream and it was a disaster. I have no idea why! The cake was amazing, but when it came to the frosting when it came time to add the butter into the meringue it turned into soup. I threw it out, ran to the store for more butter, started over again, and the exact same thing happened… What in the world was I doing wrong?
Hi Kj! Thanks so much for reaching out with your question. It’s so frustrating when something like this doesn’t turn out well. My first thought is that the meringue was too warm when you added the butter. The meringue has to be completely cool or it will melt the butter and turn into soup. Do you think that might have been the issue?
Holy mackerel! I made this with the champagne reduction and it is absolutely dreamy. It will be paired with your champagne cake, cream cheese mousse and strawberry filling. It’s the second time I have attempted meringue buttercream. It will be a regular recipe from now on. Yummy!
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Hi Michelle! I am so happy to hear that you like this recipe! Italian Meringue Buttercream is my all-time favorite frosting. Although, I finally did make an American Buttercream that I like as well. If you’re ever in a pinch and need to make frosting fast, you might want to give it a try. A champagne cake made with cream cheese mousse and strawberry filling sounds incredible! I would love to see a picture, if you’re inclined to share! xo
I really loved this recipe and your explanation of steps. This icing can be very intimidating.
My only real question is how much vanilla to add? I used your 1 1/2 teaspoons to every cup (I read you said this recipe makes 7 cups) also added a little lemon. I still felt like it needed more flavor to cut some of the butter. Do you have any tips on how much to add for vanilla?
Thank you so much!!
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Hi there! You can add as much vanilla as you like to this buttercream. One of the best things about Italian Meringue Buttercream is how well it incorporates flavorings. You can go as far as adding several tablespoons of liquor, cups of fruit puree, or several ounces of melted chocolate. I usually suggest adding flavorings bit by bit so you can taste as you go and also watch the consistency. The buttercream will accept a lot of flavoring, but there will come a point when too much is too much. 🙂 Please let me know if you have any other questions! xo
Hi Rebecca,
Im so excited to try this recipe for Christmas. I have a quick question regarding the butter content. I made a swiss meringue buttercream frosting once and i felt the butteriness was over powering. Would this frosting come together just the same if I reduced the butter to 1 pound? Also I plan on making this a 3 tier 8 inch cake. Will this frosting recipe be enough to frost the whole thing? Thank you.
Hi Elva! I’m excited for you to try this for Christmas as well! There is a lot of butter in there… it’s not called buttercream for nothing. 🙂 I wouldn’t recommend reducing the butter, but it is really important to add it slowly so that it fully emulsifies. When Italian Meringue Buttercream tastes too “buttery”, usually it’s because the butter hasn’t completely emulsified into the meringue. Essentially, what you end up with in that case is layers of meringue and butter, with the taste of the butter coming through too strongly. Just add the butter bit by bit to the meringue once it’s fully cool and the result should be a creamy buttercream that doesn’t taste like eating a stick of butter. 🙂
This recipe makes about 7 cups of buttercream, so I think you’ll have plenty. When you say “3 tiers”, do you mean three layers of cake or three layer cakes stacked on top of each other?
Thank you Rebecca! It makes a lot of sense. So how slow are we talking about? I guess it’s kinda hard to judge if the butter is fully emulsified or not when you are blending them. I have a kitchen aid pro mixer. Is there a mixing time for every oz of butter that goes in? And yes 3 layers is what I meant. 3 tier is way too ambitious! lol
You are most welcome! I’d suggest beating the butter in with your mixer at medium-high to high speed, adding 2 or 3 tablespoons at a time, and letting the mixer beat for roughly 30 seconds after each addition. One thing you don’t have to be afraid of with this buttercream is over beating. So, when in doubt, let it beat longer. 🙂
Thanks for the clarification on the size of the cake you’re making. 🙂 One recipe of this buttercream will give you plenty for an 8-inch three layer cake. You might even have some left over. If so, it freezes really well.
Just let me know if you have any other questions along the way! xo
Will do! Thanks again.
Can this recipe be cut in half? I only have a 4 1/2 quart mixer? Thank you.
Hi Dar! Yes – you can cut this recipe in half. Since it’s hard to cut an egg white in half, I’d suggest just using 5. For the sugar, use 1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp when making the sugar syrup, and 3 tbsp added to the egg whites. Your 4 1/2 quart mixer might be just fine making the full recipe… but, it’s probably good to test it with a half batch first. Then you should be able to judge whether it looks like it might hold the full amount the next time you make a batch. Let me know how it comes out for you! xo
For making the caramel buttercream, how would it be if I added brown sugar instead of granulated sugar in the recipe?
Hi Lane! I wouldn’t recommend using brown sugar because it tends to burn easily. Granulated sugar can be cooked to much higher temperatures before burning. Please let me now if you have any more questions, and I’d love to hear how your cake and buttercream come out! xo