CakeLove Italian Meringue Buttercream
Source of Recipe
Warren Brown in Cuisine at Home Magazine, December 2006
Recipe Introduction
This was my first try at Italian Meringue Buttercream and I was surprised and thrilled at how well it turned out. The texture and flavor were wonderful and I'll be making this again and again! The timing of this frosting is very important. Whip the whites when the syrup is almost ready. It will only take a minute to get the whites to the right consistancy, so don't start them too early; they shouldn't sit for more than two minutes. Also, the butter really HAS to be room temperature. I didn't have enough extra-fine sugar, so I just buzzed some regular sugar in the blender until it was the consistancy of fine sand.
List of Ingredients
BUTTERCREAM:
1 c. + 1/4 c. extra-fine granulated sugar, divided
1/4 c. water
5 egg whites
4 sticks sweet butter, cut into tablespoon pieces, ROOM TEMPERATURE
CHOCOLATE FLAVORING:
1/2 c. melted and cooled semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 t. vanilla extract (add to buttercream, NOT chocolate)
Recipe
Boil the 1 c. of sugar and water over medium heat until it reaches 245 degrees. Before it hits 245, white the egg whites with the wire whip in a stand mixer on high until they reach the stiff peak stage. Add the 1/4 c. sugar to the egg whites and beat slightly to incorporate the sugar.
With the mixer still running on high, SLOWLY pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites in a steady stream. Aim the syrup between the wire whip and the side of the mixing bowl. You now need to incorporate the ingredients and cool down the meringue - continue to whip at high speed for 10-12 minutes until the outside of the mixing bowl is room temperature. The meringue should be thick and shiny.
Beat in the butter by tablespoon, taking about 2 minutes to finish. The butter will deflate the meringue slightly, this is fine. Mix the chocolate and vanilla in, if desired.
Makes 5 c.
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