Swiss meringue buttercream - why I have I never made this before ?

[CMOTdibbler]

Cos it is bloomin gorgeous - light, not sickly, pipes like a dream, lovely and shiny. DH doesn't like icing normally, but was hoovering it up.

Is it some sort of secret I've not been let in on before, or is is a not normally known thing >

What is this? Why have I never heard of it?? I think I need the recipe please, so I can try it for myself and verify its deliciousness.....

They use it a lot in American baking. I frost coconut cake with it. It does tend to 'evaporate' over time- it seems to sink and thin if kept for 2-4 days on cake top. But is so gorgeous, it usually gets eaten long before.
I use Italian meringue method to make baked meringue too.

I'll see if I can keep some cupcakes long enough to check the evaporating issue

I used this recipe.

My initial search was for italian meringue frosting, but this didn't require a sugar thermometer, which I have currently lost, so gave it a try

Sounds nice but at the website using the phrase "those naughty calories"

Does the butter have to be at room temperature?

Thanks for the link, will definitely try this.

Yeah, I know. Boakworthy. Can't bear 'naughty' or 'cheeky' in relation to food or drink

SOmeone at my works insists that a "cheeky half" is a way of saying "a pint".

Butter needs to be softish, but may not be critical. Mine wasn't at room temp exactly, but left out in bits for maybe half an hour (ie had put cakes in oven, weighed out butter, washed up mixer, drank tea, took cakes out, did the meringue bit)

Only time a half could possibly be cheeky, is at a beer festival when you have a pint glass, ask for a half, and you get 3/4 of a pint despite being lined.

Oooh this is interesting. I made a similar sort of icing (only it was called boiled icing) but you add the boiling sugar syrup to whisked egg whites to make the "meringue".

It was just - amazing.

If you've got a sugar thermometer, this is a great step-by-step guide to Italian Buttercream

King Arthur Flour's Italian Buttercream tutorial

All their blog posts are great. I can attribute at least half a stone of excess chump to reading them, and then having to go and try them out.

Yes it is similar to boiled icing/frosting. I love this because as said by OP, it is less sickly.

Never made such a frosting but may now - saw this on a foodnetwork programme where in US a baker made a wait for it....

An apple pie cooked within a vanilla cake! Then a pecan pie cooked within a chocolate cake - then used loads of the frosting to sandwich them together and coat it all over - cover with sprinkles and hey presto - a one million calorie cake!! The pies were part cooked before - pastry and all!!!!

that sounds amazing. American baking does have a totally different approach to calorie content.

Traditional British cake: plain sponge with miserly layer of jam, and maybe some icing sugar dusted on top. Served with small fork, cup of tea, and catsbumface.

Traditional US cake: four-layer chocolate cake with frosting between each layer, frosting all round the sides, and on top, with big frosting rosettes and grated chocolate stuck to the sides. Served with defibrilliator.

I love US baking sites. If I lived in Texas, I'd have to be cut out of my house, clutching my Kitchenaid as I went.

Oh I love a proper British sponge, catsbumface and all :)

I know. I do too. I'm only teasing the thing I love the most. You can't beat simple, resourceful British baking that doesn't need mad add-ons, like Welsh cakes or shortbread or a really perfect light sponge. Or parkin, or gingerbread, or scones.

there's just something so technicolor about American cake sites and their glossy, architectural creations. I know, I'm just a jam tart.

The cake was about 2 foot high - the Americans must think our cakes are just titchy but soooooooooooooooooooo cute!!

On a business trip one of my colleagues brought in some left over birthday cake and I couldn't mange to eat all the frosting stuff far too sweet and usually I can wolf down most baking!

Me too wildfig.

My problem is having the internet - without it I wouldn't find myself making bloody 3 layer cakes with boiled icing, which I did in the summer. It was outstandingly amazing - BUT when I worked it out it was approx 900 calories per slice.

Was in a US office!

shirley [looks at thighs. Looks at Favourites list. Nods sadly.]

the thing about home baking is that it doesn't come with that pesky nutritional info box on the side, which logically means there are no calories in it.