Italian Buttercream Icing Recipes

ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING RECIPE

Steps:

• Combine the water and 1 1/4 cups (250g) 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° F (120 - 121.1° C).
• 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 1/3 cup (67g) 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 meringue is ready, before the syrup, continue to beat the egg whites with the mixer on the lowest speed until the syrup is between 248 and 250° F (120 - 121.1 ° C). 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 1/3 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 tablespoons (28g) 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.)
• After the butter has been fully incorporated, you can add any flavor additions you like. (See the list of flavor ideas above.) At this point the buttercream is ready to use. If you'd like to store it for future use, see the notes below.

ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and 2/3 cup water to a boil. Continue boiling until syrup reaches 238 degrees on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage).
• Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry; do not overbeat.
• With mixer running, add syrup to whites in a stream, beating on high speed until no longer steaming, about 3 minutes. Add butter bit by bit, beating until spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes; beat in vanilla. If icing curdles, keep beating until smooth.

ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Pour egg whites into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, increase speed to medium-high, and beat until stiff peaks form.
• Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cook until syrup reads 240 degrees F (115 degrees C) on a candy thermometer or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a soft ball that flattens when placed on a flat surface.
• Increase mixer speed to high and pour syrup in a slow and steady stream down the side of the bowl, beating until meringue is no longer steaming, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in butter one cube at a time until buttercream reaches a soft and spreadable consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in vanilla extract.

ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In a saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring just enough to dissolve the sugar. Heat to between 223 and 234 degrees F (106 to 112 degrees C), or until a small amount of syrup dripped from a spoon forms a soft thread. It should take 1 or 2 minutes.
• When the sugar mixture has reached the thread stage, remove it from the heat and set aside. Whip the egg whites in a large bowl with an electric mixer. When the whites can hold a stiff peak, pour in the sugar syrup in a thin stream while continuing to whip at medium speed. Be careful not to pour too quickly, or it will all end up at the bottom of the bowl. When the syrup is incorporated, continue to mix for 10 more minutes to allow it to cool. The egg whites will be fluffy and glossy.
• Add pieces of cold butter one at a time to the egg whites and continue to whip at medium or low speed. Then do the same with the shortening. The buttercream will break down and look curdled, but keep mixing and it will come back together in about 10 minutes. When it comes back around, mix in the vanilla. Store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
• To use after it has been refrigerated, allow it to come to room temperature, then beat with a mixer before using. If cold, heat over a double boiler until you have liquid visible just around the edges. Beat with a mixer until smooth and fluffy before using.

ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM ICING

Steps:

• Separate egg whites from yolks. Whip egg whites until stiff.
• Bring sugar and water to a boil. Occasionally use a pastry brush and cold water to brush down any crystals that form on the side of the pan. Boil for seven minutes over medium heat.
• Pour sugar mixture slowly into egg whites. Beat until bowl is cool to the touch - ten minutes or so. (You might want to place this bowl in another bowl with a little cold water in it to speed the cooling process a bit.).
• Cut butter into 1" pieces, and add them slowly to the sugar/eggwhite mixture. The mixture gets more "soupy" as you add the butter, but this is OK.
• Add vanilla when butter is mixed in well.
• Beat until light and fluffy. It may look a little curdled, but keep beating, and it will become smooth.
• This icing can be refrigerated for weeks, or even frozen for months. To get it back to be nice and creamy after being in the fridge or freezer, just mix it again, and it will return to its' creamy texture.

ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• In a small heavy saucepan, combine 3/4 cups sugar sugar and water. Bring to a boil; cook over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 250° (hard-ball stage), 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, using a stand mixer, beat egg whites in a large bowl on high speed until foamy. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high after each addition until sugar is dissolved and soft peaks form. , Slowly pour hot sugar syrup over egg whites while beating continuously. Continue beating on high until mixture cools to room temperature, 15 to 20 minutes., Gradually add butter, a few tablespoons at a time, beating on medium after each addition until smooth. Beat in vanilla.

ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Place the egg whites and 1/3 cup of the sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the egg whites reach the soft peak stage.
• Meanwhile, pour the remaining sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring to the soft-ball stage, without stirring, 240 degrees F.
• The egg whites and syrup should be ready at about the same time. If one is ready before the other then you can remove the pan from the heat or stop whipping for a few minutes.
• Continue to whip the egg whites on medium-high speed and slowly drizzle in the hot syrup, aiming the syrup between the side of the bowl and the beaters. Continue to whip until both the bottom of the bowl and the mixture are cool, 10 to 15 minutes. The mixture should be thick and will form firm peaks at this point. Beat in the salt. At this point you have an Italian meringue.
• While still beating on medium-high, add the butter, a few pieces at a time. As the butter is added, the buttercream may appear to thin out some, but it will thicken into firm peaks once all of the butter is added. Beat in the vanilla extract. If the buttercream is still too loose, beat on high speed until thickened.
• Use right away or refrigerate in an airtight container overnight. The buttercream may need to be beaten slightly to smooth out before using.