Italian Buttercream Icing Recipes

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.

SARAH'S ITALIAN MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Pour egg whites into the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment; beat at medium speed until frothy. Gradually add 1/4 cup sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form.
• Combine remaining 1 cup sugar and water in a small saucepan. Attach a candy thermometer to the saucepan and place over low heat. Cook until syrup reaches 244 degrees F (117 degrees C) or until a small amount of syrup dropped into cold water forms a firm but pliable ball.
• Increase mixer speed to high and pour syrup in a slow and steady stream down the side of the bowl, beating until combined, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and continue beating until meringue is stiff and the sides of the bowl feel barely warm, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Beat in butter 1 tablespoon at a time until smooth. Switch to the paddle attachment, add vanilla extract, and beat on high until buttercream is light and fluffy, 4 to 7 minutes.

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 BUTTER CREAM

Steps:

• Boil 1 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water over medium heat until it reaches 245o F or the firm ball stage. Never leave the kitchen when you are cooking sugar, and be stingy with your time spent away from the stovetop. It is very important that you watch it or it may burn. Another thing to do is to swirl the syrup. Don't stir it or whisk it, just gently swirl the pan by the handle to ensure that the sugar crystals are evenly distributed and dissolved
• While the sugar is cooking, pour the egg whites into the bowl you plan to whip the icing in, then wait for the syrup to come to about 230F-235F. Whip egg whites with a wire whisk in a stand up mixer on high until soft peaks form. About 1-2 minutes. Sprinkle in 1/4 cup sugar. Beat
• Slowly pour the hot syrup into the meringue steadily with the mixer still on high.
• Beat the frosting for 7-10 minutes until the outside of the bowl is room temperature
• During this time fill the pot the syrup cooked in with water and bring it to a boil to remove the hardened sugar from the sides. Toss in the candy thermometer too, while you're at it
• Beat in butter by the tablespoon using a medium speed. The butter will deflate the frosting a bit. After all of the butter is added, turn the speed up to high. The whole process will take about 10-15 minutes, but you will begin to see the buttercream go through stages after all of the butter is added. First it will deflate and become soupy, then thicken, then curdle, then thicken to the final stage. If, for some reason your buttercream does not progress from the "soupy" stage (typically due to adding the butter too quickly or the butter/meringue being too warm), simply place your work bowl in the fridge for 7-10 minutes before whipping again
• Add in desired flavourings Flavourings • Chocolate: 1/2 cup melted and cooled chocolate and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. • Coconut: 1 teaspoon coconut extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. • Coffee: 1 teaspoon espresso powder or 3-5 tablespoons strong coffee. • Also use jams to flavour buttercream, but be sure that they are quite thick as too much liquid will cause the buttercream to break down so be careful when adding jams and drop in about a tablespoon at a time
• Leftover buttercream may be kept in the refrigerator for a week or two or frozen, well wrapped, until needed. Just be sure to bring it to room temperature and whip well with a beater before using

ITALIAN BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• 1. In a small heavy saucepan over moderately high heat, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar with 1/4 cup water and cook, without stirring, until the mixture reaches 230°F.
• 2. While the sugar is heating up, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium speed until frothy. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat the meringue until medium peaks form.
• 3. Continue heating the sugar mixture until it reaches soft-ball stage, 240°F. Reduce the mixer speed to low and pour the soft-ball-stage sugar into the meringue in a slow, steady stream. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until the meringue cools to room temperature and holds a stiff peak, 2 to 3 minutes.
• 4. Exchange the mixer's whisk attachment for the paddle attachment and reduce the speed to medium. Add the butter, a few pieces at a time, until all of the butter has been incorporated and the buttercream is thick, fluffy, and very smooth. Add the vanilla extract and beat briefly to incorporate. Use the buttercream immediately or cover and refrigerate it up to 3 weeks.

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.