Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC)
Italian Meringue Buttercream (IMBC) is my favorite cake frosting. This is the exact recipe I used for 10 years in my wedding cake business.
Table of contents
Why this is my favorite buttercream
Italian Meringue buttercream has the perfect balance of rich flavor from the butter, and lightness from the meringue. It’s not overly sweet and it can be flavored with an endless variety of add-ins. It’s strong enough to pipe buttercream roses and stays soft at room temperature so it melts in your mouth.
Ingredients
- Water – To make the sugar syrup.
- Granulated sugar – Added in two stages. Dry sugar starts the meringue, then sugar syrup “cooks” the meringue.
- Egg whites- Fresh or in-shell pasteurized egg whites can be used. If you use frozen egg whites read the label to be sure they can be whipped for meringue.
- Salt – Just a touch to balance out the flavor.
- Unsalted butter – Softened butter is whipped into the meringue base. Unsalted butter allows you to control the amount of salt in the recipe.
- Vanilla extract – Use natural vanilla extract for the best flavor. You can also use vanilla bean if you don’t mind the little specks.
Process Photos
See the recipe card for detailed measurements and instructions.
- Combine some of the sugar with water in a small saucepan. Bring the syrup to a boil.
- While the syrup cooks, whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar.
- Bring the syrup to the softball stage (235°-240°F). Immediately remove from the heat.
- With the mixer running, add the syrup in a steady stream. Try to keep the stream of syrup between the whisk and the side of the bowl.
- Whisk until the whites are cooled to about 80°F.
- Add the room temperature butter a tablespoon at a time.
- Add the vanilla.
- The buttercream may look a bit curdled after adding the vanilla.
- Keep whipping until the buttercream is silky smooth and airy. Use immediately or keep at room temperature until ready to use (up to 1 day).
How to Store Italian Meringue Buttercream.
Because there is relatively low moisture in the buttercream, and high sugar content, Italian Meringue Buttercream can be held at cool room temperature for up to a day. After 1 day the buttercream should be refrigerated for 3-4 days or frozen for up to a month.
Proper syrup temperature is important for a silky smooth Italian Meringue Buttercream
This is a fairly standard Italian Meringue Buttercream recipe except for the temperature of the sugar syrup. A lot of recipes have you boil the syrup well into the firm ball stage (248°F), but I find this makes a buttercream with a texture that is too tight and marshmallow-y.
I like to boil the syrup to the softball stage (235°-240°F) for a slightly softer buttercream that whips to a little lighter.
How to fix Italian Meringue Buttercream
- If you’re working in a warm kitchen and your buttercream is a little too soft you can refrigerate it briefly and then re-whip it until it’s light and fluffy.
- If your buttercream is a little too cold you can warm the bowl and then whip it until it’s light and fluffy.
- To rewhip cold Italian Meringue Buttercream first bring it to room temperature. When you start whipping the IMB it may separate the look curdled.
- Use a blow torch or a bowl of warm water to warm the sides of the bowl as the buttercream whips.
- You’ll see the edges soften and and buttercream will come back together. Whip until the buttercream is silky smooth.
Pastry Chef tips for making perfect Italian Meringue Buttercream:
- If the meringue and/or the butter are too warm when they’re combined the buttercream will break down. If the buttercream becomes soupy and grainy the meringue has broken down and the buttercream can’t be fixed.
- If the butter is too cold when it’s added to the cooled meringue you’ll end up with lumps of butter that can’t be whipped out. Make sure the butter is soft and pliable, but not at all greasy or melted. The best temperature for the butter is about 70°F.
- Any extra buttercream can be double-wrapped in plastic (so it doesn’t pick up any off flavors) and frozen for a month. Bring it back to room temperature and then re-whip.
- The only limit to the flavors you can make with this buttercream is your imagination. You can add melted chocolate, lemon curd and/or lemon extract, orange zest, raspberry puree, instant coffee, whatever you can think of to create your favorite buttercream flavor.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream is very similar to IMBC except that you warm the sugar and eggs over a water bath rather than making a sugar syrup.
If you want a buttercream that is just as light and airy as a meringue buttercream, but with a slightly richer flavor and color, try making classic French Buttercream. It’s made with egg yolks instead of egg whites.
Now that you’ve made this recipe what should you do with the extra yolks? Check out this collection of recipes that use extra yolks for some great ideas.
If you love this recipe as much as I do, please consider leaving a 5-star review.
Italian Meringue Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ounces water (¼ cup)
- 8 ounces granulated sugar (1 cup, divided)
- 5 egg whites (room temperature)
- ¼ teaspoon table salt
- 1 pound unsalted butter (room temperature, cut into 16 pieces)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Other flavorings to taste
Instructions
- Combine 2 ounces water with 3/4 cup (6oz) granulated sugar in a small saucepan. Cook the sugar syrup on medium high heat, stirring, until the sugar is melted. Once the syrup begins to boil do not stir the syrup. Allow it to cook to 235°-240°F (soft ball stage).
- While the syrup is boiling, whip 5 egg whites on medium high speed. When the whites are at soft peak reduce the mixer to medium low and slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and ¼ teaspoon table salt. Increase the speed to medium high and whip to full peak.
- As soon as the syrup is at the correct temperature, remove the pan from the heat. With the mixer running on medium low, pour the hot syrup in a steady stream between the edge of the bowl and the whisk. Increase the speed to medium high and continue whisking until the whites are cooled to about 80°F.
- When the whites have cooled, with the mixer running on medium, add 1 pound unsalted butter one piece at a time. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and increase the speed to medium high and whip until the buttercream comes together.
- Store at room temperature for up to 1 day then refrigerate or freeze.
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Equipment
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Hello,
I don’t have a thermometer that reaches 235 – 240 degrees. Can I still make this recipe and do the softball stage test or do I need a candy thermometer?
I am planning to make a two-layer sheet cake for an outdoor party in early June. My pans are 13.7” x 10.5” x 2.3” (34.7cm x 26.6cm x 5.8cm). How many batches of the recipe you provided do I need? Also, I would like to add 8 oz. cream cheese to a portion of the frosting for the middle layer. Do you think that is possible and if so, how should I incorporate it? Thank you.
You don’t need a candy thermometer, you can do the softball stage test in cold water.
I would like to try this in macarons. Could the recipe be cut in half and if so, how much water should be used with sugar? Thanks and can’t wait to make.
Yes, you can cut the recipe in half. It also freezes well so you could make a full batch and freeze whatever is left over. After freezing bring it to room temperature and rewhip. For a half batch you could use 2 tablespoons of water. You could also use the full 1/4 cup of water listed in the recipe. It will just take a little longer for the syrup to come up to temperature. When you make a sugar syrup, the temperature of the syrup is a reflection of how much water remains in the syrup. So even if you start with more water, by the time you get to the softball stage you have the same proportion of water in the syrup.
I have made this three times. As I am using my stand mixer to cool the meringue to add the butter, it’s taking at least 30 minutes on the highest speed. As such, preparing, making, and cleaning up is taking me hours. I love the texture of this, but there has got to be a better way. I’m considering Swiss or French buttercream instead. Any suggestions?
When you’re waiting for the meringue to cool don’t just touch the bowl to measure temperature. Stop the mixture and stick your finger into the meringue to see if it still feels warm. I find that sometimes the bowl feels warmer than the actual meringue. Also, I’ll give you a little cheat. If you use slightly cooler butter and throw it in very quickly you can get away with the meringue being a little warm. Just be careful because if the butter is very cold you might end up with lumps. As I said, it’s a bit of a cheat you can use when you get very comfortable making IMB. I do that all the time. Also, you can try making Swiss Meringue Buttercream instead.
@Eileen Gray, Thank you for the suggestions. I will definitely try testing the temperature with my finger. I used a digital thermometer, but it makes sense that I got a high reading because it was so close to the bowl. I also used frozen veggies to cool the bowl one time to expedite the cooling but the texture was off. I was able to “fix” it later, but more dishes to do, more clean up, etc.
Thank you again!
@Kristen Kaa, can you use egg beaters instead of fresh eggs ?
@Eileen Gray, please excuse a reply I sent you.
Hi Eileen, I’m trying to understand what is happening. I made several batches of the IMB. I use 4 egg whites with 1/3 cup sugar. The syrup is 1 cup of sugar. I will vary between 1/4 cup of water and 1/3 cup of water. (I was trying to see if there was a difference).I will use the syrup between 235-240 no hotter. In one batch it whipped up fine but it was very dense and heavy and could only cover 20 cupcakes. The second batch whipped up also but it was very light an airy and could cover 35 cupcakes. Do you have any idea what might have been the difference?
The amount of water you start with in the syrup won’t make a difference since that water boils away until you reach the softball stage. More water will just mean it will take longer to get the syrup to the softball stage. I would guess that the difference in texture of the buttercream is due to the the temp of the butter, bowl, room, etc. If the room, bowl and butter are cooler the buttercream won’t whip up as light as if everything is a little warmer. If your buttercream seems dense try warming the bottom of the bowl as the buttercream whips. If you have a blow torch you can wave it back and forth over the bottom of the bowl or you can place a bowl of warm water under the bowl to warm it up.
I really don’t find any difference in the quality of the buttercream Going to 248°F. Using a high butterfat butter is key. The problem with your temperature is it won’t kill salmonella. FDA guidelines to kill salmonella state the egg whites must be held at a temperature of 132°F for six minutes. Even those of use who use 248°F are not holding the egg whites at 132°F for that six minutes standard. That is why I use Swiss meringue buttercream more often than not.
This is the recipe I used to make wedding cakes for 10 years. So I’ve made, literally, hundreds (maybe thousands) of pounds of IMBC. I find a definite difference in the texture of the buttercream when the syrup is cooked to the firm ball stage. I agree that if you’re concerned about salmonella you should use Swiss meringue instead.
@Cate, 132° and 248° is a major difference in temperature, and I would assume a higher temp would kill salmonella faster, although salmonella is extremely rare in raw eggs believe it or not.