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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Hi Eileen! Thank you for this recipe. Is there a way to prepare IMBC without it tasting as if you’re swallowing mouthfuls of butter? I love the way it spreads and that it is less sweeter than American buttercream, however I get a lot of complaints regarding the butter ‘feeling.’ It’s the only thing preventing me from using it. I use lots and lots of Vanilla extract but that doesn’t seem to work. Can it be prepare with less butter or perhaps another variation? I was thinking only 3 sticks of butter and perhaps more meringue or adding whipping cream? I really want this to be my ‘go to buttercream’ as well. Please help!
Hi Kay – Well, I haven’t tried anything to make IMB less buttery because I like it as it is. I do know some bakers who’ve added a little confectioner’s sugar to sweeten it up. I think you’d have to experiment with using less butter. But, in the end, what makes IMB so nice to spread is the specific texture, and that texture comes from the butter and the meringue. Sorry I don’t have a better answer. You can look for other types of buttercream. Maybe a German Buttercream would be better for you? German Buttercream has custard as a part of the recipe (I may put that on my list for a future post) which mitigates the butteryness. Another possibility is Ermine Icing – which has a base of milk & flour.
Thank you Eileen. I have an event coming up next month, so I have time to experiment as you suggested. Love the idea of German Buttercream. Would love to see your recipe for it in a future post!
Hi Eileen, thank you for this recipe. Are the fresh eggs that you use, pasteurized fresh eggs? Any other options? I am also concerned in regards to storing this frosting at room temperature. Does it pose a risk for salmonella? Thanks for our reply.
Hi Candace! I use fresh egg whites from normal (unpasteurized) eggs. In 30 years I’ve never had a problem with salmonella from IMB. I have taken the temperature of the whites right after adding the sugar syrup and found that is goes over 160F, the temp to kill salmonella. Remember, if you start with room temperature egg whites (not cold from the fridge) and you add a syrup that is 240F in a fairly quick stream this brings the temperature of the whites up pretty fast. According to scienceofcooking.com salmonella is killed instantly at 160F and even at lower temperatures after a few seconds. That being said, if you’re worried or you are serving to someone elderly or with compromised immune system you can use whites from pasteurized eggs if you can find them in your store. You can also use pasteurized egg whites from a carton. Just make sure the carton says the whites can be used for making meringues. I have found that some pasteurized whites don’t whip up properly. I do store my IMB at room temperature for a couple of days at a time. There is a very low water content and high sugar content in the buttercream, which makes it less likely to grow bacteria. If I’m holding more than a day or two I refrigerate or freeze the buttercream.
I’m wondering if this recipe can be made using meringue powder instead of egg whites. Do you have any experience with that?
I don’t really work with meringue powder so I can’t say for sure. You do need a good meringue for successful IMB. I have tried using pasteurized egg whites and they don’t whip up properly and don’t work for this recipe.
i have tried this several times and it keeps coming out watery…. HELPPPP
Can you be more specific? Does the buttercream break down when you add the butter? Does the meringue whip up properly?
once im whipping the meringue and add the water and sugar mix which i get to a 240 degree , im still whipping the meringue on med high speed, i slowly add in the mixture while on high speed and it begans to get soupy instead of a peak, then once the butter is added its even more soupy.
Hi Sharita. Are you using fresh egg whites or carton egg whites? Many brands of pasteurized egg whites are not good for meringue and will not whip up properly.
This frosting is fantastic! I’m making a cake for my neighbour’s daughter’s birthday and she wanted something not too sweet. This is perfect and I’m not sure I’ll ever make American buttercream again! 😉 One question, I have to frost a 10″ cake and do some piping as well. One batch barely crumbcoated the cake so I think I’ll need 2 more. Can I double this recipe or should I do the batches separately?
Hi Meagan. I’m so glad you like the IMB, it’s the only buttercream I use. You can easily double the batch as long as your mixer has the capacity to hold the meringue. I’ve done double batches in my 5 quart and 6 quart Kitchen Aid mixers.