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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The frosting turned out pretty good but would like a little stiffer. Any suggestions? I did everything right but just wat a little more firm
The texture of the buttercream will depend quite a bit on the temperature. Chilling for just a few minutes and re-whipping will firm it up a bit. Unless the buttercream is very warm, it should be firm enough to pipe roses.
Hi there, I made the buttercream and then put it in the ridge overnight. Can I still use it to pipe flowers? Can I just let it naturally get to room temp overnight on counter before re-mixing and adding gel color?
I took a little out and added color and tried to mix it cold and that def didn’t work! The color became very liquidy and the texture stayed clumpy!
Hi Holly, Yes you can certainly refrigerate or freeze Italian Meringue Buttercream. You need to get it back to room temperature and then re-whip it. If you try to whip it while it’s still cold it will separate and release liquid. But even it that happens it is salvageable. Put a bowl of warm water under the mixing bowl and whip it until it comes back together. Then continue to whip it until it gets light and fluffy. As you whip it the mix will swirl around the bowl because of the loose water. Just keep whipping slowly and have patience until it comes back together.
Hello Eileen, thank you for the fantastic & detailed instructions – I’m really looking forward to trying this recipe! Just one question regarding vanilla – I need a whiter frosting for a cake I’m making and while I MUCH prefer pure vanilla or (vanilla bean paste) I’m wondering if it will make the frosting tinted to a more ivory color than using clear vanilla. Your thoughts? If I use a clear, imitation vanilla (like Watkins clear vanilla flavor), will it really degrade the flavor of this frosting? Thank you for your help!
Gina
Honestly, Gina, I don’t think the vanilla makes a huge difference in the color of the frosting. Because there is so much butter, even without the vanilla the frosting is off-white, not pure white. I generally find that the frosting seems white unless it’s right next to some that is pure white, like fondant. If you want a pure white frosting you’ll have to use shortening instead of butter. I haven’t tried making IMB with shortening. Most folks that want a very, very white icing make an American buttercream using shortening.
Appreciate the quick response, Eileen! I’ll give it a whirl and see what happens. Thank you!
Great.
I’ve made other Italian meringue buttercreams before and have loved them. Unfortunately, I lost my recipe! I’m hoping to make this one tomorrow and I need a lot of it for a HUGE cake. I’m wondering whether a double batch would fit in my 5 quart KitchenAid mixing bowl. Do you know if it’ll fit or should I stick with a single batch? I know the meringue can really puff up!
Hi Laura, you can fit a double batch in a 5 quart KA. If you watch the video you can see how full the bowl is when the meringue it whipped. A double batch will fill the bowl, but it’s doable.
Hey Eileen,
You were definitely right, a double batch did fit in my mixer but holy moly did it take forever to cool down. Probably just because there was a larger volume of hot meringue. Thanks again for your help! Delicious recipe!
Yes, a larger batch will take a while to cool down. Glad you liked it.
Hi. Is it ok if I add food colouring because I want to make it red. Will it be red or just pink if I add the colour?
Yes, you can add food coloring to this buttercream. I recommend gel color rather than the liquid color since it’s more concentrated. I like Americolorgel colors. Red is a little difficult. You’ll have to use a good amount of gel color. Whisk it in very briskly and you’ll end up with a dark pink color. Set it aside for at least a half an hour, an hour or more is even better. Go back and whisk it again and the color should deepen. It takes some time for the color to darken to a true red.