I’d like to make lemon buttercream using Rose’s Neoclassic method (per the Cake Bible), but her lemon buttercream recipe calls for the classic buttercream, substituting lemon juice for some of the water.  Since there’s no water in the Neoclassic recipe I’m wondering if I can make that buttercream recipe with a lemon variation.  Anyone have any experience doing this?

I’ve done a lemon neoclassic buttercream - I merely substituted lemon juice for the optional liqueur.  I used it to frost the golden genoise that I split and filled with lemon curd.  It was marvelous.

JANIS:
  Good morning. Thank you for sharing that information with us. I will keep it in mind. I will consider this technique when I need to do a cake filling..
Enjoy the rest of the day young lady.

  ~FRESHKID.

Page 231 states that you can use either Classic or Neoclassic BC to make the lemon version (instructions on pg 234).

You could use pure lemon extract to taste too - just mix it in at the end.  Lemon curd might be a nice addition too - be sure it’s room pemperature though.

PATRINCIA:
  Good afternoon my culinary friend. Thank you for the info I already made a copy of it on my printer.
I hope you enjoyed the recent holidays & this post finds you well.

  Have a good day young lady.

  ~FRESHKID.

And a good afternoon to you too FRESHKID.  Does the “kid” stand for “kid at heart”? 
(or are you really younger that all of us, but just don’t want us to know?) 

PATRINCIA:
  Hello again.  My birthday is JUNE 14TH 1931.
  Yes my friend, I am a kid that just refused to grow up because I had such a wonderful time as a juvinile & I cannot forget it.. Becoming an adult was to difficult for me.  Especially these days I have a memory problem…I cannot remember current events well. But someone recently mentioned to me that not to worry. I replied how so. They replied when I am with-in 2, miles from my house & I cannot find it driving my automobile that is the time I must go see my Doctor.
  See you soon my friend.

  ~FRESHKID.

  - aw, only 76???  You’re still a youngin’.

(I’ll be 40 in June and I’m already having memory problems…. Yikes!)

Have a great day!

I must have an old edition of The Cake Bible, because on page 234 of my version it says to replace 1/4 cup of water with lemon juice.  There is no water in NeoClassic buttercream, only in classic. But I will use Janis’ suggestion of simply adding lemon juice in the same proportion as liqueur, and that should do it.  Thanks Janis!

Hi again Mareid.  I don’t think you have an older edition, it just takes a while to become familiar with vast amounts of information given in The Cake Bible…. 

If you look at page 231 (small print in the margin under classic buttercream variations) you’ll see that all the variations listed on pages 231-234 are for one recipe of either Classic or Neoclassic Buttercream.  The first paragraph goes on to state that one recipe of each buttercream can accommodate up to as much as 1/2 c of liquid without becoming too soft. 

Rose suggested decreasing the water in the lemon version of the Classic BC because it already contains liquid; for the Neoclassic BC you would just simply add the suggested fresh lemon juice and lemon extract in the same quantity suggested for the Classic BC.

Rose does extensive testing and has most likely tried every combination possible - she states “for a truly lemon flavor it is necessary to use both fresh lemon juice and lemon extract”. 

Janis’s suggestion to add lemon juice in place of the optional liqueur is fine, but be careful - the recipe calls for 2-4 Tablespoons of liqueur; Rose suggests adding only 2 Tablespoons of lemon juice (plus the extract of course).  4 Tablespoons of lemon juice will be too tart.  2-4 Tablespoons of lemon liqueur would be okay though.

I hope that helps!

Hi guys, I am wondering about something similar to this. Please forgive my ignorance on buttercreams!

My question is whether you can flavor Mousseline BC like this too. So far I have only made Mousseline, partly because of all the praise it gets on this blog and partly because I have often found myself with extra egg whites. I think it is fantastic; great to work with and tastes delicious. But there are only a couple variations listed in TCB on flavoring it. Is this because it isn’t as suitable for flavoring as Classic or Neoclassic, or is it just that it should be obvious to a skilled baker that you can apply the same techniques to flavor Mousseline as for the other types?

So if I want to make a lemon mousseline, can I just add up to 1/2 cup of lemon juice plus some extract? I could of course experiment, but its a lot of work to make (at least for me) so I would like to take advantage of the experience of anyone who has tried it out.

thanks,
-Holly

I haven’t used lemon juice in the mousseline, but I have mixed lemon curd in - my notes say add 2/3 c. for the mousseline recipe on page 244.  I make sure both the lemon curd and the bc are room temperature.