Hi Irene,

This is an awesome forum and pleased to meet you here.

I have done the Mousseline Buttercream many many times now.  All except once I used unfrozen egg whites.  That batch did not emulsify even after 15mins of vigorous whisking.  I was afraid that my beater would died on me so I chucked the entire bowl into my freezer.  Waited for another 15mins before I subject it to high whisking again.  It finally pulled its act together like a chided child given a lolly.  I hope with my explanation you see how important that the temperature of the whites and the temperature of the butter must be at least same or thereabout. 

As Hector puts it..he always flavoured his mousseline.  I find that my current favorite is adding lemon curd (Rose’s Lemon Curd, of course!) to my mousseline and I flew to heaven (oh, you get what i mean..).

As for your second and third questions on the digital thermometer, I use any unsalted butter I chanced upon and as for the thermometer, you can most certainly get it from Bake with Yen or Chang Tung for less than RM80.  It is essential that you lay your hands on one before you attempt this challenging buttercream.  All the best!

Hi bagmanic,

The frozen whites do look kinda sticky and gooey to me.  But it’s all fine! 

Whisk away!

Hi Bonnie,
Thanks for your reply. Shall pay a visit to BWY soon. So far i’ve only seen the analog candy thermometer at my nearby bakery supplies store.
Can’t wait for my copy of TCB to arrive!

Irene

Thanks Bonniev! I’m quite worry to use egg white as I am afraid that I did not handle properly, worry I might cause food poisoning to the others. :( Oh, I’m very near you! Just an island away from you, Singapore!

I will need to find one thermometer first before trying this bc out! Is going to be my first trial for bc, hope it doesn’t freak me out! hahahahaha….

I think I did it too! But the mixture is not heavy looking like Rose’s video. Quite soft look. Is it correct?

I almost freak out when I see the mixture so watery… :( Almost feel like throw it away but give it a spin again! It slowly thickens and maybe I really did it correctly…. :D hahahahha….

Not sure whether am I thinking too much… about salmonella (food poisoning) for egg white. My tummy feels uncomfortable after tasting the cream. Maybe I really worries too much….

bagmanic, congratulations!  Many, many people have used Italian Meringue buttercreams and not gotten sick.  In Bakewise, Shirley Corriher points out that salmonella is found primarily in the yolks, not whites, and that the only instances where it contaminated the whites involved extreme abuse- leaving the eggs out for days at warm temps, etc.  Here, there are pasteurized whites available, pehaps there are some there as well?

Julie, thanks! Oh yolks? Did I understand wrongly? I always though is the white. I should go search online for more information. There is meringue powder selling here to replace egg white.

But I wonder… Should the buttercream looks soft and tender? I went through’s Rose video, the texture seems more thicker and smoother. I think mine still looks soft but slightly thick. Should I beat it more? Will it become thicker?

bagmanic - 17 October 2009 09:38 PM

I think mine still looks soft but slightly thick. Should I beat it more? Will it become thicker?

Not sure, but as long as you beat the mousseline at room temp, you’re not likely to damage it- i.e., couldn’t hurt.

If it seems too soft, it could be because of the sugar syrup not gettiing hot enough (or not using enough of it), or, because the butter was warmer than the recommended temp of 65F.

I haven’t tried meringue powder, but I don’t think that’s the same thing as pastuerized egg whites.

Oh maybe the powder is different from the pastuerized egg white as we are from different areas, so maybe the supply has a slight different.

mmm…. maybe my sugar is not hot enough but I saw it boiling and I measure is not 250 but almost 200, so I just add in the syrup. Worry that the required amount of water will be turning into steam and my water quantity will be even much more lesser. I will have to let it boil to the actual required temp. Thanks!

The water HAS to evaporate, bagmanic, in order for the syrup to reach the right temperature to work in this buttercream. It must boil down until the syrup reaches a minimum of 239 degrees Fahrenheit - and 248 to 250 is preferable.

Meringue powder is not a good substitute for egg whites in mousseline. Some bakers in the industry like to use it for Royal icing, where it does bring certain benefits. But I still wouldn’t use it. Here’s a post that explains why:
http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/index_ee.php/forums/viewthread/1426/#13978

Yes to what Carolita said, if your syrup only reached 200 F, that is why your buttercream was soft.  It really does need to go to 248F.  The temperature is directly related to the water content, you need the water to evaporate to make a proper syrup.

Thanks Carolita! Thanks Julie! I understand more on the salmonella now. I will have to make the buttercream again with boiled sugar without worrying of the water content! Cheers!

bonniev - i’m getting very anxious about this buttercream… I need your help, please….

I am attending a cake decorating course and this sat is the last lesson and we have to make a finale cake. I wanted to use this buttercream on the finale cake but I did the buttercream twice and seems like it don’t work for me…. I read about this buttercream can be used to make rose, pipe shells. But seems like my cream is too soft to do all these….

1) For the butter, did you beat the butter till smooth and creamy first? Or you just add the thaw butter direct into the white?

2) Is your buttercream of stiff consistency? Or is it soft consistency? I wanted to put this buttercream in between the cake layers, I’m worry that the buttercream is too soft and will be “squeeze out”.

3) I did not add the lemon curd or the liqueur cos I add the coffee extract.

You have any idea how to help me?