So i want to create a caramel cmousseline . i could go with silk meringue since that variation is already in the book but i would like to cover with fondant and the last time covered the silk meringue with fondant it kinda squished around =(.  how do i crete a caramel version of mousseline? instead of the 3/4 cup of fruit puree would it work if i used 3/4 cup of caramel?

So i want to create a caramel cmousseline . i could go with silk meringue since that variation is already in the book but i would like to cover with fondant and the last time covered the silk meringue with fondant it kinda squished around =(.  how do i crete a caramel version of mousseline? instead of the 3/4 cup of fruit puree would it work if i used 3/4 cup of caramel?

chocoholic,  I suspect you haven’t received a reply yet as no one in the forum - including myself - has tried this. I believe the consistency of the mousseline would be fine with the addition, but I would be concerned about the sweetness of the finished buttercream. Perhaps you could experiment with a small amount of plain mousseline - maybe 1/4 batch or even less - and add the caramel a spoon at a time until you achieve the flavour you want, then flavour the remainder of the batch the same way.

I was thinking the same thing re sweetness.  I wonder, also, if, somehow, using Lyles Golden Syrup in the mousseline instead of sugar would be possible?

chocoholic,

I think Anne has an excellent idea. I recall a thread on the forum about maple mousseline where maple syrup replaces the sugar syrup. (It’s brought to 248F and added to the whipped egg whites.) Lyle’s has a distinct caramel flavour so it may work. Here’s the link to that thread if you’d like to take a look.

http://www.realbakingwithrose.com/index_ee.php/forums/viewthread/771/

Anne’s suggestion also made me think of using light brown sugar in place of white in the syrup as it adds a caramel flavour and colour to food. Dark brown may add too much of a molasses flavour.

I like Sophia’s light brown sugar idea, as well!  I’d thought of brown sugar and worried about the molasses flavor, but it didn’t occur to me to use light (I’m a dark addict).  The only thing I’d consider if using brown sugar is that you might need to bring the sugar syrup to a different temp, as I think brown sugar “transforms” at a lower temp—or something—due to the “impurities” contributed by the molasses.  This is a bit out of my league, though!!!

I’ve had the thought that it might work to caramelize the sugar (meringue sugar), then add water to dissolve, then bring it to 248F.  But I haven’t tried it, don’t know if the sugar would get too dark, or if the altered chemical makeup of the sugar would mess up the meringue syrup, etc. 

If you add caramel, that might work but would make it pretty sweet.  Maybe use creme fraiche instead of cream to make the caramel. 

You could also take a look at caramelized white chocolate- Rose’s blog, it’s a component to make Caramelized White Chocolate mousse.  I don’t know how smooth the white chocolate still is after caramelizing.

ohhh thats a nice idea julie… the caramelized white choco bit..however i somehow feel im a bit out of my depth now !! NOW im thinking it might be nicer to introduce a subtle crunch element to it. Say a white chocolate crunch of sorts? Im plannign on makign the white whisper cake, frost with strawberry mousseline and fill with a white chocolate ganache which has some crunchy element to it… pulverized caramelized nuts ? would rose s caramel crunch from the cake bible work? im a lil worried that once i mix the crunch with the ganache it will just dissolve into it… dont know much about emulsions and butter content to figure this out on my own ! =/ Thank you all so much for the response. =)

I think nuts or chopped chocolate would work well for crunch and would probably taste pretty nice with the strawberry bc.  Sugar would eventually dissolve in the cream in the ganache, but might hold up for a day or so.

I’m late to this conversation, but I’ve made a brown sugar italian meringue- someone else’s mouselline, as well as a brown sugar version of Rose’s mouselline- while it is yummy, the flavor is more chocolate chip cookie dough than caramel. I’ve made it a few times with varying difficulty with the sugar syrup due to the impurities. The trick to add a bit of lemon juice does help and I’d definately use a light brown sugar instead of dark.

I like Julie’s idea and was also wondering if this would work.

I have used unsweetended caramel essence and Gifford’s caramel liquor to boost the caramel flavor in the Caramel Silk Meringue. I thought the caramel essence was the more successful of the two for pure caramel flavor and it did not taste artificial. But again, I only used enough to enhance the flavor rather than try to create it..

i have a similar question concerning the caramel silk meringue buttercream.  I want to use it to frost rose’s devil’s food cake. I have already made the caramel creme anglaise and plan on finishing the buttercream tomorrow. I really want the caramel flavor to come out. I don’t have caramel extract or essence at hand so I was wondering if i could use lyle’s golden syrup for the Italian meringue. Should I replace all of the sugar by weight? use a combination of sugar and golden syrup and if so, what proportion should I use? Looking forward to hear any suggestion

Hi cakemonster,

I haven’t tried it so this is simply a suggestion, but I think you would need to use both sugar and syrup: for a single batch, use the 2 tbsp/25g of sugar required for beating the egg whites as per the recipe and, based on Rose’s recipe for the Golden Neoclassic Buttercream from RHC, 1/4 cup/85g Lyle’s and perhaps an additional tbsp or 2 (13-25g) of sugar for the syrup. This neoclassic buttercream recipe also includes 1 tsp lemon juice in the syrup, but I’m not sure if it’s necessary…is it for flavour or to raise the acidity of the mixture?

If you do try it, I’d be interested in hearing how it turns out.

Thanks Sofia!! I followed the golden neoclassic recipe (1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup golden syrup,  1 tsp lemon juice) I omitted the sugar to beat the egg whites because I didn’t want it to turn out too sweet. So technically i made a golden neoclassic caramel silk meringue bc i loved it!!! t’s my second favorite buttercream….