So this is the cake (the marble one) that I am sure all of you know about lol. I have to say, this was the second time I made mousseline, and it kind of annoys me. First off, I used Vanilla and it tasted amazing. What annoyed me was that it looked like junk until the very last minute. I mean, while making it, I said to myself “OH MY GOD WHAT DID I DO WRONG” and almost started over, then suddenly….it looked right ok. I remember I felt that way last time too….is that normal??

What I noticed about this this time though, was that after putting it on the cake, it got a lot firmer than what I remember. Of course, I don’t remember much from the last time, but I just noticed that it set up a lot harder, or at least felt that way to the touch. Like not sticky. Is that normal??

oh dear, I think you executed the mousseline PERFECTLY this time.  It does exactly what you describe.  it looks separated, curdled, grainy, till the last drop of butter is added and you give it a hard whip, that is when everything emulsifies into a smooth buttercream.

the only way to get it firmer, to the firmest it can be, is to bring the sugar to the exact temperature indicated on the recipe.

Looks fantastic to me… great job decorating it!  Sounds like you’ve mastered Mousseline too.  I’m so glad you liked the vanilla version.

hectorwong - 07 February 2009 02:33 PM

oh dear, I think you executed the mousseline PERFECTLY this time.  It does exactly what you describe.  it looks separated, curdled, grainy, till the last drop of butter is added and you give it a hard whip, that is when everything emulsifies into a smooth buttercream.

the only way to get it firmer, to the firmest it can be, is to bring the sugar to the exact temperature indicated on the recipe.

and how do you get it softer?? I guess one problem i ran into was piping the vines….it didnt flow like I like it to normally when I pipe lines or letters. It was perfect for shells leaves etc, but lines, not so great.

Mousseline will become softer when it’s warmed, but be careful… warming it too much will melt the butter.  The heat of my hands often soften the buttercream right through the piping bag.

I like to wear gloves for piping temperature-sensitive things. Surgical gloves are great, but dishwashing gloves work for borders. Actually, I wrote that notion in to Cook’s Magazine and got a year’s subscription out of it. I do have the nagging feeling that I read the idea, like so many good ideas, here. Deep apologies if I swiped it! 

Cathy

cdurso - 12 February 2009 12:26 AM

I like to wear gloves for piping temperature-sensitive things. Surgical gloves are great, but dishwashing gloves work for borders. Actually, I wrote that notion in to Cook’s Magazine and got a year’s subscription out of it. I do have the nagging feeling that I read the idea, like so many good ideas, here. Deep apologies if I swiped it! 

Cathy

So you think the gloves insulate your hands, keeping the excess heat away from the buttercream?  Interesting.

That’s my theory. It seems to work. Even thin gloves provide enough insulation for working with pulled sugar, so I figured if they protect fingers from sugar heat, they should protect icing from finger heat. It has worked for ganache, buttercream, and whipped cream.

Cathy