Hi all,
I was just curious as to what most people prefer when using one of these two to frost and decorate a cake, and which you all prefer flavor wise. I find confectioner's sugar based buttercreams a little easier to work with because they aren't as delicate, and have a lower melting factor *from hand heat*. Having said that, I still prefer to frost my cakes with cooked buttercreams, such as an Italian or Swiss Meringue, as I find the flavor better, the sweetness not as intense, and I like that it doesn't crust over. The only negative to cooked buttercream is that when refrigerated, you MUST bring the cake to room temp (well, all cake, except ice cream, should be served at room temp, but I'm just referring to the texture of the buttercream) before serving, or else it will be like eating a cake covered with a thick layer of cold, sweet butter. There is actually a buttercream that is a mix of both, where you melt chocolate with heavy cream, (like a ganache) then whip in butter and a small amount of confectioner's sugar and extract of your choice. That one is pretty amazing when it comes to ease of frosting/decorating and flavor. In any event...any opinions?
I was just curious as to what most people prefer when using one of these two to frost and decorate a cake, and which you all prefer flavor wise. I find confectioner's sugar based buttercreams a little easier to work with because they aren't as delicate, and have a lower melting factor *from hand heat*. Having said that, I still prefer to frost my cakes with cooked buttercreams, such as an Italian or Swiss Meringue, as I find the flavor better, the sweetness not as intense, and I like that it doesn't crust over. The only negative to cooked buttercream is that when refrigerated, you MUST bring the cake to room temp (well, all cake, except ice cream, should be served at room temp, but I'm just referring to the texture of the buttercream) before serving, or else it will be like eating a cake covered with a thick layer of cold, sweet butter. There is actually a buttercream that is a mix of both, where you melt chocolate with heavy cream, (like a ganache) then whip in butter and a small amount of confectioner's sugar and extract of your choice. That one is pretty amazing when it comes to ease of frosting/decorating and flavor. In any event...any opinions?
