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14 Reviews
Shama
November 6, 2020
I respect & really admire her and have a collection of her books. I am finding that with fame come attitude but self actualized coaches & leaders can refrain from attitude. Cooking for Jeffery is a good book many successes but some frustrations points. Some instructions are poor & confusing. The excess use of butter and sugar is not essential . I have traveled & lived outside America & able to create delicious dishes and deserts from many parts of Europe SE Asia, & many EMEA regions. The Devil cake intrigued me to make but unfortunately I do not have luxury of time, this is not a recipe for busy professional females & her response time is unbelievable. I baked the cake and put it in the fridge so now i will use JC's Italian meringue buttercream. Yes the over use of butter is too much. She needs to stop selling this kind of recipes that promote extensive calories & promote excessive calories. The Silver Palate books series still are classic. Ina Please understand our country has many health issues, good food is great but moderation is not a bad thing. Thank you & Cheers
Shama
November 7, 2020
Thank you liliana, I like facts & honesty and no offense, appreciate your support. One Quick question I have the set of red & blue of Julia's and I have successfully baked all her cakes but I avoid frosting, or fillings I use her glazes. The Italian meringue buttercream you recommend hopefully should be in the books I have but is this recipe simple or two time consuming. Thanks & Buon weekend, Cheers Shama
liliana
November 7, 2020
Dear Shama, buttercreams are always a bit demanding. Most require cooking sugar syrup to be carefully poured in a thin stream over beaten eggs. The egg component may vary.
All yolk (which I avoid), a combination of whole eggs with yolks, or all egg white. (the French meringue recipe)
But the result is FULLY worth the effort. Far above the North American overly sweet icing-sugar stuff.
I also have a recipe without eggs from a patisserie in Montreal now closed. A different but interesting texture. How would you like me to send the recipes as I think it too much to post here? But do look at the Food 52 buttercream recipe.
All yolk (which I avoid), a combination of whole eggs with yolks, or all egg white. (the French meringue recipe)
But the result is FULLY worth the effort. Far above the North American overly sweet icing-sugar stuff.
I also have a recipe without eggs from a patisserie in Montreal now closed. A different but interesting texture. How would you like me to send the recipes as I think it too much to post here? But do look at the Food 52 buttercream recipe.
Tante C.
April 28, 2018
Italian buttercream does not require an hour to cool. It usually takes 8-10 min max on high before it's cool enough to add the butter, You can feel the bowl. Chop the sticks of butter into cubes keep refrigerated until ready to use. Keeping the mixer on high makes it easier to add them gradually to the egg whites. If the frosting starts to separate don't panic. Keep beating on high until it reincorporated. After butter is added continue beating for 3-4 minutes. I make Italian buttercream for my part time business and have been making it for years. My instructor was a pastry chef from Sprinkles Cupcakes. The first time I made it it deflated and I threw it out. Since then I have had no problems, just keep beating. Or better still read up on Italian Buttercream recipes, it's worth it!
ashleyamore
December 1, 2017
The second time I made this recipe, my KitchenAid mixer didn't stand up to the 1 hr of high-speed mixing required to cool the meringue. Sadly, the hinge came out, the top fell, and the whisk attachment broke into 8 different pieces. (And my kitchen looks ready for the season, as it is spattered with meringue.) All this to say, next time I'll wrap my bowl in a cool towel and watch the mixer like a hawk. But I won't stop making this recipe, no sir.
Michelle
April 29, 2017
I left mine in for more than an hour and the egg whites deflated immediately. I live at altitude and wonder if this isn't a factor???
Carol S.
November 5, 2016
There are 7292 calories in 9 sticks of Butter.
although I'm just saying....
won't stop me from making it, but that is a LOT of butter!!!!
although I'm just saying....
won't stop me from making it, but that is a LOT of butter!!!!
Trishington
October 28, 2016
Like Sophia Henkel says, you can place ice packs or even chilled, wet tea towels around the base of the mixing bowl the speed up the cooling of the frosting. It's totally worth it for the resulting texture of this kind of frosting.
Shefali C.
October 28, 2016
Are we supposed to leave the mixer running on high for 1 whole hour while the sugar syrup and egg white mixture beat up? That seems awfully long ...Im not sure if my kitchen-aid mixer will stand up to that (or my ears lol)
Sophia H.
October 28, 2016
I have made this kind of buttercream before, yes, it can sometimes that this long or close to it and I have a kitchenaid one way to shorten the fine is if toy can plastic baggies of ice below the bowl, I have done this as well, but you're mixer will be ok.
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