Faux SMBC

Don't know what SMBC is? It took me forever to figure out what that stood for! I was reading this girl's blog about flour frosting and she kept referencing SMBC. Huh? Then it all came together...Swiss Meringue Butter Cream. This is a cheaters way of making something similar to it.

My first attempt at SMBC was for my birthday when I made my own cake. I couldn't believe that I had never had frosting like that...it was amazing. Very light, fluffy, but buttery and devilish. The down side to SMBC is that it is a lengthy and complicated (for some) process. If you want to whip up a batch of frosting for those cupcakes you just made then SMBC isn't the answer. Neither is this one either. It is easy to make but took a bit longer than my standard frostings. This one involves boiling milk and sugar and then letting it cool to room temp. Then whipping it.

Speaking of whipping it...don't be deterred by this frosting if it doesn't come together quickly. My Kitchen Aide was going to town and I checked on it after 2 minutes and all I had was this curdled mess. 2 more minutes...similar situation. At that point I was ready to throw it out and do something different. BUT it does come together after another couple minutes.

The cake part of these beauties is Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake. My prefered chocolate cake recipe.


Faux SMBC
Source: Obsessed with Baking Blog
Yield: frosts one cake or 24 cupcakes

1 cup milk, divided into 3/4 cup and 1/4 cup
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter, cut into tablespoon sized chunks at room temperature, but not too soft

Heat 3/4 cup milk, 1 cup sugar and a pinch of salt in a pot over medium heat until sugar is dissolved but do not let it come to a boil.

Make a slurry with the starch and remaining 1/4 cup milk. Stir to get rid of lumps

Pour starch slurry into milk and sugar mixture and continue heating over medium heat. Stir , but not vigorously or else the starch mixture might liquefy. After 1 minute, tiny bubbles will appear on the side and mixture should thicken. Continue heating for 1-2 minutes to get cook out the flour taste. Mixture should be thickened by now. Don't let mixture come to a rolling boil or else the starch granules might break.

Pour thickened mixture into a bowl of standing mixer and cool until room temperature by leaving it out on the counter or in the fridge for 1 hour. Don't let it get cold or else it will take forever for the butter to incorporate with the mixture.

Cut butter into tablespoon chunks. On medium low speed, add the butter by the tablespoon until it is all incorporated. Increase the speed to medium or medium high and beat until it comes together (approx 5 minutes). During these 5 minutes, the frosting is going to transform from a curdled mess into a fluffy and soft frosting. If it takes a longer time to come together, just be patient and continue whipping until it gets fluffy.

Add vanilla and continue mixing at low speed for 1 minute.