Martha Stewart's Grand Marnier Italian Buttercream Frosting

Jessica K's Note:

This is the icing she says to put on every wedding cake and is her most popular!!! Got it out of my Martha Stewart cookbook. have not used it myself but posted in regards to a request.

• Total Time: 30 mins
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 16

• 2 cups sugar
• 2⁄3; cup water
• 6 egg whites
• 1 pinch salt
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 ¼ lbs butter , softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 tablespoons Grand Marnier

Directions:

1. Combine sugar and water in saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and let boil 3-5 minute until sugar dissolves, uncover and continue boiling until syrup reaches 238° on a candy thermometer (soft-ball stage).
2. Meanwhile, place egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar and salt, and beat on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry; do not overbeat.
3. When syrup reaches 240 degrees pour 1/4 cup of syrup into egg white mixture. With mixer running, add syrup to whites in a stream, beating on high speed until no longer steaming, about 3 minutes. Add rest of syrup slowly and beat for 8-12 min., or till cool, so butter will not melt.
4. In seperate bowl cream butter. Add butter bit by bit, beating until spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes; beat in vanilla and Grand Marnier. If icing curdles, keep beating until smooth, may still be too warm. Use Immediately!

Reviews

[Kimmarie1966]

OH! MY! GOSH! What a (to use someone else's word) FANTASTIC recipe! I did not have Grand Marnier, so I used 1/2 teaspoon of almond extract. I cannot believe how light, smooth, melt in your mouth, delicious flavor, easy to spread and work with this recipe is. I only made 1/2 of the recipe as it was a sample frosting. NOT ANYMORE!!! This is a keeper!!!

[ironchefmooney]

Fantastic recipe! Turned out perfect (Beware Kitchen must be cool and so must your cake or cupcakes) It never ceases to amaze me that people have the gall to give a less than perfect rating on any recipe that they have CHANGED by making substitutions. DUH - and you wonder why the recipe failed to meet your expectations. If you are going to rate:
1. MAKE THE RECIPE
2. MAKE THE RECIPE AS IS
(Stepping off my soapbox now)

[Chef #1501301]

This frosting was exactly what I was looking for! I had to alter the recipe to work with what I had in the so I used 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter and then 1/2 cup shortening. Also, for the syrup, I used one cup granulatebed sugar and substituted 3/4 cup powdered sugar for the other cup of granulated. It all came together beautifully after going throught the "curdled" looking stage. It tastes just like the icing that my favorite local bakery uses!