Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream

By efriend

*Be sure to make the Salted Caramel Sauce at least 2-3 hours (or up to 6 months) before adding it to the buttercream, so that the sauce has plenty of time to cool. The caramel sauce must be no warmer than room temperature or it will melt the butter in the buttercream.
Author: Rebecca Blackwell
Serves: 7 cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. cream of tartar
• 9 large egg whites
• 6 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 recipe Salted Caramel Sauce

Preparation

Step 1

Combine the water and 1¼ cup sugar in a small saucepan and stir once or twice just to moisten the sugar. Do not stir again; stirring encourages the sugar to crystalize. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and continue to cook until it reaches a temperature between 246 and 250 degrees.
As soon as you set the syrup to cook, begin the meringue. Beat the egg whites in a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment at medium speed until frothy. While beating, sprinkle in the cream of tarter and then the remaining ⅓ cup sugar. Beat until stiff, but not dry, peaks form. *The goal is to have the syrup at the right temperature and the meringue at the stiff peak stage at the same time. If the syrup is not quite ready, but the meringue is, continue to beat the egg whites with the mixer on the lowest speed until the syrup reaches the desired temperature. If the syrup is done before the meringue is ready, add a very small amount of hot (not cold) water to lower the temperature slightly.
When the syrup is ready, turn off the mixer and quickly pour about ⅓ cup into the meringue. Immediately turn the mixer to medium-high and then continue to pour the hot syrup into the meringue in a thin, steady stream. Try to keep the syrup from getting on the beater, although some will get on there no matter what you do.
Continue to let the meringue beat, at medium speed, until you touch the bottom of the bowl and it is cool to the touch. *It's important to not add the butter before the meringue is completely cool, otherwise the butter will just melt and you'll have a goopy mess. To add the butter, turn the mixer to low and add it in 2 or 3 tablespoon size chunks. Keep mixing and adding the butter until all 6 sticks are incorporated and the buttercream is smooth.
After the butter has been fully incorporated, add 1½ - 2 cups room temperature salted caramel sauce and continue to beat until fully blended. (The caramel sauce must be no warmer than room temperature or it will melt the butter in the buttercream.) Taste, and add more salt, vanilla or caramel sauce if you like.


*At this point the buttercream is ready to use. If you'd like to store it for future use you can refrigerate it for up to a week or freeze it for up to two months. To reconstitute cold buttercream, it's important to bring it to room temperature gently so that you don't melt the butter. The simplest way to do this is to let it sit out on the counter until it reaches room temperature. If you don't have time for that, you can heat it in the microwave, on very low power, in 20 second spurts, checking for softness, breaking apart and stirring the buttercream as it begins to soften up. You can also place the buttercream over a pan of gently boiling water. If you select this method, break apart and stir the buttercream consistently as it warms to ensure that the buttercream on the bottom does not overheat. You can also use a hairdryer, blowing warm air on the sides of the bowl and across the top of the buttercream to soften. As with the other two methods, break apart and stir the buttercream together as it warms. However, you bring the buttercream to room temperature, beat it for a few minutes once it's softened in your standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until it is smooth and creamy. It's better to have the buttercream a bit too cold when you begin beating it than too warm. Beating will continue to soften out buttercream that is still a bit too cold. If you get it too warm, place back in the refrigerator for a bit.