A step-by-step Italian Meringue Buttercream tutorial! It is the smoothest and creamiest of all the buttercreams! You will love it on cakes, cupcakes and more! Plus it's easier than you think!
In culinary school we made 5 different types of buttercream, but Italian Meringue Buttecream is my favorite! It has a lighter texture and taste than Swiss Meringue and German; it doesn’t taste like pure butter like French Buttercream; and it isn’t saccharine, tooth-achingly sweet like an American Buttercream.
Over the past 2 months, I’ve made this buttercream a lot.
A lot. I dream about cutting a cake in three perfect layers and then frosting it.
And not in a good way. It’s more of a nightmare really.
Italian meringue buttercream (IMB) seems complicated at first; it’s definitely the most sophisticated of its peers. Simply put, it is made by whipping egg whites to stiff peaks while simultaneously cooking sugar to the soft ball stage; you then slowly pour the sugar into the whipping egg whites; and, finally, add butter.
A whole lotta butter.
They don’t call it buttercream for nothin’.
I love this frosting because it is light and airy but simultaneously rich and creamy. It is also magically stable and will keep for months in the freezer! So stable, in fact, if you think you totally messed it up, take heart, it’s probably totally fixable!
I actually think IMB is easier than Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
One of these days I’ll shoot a video tutorial for you on IMB and also Swiss Meringue, because they are really not as complicated as they seem. For now, I shot a step-by-step photo tutorial, which is kind of a big deal. I’ve never done that before!
One small step for IMB; one giant leap for AHC!!
This is another batch of IMB that I made. Mmmm chocolate. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw the cake that it frosted. My very first cake order!
So let’s not pretend like what I did with this fluffy frosting is a surprise. Mmmkay?
Y’all know me by now.
I made cupcakes. #obvi
Coming soon! 🙂
Click Here to Skip to the Picture Tutorial!
Click Here to Skip to the Printable Recipe!
A Few General Tips for IMB Success:
- There is no rule that you have to whip the egg whites on high while you cook your sugar, so if they have reached stiff peaks and your sugar syrup is stubbornly stuck at 220˚F (been there), just turn down the mixer to low. Don’t stop that mixer! I didn’t say that! I said LOW.
- Pour your sugar syrup in with the mixer on HIGH. Do you want scrambled eggs on your cupcakes? I didn’t think so. Turn that mixer up!
- Pour the sugar down the side of the bowl. Don’t hit the whisk because I don't need to tell you that 235˚ syrup in the face is unpleasant. Don’t be that person. You will know if you did it right because there will be one little lava trail of cooled sugar down one side of the bowl.
- This sounds obvious and it's in the instructions, but I’m going to say it anyways: cook your sugar to 235˚F. Soft ball syrup is a range but if you shoot for 235˚F, then by the time you get from the stove to the mixer and the syrup has inched up a few degrees, no love has been lost. You will know if you overcook your sugar because there will be a pool of cooked sugar in the bottom of your mixer. No bueno.
- When you start adding your butter, you want it to be soft but still a little cool. If it’s not totally soft enough, add it a little bit at a time and squeeze each piece before tossing it in. That’s right, squeeze your butter! It’s kinda fun. And kinda gross at the same time.
- If your buttercream gets soupy, switch from the paddle back to the whisk and beat it on high. All is not lost. Trust me. Whip it; whip it good. {Is that song in your head now? #sorryimnotsorry}
- If your buttercream breaks (looks curdled) when you start adding the butter, take heart, it will come together. Add the butter in little pieces and squeeze each one to soften it. If you have a kitchen torch you can torch the outside of the bowl with the mixer on high, but keep the torch moving! You want to warm the bowl not melt the buttercream.
- To refresh refrigerated buttercream: Throw it in the mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth; then switch to the whisk to whip it up until light and fluffy.
- To refresh frozen buttercream: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, let warm slightly at room temperature and then proceed with the refreshing refrigerated buttercream instructions above.
- You can speed up the refreshing process by warming the bowl over a gas stovetop flame or with the kitchen torch. Just be careful to constantly move the bowl or torch because you don’t want to melt your buttercream.
Italian Meringue Buttercream Tutorial:
You want to make sure that you have everything measured out and ready to go. This recipe is simple but it does require seamless execution. You also want to make sure that your mixing bowl is clean and free of any residual fat, or your meringue will not whip up and there will be sadness abound.
Mix half of the sugar with the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir just until the sugar dissolves. When the pan heats up, brush around the sides of the pot with a clean pastry brush dipped in water to dissolve any sugar crystals adhered to the sides of the pot. You can also use a paper towel that you roll up (I did because I forgot my brush at school.)
When your sugar starts to bubble begin whipping your egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. You can add a pinch of salt and/or cream of tartar for stability if you wish. When your eggs begin to look frothy, slowly begin adding the second half of your sugar, whipping constantly on medium-high (above picture).
Continue whipping your egg whites until they form stiff peaks (photo 1 above). Ideally your meringue should reach stiff peaks at the same time that your sugar syrup reaches 235˚F. If your egg whites are whipping too fast, reduce the mixer speed to medium. You can also adjust the heat on the sugar syrup to make it cook faster or slower.
To test your syrup you can either use a candy thermometer or you can do it the old-fashioned way, which is what I did here. Take a tiny bit of the syrup on a spoon and dip it into ice water, reach in and grab the sugar. If it dissolves, it isn’t close to ready; if it forms a little malleable ball, it’s ready!! I don’t have a photo of this stage because if I had taken the time to snap a photo, my sugar would have over cooked.
Turn your mixer up to high and SLOWLY pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl as in photo 2 above. Be very careful not to hit the whisk. Ideally you pour it in one solid stream down the edge because it will solidify where it hits the bowl, so if you pour it in three different places, you will be losing sugar. Sadness.
If you look closely at the above photo you can see where my sugar hit the side of the bowl. One little stream. No excess sugar lost. Go ahead, take a closer look...This is what perfection looks like. 😉
Keep whipping the Italian meringue on high until it forms stiff peaks like in the first photo below, but what is more important than the stiffness of the meringue is the temperature of the meringue. Before you begin adding the butter, the bottom of the bowl should feel barely warm (picture 2). There is so much sugar in this meringue that it will not over whip before it cools appropriately. Even though my meringue had reached stiff peaks in photo 1, I still needed to whip it another few minutes for it too cool.
When the bowl feels just slightly warm, switch to the paddle attachment and begin adding your butter a piece at a time like in picture 3. I take my butter out of the fridge when I begin measuring my ingredients. Before adding each piece squeeze the butter. When I am making this (and not taking photos) I use disposable gloves.
Continue to beat the butter in on medium-high until the buttercream is smooth and there are no remaining pieces of butter. The buttercream in photo 1 above is still a bit lumpy. Not there yet!!! Photo 2 is smooth and creamy. At this stage I switch back to the whisk, add any desired flavorings and beat it until it is light and fluffy. You are now ready to frost!
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar (divided)
- ⅔ cup water
- 5 large egg whites
- pinch salt (optional)
- pinch cream of tartar (optional)
- 2 cups butter (cubed (4 sticks or 1 pound), cool but not cold)
Instructions
- You want to make sure that you have everything measured out and ready to go. This recipe is simple but it does require seamless execution. You also want to make sure that your mixing bowl is clean and free of any residual fat, or your meringue will not whip up and there will be sadness abound.
- Mix half of the sugar with the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir just until the sugar dissolves. When the pan heats up, brush around the sides of the pot with a clean pastry brush dipped in water to dissolve any sugar crystals adhered to the sides of the pot. You can also use a paper towel that you roll up (I did because I forgot my brush at school.)
- When your sugar starts to bubble begin whipping your egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. You can add a pinch of salt and/or cream of tartar for stability if you wish. I only used salt in the photos you see. When your eggs begin to look frothy, slowly begin adding your sugar, whipping constantly on medium-high.
- Continue whipping your egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Ideally your meringue should reach stiff peaks at the same time that your sugar syrup reaches 235˚F. If your egg whites are whipping too fast, reduce the mixer speed to medium. You can also adjust the heat on the sugar syrup to make it cook faster or slower.
- To test your syrup you can either use a candy thermometer or you can do it the old-fashioned way, which is what I did here. Take a tiny bit of the syrup on a spoon and dip it into ice water, reach in and grab the sugar. If it dissolves, it isn’t close to ready; if it forms a little malleable ball, it’s ready!!
- Turn your mixer up to high and SLOWLY pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl. Be very careful not to hit the whisk. Ideally you should pour it in one solid stream down the edge because it will solidify where it hits the bowl, so if you pour it in three different places, you will be losing sugar. Sadness.
- Keep whipping the Italian meringue on high until it forms stiff, but what is more important than the stiffness of the meringue is the temperature of the meringue. Before you begin adding the butter, the bottom of the bowl should feel barely warm.
- When the bowl feels just slightly warm, switch to the paddle attachment and begin adding your butter a piece at a time. I take my butter out of the fridge when I begin measuring my ingredients. Before adding each piece squeeze the butter.
- Continue to beat the butter in on medium-high until the buttercream is smooth and there are no remaining pieces of butter. At this stage I switch back to the whisk and beat it until it is light and fluffy. Pipe or spread as desired!!
Video Instructions
Notes
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I am making my daughter's wedding cake for an outdoor Dec 8 wedding in Northwest Florida. I have always made american buttercream, but my daughter doesn't like how sweet it is. I am thinking of making the Meringue buttercream, but can't decide which one I should make. Can you help advise me on whether to make the Italian or Swiss Meringue buttercreams? Thanks!!!!
Hi Rebekah, I think that depends on your comfort with making italian meringue (i.e. pouring soft ball syrup into whipping whites). I think either would be wonderful for your cake. I do slightly prefer the taste of Italian meringue. I would watch my YouTube tutorial and then give it a go! You'll never know until you try!
Thank you. I very much appreciate the advice! I love your website and your sense of humor! :0)
Thanks Rebekah!
Hey there! I've made this a few times and I love it. I do combine it with another icing (which is the filling) and all of it together is a little sweeter than I care for. Are there other amounts you would suggest for the sugars? Which to cut back on? just slightly less would be perfect for the combination. I just didn't know how the different sugar forms (syrup vs regular) would fair being cut. I would assume it's better to cut the 'regular' you pour in, but suggestions on how much?
Thank you so much!
V
Yes you can cut all the sugar that you add to the whites but do know that that sugar has a function beyond adding sweetness. The sugar stabilizes the meringue so that it is less likely to overwhip waiting for the syrup and less likely to cook the whites when adding the syrup. YOu'll have to be very careful not to overwhip and to add the syrup at the right speed.
I live in San Antonio and it’s been raining for days, and it’s raining now. This recipe still worked beautifully and wasn’t much more involved than my go to boiled frosting. The video helped a ton and so did all of your tips and instructions. About the time I was thinking, what do firm peaks look like, there you were showing me.
Oh I'm so glad to hear that Kelsey! Thank you so much for stopping back by!
This my fav of all the icing I gain wt. every time i make it. I have a born day cake to make and I eat at least 1/16 of it after its made taste so much like a nice ice cream. regular butter cream leaves a nasty taste on my tongue, So if i'm making a cake for me I would sure like to try the other kind I have done the swiss it was good as well. thanks for the tips. Can you color this icing oh yes i did make some yellow just dont remember what i used to color it must have used some type of gel.
Hey there! Your original posting was on my 40th birthday! But that's not why I'm commenting. I don't know if the comments before mine drew your attention to this, but there's an error in step number 7: so that the meringue is the same temperature as the meringue
Hi Amy, That's not a mistake. It says "but what is more important than the stiffness of the meringue is the temperature of the meringue. Before you begin adding the butter, the bottom of the bowl should feel barely warm" I'm saying you want it at stiff peak but don't add the butter until the meringue is warm to the touch. Sorry you misunderstood 🙂 Happy baking
Hi there. I'm baking mini cupcakes for a wedding and it's gonna be hot and I heard IBC stands up best in heat. I have a question - I only have a hand mixer and no paddle attachment. Suggestions? I feel like you need more than one hand to do all the steps involved. Thanks.
Hi Annika, I would say that is risky. Why don't you make Swiss Meringue Buttercream instead. It will hold up just as well and won't be as dangerous to make with a hand mixer. Happy baking!
After searching for an Italian Buttercream I decided to give yours a try as yours was explained so well. First batch was vanilla and the second was chocolate, both were amazing! Thank you for detailing your instructions, especially smushing the butter 🙂
I'm so glad you found me Kate! Happy baking!
Thank you thank you thank you!,!! I made 3 batches of this reciipe for a 2-tiered birthday cake (3 layers each) and an additioanal single layer cake this past weekend. It was my first attempt at Italian meringue buttercream, and I chose it bc I read that Italian buttercream holds up to summer heat better than other buttercream. Your tutorial was perfect. I appreciated your note about when you take the butter out of the fridge. One helpful tip I gleaned from another website on ensuring no residual oil on mixing bowl or beaters: squeeze a bit of lemon juice on a paper towel and wipe beaters and bowl to remove any possible traces of oil.
This will be my go-to recipe for all future butter cream needs! It was silky, glossy, perfectly pipeable and spreadable. And it beautifully withstood 2+ hours on a warm June evening , temps about 85 F and humid. Love it!!!
Wonderful, Lin!!! I'm so glad you found me! Great tip! You can also use vinegar 🙂
I just happened on to your site and love this tutorial! I'm making a wedding cake for a friend using IMB, filled with lemon curd cream. The bride wants the royal cake...Lemon Elderflower! I added lemon zest and St Germain elderflower liqueur to the yellow cake batter instead of vanilla, added St Germain to IMB, and brushed elderflower syrup (Belvoir Fruit Farms) on the test cake before frosting. She and her fiancé loved it! I have 2 questions:
1. In the test cake I made the lemon curd, chilled overnight, then folded in whipped cream. But it was too soft in the layers and squished out. Should I add unflavored gelatin to the whipped cream? If so, how and how much gelatin and water? Would folding in IMB be better?
2. Can the separate cakes be filled and crumb coated, wrapped in saran and frozen? Then the day before can I frost with IMB while frozen, assemble and decorate? Then back into fridge overnight. The morning of the wedding I'll put fresh flowers on it. I have a 2nd fridge that won't have any other food in it to affect the taste.
Thank you! I bookmarked your site!
Hi Cathy! Great questions!
1) Why are you lightening the lemon curd? Lemon curd is beautiful and holds up beautifully as a cake filling as long as you dam the frosting (that is the ring of frosting around the edge of the cake - the frosting firms up and holds the filling in while supporting the weight of the remaining cake layers). If you want to use whipped cream in your filling then you will have to stabilize it, which is the fancy word for add gelatin. I usually use sheet gelatin. 600g heavy cream to 3 sheets of silver gelatin, which would be about 1 tablespoon of powdered gelatin. Bloom the gelatin (use the package instructions) and then melt gently in about 2 teaspoons of elderflower liquor. Then fold into your whipped cream (soft peaks) then fold that into your cooled lemon curd. Then fill your cakes. A piping bag is going to very helpful here. YOu should still dam the cake with IMB before filling with the lightened curd so it has time to set and doesn't squish out.
2) By separate cakes, I assume you mean layers of a tiered cake? And if that is what you mean then yes. Make sure you allow ample time for them to defrost in the fridge because if you are going to stack layers, you need to dowel the lower layers so they don't collapse especially with a soft filling. YOU'VE GOT THIS!!! It sounds like you are already kicking butt! Let me know if you have any more questions 🙂
Thanks for the bookmark!
Thanks for the reply Lindsey!
I forgot to explain why I was lightening the lemon curd...the recipe I used was terrific, but very lemony! I wanted to keep that wonderful flavor but reduce the intensity so that the elderflower wouldn't be overpowered. After trying small amounts of gelatin at a time, I ended up putting in the whole envelope which was about the size of the tablespoon you recommended!
And the icing dam was perfect! I made several batches of your IMBC and it was so amazing! I loved how it was able to hold larger amounts of flavor (liqueur or oil/extract) which was so important in this cake. Previously I used a well known cake baker's recipe which had half the sugar of yours and could only hold a limited amount of flavor before it would start to get too soft.
I ended up freezing the cake layers individually but after assembling the individual tiers and crumb coating I kept it in the fridge. That made tier stacking and decorating so much easier!
And everyone raved about the cake and the frosting...on FB one said it was like silk and another said it was divine having a piece with coffee the next morning!
Thank you sooo much for your advice!!!
You are most welcome Cathy! It sounds like you made a fabulous cake!! Cheers to the stabilizing powers of sugar in meringue! Happy baking!
I am dying to try this for a wedding cake I am making next week. I usually make an American buttercream but really wanted to try something a lot nicer 🙂 so my cake is a 3 tier wedding cake, and my question is...
you said this is quite a soft buttercream, will it be strong enough like an American buttercream to go between the layers in the cake? will it withstand the weight? (All 3 cakes will be doweled ofcourse ????) But I don’t want it to collapse out the sides of each layer.
Also Would it work with white chocolate??
Love your tutorial xo
Hi Anita! I hope that this comment reaches you in time (or you just powered through and tried it!). You can (and should) absolutely use this buttercream for a tiered cake. It is perfect for that application because it chills harder than American buttercream. When I am making layered cakes, I assemble one layer at a time and then chill in between. So if you're making a three tiered cake, start with the bottom most layer and create your dam, add your filling, place second layer on top. CHill while doing the same with the remaining 2 tiers. I work in this rotation until I've added all the layers of each and then chill before doing my crumb coat. If you do this then it will be structurally sound even with a softer filling.
It will absolutely work with white chocolate but your buttercream will have a yellow tint to it and it will be sweeter than usual.
I'm so glad you enjoyed my tutorial! Let me know how it goes!
Hi! Excellent directions and the frosting came out perfectly. The crowd loved it but it was a little buttery for my taste. (Yes, I know it is buttercream!) Do you think I can decrease the butter, and if so, do you think I can go so far as half as much? Thank you for the excellent tutorial!
Hi Keri, You are welcome! You can absolutely decrease the butter by half. Your buttercream won't be as stable for as long as a full butter version. Think of it like the less butter, the closer to plain meringue. And plain meringues are beautiful and stable for about 1-3 days (max depending on the amount of sugar). The butter deflates the meringue but preserves it in a way. Happy baking!
Ooh! This sounds so good and you make it look doable! Really hoping I can pull it off for my daughter's birthday cake this weekend!
I know you can, Virginia!!!!
Omg, Lindsey! Thank you so much for this tutorial! I made my daughter's cake Sat and it turned out perfectly. Your instructions are fabulous and I absolute love all the hints and tricks you include. They helped so much! No boiling hot sugar to the face for this gal! Even my mom was impressed....which is saying something. I overheard her telling her sister that she wasn't sure since it was a lot of work (she was watching me) but it was worth it! And my cake looked amazing, too. IMB was a dream to work with. I'm in love with it, now. I think you've created a monster! : D
Yay Virginia!!! You did it! But it's a sweet monster if ever there was one! I'm so happy for your success and the (much deserved) maternal praise! Don't forget you can refrigerate or freeze it and then refresh it in the mixer (with the paddle attachment) - IMB on the ready! Happy baking!
I tried this recipe today, i am doing a practice run before making my first wedding cake! It turned out very well, loved the texture and taste... My only issue is that my sugar in the whites didn’t dissolve well so there are granules in the frosting. I added the sugar slowly as soon as the whites started to froth. Do you need to use a fine bakers sugar? Also I am doing a “semi-naked” style cake, if I ice it the day before can it stay uncovered in the fridge without drying?
Thank you!
Hi Samantha, The standard sugar used in bakeries and restaurants is marketed as "extra fine sugar" but I have also made IMB at home with regular granulated sugar. It seems more likely to me that your soft ball sugar syrup actually crystalized and those are the sugar crystals you are experiencing. This can happen from a dirty pot (not dirty to the naked eye), from sugar crystals forming on the sides of the pot and either falling into your syrup and crystalizing more of it while it cooks or during the act of pouring, or over agitation of the syrup as it cooks. Make sure you pot is completely clean, only stir once to dissolve the sugar in the cold water, wipe down the sides of the pot with cold water to dissolve any crystals and try not to disturb it, not using enough water to dissolve the sugar, or using too big of a pot for the quantity of sugar! Even when you do all the things right, sugar can still crystalize resulting in a gritty meringue. If it's really bad, start over. If it's just a few pieces here and there, you can power on especially since you aren't doing a thick layer of frosting.
Since you don't have a full layer of buttercream, you do run the risk that the cake dries out a bit and takes on some flavors of the fridge. You can also freeze the cake, then wrap it and store it in the freezer so it doesn't mar the exterior or dry out. Take extra care to keep your cake moist before assembly: don't over bake it, cool it properly, wrap it properly, only cut it right before assembly, and take the extra step to soak the layers lightly while assembling. This should minimize the drying out. Best of luck and happy baking!
This recipe was recommended to me and I’m very excited to try it for cupcakes that I’m making in advance for a party. Can I ice the cupcakes with this Italian buttercream, freeze them and thaw them at room temperature on the day I’m planning to serve them?
Absolutely, Susan! I do that at the restaurant all the time!
Worked the first time I tried it. It is very silky. Mine was a little soft so refrigerated it a bit but it didn't like getting piped. Any suggestions?
Hi Dana! You did the right thing by refrigerating it. However, when you refrigerate it, the butter will cool inconsistently, so you need to refresh it in the mixer with the paddle. Mix on low until it is smooth and then increase speed, switch to the whisk and beat until nice and fluffy! Whenever I frost cakes in the summer, it is a constant battle: in and out of the fridge, refresh. I chill it in the bowl with the paddle attachment, which keeps my dishes to a minimum! Happy baking!
Tried this recipe, and loved it! Was rather soupy when i added all the butter, but was able to fix it by putting it in the fridge and then re-whipping it! Would I be able to frost cupcakes and freeze them ahead (by about 2 weeks)? Or should I freeze them separately and then put them together the day of the party?
Hi Kayla, you may absolutely assemble them and freeze ahead of time! I do this with little mini cupcakes at the restaurant all the time! Just make sure to allow enough time to defrost them because nobody likes the taste of hard IMB! [Well, some people do, but that is neither here nor there!] Happy baking!
Tastes great but it's soupy. I put it in refrigerator to try to fix my mistake. How long should it take in the refrigerator before it thickens up to rewhip it.
It really depends on how soupy it is. I've had it take close to an hour before when my kitchen was super hot. Don't forget to rewhip it!
Thanks for sharing, my questions are, can i use hand mixer to get the same result? Secondly can i use margarine to substitute butter,
I think a hand mixer might be more dangerous but you could try. I don't know if margarine will work, you can certainly give it a go!
Hi...can i put this recipe under fondant?can i also put color on it?
Absolutely to both of those questions! I use gel coloring for the buttercream. It is perfect for putting under fondant because it will keep those crisp edges. Make sure it is very cold or frozen before covering. Happy baking!
It looks beautiful! I have a question and I apologise if you already answered it before. Can I substitute store bought pasteurized egg whites in this recipe? Thank you!
Hi EG, you absolutely may substitute pasteurized egg whites, just be aware that they behave differently than fresh. They will whip up faster and be less stable, so just be extra vigilant about making sure not to overwhip! Happy baking!
Have you had any luck doubling this recipe? The last imb i made was a huge fail and I'm wondering if it was because i doubled it and maybe this is just one of those few things that just dont like to be doubled?
Hi Steffani, I have doubled this recipe but you need a very large mixer (think 8-9 quarts) for that. The original recipe yields about 3.5 quarts of buttercream. If you need more than that, then you'll need to make two batches. Happy baking!
This recipe sounds awesome. I tried. Making it but my egg whites didnt form the peaks after adding the second half of the sugar. I am not sure where did I go wrong ????. Can you please advice ????
Thanks!
Hi Neha, You mean that when you poured in the sugar syrup the resulting meringue wouldn't whip up to stiff peaks? That could be because your egg whites weren't either under or over whipped when you poured in your sugar OR your sugar syrup wasn't at 138-140 degrees F. I suggest you try again and focus on making sure your egg whites are whipped to stiff peaks when you pour in the 140 F syrup. It takes a little timing and practice but after it clicks, you will find it super easy!
What if you never get stiff peak? It's the first time this has happened to me.
Hi Angela, It is probably because some fat got into your meringue which keeps it from whipping up. It could be a little bit of yolk in your whites or perhaps not a perfectly clean bowl or whisk. You can try adding a bunch of cream of tartar to see if it will stabilize it enough to whip up, if not, the only thing to do is start again.Happy baking!