Italian Meringue Buttercream frosting

I've never been a big fan as to the flavour of the buttercream frosting, it is much too heavy for me. However, the creamy, shiny effects combined with its stiff, easy-to-shape texture is perfect for creating the best looking cupcakes. So, I found the best alternative-- the Italian Meringue Buttercream.

The recipe I'm using is from Cake Journal. Although cooking sugar syrup is quite a delicate job, you will finally get there after few trials! Here is some tips I found very useful:

• Whisk to dissolve the sugar over low heat at beginning before boiling, to stop any sugar crystallize;
•  After boiling, do not whisk the sugar, and turn on the heat to medium high, keep it boiling at constant speed to  maintain the clear colour;
• Use a sugar thermometer is necessary, but it should normally take 5-7 minutes, and during this time, you can whisk your egg white.

Here is a video tutorial from YouTube on how to make IMBC which is step-by-step explaining the process, slightly different recipe, but same principle.