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Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Frosting

While I frost most of my cakes with American buttercream,

sometimes I like to mix things up! One of my resolutions this year
was to be more open to different types of frosting, and I’ve stuck to
it! After a bit of trial and error, I feel like I have finally mastered Swiss
meringue buttercream frosting (SMBC).

This type of frosting definitely takes a bit more effort and time than
my American buttercream, but it isn’t as difficult to make as you
might think.

It also is a bit more stable, and less finicky once it’s made! My
favorite thing about swiss meringue is that it doesn’t crust. You don’t
have to cover it with plastic wrap, or worry about your frosting
crusting on your cake if you make it in advance.

After what feels like a zillion batches, I found that I prefer mine with a
bit more salt and slightly less butter than most SMBC recipes call for.
While half the battle of SMBC is having a good recipe, the other half
is how you make it! That’s why I’m also walking through everything
you need to know to make the smoothest, fluffiest swiss meringue
buttercream frosting in this post.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting Tutorial

Step #1: Room Temp Egg Whites

What gives this frosting its incredible texture is the meringue that it’s
made with. That’s why the eggs in this recipe are so important. Or
more specifically the egg whites!
If you’re not quite sure what to do with the 7 egg yolks you’ll be left
with after making this frosting, here’s a great post with loads of ideas
for using up leftover egg yolks.

You want to make sure your egg whites are at room temperature
when you make this frosting. Room temperature egg whites whip up
better and faster than egg whites that are cold.
I suggest separating your eggs about an hour before you plan to
make your frosting. Be careful as you do this, because they won’t
whip up properly if any yolk gets into the mixture!

If you forget to take your eggs out of the fridge, you can always pop
them into a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes to quickly bring them
to room temperature.

Normally I’m a huge fan of using egg whites out of a carton, but
that’s when I’m adding them into a batter. When it comes to making
meringue, I find that carton egg whites simply don’t whip up as well.

I really struggle getting stiff peaks with them. I’m not sure if the
pasteurization process does something to the protein in the egg or
what, but I don’t recommend using egg whites from a carton to make
swiss meringue frosting.

Step #2: Making The Egg Whites Safe to Eat &

Knowing When The Mixture is Hot Enough

There’s something about the idea of adding raw eggs into frosting
that seems a bit creepy. A lot of people worry it isn’t safe to eat, but
we take an important step to ensure it is!
By heating up our egg whites and granulated sugar with a double
boiler to 160 degree Fahrenheit, we accomplish two things at once.

The first is that we kill any potentially harmful bacteria. Salmonella is

instantly killed at temperatures above 160 degrees F.

The easiest way to ensure your mixture gets hot enough is to use a
digital thermometer. This helps you know exactly when your egg
whites are warm enough, and prevents you from overheating them.

If you don’t have a digital thermometer on hand, you can test with
your finger. The mixture should be quite warm to the touch, but not
hot enough to hurt or burn your finger.

The second thing we accomplish is dissolving the granulated sugar,

which gives the frosting a silky smooth texture.

It’s very important that the sugar is fully dissolved before you make
your meringue, or else your frosting can end up with a grainy texture.

A great way to know your mixture it ready if you don’t have a

thermometer is the finger test! Take a tiny bit of the warm liquid
between your forefinger and thumb, and rub them together.
The mixture should be smooth, and you shouldn’t be able to feel any
sugar granules. If you do, I suggest heating your egg white/sugar
mixture a bit longer then testing again to make sure it’s smooth.

Step #3: Making Stiff Peaks

Once your sugar is fully dissolved and your mixture is smooth, it’s
time to whip it into a meringue with stiff peaks. This takes quite a bit
of time!

I find it takes me about 10 minutes of mixing with a whisk

attachment on a medium high speed.

You could in theory make this swiss meringue frosting with a hand
mixer, but it would take forever!! Making it with a stand mixer is much
easier and quicker.

Stiff peaks should look like my whisk below, where the meringue can
stand up on its own when flipped upside down.

It can be hard to tell when the meringue reaches this stage just by
looking at your mixing bowl, so feel free to take breaks and test it by
removing your whisk attachment.
Doing so won’t have a negative impact on your meringue. It just
helps make sure you get the consistency just right without over
mixing your meringue.

Step #4: When and How to Add in Your Butter

Once your meringue has stiff peaks, it’s time to mix in the unsalted
butter.

After all that mixing you’d think your bowl would have fully cooled
off, right? But you might be wrong! At this point in time I like to feel
that bottom of my bowl with my hand.

If it feels pretty much room temperature, I add in my butter. If it still

feels warm, I’ll either wait another 15 minutes to add the butter or
pop my bowl into my fridge for 5 minutes to help it cool down.

Usually by making sure your meringue and bowl have cooled to

room temperature, you can prevent your swiss meringue
buttercream frosting from becoming too thin or soupy.

When I do start to add in my unsalted butter, I do it in small chunks

(about 1 Tbsp at a time). This gives your meringue time to
incorporate the butter, and helps it mix together more easily.

As you add your butter, it’s super important that your butter is room
temperature. This does NOT mean soft to the touch, or greasy.

Most sticks of butter come to room temp in about an hour, so be sure

your butter doesn’t sit out much longer than that or it may become
too soft.

It should be soft enough for you to be able to press your finger into,
but firm enough that you have to apply a bit of pressure to do so.

Step #5: The Attachment Switcheroo

When all your butter is mixed in and you’ve added in your salt and
vanilla, it’s time to swap out your whisk attachment!!

While we want our buttercream to be fluffy and light in texture, we

also want it to be smooth.

Whether you plan to spread your frosting onto a cake or pipe with it,
your frosting needs to be smooth and air bubble free.

I find that mixing your finished frosting on a low speed with a paddle
attachment for a few minutes makes a world of a difference.

This makes it way easier to smooth onto cakes!!

Troubleshooting

Two of the most common issues people run into when this type of
frosting are curdled or soupy frosting.

While it might seem terrifying to watch your frosting seem to fall

apart, fear not. Both problems are actually pretty easy to fix!!

How to Fix Curdled / Broken Swiss Meringue Buttercream

A lot of different things can cause your SMBC to break or curdle.

Maybe your butter was too cold, or your kitchen was too chilly.
Maybe you were thawing a batch of buttercream made in advance,
and it hadn’t fully come to room temperature before you started
mixing it.

Whatever the reason, your frosting looks chunky, dense, and greasy.

But don’t worry, your frosting isn’t ruined! There’s an easy work
around that will bring your frosting back together.

Simply place your bowl over a hot water bath / double boiler until the
frosting around the edge of the bowl has melted. Then give it a good
mix for several minutes.

The melted, warm frosting around the edge of the bowl will mix with
the frosting that’s too cold. This will bring the overall temperature of
your frosting up to the right temperature and allow it to become
smooth again.

How to Fix Soupy Swiss Meringue Buttercream

On the other hand, if your frosting is too warm it might become a

soupy, runny mess. This can happen if your meringue is too warm
when you add your butter, if your butter is too warm, or if your
kitchen is too toasty!!

If your frosting isn’t sturdy enough to keep its shape, you need to
cool it down. To do this, just pop your mixing bowl and whisk right
into the fridge.

I like to chill my bowl for about 20 minutes. At this point the center
might still be a bit soupy, but the frosting along the sides of the bowl
should be firmer. I mix it for a few minutes to see if it comes together.
If after 3-4 minutes of mixing it still looks too soft, I chill the bowl for
another 10 minutes before mixing it again. That usually does the
trick!

Coloring Your Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Frosting

The last thing I want to touch on is coloring swiss meringue

buttercream frosting.

This type of frosting is a bit more difficult to color than American

buttercream. To make it bright and colorful, gel food coloring is a
must.

My favorite gel food coloring is Americolor, and it’s the only food
coloring I use.

Even with gel food coloring, I find I have to use quite a bit to get my
colors really vibrant.

If you want make deep or really intense colors, I highly recommend

making your frosting in advance. The color of the frosting will
deepen overtime!

Tips For Making Best Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Frosting:

Traces of grease in your mixing bowl can prevent your meringue from
forming stiff peaks. You can wipe down your tools with lemon juice or
vinegar to make sure they’re grease-free.
Use room temperature egg whites; they whip up more quickly and easily
than cold egg whites
Heat your egg white / sugar mixture to 160 degrees F and check to
make sure all the sugar is dissolved
Whip your meringue until your peaks are stiff enough to defy gravity
Make sure your butter is actually at room temp, and add it in slowly (1
Tbsp at a time)
When in doubt (if your frosting breaks / curdles), just keep mixing!! It
should come back together with the help of your stand mixer
Mix your finished buttercream on the lowest speed with a paddle
attachment for a few minutes to make it smooth
1 batch of frosting is enough to fill and frost a seven or eight inch layer
cake.

Making This Swiss Meringue Frosting in Advance

and Storage Tips:

Make your frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be
stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 1-2 days, in
the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
 Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to room temp to get the
consistency nice and smooth again.
A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer
for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the
cake fresh and delicious!
If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to
cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a
week.

Let Me Know What You Think of This Swiss

Meringue Buttercream Frosting!

If you try this recipe for swiss meringue buttercream frosting, I’d love
to hear what think of it! Please leave a rating, and let me know your
thoughts by sharing a comment

Also please tag me @chelsweets, and use the #chelsweets so that I

can see your amazing creations on social media!

Yield: 6 cups

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Print

This swiss meringue buttercream is made with fluffy meringue, and has the
perfect balance of sweetness and richness!
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

7 large egg whites, room temperature (235 grams)

2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (454 grams)
1/4 tsp salt (1 gram)
2 tsp vanilla extract (8 grams)
gel food coloring (if desired)

Instructions

1. In a medium sized pot, add about 1 inch of water bring to a simmer.

2. Before making the frosting, be sure to thorough clean your mixing bowl; if
there’s any grease it can make it difficult to make the meringue.
3. Add the egg whites and granulated sugar into your clean mixing bowl.
4. Place the bowl on top of the pot filled with simmering water, being sure the
water isn’t actually touching the bottom of your bowl. The bowl should
create a seal over the pot.
5. Whisk the mixture constantly for about 3 minutes, until it reaches 160
degrees F. You can test the mixture to see if it’s ready by rubbing a tiny bit
between your fingertips. The sugar should be fully dissolved, and it should
feel super smooth and hot to the touch.
6. Lift your bowl away from the pot, and dry the bottom with a towel.
7. Lock the bowl into place on your stand mixer, and beat on medium high
using a whisk attachment. Mix for about 10 minutes, until you have stiff and
 glossy peaks.
8. At this point in time, the bowl should be back to room temperature and no
longer warm to the touch. If it’s warm, it will melt your butter!!
9. Once bowl is at room temp, swap out your whisk attachment for your
paddle attachment.
10. Mix on a medium speed and add in the unsalted butter, 1 Tbsp at a time.
11. Add in the salt, vanilla extract and purple gel food coloring (if desired) and
mix on a low speed until fully incorporated.
12. When all butter is mixed in, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a
rubber spatula and continue mixing for about 3 minutes.
13. The frosting should have a thick whipped consistency at this point. If it
looks lumpy or broken, keep mixing until it looks smooth and thick.

Notes

Make your frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be
left out at room temperature for 1-2 days, stored in an airtight container in the
fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a
good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for
up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake
fresh and delicious!

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to
cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a
week.

One batch is enough to fill and frost a 7 or 8" layer cake, or enough to frost
two dozen cupcakes.

Nutrition Information

Yield

6 cups
Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 825Total Fat 61gSaturated Fat 38gTrans Fat
0gUnsaturated Fat 20gCholesterol 163mgSodium 170mgCarbohydrates
67gFiber 0gSugar 67gProtein 5g
© Chelsey White
Cuisine: American / Category: Frosting

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Posted in FROSTING

PUBLISHED BY

Chelsweets

I am a self-taught baker, who left corporate America to pursue my love of cake

decorating and content creation! I love testing out new recipes and decorating
techniques, and share everything I learn along the way. View all posts by
Chelsweets →
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10 thoughts on “Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Frosting”
Yolandie Olech
April 6, 2020 at 10:47 am

Awesome recipe

Reply

Chelsweets
April 6, 2020 at 9:13 pm

Thanks Yolandie

Reply

Dina
April 8, 2020 at 5:22 am

Hi Chelsea! I was wondering can i add more flavour to this frosting, Like caramel
or peanut butter or both as i was thinking of making your snickers cake but
instead of American buttercream use this SMBC

Reply

Chelsweets
April 8, 2020 at 11:32 am
 Hi Dina,

You can totally add in other flavors into this frosting!! Adding in PB or
caramel would taste amazing I’d recommend adding them in after
you’ve mixed in the butter. Hope that helps, happy baking!

Reply

Dina
April 11, 2020 at 12:47 pm

I did it and it was incredible, thank you so much for this amazing recipe.

Reply

Chelsweets
April 13, 2020 at 9:29 am

So happy to hear that Dina!! Thank you for sharing

Reply

Elizabeth
April 11, 2020 at 10:45 pm

I tried this recipe and it was impossible to get smooth no matter what I did

Reply

Chelsweets
April 13, 2020 at 10:16 am

Hi Elizabeth,

So sorry to hear that, hopefully we’ll be able to troubleshoot together.

When you say you couldn’t get it smooth, do you mean it was curdled? or
it had air bubbles in it?

Reply

Aaryah
April 12, 2020 at 1:14 am
 I was wondering if I can use this recipe for in between the cake layers and as
frosting?

Reply

Chelsweets
April 13, 2020 at 10:15 am

Hi Aaryah,

You totally can! This swiss meringue buttercream is wonderful for filling
and frosting cakes Happy baking!

Reply

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