Swiss meringue buttercream is a silky, smooth, not-too-sweet buttercream used for frosting and filling layer cakes. It is stable enough to pipe detailed borders or used on cupcakes.
Swiss meringue buttercream starts with a Swiss meringue where egg whites and sugar are heated together before being whipped into a meringue. Here is how to make it:
Cook the egg whites and sugar together in a mixing bowl set of over simmering water.
Whip the cooked egg white mixture on high speed until stiff peaks.
With the mixer on medium speed, add a couple tablespoons of butter in at a time.
Use the paddle attachment and mix on medium high speed until light and fluffy.
How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Whisk together the sugar and egg whites: In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the egg whites and granulated sugar. Whisk them together briefly by hand until just combined (so that the egg whites don’t scramble).
- Create a double-boiler: Fill a sauce pan with a few inches of water and bring it to a simmer. Place the mixer bowl with the egg white mixture on top to create a double-boiler. Keep the water at a simmer and should not touch the bottom of the bowl. This will indirectly being the eggs to a safe temperature without them becoming hard-cooked or scrambled.
- Heat the egg white mixture: Occasionally stirring, heat the egg white mixture until it reaches 160°F on a candy thermometer. The mixture will be very hot to the touch and the sugar should be dissolved.
- Make the meringue: Once the egg white mixture is hot, carefully return the bowl to the stand mixer. Fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes. When done, the meringue should hold shiny, medium-stiff peaks and the outside of the bowl will have returned to room temperature.
- Add the butter: With the mixer on medium-low, add in the butter - a couple tablespoons at a time.
- Add the vanilla: Add the vanilla extract after the butter is mixed in.
- Mix it up: Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and mix until smooth and spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes (see Baker’s Notes for troubleshooting).
- Smooth it out: To frost a smooth cake, eliminate the air bubbles that were whipped into the buttercream during the process. Mix on low speed for a few minutes for the silkiest, smoothest buttercream.
Want a chocolate version? Try this Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
FAQ Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Chill the buttercream in its mixing bowl for 10 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator. The remix the with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
Mix the buttercream until everything is incorporated and smooth. If it is taking too long, warm up a small portion of the buttercream then mix it into the bigger batch. Whip it up until smooth.
Fixing Soupy Buttercream
Swiss meringue buttercream that looks melted or soupy is the result of insufficient or too warm meringue or using butter that is too soft.
Make sure to fully whip the meringue to stiff peaks and so that it is no longer warm on the outside of the mixing bowl before adding the butter.
The butter needs to be soft and flexible but not melted or it will make the buttercream soupy and not thick enough to hold the whipped air.
If the Swiss meringue buttercream is too soft, then put the whole bowl and buttercream in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes. Then, whip again on medium-speed to incorporate the air needed to make the buttercream light and fluffy.
Fixing Curdled Buttercream
Swiss meringue buttercream that appears curdled or lumpy in the result using butter that is too cold. Make sure that the butter is soft enough that you can press your finger into it, but still cool enough that the indention holds its shape.
Be careful when microwaving butter. It heats up inconsistently and may melt too quickly.
If the Swiss meringue buttercream is curdled, mix it longer so that everything incorporates better. If it still isn't working, remove a small portion of the buttercream and heat it up. Add the warm buttercream back into the bowl and mix until smooth.
Baker’s Notes
- Recipe yields enough buttercream to fill and frost a three-layer, 8-inch cake.
- Swiss meringue buttercream may be made in advanced. It can be stored in the refrigerator for a couple weeks or in the freezer for a few months. Before using, allow the buttercream to come to room temperature (thaw in the fridge if coming from frozen) before being remixed until smooth.
- Generally, fresh egg whites work best for all meringue-based buttercream. Not all carton egg whites will work for this recipe.
Cakes to Make with Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Recipe
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups unsalted butter at room temperature, cubed
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- In the bowl of an electric stand mixer, add the egg whites and granulated sugar. Whisk them together briefly by hand until just combined (so that the egg whites don’t scramble).
- Fill a sauce pan with a few inches of water and bring it to a simmer. Place the mixer bowl with the egg white mixture on top to create a double-boiler. The water should be kept at a simmer and should not touch the bottom of the bowl. This will indirectly being the eggs to a safe temperature without them becoming hard-cooked or scrambled.
- Occasionally stirring, heat the egg white mixture until it reaches 160°F on a candy thermometer. The mixture will be very hot to the touch and the sugar should be dissolved.
- Once the egg white mixture is hot, carefully return the bowl to the stand mixer. Fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the mixture on high speed for 8 to 10 minutes. When done, the meringue should hold shiny, medium-stiff peaks and the outside of the bowl will have returned to room temperature.
- With the mixer on medium-low, add in the butter - a couple tablespoons at a time.
- Once the butter has been mixed in, add the vanilla extract.
- Stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed and mix until smooth and spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes (see Baker’s Notes for troubleshooting).
- For frosting a smooth cake, you will want to eliminate the air bubbles that were whipped into the buttercream during the process. Mix on low speed for a few minutes for the silkiest, smoothest buttercream.
Jessica
Hi. I don’t have a electric kitchen aid just hand electric beaters. Can this be made with that or is a kitchen aid style the only way to do this ?
stylesweet
Hi! You could use a hand mixer. It will likely take a bit longer but would be a great arm workout!
Sue
Beautiful cake!’ What did you use to make the beautiful color pink hue for the Swiss buttercream meringue frosting?
Thank you,
Sue
stylesweet
Hi! I use Americolor gel food coloring. It's been a while, but I think this is soft pink. Thanks!