This ultra creamy, not-too-sweet Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream is stable enough for icing layer cakes and piping on desserts. The meringue base and softened butter make it super silky and able to smoothly glided over the tops and sides of call cakes. A little bit of melted dark chocolate makes it taste like delicate chocolate ice cream.
How to Make Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Prepare the ingredients - Measure your ingredients by taking care not to get any egg yolks in your whites. The butter must be softened to room temperate to have silky, smooth results.
- Cook the egg whites and sugar - Whisk the eggs whites and sugar together then heat using a double-boiler or by placing a mixing bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water. You don't have to stir the whole time. But warm the egg white mixture until it is 170°F or hot to the touch.
- Whip the meringue - Carefully move the hot egg white mixture to a stand mixer. Use the whisk attachment on high speed to whip the meringue until it is cool and stiff.
- Mix in the butter - With the mixer on medium speed, add the softened butter, a couple tablespoons at a time. Stop the mixer and swap in the paddle attachment. Mix on medium-high speed until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
- Add the melted chocolate - Mix in the melted chocolate. Mix the buttercream on medium-low speed to smooth it out and pop some of the air bubbles.
Click here for a full video for making Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Cook the egg whites and sugar together in a mixing bowl set of over simmer 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.
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, you might just need to mix 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.
Do I Need a Thermometer to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
No, you don't absolutely need a thermometer to make Swiss meringue buttercream. A thermometer is very helpful when cooking the egg whites and sugar to make sure they are heated to a safe temperature.
A little unconventional, but if you don't have a thermometer, you can use your finger. But be careful! The egg white mixture is cooked when your finger feels hot after dipping it into the mixture for a second or two.
Skip the eggs? Try this Milk Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.
Top Tips
It is imperative that the butter is sufficiently softened before making Swiss meringue buttercream. If the butter is too cold, the buttercream will appear curdled or lumpy. If the butter is too soft and melty, the buttercream will be soupy.
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.
Just keep mixing 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.
5 Ingredients in Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Storing and Freezing Buttercream
Swiss meringue buttercream is best served at room temperature where the butter is silky and smooth. The good thing is, that Swiss meringue buttercream can be made in advanced.
Store Swiss meringue buttercream in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container. Allow it to come to room temperature then re-whip until smooth before using.
For long-term storage, store buttercream in the freezer for up to three months. Wrap bundles of buttercream in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. Thaw buttercream overnight in the refrigerator then bring to room temperature before rewhipping.
More Chocolate Frosting Ideas
Recipe
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3 cups unsalted butter at room temperature cubed
- 2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 ounces dark chocolate finely chopped
Instructions
- 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 170°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.
- Meanwhile, melt the chocolate. You can do this by placing the chocolate in a heat-safe bowl and setting over the same saucepan of simmering water.
- 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 fluffy and smooth.
- Add the melted chocolate and mix until combined.
- 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.
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