Made from 5 ingredients, this is perfect Swiss meringue buttercream. Written in easy terms with in-depth instructions and troubleshooting tips, this post teaches you how to make the best meringue buttercream even if you’ve failed before or if it’s your first try. This frosting is creamy, silky smooth, holds its shape beautifully, and the best part—and why everyone loves it—is that it’s not extra sweet like traditional American vanilla buttercream.
Do you want to master Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) but are too nervous to try it? I get it, the thought of making meringue as the base of a frosting sounds complicated, timely, and intimidating. Let me break down that barrier for you—this recipe is where you start.
What is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Swiss meringue buttercream joins other varieties—French and Italian—as a stable, not overly sweet frosting. The process for each is a little different, but the Swiss method is arguably the easiest. Swiss meringue buttercream is made from cooked egg whites and sugar, butter, and flavorings like vanilla and salt. Whip the cooked egg whites and sugar into stiff peaks, then slowly add the butter before adding flavors. It’s out-of-this-world creamy, extra smooth, and the perfect sweetness for any confection. The whipping process is long and where some trouble can start, including never reaching stiff peaks. The butter can also melt, leaving you with SMBC soup. Or you can over-whip everything into curdles.
It’s a little more complicated than my whipped frosting, but it’s worth it! Today I’m putting you on the right SMBC track, plus there’s usually a fix for everything—and I teach you how in this post.
This Swiss Meringue Buttercream Is:
- Made from 5 basic ingredients
- Silky smooth and buttery
- Thick and ultra creamy
- Perfect for piping or spreading
- Flavored with vanilla and a touch of salt
- Not cloyingly sweet like traditional frosting
Ingredients
Let me explain why each ingredient is important. Feel free to keep scrolling to the full recipe written below.
- Egg Whites: Egg whites and sugar form the meringue. Just as I recommend when making French macarons, use fresh eggs instead of carton egg whites. Here are all my recipes using leftover egg yolks. Success tip: Eggs separate much easier when they’re cold.
- Granulated Sugar: Use regular granulated sugar, not confectioners’ sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter turns meringue into meringue buttercream. I recommend unsalted butter because salted butter tastes overpowering. Keep in mind that the frosting will turn soupy and thin if the butter is too warm. Make sure you’re using butter that is slightly cooler than proper room temperature butter. Remove butter from the refrigerator and set it out for just 30-40 minutes before you need to use it. It should be cool to the touch, about 60°F (16°C). For accuracy, I recommend using an instant read thermometer. Cut butter into Tablespoon size pieces before using.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor. See FAQs below for other flavor options.
- Salt: Some SMBC recipes don’t use salt, but I strongly recommend it for another layer of flavor. You may be wondering why you can’t just use salted butter and skip the added salt, so make sure you review Salted Vs Unsalted Butter in Baking.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Video Tutorial
How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Here’s an overview of the steps. Full instructions available in the recipe below. Feel free to keep scrolling to the full recipe if you’d like!
- Get rid of any grease residue. Wipe all tools that will touch the meringue with a little lemon juice or white vinegar. Grease or fat prevents your meringue from setting up.
- Separate the eggs. Save the yolks for another recipe.
- Cook the egg whites & sugar: Whisk sugar & egg whites together, then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the mixing bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out. The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thin out and appear frothy on top. To test that it’s ready, you can use your finger or an instant read thermometer. Lightly and quickly dip your finger (it’s very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and finger. You shouldn’t feel any sugar granules. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 160°F (71°C).
- Whip it: Transfer warm mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (if you aren’t already using the metal bowl that comes with it). Beat until stiff peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to touch, at least 10-15 minutes. On particularly humid days, it will take longer. If it’s still not reaching stiff peaks, stop the mixer, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then return to the mixer and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- If the bowl and meringue still feel warm at this point, wait until both cool to room temperature (around 70°F (21°C)) before adding the butter.
- Add the butter and flavor: Switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment and add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time. Wait for the butter to fully mix in before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, beat in vanilla and salt. Done!
A small egg separator is a helpful tool in this recipe.
Cook and whisk egg whites and sugar over indirect heat. When it’s ready, the mixture will be frothy on top and thin. (Below, right.)
What Are Stiff Peaks?
After several minutes of mixing, the meringue should form stiff glossy peaks. This means it forms stiff, smooth, and sharp points in the bowl or on the lifted whisk attachment.
Stiff peaks do not droop down.
After reaching stiff peaks, let the meringue cool for a bit, then beat in the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time.
Success Tip: Because butter needs to be on the cooler side, I don’t remove it from the refrigerator and cut it into Tbsp pieces until I start whipping the meringue.
Add vanilla and salt, then you’re done. Buttercream is now deliciously creamy and smooth!
5 Helpful Tools
- Saucepan & heatproof bowl: Cook egg whites and sugar on indirect heat in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (I just use the metal mixing bowl that comes with a stand mixer.) This cooking method is essentially how we cook the eggs in French silk pie and make homemade marshmallow creme. If you own a double boiler, just use that.
- Whisk: Constantly whisking the egg whites and sugar as they gently cook is key.
- Electric Mixer: Beating the meringue into stiff peaks requires an electric mixer. I strongly recommend a stand mixer, but a handheld mixer can work. Give your arm a break every few minutes because the beating steps are tiresome. A handheld mixer will take longer to beat the meringue, too.
- Egg Separator: Though not required, it’s vastly helpful to have an egg separator to ensure no yolks make it into the mixing bowl. I generally recommend stocking your kitchen with an egg separator because they’re an inexpensive tool you can use for so many recipes like French macarons and chocolate soufflé.
- Instant Read Thermometer: Though also not required, it’s helpful to have an instant read thermometer (or a candy/oil thermometer) to determine the safe temperature of cooked egg whites, as well as the ideal temperature for the butter. Less mistakes this way.
Provided you aren’t allergic to any of these ingredients, yes. The eggs are cooked to 160°F (71°C), which is considered safe to eat for everyone including pregnant women and children. As always, use your best judgement and feel free to consult a Dr if you’re concerned.
No, Swiss meringue buttercream does not crust or dry out like American buttercream can. That’s why SMBC is excellent for creating the smoothest frosting detail on cakes and perfectly piped (yet still fluffy tasting!) designs.
Yes, Swiss meringue buttercream is stable at room temperature. Though if eating on a particularly humid day, keep your frosted confections in the refrigerator as close to serving as you can. You can use SMBC under fondant-topped cakes and confections, too.
Yes and it’s best to tint SMBC with gel food coloring so you aren’t adding a lot of extra liquid. Beat food coloring into the frosting on low speed after you add the vanilla extract and salt.
Yes. Swiss meringue buttercream is great left covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, but after that, refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. If freezing, store in an airtight container, then thaw it at room temperature on the counter. Once completely at room temperature, about 72°F (22°C), place into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy again. If it separates or curdles, see troubleshooting tips below.
Replace some (about 1 teaspoon) of vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of another flavor extract such as lemon, coconut, orange, maple, or even 1 teaspoon of espresso powder. Taste, then add a touch more if desired. For potent extracts, like peppermint or almond, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with just 1/2 teaspoon. For chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, beat 8 ounces of pure melted and slightly cooled chocolate into the buttercream when you add the vanilla and salt. Make sure you’re using pure baking chocolate (the 4 ounce bars) like Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands found in the baking aisle.
Yes! Using a food processor or blender, process 1 cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have around 1/2 cup. If it’s not grinding down fine enough, you can sift it with a fine mesh sieve to rid larger seeds/pieces. Add the strawberry crumb powder when you add the vanilla.
Troubleshooting Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Meringue Won’t Reach Stiff Peaks: Step 4 in the recipe below requires a long period of mixing the cooked egg whites and sugar together into stiff peaks. This mixture (the meringue) will never reach stiff peaks if there was a drop of egg yolk (fat) or grease in the mixture, mixing bowl, or on any tools you are using. Wipe down all of your tools with lemon juice or white vinegar, use an egg separator, and separate and add the egg whites one at a time to the mixing bowl. These are all instructions listed out in the recipe below. It’s also helpful to avoid making this on particularly humid days where there’s extra moisture in the air. If you did all of this and it’s still not reaching stiff peaks, the meringue could be too warm or it needs a break. See next.
- My Mixer Needs a Break: By all means, give it a break! Mixers can tire out while beating the cooked egg whites and sugar because this step requires a long period of mixing. If your mixer and its motor needs a break, it’s likely your meringue needs a break too. Stop what you’re doing, remove the whisk attachment (or beaters if you’re using a hand mixer), place the attachment/beaters in the bowl with the meringue, and refrigerate it all (covered or uncovered, doesn’t matter) for 20-30 minutes. This gives your mixer, as well as the meringue and mixing bowl, a chance to cool down. (Important: though it’s best to begin whipping the cooked egg/sugar while it’s still warm, it could simply need a cool break halfway through reaching stiff peaks.)
- Buttercream is Soupy/Too Thin: If your mixture has become too thin and soupy after you add the butter, your butter was likely too warm or the meringue was still too warm. Have no fear—this is fixable by bringing down its temperature. Place the entire bowl in the refrigerator (covered or uncovered, doesn’t matter) for 20 minutes to cool down, then return it to the mixer and beat on medium-high speed until thickened. Any longer than this will solidify the butter, so only refrigerate in 20 minute spurts. If it’s still soupy, place back in the refrigerator for longer before re-whipping again.
- Buttercream Only Tastes like Butter: The main ingredient, besides egg whites, is butter. Make sure you’re using unsalted butter because salted butter leaves your frosting with an overwhelmingly salty/buttery flavor. Use pure vanilla extract to flavor it and add a pinch of regular table salt. Other flavored extracts work too—see the Ingredients section above.
- Buttercream Solidified in the Refrigerator: There’s a lot of butter in this frosting, so if it’s stored in a bowl in the refrigerator, it will solidify into one large mass just like a bowl of cookie dough. Two ways to fix this: sit it on the counter and bring it to room temperature. Once completely at room temperature, about 72°F (22°C), place into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy again. If you don’t have time to wait for it to come to room temperature or if your home isn’t warm enough, follow the same instructions as #3 in this list (Buttercream is Curdled/Too Thick). Placing over gentle heat will melt the edges and when whipped, the melty edges and solid center will come together into 1 smooth frosting.
- Buttercream is Curdled/Too Thick: If your meringue has separated, curdled, or is too thick at any point after you mix in all of the butter, just keep beating because it will eventually come together. If it’s only getting thicker and chunkier, there’s a quick fix—and it’s my favorite. Place the mixture in your heat-proof bowl back over a pot of 2 inches of simmering water. Without stirring, let the edges of the meringue warm up and become liquid (the center of the meringue will still be solid), about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and return to the mixer. Beat meringue on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to medium-high speed and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. I have to do this 75% of the time, but I LOVE it because partially melting the SMBC then re-whipping actually creates a creamier frosting.
Pictured below: Curdled buttercream. See above.
I know it seems complicated, but as long as you remain patient, read through this post, watch the video, prepare yourself by reviewing the recipe before beginning, you will be rewarded with the most luscious, not-overly-sweet frosting ever.
How to Use It:
- Pipe it. My favorite piping tips and a video on how to use piping tips will be helpful to review.
- Pictured: I used Ateco 849 and piped a tall swirl onto my vanilla cupcakes
- Try it on Yellow Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes, or any of my cupcake recipes
- Use it as the frosting for White Cake, Yellow Cake, Carrot Cake, Vanilla Sheet Cake, or Chocolate Cake
- Pair it with citrus flavors on top of lemon blueberry cupcakes or citrus cake.
- As a filling for macarons or whoopie pies
- Instead of buttercream to decorate Halloween cupcakes.
- See “Yield” recipe note below for more ideas.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Whipping
- Cuisine: European
Description
This is vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream perfection. It’s the ideal balance of sweet and creamy, without being as cloyingly sugary as American buttercream. (This is a far cry from how sweet that is!) Thick, sturdy, and perfectly pipe-able. This in-depth recipe sets you up for success on your 1st try.
Ingredients
- 6 large egg whites (approximately 180g)
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool and cut into Tbsp size pieces (*see note*)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Watch the video tutorial above, review the troubleshooting tips, and read the recipe in full before beginning. Make sure all the tools you are using are completely cleaned, dried, and grease-free. A quick wipe with a little lemon juice or white vinegar is very helpful.
- Separate the eggs: If you haven’t done so yet, separate the eggs first. Separate 1 egg white in a small bowl, then place the egg white in your heatproof mixing bowl. Repeat with the remaining egg whites. This way, if a yolk breaks in one of them, you don’t waste the whole batch.
- Whisk sugar into the egg whites, then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with just two inches of simmering water over medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the egg whites bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out, about 4 minutes. The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thin out and be frothy white on top. To test that it’s ready, you can use your finger or an instant read thermometer. Lightly and quickly dip your finger (it’s very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and finger. You shouldn’t feel any sugar granules. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 160°F (71°C).
- No need to let it cool down to start this next step—it’s important to begin mixing while it is still warm. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (if you aren’t already using the metal bowl that comes with it). You can use a hand mixer instead, but this step takes awhile and your arm tires quickly. On medium-high speed, beat the mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch, at least 10-15 minutes. On particularly humid days, this has taken me up to 17-18 minutes. If it’s still not reaching stiff peaks, stop the mixer, place the bowl—uncovered—in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then return to the mixer and continue beating until stiff peaks form. (This has always worked for me when it’s taking forever to reach stiff peaks.)
- If the bowl and meringue still feel warm, wait until both cool to room temperature (around 70°F (21°C)) before adding the butter in the next step. Feel free to place it in the refrigerator. A warm bowl and meringue will melt the butter.
- Switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment. On medium-high speed, add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time. Wait for the butter to fully mix in before adding the next Tablespoon. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer down to medium speed and fully beat in the vanilla and salt, about 30 seconds.
- Your Swiss meringue buttercream should be thick, creamy, and silky smooth and is ready to use on any cake, cupcake, or other confection.
- Too Thick or Too Thin: If your meringue has separated, curdled, or is too thick at any point after you mix in all of the butter, place the mixture in your heat-proof bowl back over a pot of 2 inches of simmering water. Without stirring, let the edges of the meringue warm up and become liquid (the center of the meringue will still be solid), about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and return to the mixer. Beat meringue on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to medium-high speed and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Works every time. If your mixture has become too thin and soupy after you add the butter, place the entire bowl in the refrigerator (covered or uncovered, doesn’t matter) for 20 minutes to cool down, then return it to the mixer and beat on medium-high speed until thickened. Any longer than this will solidify the butter, so only refrigerate in 20 minute spurts. If it’s still soupy, place back in the refrigerator for longer before re-whipping again. More troubleshooting tips in the post above.
Notes
- Make-Ahead, Storing, & Freezing Instructions: Swiss meringue buttercream is great left covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, but after that, refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. If freezing, store in an airtight container, then thaw it at room temperature on the counter. Once completely at room temperature, about 72°F (22°C), place into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy again. If it separates or curdles, see step 8.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Instant Read Thermometer | Egg White Separator | Whisk | Double Boiler
- Yield: This recipe yields about 5 cups of frosting, which is enough to fill and frost a two layer 9-inch cake with a generous amount, to fill and frost a three layer 9-inch cake with just enough frosting, to lightly frost 2 dozen cupcakes, to heavily frost 1 dozen cupcakes (I had just enough for the huge swirls on 12 of the pictured cupcakes), or a 9×13 inch sheet cake (with some frosting leftover).
- Egg Whites: For best success, I recommend using fresh eggs instead of carton egg whites. Here are all my recipes using leftover egg yolks. Eggs separate much easier when they’re cold. Separate the egg whites one at a time and place the egg white into a large heat-proof mixing bowl (or a double boiler or the metal mixing bowl from your stand mixer) before separating the next. This way, if a yolk breaks in one of them, you don’t waste the whole batch.
- There’s almost always a way to fix “ruined” Swiss Meringue Buttercream and it usually has to do with temperature. See step 8 as well as my troubleshooting tips in the post above.
- Butter: This buttercream will thin out and become liquid-y if the butter is too warm. Make sure you’re using butter that is slightly cooler than proper room temperature butter. Remove butter from the refrigerator and set it out for just 30-40 minutes before you need to add it to the meringue. Sometimes meringue takes longer than usual or it needs a break (see Troubleshooting above) and in that case, you should place the butter back into the refrigerator for a few minutes so it doesn’t get too warm sitting out. The butter should be cool to the touch. For accuracy, I recommend using an instant read thermometer. Butter should be 60°F (16°C).
- Flavors & Colors: For flavor ideas including chocolate, see my Can I add flavors? FAQ above. For coloring, it’s best to tint this frosting with gel food coloring so you aren’t adding a lot of extra liquid. Beat food coloring into the frosting on low speed after you add the vanilla extract and salt.
- Half or Larger Batch: You can halve this recipe. The egg white/sugar mixture won’t take as long to cook and the meringue won’t take as long to reach stiff peaks. I do not recommend making larger batches at a time because it will quickly overcrowd and wear out your mixer. If you need more batches, make them all separately.
Adapted from Martha Stewart. I found it needed less butter, 1 more egg white, and more sugar in order to stabilize properly.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can I use powdered sugar instead?
Hi Ani, you really need granulated sugar for this Swiss meringue buttercream.
Hi! If I wanted to frost a cake with this and then make it a drip cake with warmed up white chocolate should I put the cake in the fridge first so the frosting doesn’t melt? How would I ensure the frosting doesn’t run or melt when I add the drip layer on top?
Hi Talia, we haven’t tested it ourselves, but this frosting should hold up well under a drip. You’ll want to make sure the cake and buttercream are sufficiently chilled before adding the drip.
Meringue came out perfect. After the butter it went downhill though. At first it was runny so I refrigerated it for 20 minutes as recommended. When I started mixing it quickly separated, and it got worse and worse. I tried the troubleshooting twice with little to no effect, but the third time worked like a charm, and it came out smooth, creamy and perfectly thick! Did NOT expect that outcome, and the frosting is delicious. 10/10
I’ve always wanted to learn to decorate cakes so I’m only just learning to make buttercream and with all the recipes I have tried you are the only one who explains and videos everything with every step. No one else has said to wipe down everything you use with vinegar. Thank you and I hope I can make buttercream as good as you can.
I recently made your salted caramel sauce and love it! I was thinking of adding some to this recipe to make a salted caramel swiss meringue buttercream – would that work? My plan was to use this as a filling for macarons although I am unsure what would work best between swiss meringue buttercream, American buttercream or whipped buttercream (all salted caramel flavoured)?
Hi Carly, We haven’t tried adding salted caramel to this, but you could certainly try adding a couple Tbsp at a time (make sure the caramel has cooled and is not warm anymore) until you reach a balance of ideal flavor/texture. Let us know what you try! Or, we have this salted caramel frosting that would be fantastic between macarons.
Mine curdled but followed the troubleshooting guide and came out perfect. My new favorite recipe! Way better than traditional overly sweet American buttercream
I am making a wedding cake 9 inch 7 and 5 inch layered with raspberry ,chocolate ,and caramel
and SMBC in-between, can I layer and crumb coat the night before and refrigerate then final coat next morning or leave it at room temperature
Hi Martes, the cake may dry out in the fridge. We would store at room temperature overnight if it will be decorated and served the next day.
Hi! How well will this travel? I am making a cake for my parents anniversary and will be driving 3 hours for the event. How would you suggest I transport it? Crumb coat and then frost/decorate when I arrive? Thank you!
Hi Holly, it should travel decorated just fine, as long as it isn’t warm in the car or in direct sunlight.
Hello, I’m so excited to try making this! Do you think I can add cocoa powder instead of chocolate?
Hi Mariam, we’ve only tested a chocolate version of this using melted and cooled chocolate. We’re sure you can use cocoa powder, but we haven’t tested the perfect amount. Start by beating in 1 Tbsp at a time until you are satisfied with the flavor. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Is this recipe enough to cover an 8 inch double height cake?
Hi Roberta, This recipe yields about 5 cups of frosting, which is enough to fill and frost a two layer 9-inch cake with a generous amount, to fill and frost a three layer 9-inch cake with just enough frosting—so it should be perfect for your 8-inch cake.
Hi i would like to get theswiss meringuewhiter have you anysuggestions please
Hi Karen, the color will always depend on the particular butter you’re using. If you’d like a stark white buttercream, mix in a very tiny (super small!) drop of purple food coloring into the frosting. This will “clear” out any of that yellow. Hope this helps!
Can you do this recipe with a glass mixer bowl instead of metal?
Hi Kayla, a glass mixing bowl is great here.
Hello!!! Would I be able to add mango puree? If so, how much would you recommend and at what point would I add it? TIA Del. 🙂
Hi Del, adding pureed mangos would change the consistency too much. If you can find freeze dried mangos, we recommend adding 1/2 cup of freeze-dried mango powder along with the vanilla extract and salt for a mango Swiss meringue buttercream. No other changes to the recipe necessary. Enjoy!
Hi Sally, I am making this frosting tonight and will be leaving it out at room temperature overnight, to frost cupcakes in the morning. In the morning, do I need to re-whip the SMBC? Thank you so much!
Hi Michelle, you may want to re-whip it if it needs some smoothing out. Hope you enjoy it!
Excited to make this. I’m wanting to make chocolate and see your suggestion for baking chocolate. Which one? Unsweetened, bittersweet, semi-sweet?
Either will work just fine, but we’d recommend semi-sweet (unless you prefer the dark flavor of unsweetened chocolate more!)
Thank you for the speedy reply and the info. It’s very helpful!
LOVE this recipe! How could I adapt it to become different flavors successfully? Should I simply take away 1 tsp. of vanilla and then add 1-2 tsp. of any other different flavor extract?
Hi Tara, you can definitely flavor this. See the section in this post called: Can I add flavors?
Hi Sally! Amongs all different buttercreams which one would you suggest for cookies that need to be packed (therefore a buttercream that sets and crusts) but without being as sweet as the american buttercream? Thank you
Hi Chiara, Swiss meringue buttercream does not crust at room temperature, so it’s not the best candidate for shipping. American buttercream is your best bet for a buttercream that crusts. You can even replace half the butter with shortening for more crust as it dries. While not buttercreams, cookies decorated with royal icing or cookie icing are also good candidates for shipping. Hope this helps!
Hi! I’ve made this recipe twice and love it, but it comes out very airy. While I’m still able to pipe it, is that an issue I can resolve? This happened after I had a soupy consistency and placed it in the fridge for 20 min and beat again. I had great stiff peaks (I’m pretty sure) and everything else went smoothly.
Hi Kate, If there are too many air bubbles in your frosting you can use a spatula or wooden spoon and mix it by hand. As you mix, push it up against the sides of the bowl which will pop the bubbles and smooth it out. Hope this helps for next time!
I cannot for the life of me get my eggs/sugar to form stiff peaks. I let it cool and tried again but I seem to get thick sticky white mess that droops. What am
I doing wrong?
Hi Nic, First, is it humid where you live? Because that will absolutely prevent the egg white mixture from reaching stiff peaks. Second, try letting the cooked egg white mixture cool a little longer before starting the mixer, such as 20 minutes. That could help too. Of course, and as you know, wipe down all tools that will touch the egg white mixture to be sure there’s no oily residue. Hope this helps!
How do you get the air bubbles out? Love your site!!!
Hi Sophie! If there are too many air bubbles in your frosting you can use a spatula or wooden spoon and mix it by hand. As you mix, push it up against the sides of the bowl which will pop the bubbles and smooth it out.
Thank you for the extensive trouble shooting section! We had to cool in the fridge twice to get the stiff peaks, but it did happen. Without knowing what to do and why it was happening, I would have just given up! But we ended up with perfect frosting, will definitely make this again. Also, we thought it tasted even better on day two.
Hi there, I am changing from American buttercream to Swiss and I liked the look of this recipe but I was just wondering if using fresh egg whites was better then using the egg whites in a bag (this is typical for meringues) or if there is no difference?
Hi Sienna, For the best results we recommend using fresh eggs instead of carton egg whites.
This us the recipe I used to make my first ever swiss meringue icing. Easy AND amazing!!!! I’ve made it several times now, and recently was asked to make a chocolate version. I couldnt find a sallys recipe so I used this, and added 300g of melted dark chocolate (at room temperature, not warm), and added 1/2 cup of butter to keep it firm. It turned out AWESOME. I love using Sally’s recipes, they’re my go to.
This recipe is fantastic. So easy to follow and perfect every time
Hi Sally, I want to try this and was wondering how/if it can be used with your baileys and coffee cupcakes. How much baileys and coffee would I use. Many thanks
Hi Julie! We haven’t tested a baileys/coffee version for this Swiss meringue buttercream. Adding some espresso powder would be a great way to add coffee flavor. This recipe from Confessions of a Baking Queen is similar and uses 6-10 Tbs Bailey’s. Let us know if you give it a try!
I live in a tiny city apartment with zero kitchen storage AND I bake a lot. I’m about to try out this recipe. I get that it’s not ideal to do it with a hand mixer but seriously, why do so many videos and bakers assume everyone has a stand mixer. In this video she even says she recommends the stand over the hand mixer because of how long it takes. Those things cost a fortune and take up a ton of space so you likely have a decent sized kitchen. There’s a certain class that is being spoken to. I went to this recipe because Italian buttercream had too much to manage along with the hand mixer (though I did manage and it turned out beautifully) and Swiss buttercream is essentially the same thing but more hand mixer friendly. Why bother with the recommendation not to use it? Does anyone just say “hey, if you’re using a hand mixer keep this or that in mind”. That would be helpful.
Thank you for your feedback. I mention the hand mixer option because I assume NOT everyone has a stand mixer, and prepare bakers who are using handheld mixers with the warning that mixing will take longer. Apologies if you gathered otherwise from that information and option.
I am a perfectionist and followed the instructions. I’ve been whipping and alternatively refrigerating for almost two hours. Wasted ingredients and time. Now I am going to start from again with ABC.
Hi Teresa, We are happy to help troubleshoot. Did your egg whites not reach stiff, peaks or was it too thin after you added the butter?
How does this SMBC hold up if you decorate a cake with it and THEN freeze, where you would not be wanting to undo the decorating and re-whip it? Trying to plan out making my child’s birthday cake and would need to decorate in advance. Thanks for your help!
Hi Anita, this frosting does freeze well, but you run the risk of the buttercream separating from the cake. You can take a look at this blog post of our recommendations and best tips for freezing cakes. Hope this helps!
I want to frost a cake with this for a wedding cake I’ve been asked to make( just a small cake for a civil wedding with like 6 people). Would this frosting hold up to decorating the cake the day before it is delivered? If so should I leave it out or refrigerate it? TIA
Yes, you could decorate a cake with this frosting a day before. We would store the cake covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve/transport.
I’m hoping to try this recipe for the first time in a couple weeks, and I’d like to add coffee flavor to this via espresso powder… Is that possible? If so, how much would I add and when? Should add water to make it into a paste first?
Thank you!
Replace some (about 1 teaspoon) of vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of espresso powder. Taste, then add a touch more if desired. Add with the vanilla, and no need to make a paste first. Enjoy!
Do you have any tips for humid places? I made this on a very hot humid day last time I made it. It turned out amazing, but it just started sweating like crazy when I got it on the cake. I tried to work quickly and put it back in the fridge between layers/decorating, but it seemed to make it sweat more. It was sweating so bad from the crumb coat that the frosting just sloughed right off. I’m not sure if this is just something I should avoid on hot humid days (sadly we don’t have an AC so it was probably 80 in my house) or if I should just not use the fridge? I never had problems with American butter cream, but this just tastes so much better, and is so much easier to work with, now that I am making so many cakes.
Hi Ashley, Unfortunately we try to avoid making this when it’s super humid out. Even when it’s humid with our AC on, it takes much longer to whip and we stop frequently for refrigerator breaks. The fridge will definitely be your friend but you may want to wait for a cool dry day.