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
could I add peanut butter to flavor it in the last whipping steps?
Hi Ashley, we’ve made a few other flavors, but actually haven’t tested it with peanut butter. We would research some peanut butter SMBC to get some inspiration! Do you have peanut butter powder? That should work nicely too.
I made this today and while it did turn out…I found it extremely sweet 🙁
This is the first time I have made Swiss Buttercream, and it came out wonderfully. Thank you for the great tutorial! I will definitely be making this again.
Sally, I can’t thank you enough for your excellent recipe for “Swiss Meringue Buttercream.” It is indeed, hands down, the best recipe I have ever found! Very well-explained and easy to follow. I can’t wait to make it!
While I love this as a vanilla buttercream, I haven’t had much luck making it as a chocolate buttercream. The texture ends up coming out too runny to pipe well. I firm it up in the fridge and then remix a bit to bring it back to it’s proper texture, but within minutes of using it, it’s back to being runny. What could I be doing wrong? I’m using melted and cooled semi-sweet chocolate, about 6 ounces. Thank you!
Hi Jill, for chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, beat 8 ounces of 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.
The Buttercream is great and sturdy. I’m serving it on top of Cherry chip cake. Would you recommend doubling or triple for a 4-tier which includes 2
9″cake pans and 2 6″cake pans. Before I serve the cake, I put the cake in the refrigerator.
Hi Rena, we would make two batches to cover your cake, you may have extra (better to have extra than not enough!)
Thank you for replaying to my question. It helped me a lot
Is it possible to overbeat the eggwhites? I was nearly to stiff peaks and then i seemed to go to totally deflated. Now nothing I do seems to be able to restore the egg white/sugar mixture (tried chilling multiple times, even reheated for a min or two).
Of note: I made sure everything was extra clean and wiped thoroughly with lemon juice, no yolk bits in the eggs… not sure where I went wrong.
Hi Anna, it is possible. You’ll want to beat until stiff peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to touch, at least 10-15 minutes.
Hello ! I absolutely LOVE this recipe, it’s the one I use when I make all my cakes and cupcakes ! For my gender reveal, I would like to do it but white chocolate flavored, do you recommend 8onces of chocolate or should I put less because it’s white chocolate ?
Thanks in advance !
Hi Laurence, so glad you’re enjoying this recipe! We have not tested it with white chocolate. We recommend starting with 6 oz and taste the frosting. If you can’t taste it, add another 1 ounce at a time as long as it doesn’t change the texture (up to 8 oz total). Let us know if you give it a try.
Hello again !
I tried with 6ounces of baker’s white chocolate and it was DELICIOUS ! Thanks a lot for the quick answer !
I am going to be making your Confetti Cake, can I use the SMBC to frost the cake and between layers? Under how to use the frosting it mentions for piping not frosting a cake?
Hi Vanessa! You can absolutely use this frosting to fill and decorate a cake.
I had to make 2 separate recipes I had a large cake to decorate. Mixed the 2 separate recipes together for consistency in color but when I mixed them the whole thing became gritty can it be fixed
Hi Terri, Thank you for trying this recipe! In step three, after you mix the eggs and sugar together, you may not have cooked the mixture long enough. If you wish to try again you can also try using ultrafine sugar (same amount) or even run your sugar though a blender to make your own ultrafine sugar which should help it dissolve even easier and prevent any gritty texture.
How do you hover the bowl above water without it touching the water? The only way I can think of would be to have a large bowl but then the sides would touch the hot pan at the sides and possibly cook the edges too much?
Thanks!
Hi Soph, correct, the bowl will have to touch the top of the pan so that it does not fall through and touch the water. It should be just the top edge/rim of the bowl, so the side of the bowl won’t be directly touching the side of the pan. Hope this helps!
Can I refrigerate a cake after frosting it with this? Will the frosting firm up?
Hi Alperen, yes, you can refrigerate a cake with this frosting. The frosting does not crust/harden.
Hi. I am from Malaysia so the weather is hot and humid. Which buttercream would you suggest that can withstand such weather? I have tried American buttercream but it is just way too sweet for my family. Can we add shortening to Swiss meringue buttercream?
Btw, I love your recipes. You are my go to for most of my baking stuff.
Thank you.
Hi Caren, Heat and humidity can definitely affect the peaks here. You can try to see if letting the egg whites cool completely off the stove before whipping will help.
Try and Italian meringue buttercream Less sweet than American and holds up the best to heat and humidity.
I love this recipe but when I’m making the meringue it does not take the 10-18 mins to reach stiff peaks. It takes me close to an hour to get to that point. I’m in Arizona is that the reason? The temperature?
Hi Jerri, that can happen in hot or humid temperatures. If you ever want to try again, see if letting the egg whites cool completely off the stove before whipping. That can help.
1st time making this and the flavour and texture is beautiful! However it was abit holey and air bubbly when piping could see little holes all over. Any idea how to fix that?
Hi Danielle! 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 want to make chocolate SMBC. Should I use bittersweet or milk, or a combination? (I don’t get semisweet).
Hi AA, of those two, we’d recommend milk chocolate, unless you like very dark chocolate flavor. Or you could use a combination.
Hi, can I cut down the sugar to 1 1/2 cup since my mom has diabetes or much less than that?
Hi Mina, we don’t recommend reducing the sugar here. We’d love to help but we are not trained in baking with sugar substitutes. For best taste and texture (and so you don’t waste your time trying to adapt this recipe since it may not work properly), it may be more useful to find a recipe that is specifically formulated for sugar substitutes.
Incredible frosting recipe. Light and lovely. I followed the instructions as instructed and everything worked out very well.
Hi! I was wondering if it’s possible to add blueberry jam to this swiss meringue buttercream or if it would change the texture too much! Thank you
Hi Kate, For a flavored Swiss meringue buttercream we recommend adding 1/2 cup of freeze-dried blueberry powder along with the vanilla extract and salt. No other changes to the recipe necessary. Enjoy!
I love this recipe. I was very wary about all the steps, but followed the instructions, using unsalted butter, no added salt and about 7 ounces of melted chocolate. My family loves how light it is, and less sweet than our usual buttercream.
Hi Sally,
I just made your “Best Vanilla Cake” which makes 3 9” round cake pans, would love to make this swiss meringue recipe for that cake. Will this meringue icing make enough to frost the vanilla cake?
Hi Pam! This recipe yields about 5 cups of frosting, which is enough to fill and frost a three layer 9-inch cake with just enough frosting. If you need extra for decorating, we would make more.
How much do I need for a cake with a diameter of 25 cm?
Hi Ingrid! That would depend on how many layers your cake is. This recipe yields about 5 cups of frosting – see recipe Notes for details on yield.
Can freeze dried raspberries (powdered) be added for color and flavor, as in your strawberry buttercream frosting recipe, or would it require other adjustments? At which step would it be best to incoporate the freeze dried fruit?
Thank you!
Hi Sophia! We recommend adding 1/2 cup of freeze-dried raspberry or strawberry powder along with the vanilla extract and salt for a strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream.
Is it possible to use Meringue Powder in this recipe instead of the egg whites?
Hi Sandra, you can definitely use meringue powder to make Swiss meringue buttercream, but we would search for a recipe that gives directions specifically for that method.
Can you double the recipe without loosing quality?
Hi Robert, we 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.
Please can anyone give me advice? I never got to the stiff peak stage. I now have marshmallow cream. I made sure everything was clean and no egg yolks. I got the temp to 160 and immediately whipped and nothing. I have put the whole thing in the refrigerator to cool a little. Any advice would be so much appreciated!
I could not get stiff peaks with this as well, as I did all of the above to make sure everything was correct
I know this is late, but possibly it was a hot/ humid day. That prevents meringue from whipping up nicely.
At first I was loving this recipe and I really appreciate it all the descriptions. But, this is my favorite frosting. Swiss morning buttercream is fine. For some reason I follow this recipe to a tea, and it’s so salty or has like this weird flavor to it me and my son can’t eat the cake that I just spent two days decorating. With this frosting.
Hi Madison, did you use salted butter? If you decided to try it again, feel free to skip the salt or just use a very small pinch! nd be sure to use unsalted butter.
Such a fantastic recipe! I’ve always been a little daunted to attempt swiss meringue but took a risk and made this for my kiddos bday cupcakes yesterday. I loved learning to make it & it turned out so good that everyone complimented the frosting!! Thank you!
Not sure where I went wrong with this. The frosting never really got fluffy (nothing like your picture) and it was gritty. The taste was really good even if a touch sweeter than I anticipated. It am really struggling to find a buttercream that is smooth and holds its shape. Seems like every recipe I try the sugar doesn’t really combine well. It has to be me but I don’t know what to do to fix it.
Hi Jana, Thank you for trying this recipe! In step three, after you mix the eggs and sugar together, you may not have cooked the mixture long enough. If you wish to try again you can also try using ultrafine sugar (same amount) or even run your sugar though a blender to make your own ultrafine sugar which should help it dissolve even easier.
It’s snowing/sleeting here today and I had to cook mine to 168-170ish (I found a quick read thermometer essential for me and they’re pretty cheap) degrees. You have to test it by running the sugar / egg white mixture between your fingers to make sure there’s no more grittiness (undissolved sugar). It takes a lot longer in humid weather. I wouldn’t go to the next step of adding all that butter if it wasn’t smooth. Also, I transfer to a separate bowl without scraping so I don’t get the little sugar crystals that form on the sides of the bowl I cooked the egg mixture in.
I do the same thing. I always pour my mixture out at the part of the bowl where I don’t see or feel any sugar. No matter how hard I try I can never get all of the sugar on the edge of the bowl to dissolve completely. Once I spent the time turning my bowl to do so but I landed out overheating the mixture so I had no choice but to throw it out. Another thing I do? If I’m only using the finger test I make sure to have a paper towel that’s pretty damp with vinegar that I then swipe two fingers on so when I need to put my finger in the mixture no oils from my fingers will get into the mixture. It’s an extra step but it’s one I don’t mind doing because I don’t want to waste all of those egg whites. You may not think our fingers don’t accumulate oils on them but they naturally do even in that short amount of time that we’re heating up our mixture. Hope this helps someone
Hi!
I want to heavily frost a vanilla cake with decorations using this buttercream recipe but your vanilla cake recipe makes 3 layers so should I tweak the cake recipe to make 2 layers or increase the amount of this buttercream recipe to make more? Based on that answer how would you recommend I tweak the recipe?
Thank you!
Hi Alishba, this recipe yields 5 cups. You may wish to make 1.5 batches to be safe. See recipe notes for details about making a half batch.