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
This recipe is fantastic! My first time making this type of buttercream and it turned out perfect. My batch initially started to curdle, but I used the helpful tip of placing it back on a double boiler then whipping again and it came together like magic. I know this will be my go to cake icing!!
My first time attempting Swiss meringue buttercream, and it turned out incredible. I am in awe. Thanks, Sally. I’m coming here for all my recipes now as I feed my burgeoning baking addiction.
I made this yesteday and even though I thought I had whipped the meringue to stiff peaks after adding butter and vanilla the icing was too soft. I went ahead and added additional 3 tbsp of butter and whipped more and it improved but not enough to use for icing. Any idea of where I went wrong?
Hi Mary! See the Troubleshooting section of the post above – the section for “Buttercream is Soupy/Too Thin”.
I would like to make a honey Swiss merengue butter cream. If I’m adding honey into the recipe would it mess up the texture? Also do you think it’s okay to reduce the sugar and use honey in place of it? How much honey would you assume to add into the recipe?
We haven’t tested a honey-flavored Swiss meringue. It may be best to find a Swiss meringue recipe that’s specifically formulated to use honey, as simply replacing the sugar with honey in this one would throw off the consistency. Feel free to play around with it though– if you do, you may also want to reduce the amount of butter. Let us know if you give it a try!
i bring cakes to every party and this is the icing ive got most compliments on and get asked for the recipe. fan fav. love sallys baking addiction and all their recipes. one concern is that i have to do lots of trouble shoot tips every time ive tried to reduce my mixing bc i thought i was overmixing but that made it worse. after all the trouble shooting it does come out fine though. love this thx sally and crew. love y’all.
This was a beautifully smooth, luxurious feeling icing. Admittedly, I didn’t pay attention to if the meringue was cool before adding the butter but it worked out perfectly and got a lot of compliments! I will definitely be using this in lieu of buttercream henceforth.
I’ve used this recipe and your troubleshooting techniques many times and it always works out great! However, it takes me forever! I always have to wait an hour for the bowl to cool in the fridge, and often find myself going back and forth between fridge and stove trying to fix curdling. Do you know what I might be doing wrong?
Hi Christina, could you be over-whipping?
Hi Sally. Was there an update in your recipe? I have it saved from a year ago and it says 6 egg whites (approximately 230g) and now it says 180 g. The rest of the recipe is the same but just curious if there was an update?
Hi Jenny, yes, we corrected that in the recipe. 6 egg whites should be 180g. Hope this clears it up!
Hello, can I use Swerve confectioners substitute for the sugar?
Hi Mary Bridget, 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. Thank you!
Will this hold up in hot weather. I volunteered to bring cupcakes to a wedding shower in August. Now I’m rethinking.
Hi Dee, it will depend on the exact temperature. If you can, keep them out of direct sunlight and keep refrigerated until close to serving.
Why don’t you put cream of tartar in Swiss meringue buttercream but it’s put in the Italian version?
Hi Alison, we don’t find it necessary, but you can try adding a pinch of cream of tartar if you wish. Add it to the egg whites/sugar before going on the stove.
It want to use this for decorating cupcakes for a leaving party. Do you have to put them in the fridge once decorated or will the be ok at room temperature
Hi Alison, Swiss meringue buttercream is great left covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, but after that, refrigerate it for up to 5 days.
Just wondering if you can use 1/2 butter and 1/2 shortening for this recipe. that way it’s not to yellow?
Hi Barbara, we don’t recommend any shortening here – we fear shortening would make it too stiff.
Hi! I want to make a 2 teard heart cake. I will be using your “favorite white layer cake” as the sponge. I would prefer to use this buttercream though. I want to make the buttercream light sage green but i dont eat artificial or gel colourants. So i was wondering if i can us spirulina or chlorela powder instead? What would the proportians be? Thank you.
Hi Margret, we haven’t tested this recipe with either spirulina or chlorela powders to weigh in here. We’d love to know how it turns out if you give anything a try!
hello… i need to pipe grass/ hair on a childs b/day cake the little monster cake ideas…. does your swiss meringue recipe hold up as you dont mention it… just pipe on a cupcake
Hi Christina, yes, this buttercream holds shape beautifully when using a grass tip.
Thank you such an in-depth and thorough recipe! My Swiss meringue buttercream has turned out perfect every time, and I never stress because you cover all the potential problems!
Thanks for the recipe. Can we use margarine for this recipe. Will it hold it’s shape.
Hi Nanthini, we don’t recommend using margarine instead of butter in this Swiss meringue buttercream recipe.
I followed your Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe to the letter & as it was my first time ever at making any Buttercream I was a bit worried, but I am surprised & very happy as it turned out perfectly. Thank you your videos are very concise & helpful
Regards Kerren Conroy
Dalby,Queensland Australia
Darn, one more question. Will I be able to add molds of sea creatures of a 50/50 gum paste/fondant mixture to the sides of cake, and will they stay put?
Hi Michele, we haven’t tested it but think that should work fine. Report back if you try it!
I’m planning an ocean themed cake, and would like to make 3 shades of blue. By the time I’m adding more blue to the final 1/3 of frosting left in the mixer, will I be making it too thin, even with gel coloring? Is this a firm enough frosting to use as a dam to hold a fruit filling?
Hi Michele, gel food coloring is pretty strong, we can’t imagine you could add too much. Yes, you can use this buttercream to form a dam for fruit filling.
I made a vanilla espresso version as well as the chocolate and both were amazing. Delicious, light and creamy. Very clear instructions and troubleshooting helped me so much. I appreciated all the details. I think this might be my new favorite chocolate frosting recipe!
Hello!
Will this frosting hold on a soaked cake?
Hi Ly, it should, yes!
This has become my go-to recipe and it has never failed me – thank you!
Is it really necessary to switch from whisk to paddle attachment? I’ve always done so, but the mixture is so sticky it’s a pain and i always have to leave more on the whisk than I want to. Would be SO much easier if i could just use the whisk the whole time.
Hi Cait, you certainly could. I find that the paddle doesn’t whip as much air into the mixture as you’re beating in the butter. I usually tap the whisk on the side of the bowl a few times to release as much of the meringue as I can. I’m so glad that you love this buttercream!
Hi Sally! Do you think this recipe is enough for covering a 3 layer 8″ and 3 layer 6″ cake? they will be filled with American BC and jams. no other major decorating.
thanks!
Hi Cassie! This recipe makes about 5 cups of frosting. We’re not completely sure if one batch would be enough to cover your two cakes. You may need slightly more. We do recommend making multiple batches instead of doubling, etc, anyway. You can always make more if needed!
Hi I am interested in making a blackberry SMBC and I loved your vanilla recipe. I was wondering if you had any tips on making this blackberry flavored? I was thinking of mixing blackberry jam into the frosting but didn’t want to weigh it down or cause it to break.
Hi Jane! We haven’t tested this recipe with jam (it would take some tweaking to account for the added moisture), but we’d recommend adding 1/2 cup of freeze-dried blackberry powder along with the vanilla extract and salt for a blackberry Swiss meringue buttercream. Let us know if you try it!
Could I use honey to make this a honey Swiss meringue buttercream? If so how much honey should I use? I have made the regular SMBC before and I loved it!
Hi Hailey, that sounds wonderful. I haven’t tested it myself so I can’t give any confident advice. Let me know if you test anything!
I’ve attempted the same idea and it worked out nicely! I replaced half the caster sugar with honey and proceeded as per the recipe. It required melting and subsequent chilling before it fully came together but it’s beautifully indulgent.
Hi,
Could I had white chocolate to make it a white chocolate swiss meringue buttercream? If so how much would you suggest to had, in which form (melted?) and at what step?
Thank you!
Hi Maite, we have not tested it with white chocolate, but some readers have reported success. We recommend starting with 6 oz (170g) and then 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 (226g) total). Let us know if you give it a try!
I just made your buttercream and it was really white which was great but it is full of air bubbles, when I try to get rid of air bubbles the buttercream becomes less white. How do I keep the whiteness but get buttercream smooth
Hi Debbie, 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. And if you’d like a whiter color, try adding just a (very!) tiny drop of purple food coloring. This helps brighten the color without turning it purple. Hope this helps for next time!
Hi, Sally! I want to make your lemon raspberry jam cupcakes and was wondering if I could switch the buttercream for a Swiss meringue buttercream. Will it work with jam or will it be too runny? Thank you!
Hi Marie, We don’t recommend adding jam to this particular frosting. For a fruit-flavored buttercream, you can use any freeze dried fruit ground up into a 1/2 cup of powder. Add it in with the vanilla extract and salt. Hope this helps!
To make the swiss meringue icing more stable during hot summer, can I sub part of the butter with shortening? Has anyone done that. Thanks
Hi Paula, we don’t recommend shortening here – we fear shortening would make it too stiff.