Swiss Meringue Buttercream | The Recipe Critic

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The most delicious Swiss Meringue Buttercream is easy to make with just 5 simple ingredients! It whips up deliciously light and silky with the right amount of sweetness. The perfect finishing touch for all of your favorite treats!

There is nothing like homemade frosting to take your desserts to the next level! The texture and taste is always so much better than store-bought. Try my recipes for cream cheese frosting, chocolate buttercream and royal icing next!

What is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) is my favorite silky buttercream frosting that spreads and pipes beautifully. It comes together with a simple mix of cooked egg whites, sugar, butter, vanilla and salt. It turns out so incredibly delicious with a smooth, creamy and thick texture that melts in your mouth!

The whipping process is long, but definitely worth it! Follow my straightforward, step-by-step instructions and you’ll be frosting your favorite chocolate cake or vanilla cupcakes in no time. You can even customize this recipe with different flavors and colors.

Once you learn how to make Swiss meringue buttercream, you will want to use it on all of your sweet treats from cakes and cupcakes to cookies! In fact, I prefer it to American buttercream because it tastes incredible without being too sweet and the texture is perfectly luscious, it’s stable and holds its shape for piping.

Ingredients Needed

You only need a handful of very simple ingredients to make this light and fluffy Swiss meringue buttercream recipe. Elevate your baked goods in the most delicious way by using it for decorating, piping or spreading! See the recipe card below for a list of exact measurements.

Egg Whites: You will need 230 grams (about 7 large eggs) egg whites at room temperature. For best results, use fresh egg whites, not from a carton.
Sugar: Only granulated sugar will work in this recipe to perfectly sweeten the SMBC.
Butter: Use unsalted butter that is at room temperature for that classic buttery taste.
Vanilla Extract: To enhance the flavor with a subtle warm sweetness.
Salt: Just a small amount to add a depth of flavor.

Color and Flavor Tips

You can change the color and/or flavor of the SMBC for decorating purposes!

Color: We recommend tinting it with gel food coloring so you aren’t adding too much extra liquid. Beat food coloring into the frosting on low speed after you add the vanilla extract and salt.
Flavor: For a different flavor try replacing some or all of the vanilla with lemon, coconut, orange or maple extract. If you want to try a stronger flavor like peppermint or almond extract, only use about 1 teaspoon.

How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Ready to make the most luscious, not-too-sweet frosting that’s super versatile? It’s a little more complicated than my classic buttercream frosting, but it’s SO worth it! Just follow these easy steps and you’ll be biting into pure deliciousness before you no it!

Heat Water: Place a medium pot on the stove with about an inch of water in it and bring the water to a simmer.
Combine Egg Whites and Sugar: Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Cook the Egg/Sugar Mixture: Whisk the egg mixture constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, about 4 minutes. If you rub the mixture between your fingers there should be no sugar granules left.
Whip into Stiff Peaks: Remove the bowl from the pot and turn off the heat. Place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed for about 10-15 minutes, until you have glossy stiff peaks and the bowl has cooled to room temperature. If the outside of the bowl still feels warm to the touch, you can either place the bowl in the refrigerator or press ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables to the bottom of the bowl as it whips to help cool down the meringue, but be sure to stop whipping as soon as you reach stiff peaks.
Add Butter: Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time with the mixer running on medium-low. As the butter is absorbed into the meringue, add the next tablespoon until all the butter has been added. Add in your vanilla extract and salt. Switch back to the whisk attachment, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and whip on high speed.
Tip: The buttercream will go through stages where it will look curdled, but it will come together. It may take 15-20 minutes of mixing before it comes together to form a thick, glossy frosting. If the frosting is soupy or still looking curdled after 15 minutes, see the tips section for ways to troubleshoot it!

Whisk the egg whites and sugar in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until it reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit

Helpful Tips and Tricks

Here are some of my top tips for working with SMBC! I’m also sharing some ways to troubleshoot the frosting recipe in case it’s not turning out quite right. After one taste, this is sure to become your go-to frosting!

Best Egg Whites for Meringue: Fresh egg whites are best, as the older the eggs the less structure the egg whites will have and they won’t whip up as well. Avoid using any carton egg whites.
Wipe Utensils: Prepare your utensils before making the meringue by wiping down the bowl and whisk with lemon juice or distilled white vinegar. This helps eliminate any lingering fat. Even a tiny bit of fat can prevent egg whites from whipping into a stiff meringue!
Separating the Whites: When separating the egg yolks from the egg whites, crack each egg into a small bowl and remove the yolk before adding the whites into the large mixing bowl of egg whites. This way if an egg yolk breaks and gets into the whites, you only have to discard one egg instead of all of the egg whites you have already separated. Remember: even the tiniest bit of fat (egg yolks!) can ruin a meringue!
Food Safety: Is this buttercream safe to eat if I use egg whites that haven’t been pasteurized? Yes! The egg whites are cooked with the sugar until the egg whites have reached 160 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes them safe to consume.
Room Temperature Meringue: The meringue should be at room temperature when you start adding in the butter, otherwise, the butter will melt. If the bowl still feels warm, place it in the refrigerator for a bit before moving on to the next step.
Soupy Frosting: My frosting is soupy! help! This happens when the meringue is too warm when the butter is added, or the environment is too warm and the butter has melted. Place the whole bowl in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. After it has chilled and the edges of the frosting have solidified, whip it again at high speed for 4-5 minutes. If it is still soupy, chill for an additional 10 minutes before trying to whip it again.
Curdled Frosting: My frosting has curdled! help! Your frosting is too cold and needs to be warmed up a little. Try placing the bowl over a pot of simmering water until all of the frosting around the edges of the bowl has melted. Beat the frosting again, starting at low speed to incorporate the melted frosting, increasing slowly until you have reached high speed. If the frosting is not smooth and glossy after 4-5 minutes on high, it needs to be warmed just a little more.

Storing Leftovers

Just another reason why I love this Swiss meringue buttercream so much is that it’s stable at room temperature for several days and you can freeze it!

Here’s how to store it both in the fridge and at room temperature! Be sure to refrigerate your buttercream if you’re making it ahead of time. It will stay more fresh this way.

Room Temperature: Swiss meringue buttercream will last at room temperature for up to 3 days before it begins to deteriorate.
In the Refrigerator: Store it in an airtight container and it will last in the refrigerator for up to 12 days.
In the Freezer: In a freezer-safe airtight container, it will keep for up to 3 months.

If it has been frozen or refrigerated, let it sit at room temperature for an hour or two to soften. Whip the buttercream again before using it.

Desserts to Frost with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Now that you know how to make the most irresistible meringue frosting, here are a few sweet treat recipes you’ll want to pair with it! They’re all so scrumptious and will definitely satisfy your sweet tooth. For more inspiration, scroll through all of my dessert recipes.

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Place a medium pot on the stove with about an inch of water in it and bring the water to a simmer.
Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Whisk the egg mixture constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, about 4 minutes. If you rub the mixture between your fingers there should be no sugar granules left.
Remove the bowl from the pot and turn off the heat. Place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed for about 10-15 minutes, until you have glossy stiff peaks and the bowl has cooled to room temperature. If the outside of the bowl still feels warm to the touch, you can either place the bowl in the refrigerator or press ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables to the bottom of the bowl as it whips to help cool down the meringue, but be sure to stop whipping as soon as you reach stiff peaks.
Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time with the mixer running on medium-low. As the butter is absorbed into the meringue, add the next tablespoon until all the butter has been added. Add in your vanilla extract and salt. Switch back to the whisk attachment, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and whip on high speed.
The buttercream will go through stages where it will look curdled, but it will come together. It may take 15-20 minutes of mixing before it comes together to form a thick, glossy frosting. If the frosting is soupy or still looking curdled after 15 minutes, see the tips section for ways to troubleshoot it!

Calories: 1246kcalCarbohydrates: 101gProtein: 9gFat: 93gSaturated Fat: 58gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 24gTrans Fat: 4gCholesterol: 244mgSodium: 335mgPotassium: 158mgSugar: 101gVitamin A: 2836IUCalcium: 34mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.