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
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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.
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 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.
Pictured above: Curdled buttercream! Let’s fix it.
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 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.
- 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.
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.
See Your Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
Many readers tried this recipe as part of a baking challenge! Feel free to email or share your recipe photos with us on social media. 🙂
PrintSwiss 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 230g)
- 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.
This recipe is amazing! I am new to baking but was able to make it with all the helpful tips. I was wondering though, if I wanted to add cream cheese, when and how much would I do? Thank you!!
Hi Chrissy, We haven’t tested this Swiss meringue buttercream with cream cheese. If you do, let us know how it goes! If you are interested here’s our favorite cream cheese frosting recipe.
Thank you for that recipe! I need to make the husband a red velvet cake and I heard your not supposed to use cream cheese frosting to get the smooth outside. I will experiment with the cream cheese in the meantime also!
How stable is this frosting in 80 heat? I’m making a wedding cake for an outside wedding in June.
Hi Dana, See “Is it stable?” above. Swiss meringue buttercream is stable at room temperature. But on a particularly hot or humid day, keep your frosted confections in the refrigerator as close to serving as you can.
Hi, Sally.
I have made this recipe so many times and I absolutely love it. I’m going to try making the chocolate version next with Baker’s chocolate. Should I use Baker’s semisweet or unsweetened?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Hi Leigh, either should work just fine, but we’d reach for the semisweet ourselves!
Hi Sally, I am a self taught cake baker basically doing cakes for family members. My son want me to bake his wedding cake. would this be a good icing for a simple 3 tier wedding cake with fresh flowers on it. also would it be white enough? Also just out of curiosity how many batches do you think I would need for a 14, 10, and 6 inch 2 tier layer cakes.
Hi Bonnie! Yes, you can absolutely use this Swiss meringue buttercream for a wedding cake. It depends on the shade of white you’re looking for, but you can always add just a very small drop of purple food coloring to help brighten the white if needed. The number of batches will depend on how heavily you plan to frost / decorate the cake — but see recipe notes for more information on yield.
Just made this. It wasn’t grainy at all after we cooked the egg whites and sugar but became grainy after cooling it in the fridge. Too much fridge time?
Hi Laura, That could be the culprit. What brand of butter and sugar are you using? Only curious because this has never happened to us before.
Thank you so much for your troubleshooting tips! I thought, for sure, I had ruined it and that it needed to be tossed! Your tips saved the day, and I ended up with a delicious buttercream!
Is it supposed to turn into a marshmallow texture?
I always describe the finished product as matching the texture of mayonnaise. Super smooth and velvety.
Thanks for this! I ended up with soupy/curdled mixture. I’ve put it in the fridge and will re whip in 20 minutes. But any tips for this type of issue?
If it’s soupy after adding the butter, refrigerate it and whip again once cooled. If it looks as if it’s curdled, keep it mixing. It almost always comes back together with enough mixing!
Mine turn so soupy . I failed.
Just refrigerate and whip again once it’s cooled!
Hi! I made this recipe a few days ago and will be making it again tomorrow, it turned out great except there was a slight burnt flavor Aftertaste, i think it may be because of the vinigar i rubed the equipment down with as I didn’t burn the whites. Tomorrow I will use lemon
Thanks Trina! I had skimmed over the FAQ section and had missed that entirely! I can’t love this enough and I can’t wait to try it!!
Alina
Hi Sally,
I have wanted to try a Swiss Meringue Buttercream ever since I discovered it was a thing a couple of months ago. I’m wondering though if you have an adaptation for a chocolate buttercream? I am dying for a chocolate cake with this.
Hi Alina, See the FAQ section of this blog post for chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream directions. Would love to hear how it goes for you!
This worked beautifully and set up pretty quickly which surprised me! I was preparing myself for a long wait staring at those meringue peaks, but it only took around 8 minutes for me. I added freeze dried strawberry powder to the mix for your strawberry cupcakes and I felt it altered the texture a bit too much but it was so so delicious. I can’t wait to try it with melted chocolate!
Hi Sally,
thanks for this wonderful detailed recipe.. i made it for the first time all prepared to throw it away for i i was sure i would fail.. but it worked so well!! i am a fan of this!
AMAZING!!!
I’ve made Swiss buttercream before. Sometimes I get lucky and it turns out great, but most of the time, not so much.
Your simple explanation of exact steps with approximate mixing times, and the actual temperature for the addition of butter is priceless. I highly suggest people do use the thermometer. What is cool to your touch, may not be cool enough.
Here’s a little tip for the temp for the butter. Take it out of the fridge and cut into pieces just after separating the eggs and before you put the sugar/egg white mixture on the stove. To make sure the butter is soft, but not quite down to room temp, press your finger into the middle of the cut squares of butter. It should not be hard and crack and it should not be too soft and greasy. Just that perfect imprint of your finger.
I no longer have a sinking feeling of impending doom at the thought of making this.
Thank you thank you thank you!!!
Hi! I’m having so much trouble with swiss buttercream!! I’ve tried all your recommendations and I either end up with soup or with chunks of butter that never incorporate… the chunks get stuck in my piping tip. I watched your video. I’m following step by step! So sad. Do you have any other suggestions. Thanks! Yours looks great! I wanna make it! – Sarah
Hi Sarah, Make sure your butter is soft enough. Room temperature butter is cool to the touch, but see if getting it a bit softer helps– and cut it into smaller pieces, too. If the frosting becomes liquid after adding all of the butter, refrigerate it for 20 minutes, then whip again.
This recipe is the perfect balance of egg whites to butter. I’ve made it a couple of times and it does take a really long time to cool down, including a session in the fridge, before being ready for the butter. Today I added 1/2 cup of pulverized dehydrated strawberries to use for frosting the Strawberry Cake. It’s absolutely the best frosting I’ve ever made or tasted. A cloud of strawberry. Delicious!
The troubleshooting tricks saved me! Thank you!
Hi Sally, this recipe sounds amazing! I want to make a dome cake with a mirror glaze, do you think SMBC is suited to paste everything together AND will hold during/after covering with a mirror glaze? Thanks! Kind regards, Louise
Hi Louise, we haven’t tried a mirror glaze before, so we can’t say for sure. Sorry we can’t be of more help here!
Hi Lexi, thanks for the response. We did try it today and it worked out really great! The combination of textures was lovely
Hi everyone, from and HAWAII here and first off I don’t ever leave reviews … But I had to share and say….. This is THE BEST SWISS BUTTERCREAM FROSTING I HAVE EVER MADE AND TASTED….. FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS AND YOU WILL GET AMAZING RESULTS, THIS ONE IS A KEEPER….THANK YOU SO MUCH SALLY , AWESOME!
Made this today with my young daughters for a birthday. We were expecting to fail the first time, but we had success! Our new favorite frosting. HANDS DOWN.
Hi,
Can you give any tips for swiss meringue buttercream for humid climate ….I live in India & temp here is mostly between 30 to 40 deg celcius. I want to sell the cupcakes …will butter cream stay as it is while it goes out for delivery or whole day out at room temperature.
Thank you
Shraddha
Hi Shraddha! Swiss meringue buttercream is wonderfully stable and we definitely recommend this (rather than an American buttercream) in more humid weather. The buttercream will stay stable at room temperature, though if it’s particularly humid, keep it in the refrigerator as close to serving as you can. And, we always recommend keeping it out of direct sunlight, too. Hope this is helpful for you!
This did not work for me. It was soupy the first time I made it and I threw it away. Again I started it right away and it was not good either. Not that liquid the second time but grainy and too soft.
Hey, I’m a pretty novice baker and I’ve never made SMBC before but I followed your recipe and it turned out perfectly! I may never make normal buttercream ever again! Thank you so much. Now to get it on the cake
Wow! I just made this using only half the ingredients as I only had 12 cupcakes. I used xylitol instead of sugar and it came out amazing! I whipped for about 20 min off the stove and added butter. If it gets goopy or clumps I just keep on beating. It took another 7 minutes or so. This wasn’t my first time making Swiss buttercream also. So good!
I always come back to this recipe. I have tried other recipes on Youtube and on google, but I’ve found this is the most reliable and delicious. It’s great to have the troubleshooting tips handy too, as I know something is bound to go a little wrong in the process. Managed to frost 16 cupcakes quite generously and had some left over. Great recipe!
If I wanted this a bit sweet could I just add more sugar? Thanks!
Hi Angela, Increasing the sugar would change the structure of this Swiss meringue buttercream and would require some testing, but let us know if you try it! You may love this sweeter American Buttercream recipe as well. Happy baking!
Hi Sally,
I followed instructions to a T, and it looked and tested lovely. But when I tried a light torch on the lemon meringue cake it all melted. I’ve tried room temp, chilled- is it my cheap blow torch or an i missing something? Thanks so much!
Hi Mel, Swiss Meringue Buttercream is different than a meringue topping on Lemon Meringue Pie. You shouldn’t torch this buttercream, as you have discovered the butter will melt! For the best results follow the meringue instructions for the pie or you can torch this marshmallow meringue frosting.
Phenomenal recipe!! Thank you so much for your extremely thorough troubleshooting tips and clear instructions. Watching your video gave me the confidence I needed to try this notoriously finicky frosting and I hit it out of the park on the first try thanks to you. I am so happy I found this post!!
Hi Sally,
I need your help!
Once the buttercream is nice and shiny, I started to apply on to the cake and the frosting is separating. Is this bc my cake is too cold?
Hi Jamie! Yes, or your buttercream could be too warm. We find it’s best to frost a room temperature cake. Hope this helps!