Made from 5 ingredients, this is perfect Swiss meringue buttercream. Written in easy terms with in-depth instructions and troubleshooting tips, this post teaches you how to make the best meringue buttercream even if you’ve failed before or if it’s your first try. This frosting is creamy, silky smooth, holds its shape beautifully, and the best part—and why everyone loves it—is that it’s not extra sweet like traditional American vanilla buttercream.
Do you want to master Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) but are too nervous to try it? I get it, the thought of making meringue as the base of a frosting sounds complicated, timely, and intimidating. Let me break down that barrier for you—this recipe is where you start.
What is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Swiss meringue buttercream joins other varieties—French and Italian—as a stable, not overly sweet frosting. The process for each is a little different, but the Swiss method is arguably the easiest. Swiss meringue buttercream is made from cooked egg whites and sugar, butter, and flavorings like vanilla and salt. Whip the cooked egg whites and sugar into stiff peaks, then slowly add the butter before adding flavors. It’s out-of-this-world creamy, extra smooth, and the perfect sweetness for any confection. The whipping process is long and where some trouble can start, including never reaching stiff peaks. The butter can also melt, leaving you with SMBC soup. Or you can over-whip everything into curdles.
It’s a little more complicated than my whipped frosting, but it’s worth it! Today I’m putting you on the right SMBC track, plus there’s usually a fix for everything—and I teach you how in this post.
This Swiss Meringue Buttercream Is:
- Made from 5 basic ingredients
- Silky smooth and buttery
- Thick and ultra creamy
- Perfect for piping or spreading
- Flavored with vanilla and a touch of salt
- Not cloyingly sweet like traditional frosting
Ingredients
Let me explain why each ingredient is important. Feel free to keep scrolling to the full recipe written below.
- Egg Whites: Egg whites and sugar form the meringue. Just as I recommend when making French macarons, use fresh eggs instead of carton egg whites. Here are all my recipes using leftover egg yolks. Success tip: Eggs separate much easier when they’re cold.
- Granulated Sugar: Use regular granulated sugar, not confectioners’ sugar.
- Unsalted Butter: Butter turns meringue into meringue buttercream. I recommend unsalted butter because salted butter tastes overpowering. Keep in mind that the frosting will turn soupy and thin if the butter is too warm. Make sure you’re using butter that is slightly cooler than proper room temperature butter. Remove butter from the refrigerator and set it out for just 30-40 minutes before you need to use it. It should be cool to the touch, about 60°F (16°C). For accuracy, I recommend using an instant read thermometer. Cut butter into Tablespoon size pieces before using.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds flavor. See FAQs below for other flavor options.
- Salt: Some SMBC recipes don’t use salt, but I strongly recommend it for another layer of flavor. You may be wondering why you can’t just use salted butter and skip the added salt, so make sure you review Salted Vs Unsalted Butter in Baking.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Video Tutorial
How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Here’s an overview of the steps. Full instructions available in the recipe below. Feel free to keep scrolling to the full recipe if you’d like!
- Get rid of any grease residue. Wipe all tools that will touch the meringue with a little lemon juice or white vinegar. Grease or fat prevents your meringue from setting up.
- Separate the eggs. Save the yolks for another recipe.
- Cook the egg whites & sugar: Whisk sugar & egg whites together, then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with simmering water. Do not let the bottom of the mixing bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out. The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thin out and appear frothy on top. To test that it’s ready, you can use your finger or an instant read thermometer. Lightly and quickly dip your finger (it’s very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and finger. You shouldn’t feel any sugar granules. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 160°F (71°C).
- Whip it: Transfer warm mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (if you aren’t already using the metal bowl that comes with it). Beat until stiff peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to touch, at least 10-15 minutes. On particularly humid days, it will take longer. If it’s still not reaching stiff peaks, stop the mixer, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then return to the mixer and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- If the bowl and meringue still feel warm at this point, wait until both cool to room temperature (around 70°F (21°C)) before adding the butter.
- Add the butter and flavor: Switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment and add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time. Wait for the butter to fully mix in before adding the next. After all the butter has been added, beat in vanilla and salt. Done!
A small egg separator is a helpful tool in this recipe.
Cook and whisk egg whites and sugar over indirect heat. When it’s ready, the mixture will be frothy on top and thin. (Below, right.)
What Are Stiff Peaks?
After several minutes of mixing, the meringue should form stiff glossy peaks. This means it forms stiff, smooth, and sharp points in the bowl or on the lifted whisk attachment.
Stiff peaks do not droop down.
After reaching stiff peaks, let the meringue cool for a bit, then beat in the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time.
Success Tip: Because butter needs to be on the cooler side, I don’t remove it from the refrigerator and cut it into Tbsp pieces until I start whipping the meringue.
Add vanilla and salt, then you’re done. Buttercream is now deliciously creamy and smooth!
5 Helpful Tools
- Saucepan & heatproof bowl: Cook egg whites and sugar on indirect heat in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. (I just use the metal mixing bowl that comes with a stand mixer.) This cooking method is essentially how we cook the eggs in French silk pie and make homemade marshmallow creme. If you own a double boiler, just use that.
- Whisk: Constantly whisking the egg whites and sugar as they gently cook is key.
- Electric Mixer: Beating the meringue into stiff peaks requires an electric mixer. I strongly recommend a stand mixer, but a handheld mixer can work. Give your arm a break every few minutes because the beating steps are tiresome. A handheld mixer will take longer to beat the meringue, too.
- Egg Separator: Though not required, it’s vastly helpful to have an egg separator to ensure no yolks make it into the mixing bowl. I generally recommend stocking your kitchen with an egg separator because they’re an inexpensive tool you can use for so many recipes like French macarons and chocolate soufflé.
- Instant Read Thermometer: Though also not required, it’s helpful to have an instant read thermometer (or a candy/oil thermometer) to determine the safe temperature of cooked egg whites, as well as the ideal temperature for the butter. Less mistakes this way.
Provided you aren’t allergic to any of these ingredients, yes. The eggs are cooked to 160°F (71°C), which is considered safe to eat for everyone including pregnant women and children. As always, use your best judgement and feel free to consult a Dr if you’re concerned.
No, Swiss meringue buttercream does not crust or dry out like American buttercream can. That’s why SMBC is excellent for creating the smoothest frosting detail on cakes and perfectly piped (yet still fluffy tasting!) designs.
Yes, Swiss meringue buttercream is stable at room temperature. Though if eating on a particularly humid day, keep your frosted confections in the refrigerator as close to serving as you can. You can use SMBC under fondant-topped cakes and confections, too.
Yes and it’s best to tint SMBC with gel food coloring so you aren’t adding a lot of extra liquid. Beat food coloring into the frosting on low speed after you add the vanilla extract and salt.
Yes. Swiss meringue buttercream is great left covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, but after that, refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. If freezing, store in an airtight container, then thaw it at room temperature on the counter. Once completely at room temperature, about 72°F (22°C), place into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy again. If it separates or curdles, see troubleshooting tips below.
Replace some (about 1 teaspoon) of vanilla extract with 1 teaspoon of another flavor extract such as lemon, coconut, orange, maple, or even 1 teaspoon of espresso powder. Taste, then add a touch more if desired. For potent extracts, like peppermint or almond, replace 1 teaspoon of the vanilla with just 1/2 teaspoon. For chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, beat 8 ounces of pure melted and slightly cooled chocolate into the buttercream when you add the vanilla and salt. Make sure you’re using pure baking chocolate (the 4 ounce bars) like Baker’s or Ghirardelli brands found in the baking aisle.
Yes! Using a food processor or blender, process 1 cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries into a powdery crumb. You should have around 1/2 cup. If it’s not grinding down fine enough, you can sift it with a fine mesh sieve to rid larger seeds/pieces. Add the strawberry crumb powder when you add the vanilla.
Troubleshooting Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Meringue Won’t Reach Stiff Peaks: Step 4 in the recipe below requires a long period of mixing the cooked egg whites and sugar together into stiff peaks. This mixture (the meringue) will never reach stiff peaks if there was a drop of egg yolk (fat) or grease in the mixture, mixing bowl, or on any tools you are using. Wipe down all of your tools with lemon juice or white vinegar, use an egg separator, and separate and add the egg whites one at a time to the mixing bowl. These are all instructions listed out in the recipe below. It’s also helpful to avoid making this on particularly humid days where there’s extra moisture in the air. If you did all of this and it’s still not reaching stiff peaks, the meringue could be too warm or it needs a break. See next.
- My Mixer Needs a Break: By all means, give it a break! Mixers can tire out while beating the cooked egg whites and sugar because this step requires a long period of mixing. If your mixer and its motor needs a break, it’s likely your meringue needs a break too. Stop what you’re doing, remove the whisk attachment (or beaters if you’re using a hand mixer), place the attachment/beaters in the bowl with the meringue, and refrigerate it all (covered or uncovered, doesn’t matter) for 20-30 minutes. This gives your mixer, as well as the meringue and mixing bowl, a chance to cool down. (Important: though it’s best to begin whipping the cooked egg/sugar while it’s still warm, it could simply need a cool break halfway through reaching stiff peaks.)
- Buttercream is Soupy/Too Thin: If your mixture has become too thin and soupy after you add the butter, your butter was likely too warm or the meringue was still too warm. Have no fear—this is fixable by bringing down its temperature. Place the entire bowl in the refrigerator (covered or uncovered, doesn’t matter) for 20 minutes to cool down, then return it to the mixer and beat on medium-high speed until thickened. Any longer than this will solidify the butter, so only refrigerate in 20 minute spurts. If it’s still soupy, place back in the refrigerator for longer before re-whipping again.
- Buttercream Only Tastes like Butter: The main ingredient, besides egg whites, is butter. Make sure you’re using unsalted butter because salted butter leaves your frosting with an overwhelmingly salty/buttery flavor. Use pure vanilla extract to flavor it and add a pinch of regular table salt. Other flavored extracts work too—see the Ingredients section above.
- Buttercream Solidified in the Refrigerator: There’s a lot of butter in this frosting, so if it’s stored in a bowl in the refrigerator, it will solidify into one large mass just like a bowl of cookie dough. Two ways to fix this: sit it on the counter and bring it to room temperature. Once completely at room temperature, about 72°F (22°C), place into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy again. If you don’t have time to wait for it to come to room temperature or if your home isn’t warm enough, follow the same instructions as #3 in this list (Buttercream is Curdled/Too Thick). Placing over gentle heat will melt the edges and when whipped, the melty edges and solid center will come together into 1 smooth frosting.
- Buttercream is Curdled/Too Thick: If your meringue has separated, curdled, or is too thick at any point after you mix in all of the butter, just keep beating because it will eventually come together. If it’s only getting thicker and chunkier, there’s a quick fix—and it’s my favorite. Place the mixture in your heat-proof bowl back over a pot of 2 inches of simmering water. Without stirring, let the edges of the meringue warm up and become liquid (the center of the meringue will still be solid), about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and return to the mixer. Beat meringue on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to medium-high speed and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. I have to do this 75% of the time, but I LOVE it because partially melting the SMBC then re-whipping actually creates a creamier frosting.
Pictured below: Curdled buttercream. See above.
I know it seems complicated, but as long as you remain patient, read through this post, watch the video, prepare yourself by reviewing the recipe before beginning, you will be rewarded with the most luscious, not-overly-sweet frosting ever.
How to Use It:
- Pipe it. My favorite piping tips and a video on how to use piping tips will be helpful to review.
- Pictured: I used Ateco 849 and piped a tall swirl onto my vanilla cupcakes
- Try it on Yellow Cupcakes, Chocolate Cupcakes, or any of my cupcake recipes
- Use it as the frosting for White Cake, Yellow Cake, Carrot Cake, Vanilla Sheet Cake, or Chocolate Cake
- Pair it with citrus flavors on top of lemon blueberry cupcakes or citrus cake.
- As a filling for macarons or whoopie pies
- Instead of buttercream to decorate Halloween cupcakes.
- See “Yield” recipe note below for more ideas.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 5 cups
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Whipping
- Cuisine: European
Description
This is vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream perfection. It’s the ideal balance of sweet and creamy, without being as cloyingly sugary as American buttercream. (This is a far cry from how sweet that is!) Thick, sturdy, and perfectly pipe-able. This in-depth recipe sets you up for success on your 1st try.
Ingredients
- 6 large egg whites (approximately 180g)
- 2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 cups (340g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool and cut into Tbsp size pieces (*see note*)
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Watch the video tutorial above, review the troubleshooting tips, and read the recipe in full before beginning. Make sure all the tools you are using are completely cleaned, dried, and grease-free. A quick wipe with a little lemon juice or white vinegar is very helpful.
- Separate the eggs: If you haven’t done so yet, separate the eggs first. Separate 1 egg white in a small bowl, then place the egg white in your heatproof mixing bowl. Repeat with the remaining egg whites. This way, if a yolk breaks in one of them, you don’t waste the whole batch.
- Whisk sugar into the egg whites, then set the bowl over a saucepan filled with just two inches of simmering water over medium heat. Do not let the bottom of the egg whites bowl touch the water. Whisk the whites and sugar constantly until sugar is dissolved and mixture has thinned out, about 4 minutes. The mixture will be thick and tacky at first, then thin out and be frothy white on top. To test that it’s ready, you can use your finger or an instant read thermometer. Lightly and quickly dip your finger (it’s very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and finger. You shouldn’t feel any sugar granules. If using a thermometer, the temperature should read 160°F (71°C).
- No need to let it cool down to start this next step—it’s important to begin mixing while it is still warm. Transfer mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (if you aren’t already using the metal bowl that comes with it). You can use a hand mixer instead, but this step takes awhile and your arm tires quickly. On medium-high speed, beat the mixture until stiff glossy peaks form and the meringue is no longer warm to the touch, at least 10-15 minutes. On particularly humid days, this has taken me up to 17-18 minutes. If it’s still not reaching stiff peaks, stop the mixer, place the bowl—uncovered—in the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then return to the mixer and continue beating until stiff peaks form. (This has always worked for me when it’s taking forever to reach stiff peaks.)
- If the bowl and meringue still feel warm, wait until both cool to room temperature (around 70°F (21°C)) before adding the butter in the next step. Feel free to place it in the refrigerator. A warm bowl and meringue will melt the butter.
- Switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment. On medium-high speed, add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time. Wait for the butter to fully mix in before adding the next Tablespoon. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer down to medium speed and fully beat in the vanilla and salt, about 30 seconds.
- Your Swiss meringue buttercream should be thick, creamy, and silky smooth and is ready to use on any cake, cupcake, or other confection.
- Too Thick or Too Thin: If your meringue has separated, curdled, or is too thick at any point after you mix in all of the butter, place the mixture in your heat-proof bowl back over a pot of 2 inches of simmering water. Without stirring, let the edges of the meringue warm up and become liquid (the center of the meringue will still be solid), about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and return to the mixer. Beat meringue on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to medium-high speed and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Works every time. If your mixture has become too thin and soupy after you add the butter, place the entire bowl in the refrigerator (covered or uncovered, doesn’t matter) for 20 minutes to cool down, then return it to the mixer and beat on medium-high speed until thickened. Any longer than this will solidify the butter, so only refrigerate in 20 minute spurts. If it’s still soupy, place back in the refrigerator for longer before re-whipping again. More troubleshooting tips in the post above.
Notes
- Make-Ahead, Storing, & Freezing Instructions: Swiss meringue buttercream is great left covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, but after that, refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze up to 3 months. If freezing, store in an airtight container, then thaw it at room temperature on the counter. Once completely at room temperature, about 72°F (22°C), place into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat for 2-3 minutes until creamy again. If it separates or curdles, see step 8.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Instant Read Thermometer | Egg White Separator | Whisk | Double Boiler
- Yield: This recipe yields about 5 cups of frosting, which is enough to fill and frost a two layer 9-inch cake with a generous amount, to fill and frost a three layer 9-inch cake with just enough frosting, to lightly frost 2 dozen cupcakes, to heavily frost 1 dozen cupcakes (I had just enough for the huge swirls on 12 of the pictured cupcakes), or a 9×13 inch sheet cake (with some frosting leftover).
- Egg Whites: For best success, I recommend using fresh eggs instead of carton egg whites. Here are all my recipes using leftover egg yolks. Eggs separate much easier when they’re cold. Separate the egg whites one at a time and place the egg white into a large heat-proof mixing bowl (or a double boiler or the metal mixing bowl from your stand mixer) before separating the next. This way, if a yolk breaks in one of them, you don’t waste the whole batch.
- There’s almost always a way to fix “ruined” Swiss Meringue Buttercream and it usually has to do with temperature. See step 8 as well as my troubleshooting tips in the post above.
- Butter: This buttercream will thin out and become liquid-y if the butter is too warm. Make sure you’re using butter that is slightly cooler than proper room temperature butter. Remove butter from the refrigerator and set it out for just 30-40 minutes before you need to add it to the meringue. Sometimes meringue takes longer than usual or it needs a break (see Troubleshooting above) and in that case, you should place the butter back into the refrigerator for a few minutes so it doesn’t get too warm sitting out. The butter should be cool to the touch. For accuracy, I recommend using an instant read thermometer. Butter should be 60°F (16°C).
- Flavors & Colors: For flavor ideas including chocolate, see my Can I add flavors? FAQ above. For coloring, it’s best to tint this frosting with gel food coloring so you aren’t adding a lot of extra liquid. Beat food coloring into the frosting on low speed after you add the vanilla extract and salt.
- Half or Larger Batch: You can halve this recipe. The egg white/sugar mixture won’t take as long to cook and the meringue won’t take as long to reach stiff peaks. I do not recommend making larger batches at a time because it will quickly overcrowd and wear out your mixer. If you need more batches, make them all separately.
Adapted from Martha Stewart. I found it needed less butter, 1 more egg white, and more sugar in order to stabilize properly.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Can I add crushed oreos to this? Once it’s completely finished?
Hi Tiffany, that should be fine!
I added crushed Oreos to this SMBC for my friend’s son’s birthday cupcakes a few years ago and it was my greatest frosting triumph to date. People still talk about it. This recipe makes a generous amount of frosting, so there was quite a bit left over. I left the extra in a container in my friend’s fridge and she ate it by the spoonful for days, which was the real proof that it was the best frosting ever… that sort of thing is *very* unlike her.
So, if anyone wants a definitive answer to whether or not you can add crushed Oreos to this frosting (filling & all), the answer is an emphatic & unequivocal, “YES!” Do it. You won’t be sorry.
Hi Sally
I have used this recipe twice for both nephew’s wedding cakes and am again using today for my nephew’s 30th birthday cake. It is the BEST SMBC recipe and has never failed me. The wedding planners from one of the weddings said it was the best cake they’d ever tasted. Thanks so much for the recipe and helpful tips.
This is a fantastic recipe , so helpful with all the tips for getting it right , I love it .
Important tip for those who are having issues with the SMB being soupy after finishing the recipe:
At the very end, after adding the salt & vanilla, continue mixing on the lowest setting for 10-15 minutes. It will magically stiffen up & become perfect frosting! I call this recipe “the gaslighting frosting” because it goes from looking promising to falling flat & soupy.
The first time I made this recipe, I cursed it & wondered how anyone got good results with it. I tried it a second time, gave up after fiddling with it by taking it in & out of the fridge numerous times, ultimately decided to freeze it. I unthawed it another day when I had time to experiment, & just set it in the mixer on low with a paddle for a while & came back & it was PERFECTION. I was so confused.
I’ve made it 4 times since then. Everytime, it ends up soupy at the end of the recipe, but I just make sure to turn it to low with the paddle attachment & I go do something else for a while until I hear the motor of my Kitchenaid change sounds – that means the frosting has thickened up & it’s ready to hold up all of your piping skills & to be piled high on cupcakes without fail.
Hi, I’ve tried this recipe twice now and have yet to perfect it. Based on your comments, I think I’m not whisking enough once the butter is in…mine has turned out very airy so when it goes onto a cake it’s quite bubbly? any tips?
Hey Kate,
Not the person you’re replying to, but the bubbles come from mixing in lots of air. This means that you have probably had your mixer set on very high when mixing in the butter and while getting it to a workable consistency.
You can reduce the bubbles by a lot by mixing in the butter on medium with the paddle attachment (not the balloon!). When the butter is incorporated but it’s not yet workable, what you’re really waiting for is for the meringue and the butter to become the same temperature so it’ll emulsify properly. While waiting for this temperature equilibrium, there really isn’t any need for high speeds. So by reducing the setting to medium low here, you can reduce the bubbles even further.
Basically, once you and the butter, slow is the name of the game. Hope it helps!
Hello Sally. This is excellent!!! But today for some reason it’s very yellow and becomes very soft quickly
Hi Karine, the color will always depend on the particular butter you’re using. If you’d like a stark white buttercream, mix in a very tiny (super small!) drop of purple food coloring into the frosting. This will “clear” out any of that yellow. Hope this helps!
This is a beautiful SMB, made it many times already. This time I would like to use it for making flowers, would it work for this purpose? Thanks.
Definitely – it pipes beautifully!
Hello,
Can I add 8oz of white chocolate to this recipe? Or does it have to be pure chocolate?
Also, I made this recipe with success for my son’s birthday. I’m a new fan of SMBC! Thank you!
Hi Sally, 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
Hi Sally, first time making it with a different website you saved it with your very well xplaned troubleshoot. So now I figured you deserve for me to try you recipe and just finished making it. I was rushing the cooling Time cause my meringue was too warm in order to add the butter. After a good 20 minutes in the fridge and temperature at 76F i did add the butter, it turned out soupy. So it went back in the fridge for 25 minutes I whipped again and it is nice but lumpy a little I am sure it will be fine for Saturday. Tomorrow making another batch since I need to decorate 36 cupcakes for my grandson’s 5th birthday. I am using tip #6B. Is it possible that I will need 2 more batches. Hope not i sure don’t want to make another one on the day of which is this coming Saturday. Thank you so much the taste is fantastic. I am always returning to your site, made muffins, carrot cakes, Pretzel buns etc.. always perfect
Thank you so much for making and trusting our recipes, Jolou! Hope the cupcakes are a hit for your grandson’s birthday 🙂
Tried this recipe. Came out absolutely perfect. Followed all steps as given. Flavoured it with coffee. First attempt at Swiss meringue buttercream. So happy with the result.
Hi,
Can I reduce the quantity by about a little more than half? Like say using 4 egg whites instead of 6? If so how much butter and sugar would I need?
Hi Selena, you could reduce the other ingredients to the same proportions you reduce the eggs to. Or 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.
This turned out perfectly the first time. It didn’t look as nice after adding the butter, but still came out fluffy and light. I added red food dye (drops) and split the extract half vanilla and half almond for a cherry cake. Will definitely be my go-to frosting!
Hi Sally, I ran into an issue while preparing this buttercream. The butter was way too soft by the time the stiff peaks formed, so I put the butter back in refrigerator and waited it to firm up a bit. And after that when I added butter to the meringue, the meringue just fell off and became soft and runny. No longer stiff! The meringue was in cool environment though! By this time I’ve already added couple of tablespoons of butter to the meringue and incorporated it. Could you please help troubleshoot this problem. Thank you in advance!
Hi Anitha! See my Troubleshooting section, #4 specifically. When the mixture becomes too runny, you need to bring down its temperature and refrigerating helps. I know you said it was in a cool environment, but the refrigerator will help even more.
I am loving this recipe and your blog! Question, I want to make this today with freeze dried strawberry powder to use as frosting on top on your fresh strawberry cake. Any concerns or modifications to suggest?
Hi PABlues, you sure can. We recommend adding 1/2 cup of freeze-dried strawberry powder along with the vanilla extract and salt. No other changes to the recipe necessary. Enjoy!
If I double the recipe does it take longer to whip the egg white and sugar mix in the mixer? I found it took longer for it to become non gritty
Hi Christinea, we do not recommend making larger batches at one time because it will quickly overcrowd and wear out your mixer. If you need more batches, make them all separately. Hope this helps!
Every time I’ve made this the past few days, my meringue has refused to stay at stiff peaks. The first time, it only stayed in the marshmallow stage and wouldn’t peak. The next time, I was sure to make sure there was no grease anywhere and fully sterilized all surfaces, and it managed to reach stiff peaks, but it was too hot, so i refrigerated it for 10 minutes, and it sank and refused to whip up again. Today I made it and got it to whip up, but when i added the butter it became soupy and no matter how much refrigerating I did it wouldn’t reach frosting consistency. Do you have any tips? I have no clue what I’ve done wrong, I checked the troubleshooting guide multiple times and watched the video.
Hello! Is the weather particularly humid by you the past few days? Weather can alter how egg whites whip, even preventing them from reaching stiff peaks. Sometimes it’s best to avoid making this recipe on a humid day!
This is my favorite buttercream recipe I use it for every cupcake birthday party for my kids. I recently tried to add yellow powdered dye and it ended soupy and grainy. Did I add too much powder? Every other step worked swimmingly till the dye “melted” into the mixture.
Hi Jessica, we don’t have much experience with powdered dye. We recommend using gel fool coloring for best results!
Hello Sally,
Love your recipes! I wanted to know if you could add cream cheese to this recipe. I traditionally make ABC cream cheese frosting but I’m trying to get away from that sweet frosting and try something less sweet that will hold up on a tall 8inch round cake. I plan to make a cake for my son this weekend and I’m adding small construction trucks on top.
Thank you!
Hi Sally, 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 less sweet whipped frosting recipe (with cream cheese!).
I had a little bit of egg yolk in my whites and couldn’t get it out without throwing out 6 whites so decided to give it a try anyway. I can’t get it to peak. Can I still go ahead?–what happens? I want to use it for frosting a cake. I guess we’ll see.
Hi Anne, just a drop of egg yolk in your whites can prevent you from reaching stiff peaks. We recommend starting again!
Egg whites beat up fairly quickly and were beautiful and silky smooth. Once all butter was combined, the mixture didn’t look as silky smooth
do the eggs need to be at room temperature for the Swiss buttercream meringue?
Hi Rita, you’re going to heating the egg whites over the stove, so the it doesn’t matter if they’re cold or room temperature.
Hi Sally! I love your website and recipes, I have for years! I tried this today and I am getting hard bits in it, almost like as if I didn’t mix the egg and sugar enough when heating. I also am using organic cane sugar (not pure cheaper white sugar) could this make a difference? I also am trying to pipe detailed florals in hopes it will hold it shape/be smoother than American buttercream. Any advice on both things is greatly appreciated
Hi Jenna, is the sugar you’re using still finely granulated? If it’s coarser, that could be the issue. You may want to heat the sugar/egg white mixture on lower heat and feel free to heat it slightly beyond 160°F (71°C) until you no longer feel those granules.
Hi is this the right amount to ice 12 cupcakes
Hi Tamsin, yes, this is enough to generously frost a dozen cupcakes. See recipe notes for more yield details.
Hi Sally,
I have tried this recipe three times now and I am still having some trouble. The first part of the recipe goes so well and then I start having trouble. After I add the butter it looks perfect but for some reason after I add the vanilla it seems to get little butter clumps in the buttercream. I tried your trouble shooting tip of heating it back up and re whipping it but it didn’t seem to change that bumpy texture. I also find that my meringue weeps or deflates quite quickly after it’s made even if my kitchen isn’t overly warm. Even if I put it in the fridge and take it out it still doesn’t seem as stable as it could be. I really want to find a way to make this recipe work because it tastes delicious! Any tips?
Hi Kate, We are so sorry for the delay in answering your question! Since it seems to be giving you problems when you add the vanilla, you can try adding the vanilla to the cooked eggs before the butter. If it doesn’t seem as stable as it should be first check to make sure your butter isn’t too warm to begin with. If it starts out too warm the buttercream can be greasy and unstable. If that still doesn’t help, try reducing the amount of butter you add by 2 TBS. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally, can you use the buttercream under fondant.
Hi Maria, Swiss meringue buttercream is great left covered at room temperature for 1-2 days, but after that, we recommend refrigerating it for up to 5 days. We don’t use fondant often, but it’s typically best to store fondant at room temperature. Hope this helps!
Swiss meringue is my go-to cake frosting, and although most recipes for it are 98% the same of course… sometimes it’s the little tweaks that make the difference between good and great and absolutely *perfect* SMB. Ergo, I followed this version to the tee and found it pipes and frosts beautifully. BUT… the taste leaves much to be desired. This recipe works well, but I STRONGLY advise adding WAY more to it than just a little spoonful of garden variety vanilla extract.
Hey Sally,
Can I make this icing a day in advance and ice my cake the night before so I’m not scrabbling the next day?
Hi Madeline, absolutely! Swiss meringue buttercream is great left covered at room temperature for 1-2 days.
Hi Sally.Do you think I could add cocoa powder instead of melted chocolate? Thank you
Hi Aneta, we’ve only tested a chocolate version of this using melted and cooled chocolate. We’re sure you can use cocoa powder, but we haven’t tested the perfect amount. Start by beating in 1 Tbsp at a time until you are satisfied with the flavor. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Hi is this enough for a 10 in. Cake?
Hi Wendy! That depends on how tall your cake is. See recipe notes for details on how much buttercream this recipe yields.
I’m going to use this for the citrus sunshine cake. Does the recipe yield enough batter to do decorative piping around the top and bottom edges of the cake?
Hi Amanda, this recipe yields about 5 cups of frosting, which should be the perfect amount to cover your cake and pipe decorations on the top if desired.
Hi! Followed the recipe, have even needed to use the fridge as it’s runny, tried that twice but still runny! Worried it’s not going to work. Does it just need the fridge for longer? I’m in australia, it’s a hot day today…but not overly hot in the house ♀️ Help plz
Hi Bianca, check out the troubleshooting tips in the recipe. It’s possible that your bowl needs to go back in the fridge before mixing again.