Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
Swiss Meringue Buttercream is the silky, stable, and not too sweet option every baker needs for their desserts. Also known as SMBC, this buttercream is loved by many home bakers and professionals alike. Read through for an extensive guide on Swiss Meringue Buttercream including troubleshooting and Frequently Asked Questions, or jump on ahead to the recipe!
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The creamy and silky texture perfect is for coating and filling cakes, frosting cupcakes, filling macarons, piping beautiful designs, and more. When it comes to taste, Swiss Meringue Buttercream is much less sweet than it’s common counterparts like American Buttercream and can be flavored in endless ways. Have I convinced you to try it yet? If so, keep reading!
What is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Swiss meringue buttercream is created by cooking egg whites and granulated sugar together over a double boiler until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has reached 160-170 degrees Fahrenheit. Once cooked, the mixture is whipped until a stiff, glossy, and full meringue forms. Then, softened butter is whipped into the meringue creating a delicious base for all of your flavoring options!
SMBC is slightly more technical than an American Buttercream, but the results are absolutely worth the extra effort. Follow along with my go to recipe to try it out for yourself!
Ingredients
First and foremost, let’s talk about ingredients! Although Swiss Meringue may feel elevated in texture and taste, the ingredients to make it are really quite simple. At a base level, you only need…
- Egg whites (fresh, not carton)
- Granulated Sugar
- Butter (I prefer a blend of salted and unsalted for ideal flavor!)
- Flavoring Option (Example: Vanilla Extract)
There are plenty of ways to flavor SMBC as well which we will get into later!
A few optional add ins to help stabilize the meringue include acids like cream of tartar or lemon juice. My recipe uses lemon juice because I like the touch of brightness in flavor that balances out the richness from the butter.
Equipment
To create a Swiss Meringue Buttercream, you’ll need a few key equipment items including…
- Medium/large heat safe mixing bowl (Tip: you can use the metal KitchenAid bowls but NOT glass)
- Sauce Pot large enough to hold the mixing bowl comfortably on top (for the double boiler step)
- Whisk attachment for an electric mixer
- An electric mixer (stand mixer is preferable but a hand mixer will also work)
- Paddle attachment
- Silicone Spatula
1. Make Sure All of Your Equipment is Clean
Before beginning, make sure your equipment is clean. If there is any fat residue on your mixing bowl, whisk, or spatulas, it can negatively affect your meringue’s stability and ability to whip up to a large volume.
An optional step some bakers will choose to ensure clean equipment, is to wipe down their bowls and whisks etc. with vinegar before beginning.
2. Set Up Double Boiler
To begin, a double boiler is used to cook the egg whites and sugar together before whipping it into a meringue. This process cooks the egg whites to a safe temperature, and also dissolves the sugar.
To create a double boiler, fill a medium sized sauce pot with about an inch of water, and bring to a boil. Choose a medium/large sized bowl and place on top of the pot of water. (Important: Do NOT use glass bowls. I learned the hard way that it will crack or shatter your bowl. RIP Kitchen Aid Glass Bowl) Make sure the water is not touching the bowl.
The bowl of egg whites and sugar should be large enough to rest on top of the boiling water sauce pot, creating more gentle indirect heat to cook the whites gently to avoid scrambling them.
3. Cook Egg Whites and Sugar
Whisk the egg whites and the sugar together and cook in the bowl over the double boiler. In the beginning you can stir occasionally, but once they start heating up you’ll want to continuously stir the mixture to avoid any hot spots overheating and cooking the egg whites. If you’re new to SMBC, I recommend playing it safe and whisking frequently/continuously the whole time.
Cook until the mixture reaches a minimum of 160 degrees Fahrenheit (check with a food thermometer). I prefer to cook to 170-175 degrees Fahrenheit to ensure maximum stability. You’ll also notice at this stage you can rub the egg white mixture in between your fingers and will no longer feel any grittiness from the sugar because it has dissolved.
4. Whip Egg Whites and Sugar Into a Meringue
Next, transfer your egg white mixture into the bowl of an electric mixer (or like I mentioned earlier, use your KitchenAid Metal bowl!) and whip using a whisk attachment.
Whip until a glossy, white meringue has formed with stiff peaks. When you flip the whisk up the peaks should remain pointing up. You also want to allow your meringue to cool down a bit so it doesn’t melt the butter in the next step.
TIP: Sometimes when I make smaller batches, (2 egg whites or less), the meringue does not get as stiff during this step. However, I didn’t find it to cause issues and reached the normal texture after whipping in the butter. Just something to keep in mind if you’re doing a small batch!
5. Add in the Butter
At this point, you’ll want to start mixing in your softened butter. Make sure your butter isn’t too cold or it will not incorporate as well to your meringue. Whip the butter in until lightened in color and fluffy in texture.
If your meringue was still too warm when you added the butter in, your mixture may become soupy. Keep whipping and see if it comes back together. If it doesn’t, pop it into the fridge to chill for 10-20 minutes and try again.
Sometimes the buttercream can look curdled at this step due to differences in temperature as well. The solution is to keep whipping, or try the chilling step.
Proper whipping time can also reduce the “buttery” flavor in SMBC. Some people have beef with Swiss Meringue Buttercream because it’s TOO buttery tasting. Whipping long enough is a way to combat this.
6. Add in Flavorings
Swiss Meringue buttercream is incredibly versatile when it comes to flavoring! Here are a few ways to add flavor to your Swiss Meringue Buttercream…
- Extracts
- Concentrated Syrups
- Jams or preserves (thickened)
- Citrus Zest
- Freeze Dried Fruit Powder
- Espresso Powder
- Cocoa Powder
- Nut Butters/Spreads
- Melted Chocolate
- Cream Cheese
- Finely Crushed Cookies or Graham Crackers
Another option that works extremely well with butter forward fillings like SMBC is to steep things like tea or herbs into the butter itself and then straining it out and bringing to room temperature before adding in to the meringue!
I use this tea steeped in butter technique for these Earl Grey Rose Macarons. Check out the recipe below!
Tip: Avoid flavoring SMBC with ingredients that have a high liquid content. Adding too much liquid to your Swiss Meringue Buttercream will make the consistency too runny.
Product Plug: I really enjoy using Amoretti’s Artisan Natural Flavoring products in my buttercreams! They have concentrated, authentic flavor notes, and can be added in just like an extract.
7. Switch to Paddle and Beat on Low Speed
To knock out air bubbles, switch the mixer attachment to a paddle and run on a low speed for a few minutes. To speed up the process, take a small amount of buttercream out and microwave it until melted, and then pour it back in while mixing on low. I have a paddle attachment with a silicone scraper on the edges that I highly recommend.
After trying out a few different methods to remove air bubbles, running the paddle on the low speed with the tempering (melted buttercream) method, is the most effective in my opinion.
How To Get White Buttercream
Due to the amount of butter in buttercreams, it will naturally have a yellowish hue. If you’re looking for a brighter white color you can cancel some of the yellow out by adding a VERY small amount of violet gel food coloring! Use a toothpick to add tiny amounts at a time.
When it comes to Gel Food Coloring, I prefer using either Americolor, The Sugar Art, or Wilton.
Applications
Swiss Meringue is an ideal option for filling and frosting desserts such as…
- Cakes
- Cupcakes
- Macarons
- Entremets
- Cookies
Be sure to check out the batch guesstimate chart in the notes of the recipe to see how much you’ll need for your baking projects!
FAQ and Troubleshooting
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Troubleshooting and FAQ
How is Swiss Meringue Buttercream different than regular American Buttercream?
American buttercream is made by whipping butter and powdered sugar together with flavorings and sometimes cream. It is on the higher end of the sweetness spectrum and is very quick and easy to make.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream has a few more steps, but produces a silkier, less sweet, stable, and delicious buttercream by cooking egg whites and sugar over a double boiler, whipping it into a meringue, and then adding butter and flavorings.
Does Swiss Meringue Buttercream have a strong butter taste?
Because of the higher butter ratio in SMBC compared to American, the butter flavor is more prominent. Some things that can help lessen the buttery flavor are to whip the butter in long enough, use enough of your high quality flavoring of choice, and to also use a blend of salted and unsalted butter like in my recipe.
Why is my meringue not stiffening in my Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Meringue can be effected by a few different factors. The first being fat residue on the equipment. Fat particles can inhibit a meringues ability to whip up stiff.
The quality of the egg whites can also cause issues with meringue volume. Old egg whites, or even carton/packaged egg whites will usually not whip up as stiff.
Another factor that can cause a meringue not to stiffen is the batch size. I kept running in to this creating small batches of SMBC for my macaron fillings and finally put two and two together that if your batch is small enough in relation to your mixing bowl and whisk, it may not whip up as stiff. Thankfully, as long as you can get even CLOSE to stiff peaks (Example: Medium peaks or birds peaks), the buttercream should still turn out fine once you whip the butter in.
Why is my Swiss Meringue Buttercream runny and soupy?
The golden trick with any buttercream is keeping it at the right temperature. If your meringue was still too warm when adding the butter, your buttercream may become soupy and soft. To fix this problem, continue whipping, or pop your bowl into the fridge for 10-20 minutes and try whipping again.
Another thing that can cause soupy SMBC is if the meringue was not whipped long enough before adding the butter. If the meringue is too soft, it will be difficult to get a stable buttercream.
Can I store Swiss Meringue Buttercream in the Fridge?
Yes! Swiss Meringue Buttercream stores beautifully in the fridge in an airtight container for about a week.
Can I store Swiss Meringue Buttercream in the Freezer?
Swiss Meringue Buttercream can be frozen in an airtight container for around 3 months! Before using, allow it to come to room temperature and rewhip until light and fluffy again.
How do I get air bubbles out of my Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
- Tempering method (see notes in recipe)
- Beating buttercream with a paddle on a low speed
- Spreading buttercream out on a cutting board or counter and spreading back and forth with an offset spatula to work out air bubbles
- Running buttercream in a food processor (this method also deepens the colors of your buttercream)
How can I flavor Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
There are endless options my friend! Here are several ideas to flavor your SMBC…
- Extracts
- Concentrated Syrups
- Jams or preserves (thickened)
- Citrus Zest
- Freeze Dried Fruit Powder
- Espresso Powder
- Cocoa Powder
- Nut Butters/Spreads
- Melted Chocolate
- Cream Cheese
- Finely Crushed Cookies or Graham Crackers
- Steeping flavors into the butter (tea, herbs, etc)
Does Swiss Meringue Buttercream Harden or Crust?
Swiss Meringue Buttercream will NOT crust. It will remain silky and creamy! It does firm up when it’s cold and is best eaten at room temperature.
Can Swiss Meringue Buttercream be left out at room temperature?
Yes, Swiss Meringue Buttercream ok to be left out at room temperature for 1-2 days when flavored with shelf stable ingredients!
Why does my Swiss Meringue Buttercream look split and curdled?
Swiss Meringue Buttercream can look curdled or split when the temperature is out of whack. Keep whipping to reincorporate and emulsify all of the ingredients together and it should come back together! I find when I’m trying to rewhip cold buttercream out of the fridge or freezer it goes through a split looking stage before it comes back together.
SMBC can also look split if the meringue is too warm and the butter is too cold when initially mixing them together. Keep mixing and it should come together eventually!
Is Swiss Meringue Buttercream super sweet?
Swiss Meringue Buttercream is well loved for being one of the LESS sweet options when it comes to buttercream.
Is Swiss Meringue Buttercream good for piping?
Swiss Meringue Buttercream is an excellent choice for piping, frosting, and decorating due to it’s silky but stable consistency. It’s also great for palette knife buttercream work!
Why is it harder to color Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
To be honest, there’s a long scientific answer to this about how the emulsion effects how it absorbs water based gel food color, so I’ll skip to the solution! Microwaving your buttercream in short bursts will intensify how the color mixes in and will create brighter shades. Rewhip it (chilling if needed) once the desired shade has been achieved! Another method is to put buttercream and food coloring into the food processor and run it to deepen the shade.
Does using Unsalted VS Salted Butter make a difference?
This is a hot debate for some. Unsalted butter gives you precise control of how much salt you choose to add in your buttercream, but can create slight granules in the texture from the added salt you’ll have to put in to balance the sweetness. Salted butter gives you less control of the salt level (different brands vary on how much salt they add per stick) but it will give you a rich and smooth taste and consistency with no granules.
With SMBC being so butter forward in it’s ratio, I chose a blend of the two for my recipe (shout out to all the Instagram bakers that recommended I give the half and half a try!). Using all salted made the buttercream feel TOO buttery and salty, but unsalted plus added salt wasn’t doing it for me with the flavor. Using half salted and half unsalted ended up being my sweet spot!
Can I swap the granulated sugar for brown sugar or powdered (confectioner’s) sugar?
You CAN swap the granulated sugar for brown sugar (it’s quite delicious actually!) but you can NOT swap it for powdered sugar.
How do I make my buttercream less yellow?
An easy trick to brighten the whiteness in your buttercream is to “cancel out” some of the yellow from the butter by adding a TINY tiny tiny amount of violet gel food coloring. Make sure to only add a little bit at a time because too much will tint your buttercream purple. See photos in the post above to see the difference in plain buttercream and purple color corrected buttercream.
How much buttercream does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 2 lbs of buttercream, or about 4.5 cups. Check the notes of the recipe box for guesstimates on how much you’ll need for your cake, cupcake, or macaron baking project!
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 185 grams egg whites (185ml or roughly 6 egg whites)
- 320 grams granulated sugar (1 ½ cups plus 1 tbsp)
- 230 grams salted butter softened but not squishy (1 cup)
- 230 grams unsalted butter (1 cup)
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 VERY small smudge of Violet Gel Food Coloring (optional, cancels out a bit of the yellow for a whiter buttercream)
Instructions
- Using a medium size sauce pot, bring an inch or so of water to a boil.
- In a medium heat safe metal bowl that is large enough to rest on top of the sauce pot, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. (Use a kitchen aid metal mixing bowl and whisk attachment to save a dish later.)
- Place bowl on top of the pot with boiling water and continue whisking Cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture reaches 165-170 degrees Fahrenheit and no longer feels grainy from the sugar. Immediately remove from heat to avoid overcooking the egg whites.
- Remove bowl from heat, and use an electric mixer to whisk the mixture until a stiff glossy meringue forms.
- Once the meringue cools down to roughly room temperature, cut the butter into several small pieces and add it into the bowl one piece at a time.
- Beat for another few minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy, and the butter flavor becomes less prominent. (Buttercream may look curdled at first but will come together when mixed long enough)
- Add in the lemon juice and vanilla extract, and whip until thoroughly combined. If adding the tiny touch of violet food coloring for whiter buttercream, add now using a toothpick.
- To lessen the air bubbles in the buttercream, switch to a paddle attachment on your mixer and mix on low for 5-10 minutes. To speed up the process, see notes for "tempering" your buttercream.
Notes
- Remove a small portion (about 1/3 cup) of the buttercream from your mixing bowl and put it in a heat safe bowl.
- Melt the buttercream in the microwave until liquid.
- Pour the melted portion of buttercream back into the main bowl of buttercream and mix on a low speed until combined and smooth.
- Frosting and filling 1 6″ 3 layer cake
- Frosting 14 Cupcakes (taller frost)
- Frosting 24 Cupcakes (rosette frost)
- Filling 8 dozen 2″ Macarons
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Thank you for sharing this recipe. To get the cream cheese flavor would you cream cheese, cream cheese flavoring, or both????
Hi Donna! I haven’t experimented with this yet personally but I’ve seen other bakers add cream cheese 😊
Can I freeze this?
Hi Sandra! Yes this buttercream freezes really well! I’ve done it many times and just brought it back to room temp and rewhipped it.
Hi. Your ingredients list says Egg Whites (fresh not Carton). Can you explain this. I thought the Caron of eggs would be fresh. Thanks CarolS
Hi Carol! Boxed Egg Whites have a tendency to not whip up as well in things like meringues. I recommend using freshly cracked/separated whites for best results 😊