How you can Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This tutorial on find out how to make Swiss Meringue buttercream is the one useful resource you’ll must make the smoothest, silkiest frosting!

The subject of Swiss meringue buttercream comes up recurrently in my Baking group on Fb and in feedback on a few of my recipes right here — find out how to make it, however extra typically find out how to cope with it when it’s simply not cooperating.

Meringue buttercreams could be a bit temperamental, however no matter state you’ve obtained it in (supplied you began with a stiff peak meringue) is completely saveable.

For those who love Swiss meringue buttercream as a lot as I do, hopefully, you’ll discover the following tips helpful.

For those who’ve by no means tried it and are intimidated by it, I hope this tutorial provides you with the arrogance to offer it a shot.

What’s Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

Although extra concerned than an American buttercream, Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) is the simplest of the meringue buttercreams. It entails cooking eggs and sugar over a double boiler, whipping them right into a meringue, then including butter and flavorings.

The opposite two meringue buttercreams (Italian and French) each contain pouring boiling sugar into {a partially} whipped egg and sugar combination.

They’re equally scrumptious and identified to be a bit extra secure, however I discover boiling sugar to be demanding and intimidating, so typically keep away from it as a lot as attainable.

For those who’re feeling adventurous although and also you’ve tried SMBC earlier than, I encourage you to offer these a go and see how you want them.

Swiss meringue buttercream consists of three quite simple elements:

1. Egg whites
2. Sugar
3. Unsalted butter 

From there, you’ll be able to taste to your coronary heart’s content material. A easy and customary recipe will embody vanilla, however the taste potentialities are restricted solely by your creativeness.

You’ll be able to add melted chocolate for a milk, white, or darkish chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, freeze-dried berries for fruit taste and coloration, peanut butter/peanut butter powder (most well-liked), or select from a wide range of flavorings so as to add in.

How you can Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I’m going to take you thru every step of the method right here and name out ideas or points chances are you’ll run into.

I like to recommend utilizing a stand mixer for this buttercream. You seemingly may do it with a hand mixer, however it will be a extra painful course of — you’d be holding that hand mixer for a great 20+minutes. As such, the steps I describe are for a stand mixer, however you’ll be able to adapt to a hand mixer if that’s all you need to work with.

The very very first thing you should do, that is NOT non-obligatory, is: 

Step #1 – Wipe down all instruments with lemon juice or vinegar

To assist guarantee a secure and stiff meringue, you should be sure that every part that may are available in contact with the egg whites is totally grease-free. This consists of issues like your:

• mixer bowl
• whisk attachment
• hand whisk
• measuring cup (that shall be used to scoop sugar)
• small bowl(s) (to crack eggs into when separating whites)

Grease is meringue’s enemy.

Even the tiniest speck of grease (or egg yolk) will trigger the meringue to not whip to a stiff peak and end in a less-than-perfect (aka dense and greasy) Swiss meringue buttercream.

One other necessary tip right here is to not use plastic instruments, particularly bowls, when making Swiss meringue. Plastic tends to retain grease irrespective of how completely it’s cleaned.

Greatest to be protected and follow metallic (most well-liked) or glass bowls.

Step #2 – Convey a medium pot of water to a simmer (1-2 inches of water)

You’ll need a pot that’s sufficiently big to comfortably place your mixer bowl onto, however not so large that the underside of the bowl touches the water.

You need a most of 1-2 inches of water within the pot. Convey this to a boil, then cut back to a low simmer.

Step #3 – Separate your egg whites

Separate every egg white right into a small bowl, then switch into your mixer bowl.

Do not separate the egg whites straight into your mixer bowl. For those who do this and have even one cracked yolk, you’ll smash the entire batch of whites.

It’s greatest to separate every egg individually.

Even a speck of yolk will trigger the meringue to not whip up correctly. Don’t try to make a meringue in case your egg whites are usually not fully yolk-free.

Observe that the eggs don’t must be room temperature, because you’ll be cooking them anyhow. 

Some folks have had success with carton egg whites however, right now, I can not suggest them myself.

The carton whites I’ve tried have induced my meringue to remain flat and by no means stiffen. For those who do need to experiment with carton whites, ensure that the carton says one thing like “egg whites solely” or related.

Step #4 – Prepare dinner your egg whites & sugar

When you’ve separated all of your eggs, add them and your sugar into your mixer bowl and place it over the pot of simmering water.

I stir consistently at this level, with a clear hand whisk, to verify the egg whites prepare dinner evenly. This course of will take 2-3 minutes relying on the variety of egg whites you’re working with.

You’ll know the egg whites are finished when the combination is scorching and not grainy to the contact.

I dip a (clear) finger into the combination and rub it between my thumb and forefinger. If there may be any graininess in any respect, I maintain cooking them.

You need to ensure that the combination is scorching to the contact too. Ideally, you’d use a sweet thermometer to examine that it has reached 160F. That is probably the most correct method to verify your whites are cooked absolutely. 

I’m too lazy to whip out a thermometer, and never involved about consuming uncooked eggs, so I do the contact check. If this can be a concern for you, I like to recommend utilizing a thermometer.

Step #5 – Whip your meringue

Take away your mixer bowl from the pot, wipe the underside of the bowl, and place it in your stand mixer. Connect the whisk attachment and start whipping.

I often crank it proper as much as excessive velocity (about 8-9 on my KitchenAid). You’ll need to whip this till the bowl is totally cool to the contact — this will take wherever from 5-10mins. 

You’ll know in case your meringue was profitable if it holds a stiff peak. That is what it ought to seem like – no droopy peaks!

In case your meringue is droopy, it was seemingly affected by both grease, yolk, or carton whites. See step #1. Sadly, if this occurs, you will have to begin over. There is no such thing as a option to save the meringue at this level.

Step #6 – Dice your butter

Whereas the meringue is whipping, dice your softened however nonetheless barely chilly butter. I roughly do 1″ or so cubes. It’s not a precise science, about 1 Tbsp or so every. 

You’ll know your butter is the proper consistency when you’ll be able to press it together with your finger and depart a little bit of a dent in it.

It’s necessary to notice that your butter shouldn’t be too smooth. If it’s so smooth which you could press your finger via it simply, will probably be too smooth in your buttercream.

You’ll be able to nonetheless use it, however chances are you’ll want to sit back your buttercream for a bit if it turns into soupy (see the Troubleshooting part under). I discover it simpler to cope with an SMBC that has used butter that’s too chilly vs too smooth.

Step #7 – Add the butter

When your meringue is totally cooled, cease your mixer and swap to the paddle attachment.

This isn’t crucial, you’ll be able to depart it on the whisk, however I like to modify to the paddle as I discover that the whisk can incorporate an excessive amount of air into the buttercream.

I additionally like that my paddle scrapes the edges of the bowl for me, which is a time saver.

Set your mixer to medium velocity (4 or so on a KitchenAid) and slowly begin to add your butter dice by dice. As soon as all the butter has been added, crank the mixer again as much as excessive to beat the buttercream.

The buttercream can undergo just a few undesirable levels whereas it mixes. It may possibly develop into soupy:

And it typically curdles: 

I discover it greatest to stroll away and are available again after 5 minutes to a (hopefully) good SMBC. See the Troubleshooting part under if this isn’t the case.

As soon as the buttercream is totally clean, fluffy, and creamy, you’ll be able to add in your flavorings (see under for an inventory of recipes).

How do I make my buttercream white?

It is a bit off subject, but additionally comes up typically. SMBC can end up a bit yellow relying on how a lot butter you utilize. This isn’t all the time a fascinating impact, particularly if you happen to’re going for an all white cake.

The trick is to neutralize the yellow coloration by including a little bit of blue/violet to it.

And I imply a bit. The quantity on the toothpick above is greater than I added. I principally swiped the toothpick over the buttercream on the whisk, so actually solely used one aspect of it.

I’d suggest beginning with much less and including extra as wanted, otherwise you’ll find yourself with a gray or bluish-looking buttercream.

As soon as the gel has been added (I used Americolor Violet), give the buttercream a great whip and also you’ll see the yellow tint fade away. Add extra coloration gel as wanted.

Be sure you take a look at my detailed tutorial on How you can Make Buttercream White for different ideas.

Troubleshooting Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Swiss meringue buttercream might be finicky. It’s temperamental and might trigger an entire lot of pointless stress. The excellent news is that so long as your meringue was stiff earlier than the butter was added, no matter concern you encounter after that’s fixable.

Listed here are some widespread points chances are you’ll run into whereas making Swiss meringue buttercream, in addition to my ideas and solutions on find out how to keep away from/repair them:

1. My meringue received’t whip up. That is both attributable to grease or egg yolks or each. See Step #1 of the tutorial above.
2. My buttercream appears curdled. It is a widespread step when making SMBC. As soon as all of the butter is added, it typically goes via a part the place it appears curdled. For those who maintain whipping it, it is going to come collectively.
3. My buttercream nonetheless appears curdled. If the temperature of the butter is simply too chilly, it may be more durable to get it to come back collectively. You’ll be able to both put it over a double boiler once more like in Step #2, or heat the edges of the bowl with a hair dryer. One time, I had thawed some frozen SMBC and I didn’t fully deliver it to room temperature earlier than rewhipping. It seemed like cottage cheese soup in my mixer. I assumed it was a misplaced trigger, however I heated the bowl a bit with a hair dryer and walked away for just a few minutes. After I got here again it had come collectively completely! For those who use the double boiler methodology, heat the buttercream simply till the very edges begin to soften, after which rewhip. You can too attempt to microwave 1/4 cup of the buttercream for just a few seconds then drizzle it again into the buttercream with the mixer on low velocity till it comes collectively.
4. My buttercream is soupy. That is the other downside of curdled buttercream. This happens as a result of both the meringue was too heat while you added the butter or your butter was too smooth, or each. Pop the entire bowl and whisk into the fridge for 20mins after which rewhip. Relying on how heat it was, chances are you’ll want a few periods within the fridge.
5. My buttercream is grainy. That is because of the sugar not being dissolved correctly in Step #4 above. As soon as the meringue is whipped, there may be nothing you are able to do to repair this. It’s greatest to begin over.
6. My buttercream is greasy. SMBC is extra buttery than an American buttercream, nevertheless it mustn’t really feel greasy. For those who haven’t added extra butter than the recipe requires and your meringue was stiff, then the greasiness is probably going because of the buttercream not being whipped for lengthy sufficient. It’s additionally good apply to rewhip the SMBC if it’s been sitting out on the counter for some time.
7. The buttercream will get onerous within the fridge. That is regular. Similar to the butter it’s created from, it is going to agency as much as the consistency of butter within the fridge. Once you let it come to room temperature it is going to soften once more.
8. It tastes too buttery. Some folks simply don’t like meringue buttercreams — they’re not for everybody! However the buttercream must be mild and fluffy, not thick and greasy. If yours tastes such as you’re consuming a stick of butter, maybe your meringue wasn’t whipped to stiff peaks earlier than including butter, or the butter was too chilly, during which case it simply wants some extra whipping. Otherwise you added an excessive amount of butter. 

Continuously Requested Questions

1. Can I make Swiss meringue buttercream prematurely? Sure! You’ll be able to depart it at room temperature for a day or two, refrigerate for as much as two weeks, or freeze it for as much as 3 months. Be sure you retailer it in an hermetic container. You need to deliver the buttercream fully to room temperature and rewhip earlier than use. If the buttercream separates, it was nonetheless a bit too chilly. See Step #3 above within the Troubleshooting part.
2. How do I thaw my buttercream? Thaw it on the counter. It is going to be too onerous if you happen to thaw it within the fridge. I thaw mine in a single day. Rewhip earlier than use. See above.
3. How lengthy does Swiss meringue buttercream final? It would final for a day or two at room temperature, 2 weeks within the fridge, and three months within the freezer. Be certain it’s correctly saved in an hermetic container or a freezer bag.
4. Is Swiss meringue buttercream fit for human consumption? Sure. For those who prepare dinner the eggs to 160F the buttercream shall be fit for human consumption.
5. Can I taste Swiss meringue buttercream? Sure. As soon as the buttercream has come collectively, you’ll be able to add any sorts of flavorings, extracts, powders, or chocolate — see record under for an inventory of recipes.
6. Can I coloration Swiss meringue buttercream? Sure. Although SMBC is tougher to paint than an American buttercream. The colour doesn’t take as properly, so chances are you’ll want extra coloration gel. Watch out to not add an excessive amount of, because the buttercream might cut up. It’s possible you’ll need to look into powdered meals coloring if you happen to’re desirous to do very vibrant colours. I don’t suggest utilizing liquid meals coloring as it isn’t intense sufficient an could cause the buttercream to separate. For extra tips about getting wealthy, darkish colours with SMBC see my Chocolate Peppermint Cake submit.
7. I don’t have a stand mixer. Can I take advantage of my hand mixer to make Swiss meringue buttercream? You most likely can, however I don’t suggest it. You’d be whipping eternally! First to chill the meringue, after which when the butter is added. It may be a 10-15min course of with a stand mixer, so I think about it may take twice as lengthy. So… doable if that’s all that you’ve got at your disposal, however simply know you’re in for a protracted haul.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

The recipe I’m together with under is the usual SMBC recipe that I take advantage of, although I are likely to experiment rather a lot with it and generally add an additional egg white or use a bit much less butter, relying on the quantity of frosting I want.

I haven’t run into any points doing this, nevertheless it’s necessary to not add extra butter than the recipe requires until you’re additionally growing the egg whites & sugar.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Variations

I hope you’ve discovered this information useful and that it’s given you the braveness to offer Swiss Meringue Buttercream a strive! It really is among the most scrumptious buttercreams on the market.

Up to date Nov 2, 2022. Initially printed Jan 2, 2019