SILKY SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM

Name: Silky Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
Prep time: 1 min
Cook time: 14 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 300 grams fresh or carton egg whites; 250 grams caster (superfine) sugar; 1/2 tsp salt; 565 grams (5 sticks) room temperature/soft unsalted butter(leave out of fridge overnight); 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Frosting

Mar 30

Written By Sasha Nary

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Simply The Best! Creamy, fluffy, light, not too sweet, beautiful, and my favourite buttercream for many reasons!

Reasons to Love This Silky Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Dreamy Smoothness: This buttercream is like velvet for your cake. It’s silky, smooth, and practically melts in your mouth.
Just the Right Sweetness: Not too sugary, not too bland—this buttercream hits the sweet spot perfectly.
Super Versatile: Whether you’re frosting a birthday cake, decorating cupcakes, or just sneaking a spoonful (no judgment here!), this buttercream works wonders.
Picture-Perfect Finish: Its glossy sheen makes everything look like it came straight from a bakery’s showcase. Ready to impress!

Tools and Equipment

Stand Mixer: Your best buddy for whipping up that gorgeous, fluffy meringue. If you don’t have one, a hand mixer works too—just be prepared for a little extra workout!
Heatproof Bowl: You’ll need this for melting your sugar and egg whites over simmering water. A glass or metal bowl will do the trick.
Candy Thermometer: To keep an eye on that sugar syrup and make sure it hits 240°F—essential for perfect meringue!
Spatula: For folding in the butter and getting every last bit of that creamy goodness out of the bowl.
Piping Bags and Tips: Perfect for adding those beautiful, intricate touches to your cakes and cupcakes. Get creative with different tips!

Ingredients

300 grams fresh or carton egg whites
250 grams caster (superfine) sugar
1/2 tsp salt
565 grams (5 sticks) room temperature/soft unsalted butter(leave out of fridge overnight)
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

Instructions

Prepare a double boiler: I use a pot slightly larger in diameter than my mixing bowl. Fill it with a bit of water and place on medium-high heat.
Wipe your mixing bowl and whisker attachment with lemon juice on a piece of paper towel. Place your 300 g egg whites, caster sugar, and salt into your mixing bowl and place into pot with boiling water. Make sure your mixing bowl with egg whites and sugar does not touch the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium-low to ensure the water is barely simmering.
Whisk your egg whites/sugar mixture with your whisker nonstop (I use the mixer’s attachment whisker – fewer steps, fewer dishes to wash) until your sugar thermometer reached 140 F/60 C (apprx.3 min; check mixture with your fingers-you should not be feeling any grains of sugar)
Transfer your mixing bowl to the stand mixer and start mixing at low speed gradually increasing the speed to the highest. Mix on highest for 8 minutes until stiff peaks, meaning – when 8 minutes passed, pull your mixer’s whisker out and check for meringue’s peak – it will just slightly curve.
Decrease the mixer’s speed to medium and slowly add your unsalted butter, 1 tbsp at a time. Then add vanilla extract and mix at the highest speed for 4 minutes. (at some point you might be seeing that your buttercream is looking soupy–do not panic! As you continue adding butter while mixing, consistency will change)
Once 4 minutes passed, decrease the mixer’s speed to the lowest and continue mixing for 2 minutes, otherwise, your Swiss Meringue Buttercream will have a lot of bubbles.
Hope you find this recipe helpful, easy to follow, and feel free to drop me a comment or questions – any of your feedback would be amazing to get! Tag me on your Instagram posts once you try this recipe too – I’d love to see your results, celebrate with you, and share your work in my stories!

Notes

Separate your egg whites from egg yolks while your eggs are cold – way easier (or use egg whites from the carton (I prefer Kirkland brand) Leave egg whites out to warm to room temperature for at least an hour, or microwave for 15 seconds.
If you do not have caster sugar, you can make it yourself - pulse regular sugar in your blender just a few times, but don’t overdo it, otherwise, you’ll end up with powdered sugar.

Tips for Success

Egg Whites Are Key: Make sure your bowl and beaters are squeaky clean. Even a tiny bit of grease can prevent your egg whites from whipping up perfectly.
Sugar Syrup Sweet Spot: Use that candy thermometer to get your sugar syrup to 240°F—this ensures your meringue is stable and ready for the butter.
Cool It Down: Let the meringue cool to room temperature before adding the butter. This step is crucial to keep your buttercream from melting into a gooey mess.
Butter Temperature: Your butter should be soft but not melted. It needs to mix in smoothly without turning into a puddle.

Troubleshooting Tips

Buttercream Looking Curdled? No worries—keep mixing! It will come together as it gets a bit of air and heat from your mixer.
Runny Buttercream? Pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to firm up. Give it another whip, and you’ll have the perfect consistency.
Grainy Texture? This usually means the sugar wasn’t fully dissolved. Make sure your syrup is totally smooth before you start mixing in the butter.

Variations

Chocolate Bliss: Melt some chocolate and fold it in for a rich, chocolatey twist that’s just divine.
Vanilla Dream: Add a splash of vanilla bean paste for a more intense vanilla flavor and those beautiful little vanilla flecks.
Fruity Fun: Mix in fruit purees like raspberry or lemon for a refreshing flavor twist that will brighten up your buttercream.

Storing and Serving

Storing: Keep your buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Just let it come back to room temperature and give it a good whip before using.
Serving: Let it warm up to room temperature before spreading or piping. A quick whip after it’s been chilled will restore its fluffy texture.

More Decorating Ideas

Floral Fantasies: Pipe out beautiful flowers with a flower tip for a touch of elegance on your cakes or cupcakes.
Smooth Operator: For a sleek finish, use a bench scraper to smooth out your buttercream before chilling your cake.
Ruffled Beauty: Create stunning ruffled edges using a ruffle tip. It adds a lovely texture and visual interest to your cake.

Pairing Suggestions

Beverages: Pair your buttercream-frosted treats with a hot cup of coffee, a soothing tea, or even a glass of sparkling wine for a touch of glamour.
Desserts: This buttercream is perfect on chocolate or vanilla cakes, or as a filling for macarons and whoopie pies. So versatile!
Fresh Fruit: Fresh berries like strawberries or blueberries are a delicious contrast to the rich, creamy buttercream.

Fun Trivia

Swiss Meringue Magic: Swiss meringue is made by heating egg whites and sugar together—this technique gives it its signature smooth texture. It’s like a magic trick for your cake!
Buttercream’s Sweet History: Buttercream dates back to the 19th century and was originally used to dress up cakes for special occasions. It’s come a long way since then!

Cake Decorating Fun Fact:

Did you know cake decorating is considered an art form? From intricate designs to simple swirls, it’s all about making your desserts look as good as they taste!