Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
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Swiss meringue buttercream is better in flavor and texture than American buttercream. Once you try it, you will want to use it on all of your cakes, cupcakes, cookies, everything! It is silky, pipes beautifully, and is stable (scroll down to see the fun design I made for my niece and nephews puppy-themed birthday party).
Swiss Meringue buttercream is my favorite of the meringue frostings because it is not overly sweet or difficult to make, and this method pasteurizes the egg whites in the process – Hooray!! It is simple enough to use for everyday baking but the flavor is special occasion worthy. This frosting makes me think of wedding cakes every time I make it!
Swiss Meringue Buttercream keeps really well overnight at room temperature without drying out or forming a crust like American buttercream will. You can completely assemble your cake ahead of time without taking up space in the refrigerator and it will look and taste just as good the next day!
Cook’s Tip for Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
Butter should be softened at room temperature for about 1 hour (more or less depending on your room temperature). You want it to be still slightly cool to the touch and not overly soft or warm. If it gets too soft, refrigerate for 10 minutes at a time.
How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
1. In a medium pot, add about 1-inch of water and bring to a simmer.
2. Thoroughly wash and dry the stainless steel mixing bowl from your stand mixer** (you don’t want any fat touching meringue). Add 7 egg whites and 2 cups sugar and whisk together. Place mixing bowl over pot of barely simmering water, creating a seal over the pot (bowl should be over the steam, not touching water). Whisk constantly until sugar/egg white mixture reaches 160˚F (takes about 3 minutes). Sugar should be fully dissolved (you should not feel any sugar granules when rubbing mixture between fingers), and mixture will feel hot to the touch.
2. Wipe water from bottom of mixing bowl and transfer bowl to your stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form (about 15-20 minutes) and the bottom of the bowl feels completely at room temperature and not warm (important: if meringue is warm, it will melt the butter).
3. Once bowl is at room temperature, switch to paddle attachment, reduce to medium speed and add butter 1 Tbsp at a time, adding it just as fast as it can be absorbed by meringue. Once all butter is in, scrape down the bowl and continue beating until the buttercream has reached a thick whipped consistency (3 min on med-high speed). If it looks lumpy or liquid at all, keep beating until smooth, thick and whipped.
4. Add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt then mix on med-high until incorporated (about 1 min).
P.S. The tiny amount of salt at the end gives this frosting incredible depth of flavor.
**It is ok to use a high speed electric hand mixer, but it may take 5-10 minutes longer of total mixing time. Also, a glass bowl will work but meringue may take longer to whip/cool down because glass retains heat longer.
Make-Ahead Tip: If not using Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting the same day it is made, it can be refrigerated. If it has been chilled, bring back to room temperature then re-whip until smooth in texture before using.
⬇Print Friendly Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients
- 7 large 210 grams or 7 oz egg whites
- 2 cups 400 grams granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups 3 sticks or 340 grams unsalted butter, softened*
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt we use non-iodized fine sea salt
Instructions
-
In a medium pot, add at least 1-inch of water and bring to simmer.
-
Thoroughly wash and dry the stainless steel mixing bowl from your stand mixer* (you don't want grease touching meringue). Add 7 egg whites and 2 cups sugar and whisk together. Place mixing bowl over pot of barely simmering water, creating a seal over the pot (bowl should be over the steam, not touching water). Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 160˚F (takes about 3 min). Sugar should be fully dissolved (you should not feel any sugar granules when rubbing mixture between finger tips). Mixture will feel hot to the touch.
-
Wipe water from bottom of mixing bowl and transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form (about 15-20 min) and bottom of the bowl feels completely at room temp and not warm (important: warm meringue will melt the butter).
-
Once bowl is at room temp, switch to paddle attachment, reduce to medium speed and add butter 1 Tbsp at a time, adding it just as fast as it is absorbed by meringue. Once all butter is in, scrape down the bowl and continue beating until it reaches a thick whipped consistency (3 min on med-high speed). If it looks lumpy or liquidy at all, keep beating until smooth, thick and whipped.
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Add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt and mix on med-high until incorporated (about 1 min).
Recipe Notes
*Butter should be softened at room temp about 1 hour (more or less depending on your room temperature). It should be slightly cool to the touch and not overly soft or warm. If too soft, refrigerate for 10 minutes at a time.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
And here are the puppy cupcakes I made using this Swiss Buttercream for my niece and nephews birthday party! The kids LOVED them!! Here is the vanilla cupcakes base that I used for these. I used mini M&M’s on the eyes, a Hershey’s chocolate drop for the nose, then used a rolling pin and my hands to form the ears out of tootsie rolls and the tongue out of a similar shaped pink candy (similar to an airhead candy).
If you make this frosting, let me know what you think of it in a comment below.
P.P.S. I do have another recipe coming soon for a cake using this very same frosting – can’t wait to share it with you all!
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Thanks Natasha! Really like your recipes. This is my first time making Swiss Meringue buttercream. The texture of mine is a bit rough. How could I make it smooth? Beat longer?
Also, can I cut down the sugar ? Will it affect the texture? Thanks
Hi Pat, the typical fix for a rough texture in SMBC frosting is to continue mixing until the texture turns fluffy. It usually looks that way before it gets good 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe! I’ve tried others, but they weren’t as sweet as I like. I was thinking of how this recipe takes a lot of egg whites, so what do you usually do with the yolks? I can never find a good use for them.
Hi Sana, I don’t really have many egg yolk only recipes. My custard cake uses alot of egg yolks. If anyone else has any great suggestions, please share and thanks in advance!! 🙂
I buy the egg whites. Any extra egg whites I add to scrambled eggs, if I’m not going to use them all up.
Hi Rachel.
I haven’t seen any comments regarding dyeing the frosting. I’m wondering if you have any tips or tricks for me as I embark on decorating a birthday cake. I’m afraid that with vanilla extract in the original recipe, the dye may cause the frosting to breakdown and it will, therefore, not pipe well.
I love reading the comments and answers. It helps immensely!
Hi Tricia, you sure can! I think you could, but add a little color at a time until you reach your desired color while maintaining the consistency. I would recommend using a gel food coloring over a liquid one.
I’ve tried it and it’s worked great. I’ve even “re-dyed” pink frosting to green for St. Pat’s! I agree with Natasha …the secret is to use gel coloring.
I really love this recipe because proportionally, it has a bit more sugar and a little less butter than other Swiss buttercream recipes. I admit that I crave the intense sweetness of American buttercream, but not the nasty gritty texture. On the other hand, I enjoy the silky smooth texture of Swiss buttercream but some recipes leave me feeling like I’m eating sticks of butter. This recipe is just perfect!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for sharing that with us!
This recipe is the BEST! First time making it it went a little wrong, but by reading the reviews and suggested ways to resurrect it, it came right back to life! I used to use American buttercream and this is just soooo much smoother and lighter! Thank you for an AMAZING recipe that is easy to follow
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me 🙂
I made this a few weeks ago and it was just perfect!!! I’m wondering if you have ever made a chocolate version? I’m planning on making soft sugar cookies and want to pipe chocolate Swiss buttercream on top. I want to use your recipe because I know it works…but, am wondering how to add my chocolate. Any thoughts? Thanks.
Hi Holly, For chocolate SMBC, I have not experimented that way but from what I’m finding online is it may be possible! It is suggested to add 2/3 cup or up to 9 oz of melted, cooled chocolate, or you can add 3/4 cup of nutella. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
Okay. Thanks!
I tried this last weekend and it worked! The chocolate flavor was so good! I just melted down chocolate chips then let them cool a bit. It kind of turned into a chocolate paste and was still a bit warm so I had to whip it a long time with the SMBC to let it cool and incorporate. Not sure if that’s the right method… It’s unclear to me how the chocolate can be melted and then cool to not become hard again…?
Hi Natasha pls how many cups does this recipe make
Hi Grace, I wish I had measured it that way, but I can only guess now – maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake.
I tried making this for the cupcakes I had to frost, but when I made it, it turned into soup. I kept beating it hoping it would stiffen up, but no luck. My meringue was BEAUTIFUL until I added in the butter, then it went to soup. It had a great flavor, but just dripped off the spoon. I tried putting it in the fridge and seeing if that would help stiffen it up, but still soup. Would putting the meringue in the fridge for 15 minutes, and then adding the room temperature butter work better? I am not sure what I did wrong the first time, so any suggestions would be awesome 🙂 Thank you! 🙂
Hi Rachel! I’m more than happy to troubleshoot! Is it very humid in your house? I haven’t heard of humidity being an issue, but I suppose it’s possible. I would suggest trying with the AC running to decrease humidity somewhat. Usually, if you are getting “soup”, it is due to either not allowing the egg whites to cool completely to room temperature before adding butter. If the meringue is warm at all, it will take longer to beat the frosting for it to reach the correct consistency. I would suggest beating it a few minutes longer next time before refrigerating and if refrigerating, do that for no longer than 20-30 minutes and then beat again.
I made this for valentines day and it was very good. Added strawberry, and chocolate to some of it. Yum. I was wondering if you can add more sugar or will it mess the recipe up? I’m gonna make my husbands birthday cake soon but he said he would want the icing to be sweeter.
Hi Ana, it can depend on what kind of cake you pair it with – if the cake is very sweet, the frosting will seem less so, but I think you could get away with adding more sugar here. I would start with 1/2 cup extra sugar. I’m so glad you enjoyed the frosting and I wish I could see a picture of your cake – sounds lovely!
Hi, do you know why my meringue isn’t able to get stiff peaks? its not stiff and not too soft, so I started adding in my butter. I don’t want the buttercream to be too sweet, so I only added in 1 stick and a half of butter. Now my buttercream won’t become thicker and the consistency isn’t right. It’s really runny and liquidy, so I’m not sure if it’s because I didn’t wait until the stiff peaks formed, or if I didn’t add in enough butter. I will probably add in more butter, hopefully that will fix it but do you know what went wrong? I kept mixing for a long time, even though it says be patient I waited for almost 30 minutes. Thank you!
Hi Chloe, If it is runny and not pipe-able, the easiest fix is to beat the swiss meringue buttercream frosting a few minutes longer. It could be that the mixture did not cool completely to room temperature before adding butter, but it can be fixed with longer beating. I hope this helps
Thank you for the advice but the more I keep mixing it’s getting more liquidy? I’m going to add in more butter to see if it helps.
Hi Natasha,
I’ve made this recipe several times and it’s always fabulous. I’ve been able to make it ahead and put it in the freezer and it comes out great. This last time it wasn’t looking as smooth as I liked so I put it in the mixer for a while but it came out too soft Should I have kept whipping it or did I whip it too much?
Hi Misty, thanks for sharing that it freezes well! I haven’t tried freezing but with SMBC frosting, beating longer will usually firm it up.
Hi Natasha,
You asked me to tell you how it turned out when I tried adding chocolate. It was amazing! I used about 6 ounces 78% and 3 ounces 65%. I added another 1/4 teaspoon of salt to cut the sweetness. Next time I will use all 78%. I liked it much better than using Nutella because that made it too sweet for me.
That’s so great, Misty! I’m so happy that worked out for you! & thank you for getting back to me! I’m sure our readers will find this helpful also!
Hi Rachel, if making the frosting ahead, it would be best to pipe onto the cupcakes and then refrigerate overnight, otherwise you would have to let the frosting come to room temp the next day and remix to get it to the whipped consistency. If you frost and then refrigerate, your cupcakes are done and the frosting will just as good once the cupcakes reach room temperature.
Can I make this frosting the night before, and then frost my cupcakes the next morning? I am making 240 cupcakes for a party, and will have the cupcakes made in advance, but didn’t want to frost them too early. Thanks!
Hi Rachel! This frosting is very stable and should last pipped out in advance, but I think that should work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hi Rachel, I have made this SMBC many times now. It’s my go to for frosting now. Just love it. I’ve found that piping the cup cakes the day before, refrigerate them, then take them out about 2 hours before you need them. (1 hour if it’s very warm weather). I’ve done this many times now with cupcakes and whole cakes. You will be less stressed on the day too, because that is a lot of cupcakes. Hope this helps. P.S. Another plan could be: 3 days before, you make the SMBC & pop in the fridge, the next day, make the cupcakes, cool them, whilst your SMBC is back out of the fridge softening a little bit, re whip it (that won’t take as long as it does to make it), then pipe them and pop back in the fridge. then the next day you’ve got them made, just have to take them out for your event. Just thought it might help. Good luck
Thank you so much! 🙂
I have never made swiss buttercream. I’ve taken about 3 years off from making cakes and always used shortening and butter flavor in the past (blech). I love that this one uses butter instead of shortening but looks to be pretty white and stable.
Question: if I double the recipe, can I cook the egg whites and sugar, then split the mixture in half and whip a batch at a time? I’m sure my mixer won’t hold two batches once whipped but I wasn’t sure if the egg whites being cooled before whipping would make a difference. I know it doesn’t matter for regular whipped egg whites. Thought this would be a time saver.
Thanks!
Hi Melinda! I’m so happy you enjoyed that! If you wanted to double it, I would suggest making a double batch since it would take a really long time to cool to room temp and would overwhelm most mixers.
Natasha, I’m not sure you understood my question. I want to make a double batch. So i want to put 14 egg whites and 4 cups of sugar in the double boiler. Then split that in half, set aside one half and whip the other half (then add in the butter and such, finish it and remove it from the mixing bowl). I thought this would save time by not having to heat two batches of egg whites and sugar separately.
The other half i set aside will be cooling while i whip and mix the first batch. If i whip and mix the mixture after it has sat and cooled a bit, will that cause issues?
I realize i will have to clean my mixing bowl well between whipping or the 2nd batch definitely won’t whip.
Hi Melinda, I haven’t tried it that way (and I don’t foresee any issues), but since the mixture is heating up over steam, it may take twice as long to heat to the right temperature so I’m not sure that it will save time to do it that way. Great point about cleaning the bowl in between!
Hi I have a question!
The consistency of my Buttercream seems off. I’ve whipped the heck out of it but it just won’t get thicker. It’s like the consistency of soft whipped cream. I’ve tried refrigerating it for a couple hours and whipping it again but still doesn’t get thicker. I’m wondering if maybe I didn’t cook the egg whites and sugar hot enough or doubling the recipe threw it off?
Hi Danielle, usually if you just continue beating it for another 2 to 3 minutes, it will thicken. You may run in to a problem if your butter was overly soft/partially melted, or if butter was added while the meringue was still warm. If that was the case, I would refrigerate 15 minutes and then continue mixing.
Hi Natasha, I was just wondering if the recipes will be enough to RIM (Outer circle inside the layer where I’ll be filling the centers with a jam) a 4 layer cake with a crumb coat and full cake frosting. 8″ x 2″ (4 times). Please help.
Hi Josue, I think that should work. Here is a cake that we frosted that was a 2-layer 9″ cake which might help with perspective.
Thank you!!
Hi Natasha,
How much swiss meringue would be needed for an equivalent 4 cups sugar : 4 cup butter American buttercream? I know that this quantity of ABC is required for my frosting but am doubtful about the equivalent quantity of swiss meringue buttercream. Please help.
Hi Deepthi, I’m not sure I”m understanding your question correctly – SMBC has different ratios than American Buttercream, but for 4 cups sugar, I would recommend doubling the recipe and you would have to do it in 2 separate batches unless you had an industrial sized mixer. Hope that helps!
Thanks Natasha. Should the egg whites be at room temperature?
Hi Deepthi, with this recipe it doesn’t make a difference because you will be heating the egg whites. They will heat up faster if they are at room temperature but it isn’t critical for the recipe.
The recipe I used called for 10 eggs and 2 1/2 C sugar. It fit fine in an small 6qt kitchen aid I think 14 eggs would fit fine in a large KitchenAid mixer just my opinion😁
Hi Natasha my mixture is not getting hot over the stove. Any ideas?
Hi Marley, it might be how you have your water bath set up – you should have the bowl sitting over the steam. make sure you are using a pot without a lip on the edge so the steam isn’t escaping or it will take forever for the mixture to heat up. Also, be sure your water is simmering underneath. Hope that helps troubleshoot.
I used this recipe a few weeks ago and loved the flavor and texture of the frosting! I am in the process of making a birthday cake and trying to figure out if I need to double it. I might of missed it somewhere but how many cups of frosting does this recipe make? Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Shana, I wish I had measured it that way, but I can only guess now – maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake.
Hi Natasha! I was wondering if you you could use a hand mixer instead because my electric mixer had broken and I have nothing else to make this with but I still have my hand mixer. Also, I’ve wanted to make this recipe for a long time but I can’t find any recipe without the electric mixer
Hi Bianca, to be honest, I have not tried it with a hand mixer because it takes a really long time to whip and that would leave you with a very tired arm! I also haven’t come across any recipes that I can recall where a hand mixer was used – maybe solely because it is not easy to stand over it that long. I wish I could be more help but I just haven’t braved this with a hand mixer. Also, a hand mixer is not as efficient at whipping and cooling a mixture so you may have to whip even longer.
Thank for the advice😊! I’ve been wondering about this for a long time and thank you so much for the help. Also, thanks for helping me throughout my baking journey. I have been making all of your recipes but it is really truly hard when i’m at such a young age and you are such an inspiration to me. Thank you so much for replying to me and being such an inspiration to me😊😊😊🥳
You’re so nice, Bianca! Thank you so much for the fantastic review and your encouraging words. I am smiling big reading your comment 🙂
This frosting is so good! If you aren’t making cupcakes for children, replacing the vanilla extract with Kahlua really makes it extra!
I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you for that suggestion!
Absolutely the best buttercream I have made. My 10 year old even likes it. My stand mixer took a little longer, and I was struggling with patients, but it came out perfectly. I did add just a 1/4 teaspoon more of vanilla just to increase the flavor even more. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Its going in the envelope for sure
You’re so welcome! Thank you for sharing your review with us 🙂
Hi natasha!
Can i add food coloring to the buttercream?
Thank you!
Hi Celine, you sure can! I think you could, but add a little color at a time until you reach your desired color while maintaining the consistency. I would recommend using a gel food coloring over a liquid one.
My grandson cannot have dairy, could I use imperial stick butter for this?
Hi Melinda, I have not tried it with the imperial stick butter tt may be worth experimenting!
My son is allergic to dairy also, but I only use real butter, and he doesn’t have any problems.
One more question. I’m wondering how much I will need to pipe a basket weave on the sides of my 2 layer cake along with large flowers on the top? I’m wondering if I will need to actually double this recipe? I may be hard to do 1.5 times the recipe unless I buy liquid whites. I can always double this and make something else to use the rest. 🙂
Hi Holly, I wish I could tell you but I hadn’t measured it that way, but I can only guess that it may be enough. It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake. If you end up doubling the recipe, you can use the leftovers for some cupcakes 🙂
Hi Natasha,
This is a wonderful frosting! I’ve added raspberry preserves and made a wonderful raspberry buttercream. I’d like to make a chocolate one but don’t know how much chocolate to add. What would you recommend?
Hi Misty! For chocolate SMBC, I have not experimented that way but from what I’m finding online is it may be possible! It is suggested to add 2/3 cup or up to 9 oz of melted, cooled chocolate, or you can add 3/4 cup of nutella. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
I have used your recipes in the past and just love them. I will be trying SMBC for a birthday cake and have been searching for recipes. Most are very similar to yours, but one I found adds 1/4 tsp cream of tartar. What are your thoughts on that? Thanks! I will use your recipe for the frosting, but am trying to decide if adding the cream of tartar will create a different result that might alter it too much. (I use it all the time when whipping egg whites.) Thanks.
Hi Holly, no this recipe does not call for cream of tartar and I have not had to use any with great results. 🙂 If you experiment, please let me know how you like this recipe I’d love to know if that helps.
Okay, thanks. I may not try adding it the first time making. Just wondering, how long does this remain “stable” once on the cake and in the frig?
Hi Holly, this is a very stable buttercream and will remain stable for days on a cake as a regular American buttercream frosting.
This is the FIRST and ONLY SMBC recipe I have ever used and will only use. As a beginner baker and cake decorator, this was so easy to follow and it was like I had you with me the entire time telling me what to do and to expect. Absolutely perfect! Thank you
Question: chocolate SMBC. How, and when would I add chocolate to this recipe? And what chocolate do you recommend? (Ie; melted, powder, milk, semi sweet etc etc)
😋
Aww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughtful review with me! I’m all smiles! For chocolate SMBC, I have not experimented that way but from what I’m finding online is it may be possible! It is suggested to add 2/3 cup or up to 9 oz of melted, cooled chocolate, or you can add 3/4 cup of nutella. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
Help, mine curdled
Hi June, if the recipe was followed, that can be normal to see some curdling before it forms – you just have to beat it longer and it will come together.
Thanks, gonna try again but for reference, if it fails add 380gm of self raising flour and you have a nice cake 😂
I’m an amateur home baker and this is the first and only recipe I use for my SMBC. The way itis written is so easy to follow and I was able to make mine first go. It’s absolutely perfect and I can decorate a 4 layer cake with the quantities in this recipe. 100% perfect!
Natasha, are you able to let me know how much chocolate I would need to add to this recipe to make it a choc SMBC? And also What type of choc?
Hi Sonja! I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us! I have not experimented that way but from what I’m finding online is it may be possible! It is suggested to add 2/3 cup or up to 9 oz of melted, cooled chocolate, or you can add 3/4 cup of nutella. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
Thanks so much Natasha! I will be trying this out in a few weeks 😊
Apologies, I added a new comment the same as my first as it never originally showed that mine had posted.
Did I just kill the frosting by using salted butter?
Hi Doreen, I recommend using unsalted because each stick of salted butter has 1/4 tsp salt so you would be tripling the salt in the recipe by using salted butter. I hope it turns out for you!
I’ve made this about 5-6 times now and I always use pasteurized egg whites just because I’m paranoid Lol
Anyway, I still heat it and follow all the same directions as regular egg whites. Every time I end up having to chill it after the butter is added and the. Rewhip in order for it to firm back up. It always turns out great though and everyone loves it. I do refrigerate it if I won’t be eating them until the next day
Thank you for sharing that with me! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi, I made this SMBC for the first time over the weekend. It was a filling for an iced birthday cake. I flavoured it lemon instead of vanilla. It was lovely, totally smooth and not overly sweet. Actually doing it today with raspberry flavouring. Well worth the extra effort of the heated pan of water and continual whisking!!
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Andrea!
Hi great recipe mind you I did have to chuck the first time round I did it just wouldn’t thicken after I added the butter but I think it was to soon adding it so be very careful as the next time I did it I was perfect and I put cocoa powder in it at the end as I wanted it for a chocolate cake
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Maryann!
Hi! I need to make a dairy free version of this recipe and I was just wondering if this recipe would still work using dairy-free butter. Thanks!
Hi Adrienne, I haven’t tried that but it may be worth experimenting with shortening.
Best SMBC recipe I’ve tried so far. Fluffy, smooth, delicious. Stable too, really good as a macaron filling. You’re a legend, Natasha. Thank you!
You’re so welcome, Jonathan!! I’m so happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for the awesome review!
I use it for filling macarons too—it’s absolutely p
Just finished making this and it turned out great. I used my $15 hand mixer with no whisk or paddle attachment, no stainless steel mixing bowl either so I used two stainless steel pots as a double boiler. Once I finished adding in the salt and vanilla I added in about 1 cup of homemade raspberry curd and it tastes great. It’s so smooth and fluffy so tomorrow I will split it up and add some food coloring.
That’s so great! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
I love this frosting!!! Follow the recipe to the “T” and it is perfect every time (except when I picked up salted butter instead of unsalted and failed to notice)..My question is…can the butter be reduced?
Hi Cindy, I haven’t tested this with less butter but I worry it wouldn’t come together and become fluffy the same way with less butter. We used a higher amount of egg whites here so I would hesitate to cut the butter down without making other modifications.
thank you…everyone loves it. Thanks for sharing your talent 🙂
You’re so welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Hello, I’m making my son’s 1st birthday and I’ll be using 1 12 x 18 rectangular cake pan and 1 10″ round cake pan. I was wondering how many cups of frosting your recipe makes? I read you mention that your recipe will cover a 2 layer 9″ cake but I’m wondering if I need to make 2 batches to be on the safe side?
Thank you,
Traci
Hi Traci! I wish I had measured it that way, but I can only guess now – maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake.
Cindy, can you please telle what happened when you used salted butter? Thanks!
Hi
Is this the go to recipe for piping buttercream ruffles on a cake
Cathy
I think this would be great for that!
Hi Natasha!
Just wanted to know how would I add different flavours to the SMBC. For example like Nutella?
Thanks!
Hi Jae, I have not experimented that way but from what I’m finding online is it may be possible! It is suggested to add 2/3 cup or up to 9 oz of melted, cooled chocolate, or you can add 3/4 cup of nutella. If you experiment, let me know how it goes!
So far I’ve added melted chocolate (about 5-6 tablespoons), rose extract (about 1-1(1/2) tsp), lavender extract (about 2-3 tablespoons), espresso (2 shots), lemon juice (3 tablespoons), vanilla extract (1 tablespoon), and orange juice (3 tablespoons) to this recipe. It holds up really well with added ingredients and I’ve been able to add all of these a little at a time until I’m happy with the flavor. As far as I know, you could probably add as much flavoring as you would like (within reason) without messing it up.
Thank you for sharing that with us, Wyn!
Hello Natasha, am Nigerian and am trying out your recipe. I was on the butter adding stage when power went out, am I in trouble? Will my SMBC fail? Rated recipe 4 stars so far
Oh no! I hope it comes on soon!
Flavor is delicious but my butter seemed to have slightly separated. Where did I go wrong? Can I fix it?
Hi Susan, I haven’t had that happen, I’m wondering if that ould be the culprit. Are you letting it cool completely before adding the butter? Ay other changes made to alter the recipe?
No changes made whatsoever. I tried to follow the recipe to a T. Waited for the whites to coll completely. Is it possible I did t hold the whites over the water long enough? They were stiff peaks when it was done beating. Not sure what happened. Maybe I’ll be brave enough to try it again one day 😏
Thank you for sharing that, Susan. I recommend reading through the post comments for more troubleshooting
This is by far my favorite recipe to use now that I’ve got it down! I was just wondering, can I do a double batch of this?
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review 🙂
Hi was going to make this for my sons birthday and wondering can i add chocolate to it? if so when and how can i add it
Hi Julianna! I haven’t tried making this chocolate, but From my research, chocolate is always added at the end. I would probably start with 8-9 semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled and whip it in at the end.
Hi i wanna know if this batch works from an 8×4 cake
I have used it to generously frost this 2-layer 9-inch cake so I think it could work well to frost that cake.
Tried this recipe today!! And let me tell you it is amazing!! At first a bit runny but after a few minutes of letting it cool down it was perfect!!! Thank you so much for this recipe!!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
Hi Natasha!
I love love love all the recipes that i have tried from your site. So good. I have made your vanilla cupcakes so many times! And your raspberry mousse is to die for!
I have made this Swiss Buttercream about 5 times now and its really good. I do have a question though, is it possible to overwhip this type of buttercream? Or to overwork it? I noticed that as i started spreading it onto my cake it wasn’t as “white” as it was before. It was turning a yellow colour (almost looking like butter ) and it wasn’t as thick as it was before. I had refrigerated it after i made it. I took it out and i let it sit for 30 min then i whipped it again. It was still a little hard when i did that though. Could that be the problem?
Hi Chen. I haven’t had that happen, I’m wondering if that ould be the culprit. Are you letting it cool completely before adding the butter? Ay other changes made to alter the recipe?
Hi. I think the problem is, once my eggs have reached 160F, i beat the mixture for much longer than the 20 minutes in your instructions. It takes so long for my bowl to get to room temperature. If my bowl is not at room temperature after the 20 minutes do i stop beating and just let it cool to room temperature? Or should i not use the bowl of my stand mixer for that initial step and maybe transfer the mixture into the stand mixer just for the whipping stage?
I wondered the exact same thing. At almost 35 mins and not cool yet
Hi Natasha, thank you so much for the recipe of this buttercream! Today I have made it for 2nd or 3rd time and it came out super good!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Hi, I plan on making a three layer 8 inch cake. Will one batch of frosting generously cover the cake ? If not, how much do I need to make ?
Thank you!
Hi Michele, I have used it to generously frost this 2-layer 9-inch cake so I think it could work well to frost a 3-layer cake if you are less generous with every later.
I am currently making this icing. After removing from the heat and beating for 13 mintues I had the most beautiful, stiff glossy, icing, added the margarine and it’s become soup. I’m going to see after beating it what happens and will post results. The bowl is cool and the egg whites as well.
Hi Vicki! If it is runny and not pipe-able, the easiest fix is to beat the swiss meringue buttercream frosting a few minutes longer. It could be that the mixture did not cool completely to room temperature before adding butter, but it can be fixed with longer beating. I hope this helps.
I’m having this issue too. I’ve used butter and everything was going great until I changed to the paddle. 20 minutes later and still liquid… what may be the issue?
Hi Elaine, If it is runny and not pipe-able, the easiest fix is to beat the swiss meringue buttercream frosting a few minutes longer. It could be that the mixture did not cool completely to room temperature before adding butter, but it can be fixed with longer beating. I hope this helps.
I tried this today & it worked beautifully. It was a little soupy after I added the butter, but I just let it keep whipping & it was great. I do have 2 questions.
Is it possible to reduce the sugar by 1/2 cup with the same results?
And is it necessary to switch to the paddle attachment?
Maybe you should use butter per the recipe and not margarine.
Pop it in the freezer for about 20 minutes and the beat it with the whisk attachment for 5-8 minutes 🙂
I’ve made this recipe a solid 8-9 times and it’s never failed me that way
Wow! I’ve just made this today for the first time after stumbling across your blog! The icing is amazing. So thick and glossy and easy to work with – I wanted to make an ombré cake and everyone recommend this type of icing! Made a trial batch cake today with this, and now cannot wait to ice my daughters 3rd birthday cake with it next weekend! My icing was way too runny after the final step but 30 minutes in the fridge, 5 more minutes of beating and it was perfect – I think my meringue was still too warm when I added the butter! I can’t wait to try your other recipes now!
Hi Sally! Thank you so much for sharing that with me :). It sounds like you have a new favorite! I’m all smiles!
I love how simple you made this recipe sound! I was able to follow super easy. Thank you!!! I’d love to post a pic of the cake I used it for but done see an option for that here in the comments.
You’re so nice! Thank you, Paola! You are more than welcome to share that on social media and tag #natashaskitchen or join of VIP group on Facebook and share your creations there.
Hands down the best, most silky delicious frosting.( I despise American buttercream). Cannot stop licking my bowl. This may even beat my mommas frosting recipe, which has been my go-to for years! Quick question though; once I’ve decorated my cake can I freeze it and expect it to still be delicious?
Hi Anna, I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us! I have only tried refrigerating this type of buttercream but from my research, it should be ok to freeze. I haven’t tried freezing an entire cake but I think it can be done since this frosting is freezer safe. I hope that helps!
Hi Natasha.
The buttercream looks delicious.
Can I make half of this recipe?
Also.. which piping tip have you used to create those beautiful swirls on the cupcake? Is it Wilton 1M tip?
Hi Sandy! We used that Wilton 1M for the frosting swirl. One of our readers wrote, ” I’ve made this recipe twice and it turned out so good. I even halved it for 12 cupcakes and it was the exact amount to pipe them beautifully (exact measurements).” Hope this helps.
Hi thanks so much fir this recipe! I had no issues at all…I think patience is key because it does talk awhile to come together. I love it, everyone I’ve made it for loves it! I would love to male a chocolate version…do you have a recipe for that?
Hi Nicole, I haven’t tried making this chocolate, but From my research, chocolate is always added at the end. I would probably start with 8-9 semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled and whip it in at the end.
I tried the recipe as written. Before adding butter to it, it turned into a shinny, sticky/gooey, white mess that couldn’t hold it’s shape no matter how long I beat it. I chilled it, nothing. I was using a hand beater yet I did beat it mercilessly. I regrouped and researched an answer. I did a small test batch out of my …frustrating results so far. I added butter to some and chilled for a good 20 minutes. It came together beautifully!!! It held up beautifully to liquid and gel coloring and piped great. I left out some for a couple days as a test and it is very stable still. Great recipe and thanks!!!
You’re so welcome! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi, Natasha!
I just made this, and it’s pretty runny.. I don’t know what happened. I don’t have a kitchen aid, but I mixed long enough for the egg whites to stiffen. After incorporating the butter, it ended up runny. I beat it for at least 20 minutes after incorporating all the butter, and it never got better. I put it in the fridge for a while and beat it again, and it whipped and stiffened up enough to pipe it. So I piped it onto my cupcakes, and now there’s literally liquid running down the cupcake paper. The icing is still in shape on top, but it basically looks like white water dripping down the sides. Also, if you tilt the cupcake, the icing slides off. I let the cupcakes cool over night. It’s not hot. It’s a little humid outside, but not raining. Any thoughts?
Hi Caprice, If it is runny and not pipe-able, the easiest fix is to beat the swiss meringue buttercream frosting a few minutes longer. It could be that the mixture did not cool completely to room temperature before adding butter, but it can be fixed with longer beating. I hope this helps.
Thank you! I did try that, and it helped.. but still was lacking volume. It fell a lot. I’ll try again on a dryer day, though, and see if it helps! Thanks again!
Another site said do not try to make the icing without a Kitchen Aid mixer a regular mixer’s motor is not strong enough however what I learned is to put it in the refrigerator then whip again but I have a KitchenAid mixermi Mine never comes back together no matter how long I mix I mixed it over 30 minutes it stayed soupy so I put it in the refrigfor about 20 minutes or so and then it whipped up perfectly delicious
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Laurie, I tried that as well. It didn’t work either. I can make other icings fine with it and even divinity which requires stiff egg whites. I’m not sure what the problem was..
Hi Natasha!
Can I use pasturized egg whites from a carton? 1oz per egg, I’d assume.
Thanks!
Hi Bree, it is recommended to use fresh eggs. The results haven’t been the same using carton eggs.
I just did and it worked fine.
I want to use the recipe to cover a two tier square cake (6” and 8”). How much do you think I will need for this?
That may be enough, Rachel, possibly more if you are looking to generously frost. I used this recipe to frost this two-layer nine-inch cake so I think it could work well to frost 2 short cakes if you are less generous with every later.
Thank you! If I was to double the ingredients, would it affect the outcome of the buttercream?
If you wanted to double it, I would suggest making a double batch since it would take a really long time to cool to room temp and would overwhelm most mixers.
I made the perfect vanilla cupcakes (which were amazing) and decided to try this recipe for the frosting. I’m very much a beginner and this was a little intimidating with the double boiling to 160 degrees and cooling down to the right temperature. However, I managed to get through it on the first try and just used normal food coloring to dye the frosting and this was so delicious! I feel so amazing that I accomplished it. I would just cut this recipe in half. I threw away a lot of frosting. The regular cupcake recipe made almost 50 mini cupcakes and half this recipe would have been plenty to frost them. So delicious though!
Hi Heather, I’m so glad you enjoyed the Swiss Meringue buttercream frosting and the vanilla cupcakes! Yay!! Thank you for sharing your amazing review!
Absolute perfection. Thank you for this recipe.
Thank you for the wonderful review!
will this crust?
Hi Emily, Swiss Meringue buttercream does not crust like traditional American buttercream.
Hi, we made this recipe for cupcakes last night and it came out exactly as shown. We tried a cupcake each and it tasted airy and amazing. However, we had a couple left over after taking them to work and tried them again this evening and they were, eh… They tasted like slightly sweet butter. They looked exactly as we piped the night before but they tasted like whipped butter. Any idea what could’ve happened? They were made yesterday evening, stored in a cupcake container out of the fridge in a house at 65 degrees overnight and then set out for the day at work. I thought it was okay to not refrigerate this buttercream for that length of time. Many thanks for any insight you might have on this.
Hi Julia, I imagine that may be the culprit. From what I have read, there are mixed thoughts about leaving it out vs refrigerating. The majority of sources I have found said it can be left overnight at room temperature. If you can refrigerate, that is probably the safest route and then let it come to room temperature before serving. I bet it would be easier to transport if it is chilled since the frosting firms up and is more stable for transport
Please help! This is my third try and im wasting so many ingredients and im out of them now. As soon as i add the butter the beautiful stiff peaks go to soup. I made sure it was not warm at all and ive wiped all tools with lemon first. Ive just put it in the fridge hoping for a miracle but it is marshmallow soup.
Hi Missy, is it very humid in your house? I haven’t heard of humidity being an issue, but I suppose it’s possible. I would suggest trying with the AC running to decrease humidity somewhat. Usually, if you are getting “soup”, it is due to either not allowing the egg whites to cool completely to room temperature before adding butter. If the meringue is warm at all, it will take longer to beat the frosting for it to reach the correct consistency. I would suggest beating it a few minutes longer next time before refrigerating and if refrigerating, do that for no longer than 20-30 minutes and then beat again.
I’m curios as to why you heat the sugar and egg whites to 160°? Most Swiss Meringue Buttercreams only require a temp of 115 -140… This may be why so many are struggling with the “soupy” phase.
Hi Missy, I had this issue too. A few tips. Put your mixing bowl and whisk in the fridge before use. When I add the butter if the bowl is warm I get a frozen item and then put it on the bowl to help cool it. My mixture goes soupy also but I also keep mixing until the end. It eventually comes together. Once all the butter is added and has been mixing for a few minutes, I like to stop it and scrape the sides and bottom and then continue. Honestly after doing that it starts to firm up. I’ve done that now 4xs in a row each being successful and I’m making another batch tonight.
Mine turned into soup too.
When should I add gel coloring? Before butter or after?
HI Barbara, add coloring at the very end.
How much frosting does this yield and at which step do your recommend adding food coloring? Thank you
Hi Tiff, It will ice 24 plus cupcakes. One of our readers wrote, “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” I think you could, but add a little color at a time until you reach your desired color while maintaining the consistency. I would recommend using a gel food coloring over a liquid one.
OH MY GOD!!! I recently (in the last month), decided I want to become a PRO baker….low & behold with this recipe I have fooled friends into thinking I’ve been baking for years!
FAIL PROOF – my partner decided to show off his egg cracking skills & some pesky egg yellows went in (fished out as much as we could, but couldn’t waste the eggs & start again).
*JUST KEEP BEATING* – remembering reading this in all of the previous comments had me nice & calm when it was looking all chunky & churned!
A million thank you’s!
You’re so welcome! Thank you for that great feedback!!
I also had to fish out some yolk 🙁 I even break each egg separately to avoid this but didn’t notice until after I incorporated that egg. My egg whites didn’t completely form stiff peaks- I think due to thi, so I just continued onto the next steps. Since it’s a frosting for an inner layer I’m hoping it’ll be fine. Not perfect but fine.
Hello, does this hold well under fondant?? Thank you in advance
Hi there! Yes! Several of our readers have reported great results with that!
Thanks for this recipe! I was trying a mirror cake for the first time, and wanted something not too sweet to go under the glaze. The frosting was easy to make, though I think my butter was too soft, as it wasn’t as stiff as I would have liked after mixing. Half an hour in the fridge firmed it up nicely, though. I was able to frost a three layer cake with a decent amount of frosting. I’m not sure this has completely turned me off American buttercream, but it IS delicious, especially as I subbed out 1/4 tsp of almond extract for 1/4 tsp of the vanilla. It doesn’t taste overly buttery, or not sweet enough; it’s exactly what I was looking for.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I’ve tried this recipe at least 6 or 7 times and I feel like it always takes 2 hours to do it 🙁 I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong, I’m still learning everything on my own. But the finish product always taste good. But it just takes SO long to get to it. It never looks like the photos though, I use a classic kitchen aid that I just got. Any advice ? Thanks !
Hi Kristi! Are you changing any steps in the recipe? Two hours seems excessive. Does it seem like it is taking the cream longer to form stiff peaks? Also, your classic Kitchen aid, is it fitted with the correct sized whisk to help with even mixing and micing all parts of the mixture within the bowl?
I use the whisk that comes with the KitchenAid so I believe it’s the correct one. I follow the directions and read each time as I’m dling the recipe. I think the peaks in getting are more soft than stiff. And it takes a long time for the bowl to get to room temperature. But I keep the sugar and egg whites on a Bain Marie while constantly stirring until I don’t feel any grains in the mixture.
Hi Kristi, it could also be due to using a smaller bowl – mine is a 6Qt stand mixer so the bigger bowl and greater surface area allows it to cool a little faster.
Natasha, I’ve always complained about traditional American buttercream that it’s gritty, overly sweet and leaves an after taste.
I’m so glad I stumbled across this recipe and decided to give it a shot. So easy to follow and oh my goodness, the taste is divine! I will not use any other icing ever again. This is 100% my go to. Love love love it. Thank you for sharing with us all.
Thank you so much for that wonderful review, Donna! I apprecaite your feedback!
Hi I’m making an eggnog cake, does this recipe pair well with it or should I add spices in the frosting to make it taste like eggnog? Thank you
I haven’t tried this with eggnog cake so I can’t say. I think that may be interesting to add to. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
Margarine should work although I haven’t experimented with that. It should still be pretty stable with that.
Yay I use to make this at my old work place and have been searching for someone who did it the same way she did because I forgot a few steps …. THIS IS IT!
thank you
I so happy you found our recipe!
I made this a few days ago and i think ive finally found the best Swiss buttercream frosting ever. It’s silky, smooth and not overly sweet or greasy. Its simply amazing.
Do you think I could turn it into a chocolate buttercream?
Thank you so much for that amazing review, Mirza! I haven’t tried making this chocolate, but From my research, chocolate is always added at the end. I would probably start with 8-9 semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled and whip it in at the end.
You are very welcome!
I ended up adding 3oz of melted semisweet chocolate and 3 oz of bitter 100%cocoa chocolate after adding the vanilla. I didn’t want the sweetness to go up because of the chocolate. And I also sifted about 1/4 cup of cocoa powder at the end and hand mix that in. Tastes amazing! I’ll re-whip on Friday for the cupcakes I’m making
That’s so great!!! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I just made this swiss meringue butter cream today and absolutely love it. I did put the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 mins due… I am assuming my kitchen was very warm due to cooking and baking all morning. After a little shock from the cool fridge it whipped right up strong and beautiful. I could have pipped it easily… Taste is amazing, soft and slightly sweet, not buttery and heavy.
Thank you for sharing this recipe and your article. You are an inspiration!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review!
I made a swiss meringue buttercream from Chef Allan and it tasted wonderful, but didn’t hold up to indoor temps and was not ideal for building multi-layer cakes. Is this buttercream sturdier?
This one is pretty firm, yes! We have so many great reviews regarding this one holding up!
I am actually going to try this today, however I do have a question. If I wanted to make this chocolate how would I do that?
Hi Dacia, Thank you for the wonderful review, Mehera! I haven’t tried making this chocolate, but From my research, chocolate is always added at the end. I would probably start with 8-9 semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled and whip it in at the end.
Hi, thanks you for this recipe. I’d just like to find out, if I use salted butter, can I skip out the extra 1/4 tsp of salt at the end or is it a must?
Hi Rubi. I recommend using unsalted because each stick of salted butter has 1/4 tsp salt so you would be tripling the salt in the recipe by using salted butter.
Just a quick update, I used salted butter because I didn’t have unsalted at the time. It came out perfect and everyone loved the icing. Thank you so much for sharing it!!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Rubi!
How much buttercream does this recipe make? I need to generously frost 50 cupcakes.
🙂
Hi Mirza, It will ice 24 plus cupcakes. One of our readers wrote “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” If making for 50 cupcakes, it could be done if it was not generously iced, otherwise, you would need to make 2 separate batches of frosting.
Has anyone tried making a double batch of this? I have a huge cake and a lot of cupcakes to frost. Can I double up, or should I make two separate batches?
Hi Melissa, It will ice 24 plus cupcakes. One of our readers wrote “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.”
Absolutely love this recipe. I’ve been asked to make a red velvet cake for my managers baby shower. Will this frosting pair well with red velvet? Thank you!
Hi Coral, I do think this would work well with red velvet. I hope you LOVE it! 🙂
This is by far the best butter cream recipe I ever tried!
Wow! Thank you for that amazing feedback!
How much does this recipe make?
It will ice 24 plus cupcakes. One of our readers wrote “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.”
This Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing is so gooooood. Ran into one problem. And it has happened with every Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe that I have tried. Every time I add the butter it becomes loose and won’t come back together no matter how long I beat it (And yes I make sure it is completely room temp. before adding the butter). My solution is to place it in the refrigerator until it firms up then whip it with the paddle attachment and it beat-up. It comes out perfectly. Love the flavor of this one Some Swiss Meringue Buttercreams have too much butter and taste oily. This one is perfect. Thanks for sharing
I’m happy you enjoyed that Laurie! Thank you for your feedback and tips!
Hi, I’m filling and icing a large sponge cake which will be frozen for use in one week. Will the Swiss Meringue Buttercream be suited to freezing and de-frosting?
Hi Barbara, I have only tried refrigerating this type of buttercream but from my research, it should be ok to freeze. I haven’t tried freezing an entire cake but I think it can be done since this frosting is freezer safe. I hope that helps!
If your experience is anything like mine, you might find that it takes a REALLY long time for the bowl to reach room temperature. The second time I made this recipe, I put the bowl of egg whites and sugar in an ice bath and kept stirring it after melting sugar step. It cut a lot of time off and the result was better than my first try. Though I was too impatient the first time and didn’t wait until it was room temp so my butter melted too much while adding it to the meringue. I hope this helps someone out there!
Thank you for sharing that tip for swiss meringue buttercream! It’s great to know it works! 🙂
I had this problem today too! It was so frustrating because I was at 35 min mark of whisking the meringue, and the bowl was still hot (and my mixer hotter). So I thought no way it’s not ready, added my butter and it all melted. Now I’m sitting here mad lol and trying to see if there’s any way to fix it.
Hey there Vicky, This is usually due to adding the butter while the meringue is still warm (make sure it is completely at room temperature) or adding partially melted butter. This can be remedied usually by cooling the frosting for a bit and continuing to beat it. Once the frosting has formed, it is perfectly safe to pipe the frosting and refrigerate it afterward. It is a stable and sturdy frosting and it won’t fall apart 🙂
Hi Natasha!
Made this buttercream last week and it was beautiful until I added food colouring. I set aside part of the batch to stay white and then dyed the other using a concentrated food gel. The mix went from smooth and silky to instantly curdled. I found that dyed batch had more of a gummy taste and would leave your mouth with a bit of a film afterwards. Not a complaint, just letting everyone know how food colouring went for me.
Hi Alex, try beating after adding the food gel and adding it just a little at a time. Gel color shouldn’t have that effect – I think beating after adding it would help.
Should cream of tartar be added?
Hi Brandon, no this recipe does not call for cream of tartar.
Hi Natasha! Is it ok to put raspberrys between the layers of the cake?
I think that should work fine!
Hi Natasha thanks for sharing. I am making a cake during hot humid weather and I love swiss meringue buttercream. Can I add some shortening to it and how much would you recommend? Thank you so much
I honestly haven’t tried it with shortening. If you experiment please let me know how you like it.
PLEASE HELP!!!!!!! I had a bowl full of nicely whipped egg whites. After adding my 1st TB of room temp. butter, the total volume of egg whites completely disappeared. I did as the recipe said and continued to beat after adding all of the butter. All I have now is 3 sticks worth if beaten butter. It isn’t even enough to ice one layer. I hate wasting food; what can I do? I’m out of time and don’t want to waste more butter. I’ve beaten it another 15 min. but don’t have near the amount needed to ice my cake. How can I fix this?
Hi Genna, that can happen if the butter is added while the egg whites are still warm. It will just take longer to beat the mixture. You might refrigerate for 10 minutes at a time and try continue mixing and it should form eventually. I hope that helps!
I need to frost a lactose free cake, could I just substitute the butter for lactose free butter?
Hi Jem! I have not tried that with lactose free butter. I would love to know how you like it if you experiment!
Can you use salted butter if you have no unsalted butter on hand?
I recommend using unsalted because each stick of salted butter has 1/4 tsp salt so you would be tripling the salt in the recipe by using salted butter.
Hi,
I am just wondering if this recipe can be used to decorate cakes? If not, what recipe do you recommend for icing for cake? Thanks!
Hi Sankavi! Yes many of our readers have reported great results using this on cakes!!
This is my FAVORITE Swiss Meringue Buttercream! Thank you so much for sharing! Your tips make this recipe virtually failproof! It is the best Swiss meringue frosting I have made yet and I always get lots of compliments. I need to generously frost a layer cake and I am thinking I should make this recipe x1.5. How many egg whites should I use in this case?
Thanks!
Hi Susan, You would need ten and half egg whites or 10.5oz, I hope this helps!
Hi Natasha. I’m was planning to make this frosting and prep the cake a day ahead for my daughters bday party. Do you think the frosting would be okay if I took the cake out of the fridge prepared and let it come to room temperature? Because I read that the frosting needs to be rewhipped if it has been refrigerated. Do you think the frosting will be fine if it’s not whipped after refrigeration since it will already be on the cake?
Once it is on the cake it should be fine Marina 🙂 I would love to see your birthday cake creation! Enjoy!
This looks great but I need to crumb and pipe rosettes on a two 12 x 2 cakes. How much will this recipe cover? Help!! Lol
Hi Kirk! This recipe covers 24 cupcakes for reference. Or I have used it to generously frost this 2-layer 9-inch cake so I think it could work well to frost 2 short cakes if you are less generous with every later.
Thank you so much! I’ll send you a picture when I done!!
I look forward to that! Thank you!
Well, I had to quadruple the recipe but now we know that for a two layer 12×2 cake that’s how much it takes. No room for error though. It turned out great and the flavor and texture is amazing! Super easy to do as well.
That’s quite a bit!! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha, I am looking forward to giving this recipe a go, but wours like to make a lemon frosting. I wondered whether I could use lemon essence/juice instead of vanilla. Or do you think it would work better to whip in some lemon zest at the end?
I think that may work Natalie! Lemon zest sounds lovely!
Hello Natasha,
For this Swiss buttercream recipe, can I frost a cake a day before and the next day will it be okay to cover in fondant ?
Hi Fatima! Yes that should work great!
Hello Natasha,
I was wondering if with this buttercream, it was okay to frost a cake a day ahead and then the day after put fondant on it?
Hi Fatima! A few of our readers have reported great results using this under fondant so I think that will work great. Here is what one of our readers said: This is my go-to Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe and I make fondant cakes all the time. In fact, after chilling and setting up the buttercream, it’s more stable than American buttercream under fondant. It sets up beautifully.” I hope this helps.
Yes that’s great! Thank you so much!
Also I’m doing 3 8’’inch cakes, I should triple this recipe?
Fatima, 2 to 3 times the recipe should be enough for 8″ cakes. It all depends on how tall you are making them
Hi Natasha,
I have used this SMB before and it’s now my go to whenever I need to ice or fill a cake. I am now making a 3 x 10inch layer Engagement cake for my son and am using the buttercream as one of the fillings and to semi-naked ice the cake. Will it be ok if I double or even triple the ingredients to make the amount I need? And by the way,this is the best SWB by far!
Hi Charlie! I don’t see why not! If you have a large enough mixer it should work. Otherwise I recommend making it in batches. That cake sounds like it will be gorgeous! We would love to see it! If you post it on social media please use tag #natashaskitchen or @natashaskitchen so that we can see it!
Hi Natasha, I finally got around to posting a photo of the engagement cake on instagram, showcasing your amazing swiss meringue butter cream recipe😊
My Instagram handle is ricca64
I can’t wait to see it! Thank you for sharing that with me, Charlie!
Hello, do you think this recipe would be able to frost a 3 layer 9″ cake? do you use it for the filling also?
thank you
Hi Jade, I have used it to generously frost this 2-layer 9-inch cake so I think it could work well to frost a 3-layer cake if you are less generous with every later. Here is the cake we made.
Hi, Natasha,
I tried making this frosting but it didn’t really work, like it collapsed.
Can you tell me something that might have gone wrong?
thanks!
Hi! If it is runny and not pipe-able, the easiest fix is to beat the swiss meringue buttercream frosting a few minutes longer. It could be that the mixture did not cool completely to room temperature before adding butter, but it can be fixed with longer beating. I hope this helps.
I had the same problem. I beat it for 45 minutes with a hand mixer and it ended up being a total flop, unfortunately. I think the hand mixer’s strength is the main issue, but the other thought was that there was fat remaining in the bowl in spite of washing it thoroughly. Looks like it’s time for an upright 🙂
I think it may be either of those things and yes an upright mixer definitely helps with the mixing time on this one since it whips more effectively.
I had the same thing happen right before a birthday party. It would not solidify. Just on a hunch, I refrigerated it while I took my shower. When I came back to it and started whipping it, it fluffed up beautifully and the cake was saved! So many compliments on the icing!
So, maybe try refrigerating? Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you Rowan!
thank you so much it really helped!!
I’m so happy to hear that! You’re welcome!
I will be using this recipe for my daughter’s bake-off themed birthday party. We’re very excited! Do you know if food coloring can be added for piping and decorating?
That’s exciting!! I think that should work well! If you check some of the reader comments several have used food coloring 🙂
This is not a Swiss buttercream. Since it has salt in it, it is an Italian buttercream (which is better in my opinion).
Thank you for sharing that with us!
Wasn’t happy about this butter cream as it didn’t pipe well followed well the instructions great taste but in piping had a terrible time it was melting and oozing out of the piping bag i am sad
If it is runny and not pipe-able, the easiest fix is to beat the swiss meringue buttercream frosting a few minutes longer. It could be that the mixture did not cool completely to room temperature before adding butter, but it can be fixed with longer beating. I hope this helps.
How many cupcakes will it frost? Cant recall seeing that part
Hi Omita, this would frost 24 cupcakes 🙂
The first time I made SMBC, I was disappointed, the recipe only had slightly over a cup of sugar, less eggs and more butter. So I found your recipe, and it’s awesome! Sweet, but not like American BC, and sliky smooth. My family loved it!
Thank you so much for sharing this with me, Amber! I’m so happy your family loved this!!
Great recipe. I have a question. Can I skip the salt?
Hi Sadia! You shouldn’t be able to taste the salt. In baking it does enhance the natural flavors from the other ingredients. So if you had to you can.
This is the best frosting I have ever made! Thank you! I used almond in place of vanilla on the raspberry almond cake I made. Fantastic!!
Wow! Thank you so much for this awesome feedback, Kristin!
Hi Natasha! I made this recipe last week and LOVED it! Everyone raved about the flavor and smooth texture. Can I make a chocolate version by just adding some melted chocolate, or do you have a specific chocolate SMBC recipe?
Thank you for the wonderful review, Mehera! I haven’t tried making this chocolate, but From my research, chocolate is always added at the end. I would probably start with 8-9 semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled and whip it in at the end.
Perfect! I’ll give that a try. Thank you!
My pleasure!
Hi, I’m so excited to try this recipe out…I’ve made SMBC many tut imes, but I want to make buttercream flowers with it..PLEASE share how to stiffen up the recipe for that purpose..Thank you!
Hi Pan! It is a pretty stable cream and will work well for flowers.
Natasha.. I wonder if you’ve received my comments of today.. it doesn’t let me to sent you again..
HI Nikita! Yes I have responded to you messages 🙂 Thank you!
Hi Natasha 😀
Your recipe is awesome!!
I made it strictly and following your tips and the Elsa Frozen Cake for my 4th years grandaughter birthday was amazing!
Thank you. It’s a pity I cannot include the photo..
Luv your blog!
That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing this awesome review with me, Nikita! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
How much buttercream does this make?
Hi Ivy! I wish I had measured it that way, but I can only guess now – maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake.
Thank you Natasha! This was absolutely amazing! Made this for a 1st birthday party cake and this is now my go to buttercream. I truly appreciate the easy step by step instructions and pictures.
it absolutely held up really well in our humid and hot weather. Cake was at room temperature at about 80 degrees for over 5 hours and the buttercream was light, fluffy and not too sweet. Almost like whipped cream. It was definitely a huge hit!
I would suggest to double up on the recipe, if possible. Its easy to freeze leftovers and to defrost for a couple hours. Just leave it on the kitchen counter right before baking your next batch of cupcakes.
It’s been quite a journey trying to find the perfect buttercream. I’m now looking forward to experimenting with different flavors like fruits and chocolate. Thanks again!
I’m so happy you all enjoyed this recipe, Rona! Thank you for your thoughtful review!!
I made this today for the very first time and I must say…this is the best frosting I’ve ever made and I’ve been making frosting for over 40 years. I’ll definitely be keeping this on hand as my go to.
Wow! Thank you for such an amazing and thoughtful review, Cheryl!!
Oh man! I really fudged this up. By the time my egg/sugar mixture reached the correct temperature it was similar to a marshmallow consistency (it was delicious). I kept going and ended up with some really yummy (not very fluffy) icing- only about 2 cups total. I am going to buy a new thermometer and try again. Have you heard of this problem before?
Hi Sam. Are you using a high powered stand mixer with whisk attachment? Also, did you place the egg whites and sugar on the water bath as directed? If you beat raw egg whites without sugar, it tends to look like marshmallow fluff. Did you possibly omit the sugar? Was anything else changed or modified either in process or ingredients in the recipe?
Sam, I never heated up my egg whites. I used Pasteurized Egg Whites and they worked great. The brand I use is called, All Whites. I also use them for whipping up a really good homemade Angel Food Cake. I’ve never had a problem with them. I just whipped them for quite some time. And when I started adding the butter, it scared the wits out of me because it started getting soupy and I wasn’t sure it was going to work. But once I added all the butter and whipped it for about 20 minutes…wow…it was perfect. Just thought I’d pass that info along to you. 🙂 Good luck.
Hi Natash, SMB cream is great made it successfully on my first attemp however, mine is creamy in colour (off white) not white as yours. Do you have an answer to this.
Thaks, Vesna
HI Vesna! Thank you for reaching out! That is a great question! It could be due to the vanilla extract? Did you use the clear kind or the dark colored vanilla?
TY for your response Natasha. I used Queen Vanilla bean paste however, my frosting is creamy in colour before I added vanilla. I am in Australi, is our butter more yellow then yours?
That could be the case, some butters are more yellow in color so maybe try switching to a different butter. I’ve tried organic unsalted by Simple truth brand and the longer sticks from Costco by Kirkland signature unsalted butter and both were very white in color.
Try Lurpak and let it whip for a little longer as that also helps whiten the butter. Our Australian butter is so much more yellow sadly.
How many cupcakes will this recipe typically frost?
Hi Crystal, this would frost 24 cupcakes 🙂
It will ice 24 plus cupcakes. I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left. Sooooo Gooood.
That’s exactly how many I was able to generously ice myself, Laurie!
Finally, a swiss buttercream that is absolutely PERFECT! Not so sweet, not too buttery tasting, but exactly what I was looking for. I was starting to give up on this type of frosting as all the ones I was trying out tasted too sweet or too much like butter. These one has the exact combination of ingredients and I think the salt at the end is super important. Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is now going to be my go to buttercream for cakes and it pipes beautifully too.
Thank you so much for this wonderful review, Nancy! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
Natasha, I was so disappointed when I made this, it was soupy like some others said. I kept beating it and it never thickened. I put this in my fridge over night. When I took it out in the morning it never thickened when I rewhipped it. I started all over again and this time I tried to pay close attention and made sure I tried some tricks others mentioned. I put the bowl in a shallow pan with ice in it and kept stirring it till it cooled down. Then I whipped it up and finished and was very excited to see it whipped up. I only used 1.5 tsp of vanilla instead. Thanks so much for the recipe and the ideas from everyone.
Hi Tamia. I’m so happy it worked out in the end for you. There are so many things that can interfere with the recipe but I’m happy those tips helped you! That is exactly why we appreciate all of you feedback and tips in this thread. Thank you!
Hi Natasha,
I’ve found this great recipe of yours and would like to try it out on this cake for my son’s birthday:
https://livingwellmom.com/thomas-the-tank-engine-birthday-cake/
Do you think your recipe is suitable to cover the cake?
And thank you for the gram measurements.
In Japan we don’t really have cups, more like spoons, but I prefer grams to be exact.
Wondering if the amount will be enough to cover the cake and decorations, but I suppose it depends on the size.
Thank you in advance!
Hi Lidi! It may work. Many of our readers have reported great results using this recipe to decorate cakes! I’d love to see your end result!
Hi, I just tried your recipe and loved it, so silky and smooth.
Do you think think it would be OK to substitute some of the butter with shortening. I live in a hot climate and am unsure how all butter would hold up – but I really want to use this recipe !
Hi Leanne, I honestly haven’t tried it with shortening. If you experiment please let me know how you like it.
So I made a double batch of this, and my butter was too soft when I put it in so the SMBC was too soft. I chilled it and that fixed it.
But here’s the thing: It doesn’t taste like and SMBC I’ve ever had. It still tastes like pure meringue and is very sweet. Can/Should I add more butter? What might happen if I do?
Hi Maya, you could add a little more butter, but it may start tasting more buttery. This combination of ingredients produced what we thought was the best balance – it also depends on what type of cake you put it on. If the cake is sweeter than the frosting – it will taste buttery.
Natasha, did i missed any thing? The uncooked whites egg seem not healthy to eat..i m affraid of the e coli bacteria.
Hi Ester, to be extra sure, use a thermometer to make sure the whites/sugar reach 160˚F which is the safe temperature for egg whites without actually cooking them. 160˚F is the temperature at which salmonella bacteria is killed which is why I prefer this SMBC frosting over other meringue frostings.
I’m making this recipe for the first time for cupcakes I’m bringing to a birthday party tomorrow. I noticed some of the comments said the frosting was runny after being in the fridge. So I was wondering, if I frost (pipe) the cupcakes tonight and put them in the fridge, will they fall apart?
Hi Nicole, I think they meant that the frosting wasn’t firming up. This is usually due to adding the butter while the meringue is still warm (make sure it is completely at room temperature), or adding partially melted butter. This can be remedied usually by cooling the frosting for a bit and continuing to beat it. Once the frosting has formed, it is perfectly safe to pipe the frosting and refrigerate it afterwards. It is a stable and sturdy frosting and it won’t fall apart 🙂
Can I add food coloring at the end? I want to make it pink for my daughter’s birthday.
Hi Irina, I think you could, but add a little color at a time until you reach your desired color while maintaining the consistency. I would recommend using a gel food coloring over a liquid one.
Great recipe! It took longer to cool than expected in the mixer (45/50min) but stuck with it and it turned out great! I used it to ice a cake and do piping work with it. It was fantastic!
I’m so happy it worked out for you Paloma! Thank you for sharing your feedback with us!
Natasha, I’m making a wedding cake for a friends daughter next week. I want to use SMB. Can I use it over an American BC crumb coat? Should I use all SMB. If I should can I use smb as filling and crumb coat and then freeze. I want to finish decorating the cake the day before the wedding. Please advise.
Hi Tamia, I would suggest testing that combination in advance (wedding cakes would make me nervous for experimenting). It should work fine to frost over a buttercream crumb coat and this frosting is freezer safe so it should be ok to freeze the finished cake.
i had beautiful egg whites and then when I added my first tablespoon of butter it turned to a liquid, I finished adding the butter but it’s still runny after 20 minutes of beating! What went wrong
Hi Emma, if it is runny and not pipe-able, the easiest fix is to beat the swiss meringue buttercream frosting a few minutes longer. It could be that the mixture did not cool completely to room temperature before adding butter, but it can be fixed with longer beating. I hope this helps.
I find the type of butter you use makes a difference. Do not use one labeled sweet cream butter. More milk seems to weep out and prevent a firm product
How does this hold outside? Making my sisters wedding cake in 3 weeks. Looking for a good buttercream that will not melt.
Hi Jasmin, if it will be left out for a long time, I would experiment with refrigerating it as long as you can and then letting it come to room temperature over time during the wedding. It will take a couple hours for it to fully soften (more or less depending on the temperature of the location).
Omgoodness this recipe is so yummy! Thanks for sharing- such a good change from the usual butter cream frosting! It’s lighter, and so silky- and somehow feels like its a tad healthier since the egg whites take the place of all that shortening! This is a keeper for sure! I haven’t let them sit overnight yet to see how it holds but even if it doesnt- next time i would just make the day of because I love it so much!
So happy you enjoyed this recipe, Megan!
I can sometimes still taste the butter in the frosting. Should it just be mixed more or should I add something?
Hi Jenna. Did you alter the recipe in any way? If you put less than 2 cups of sugar, it might taste too much like butter.
Hi, what is the yield for this recipe?
Hi Christine, I wish I had measured it that way, but I can only guess now – maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake.
Hey. Can you use pasteurized egg whites from a carton for this recipe??
Hi Jae, those can have additives in them and results can be hit and miss because of it. I would recommend fresh egg whites.
Hi Natasha, I want to make a cookie cake and was wondering if SMB can be used to pipe between the layers and on top?
Hi Lydia. I honestly don’t see why not!