Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
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
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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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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!
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!
Thank you so much for answering so quickly.
Can you double the recipe for Swiss Meringue frosting? The Meringue is really good.
You can definitely double this recipe.
This looks delicious! I’m just wondering if it cooks the egg whites and is it safe to eat?
Hi Mel! Yes it is completely safe!
I double checked this because I wanted to make it for a baby shower cake and it turns out that the temperature you heat the egg whites to kills all the dangerous bacteria that could be in raw eggs, yet does not cook the eggs. It’s even safe for pregnant women. 🙂 My pregnant friend loved it.
I was wondering how to fix my smb because I made it and it was great and then I put it in the fridge and when I took it out to use it again I put it in my stand mixer to try and beat it up a gain then it looked like it was splitting so then I put it in the freezer and took it out and it was still like that. Is there any way I could fix this ? Please reply asap
Hi Holly. It should have been fine after taking it out of the fridge, I’m sorry to hear that happened. Make sure to read all of the tips throughout the post and that should help. It sounds like maybe your meringue was too warm when butter was added. I have had that happen before and it needs to be refrigerated and whipped again. I have also found that giving it 3 minutes of extra mixing time helps if it still looks too loose. Longer mixing time will fix it almost every time!
I made this cream today for cupcakes and it was amazing. I am so glad that I found this recipe. Thanks Natasha!
One question: can I use this cream for cream tart cake?
Hi Olga! Honestly I haven’t tried that. If you do experiment please let me know how you like it!
I’ll let you know! I plan to do the cream tart cake for my fathers birthday in September. I will try to use this amazing cream! Thanks again!
Looking forward to it
I’m going to try something a bit different the next time I need a buttercream. I have a really hard time getting the meringue to come down to room temperature. I’ve got an old style KitchenAid with the solid metal base, which is part of the problem. 20 minutes and still quite warm. I took the bowl off the mixture and put it in an ice bath. Next time I’m going to make the egg white sugar mix, and chill that. Then whip it and see how it goes from there.
Still, a phenomenal recipe! Yum!
Thank you Valerie! I’d love to hear how those changes turn out!
Valerie, I have a cheap stand mixer with a plastic base and i have a similar problem. I let the warm mixture stand on the counter for 5-10 minutes before I start to whip it and I wrap a cold wet towel around the bowl to help bring the temperature down. A water bath could work, too.
That’s exactly what I do! I dissolve the sugar into the egg whites, then my bowl goes into an ice bath for a few mins. Whips up fast and perfect!
Fabulous recipe! Excellent, well-written instructions, too!
Thank you for the great compliment Valerie! I appreciate the feedback!
I have wanted to try Swiss Meringue for some time. I often freeze cakes in advance for when I am expecting someone for dinner. Since I have never made this type of frosting I would like to know if the cake and frosting will freeze well. I am having 14 people over next Friday and would like to make a couple of deserts in advance.
Hi Rosanna! I haven’t tried that but I think it can be done since this frosting is freezer safe. I have only tried refrigerating this type of buttercream but from my research, it should be ok to freeze but you do need to make sure it is thawed before rewhipping and using. Thawing can take 2 hours or more depending on your room temperature. I hope that helps!
I was thinking of freezing the cake complete….after frosting. I wouldn’t freeze the frosting by itself.
Rosanna, if you do that I would love to know how the cake holds up! I haven’t tried freezing it already frosted. 🙂
LOVE this recipe! Worked great. Thank you SO much!
I definitely pretended like the meringue was room temp when it wasn’t (despite your very clear instructions!) and ended up with runny whip cream texture. Popped the batch in the fridge for 20 mins and then re-whipped and it was perfect.
I’m so happy it worked out for you Kathleen! 🙂
Is there any Way possible I could turn this into a chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream?
Hi Holly! 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 have been on the hunt for a frosting recipe that duplicates my favorite bakeries. So happy to say this is it! It took a bit of time to make, but so worth it. And it was a nice change to not have powder sugar all over like I normally do making buttercream! It piped wonderfully with my star tip. Think the frosted cake could be frozen? I’d love to save some pieces for those sugar emergencies lol thank you for the recipe!!
Hi Jessica! Thank you for the great review! I haven’t tried that but I think it can be done since this frosting is freezer safe.
Hi! How many cupcakes will this cover?
Hi Roxie! 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.
love this recipe, is there any way to adapt it to make it chocolate flavour?
Hi Kerry! We love it also! 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.
Hiya, I added about 150-200g of melted dark chocolate to a full batch of buttercream and it turned out perfect
Hi Kerry, I’m glad you tried melted chocolate, I’ve been wanting to try it but too scared, lol. One question please, did you cool the chocolate a little before you added it in? Also, was the buttercream completely finished when you added the melted chocolate? Ok, that was 2 questions 🙂 Thanks in advance
Hi Corrine
I melted the chocolate in the microwave whilst I was adding the butter to the mix then once I’d finished adding the butter I add the melted chocolate so in answer to your questions
1. Yes the buttercream was finished when I added
2. Slightly cooled
Hope this helps.
It made the most delicious fluffy chocolate buttercream 🙂
Hey Natasha! First ever time making s.m.b and ur recipie was a breeze!!!!! Thanks so much! Just wanted to add though, and i mean this in the kindest of ways, i found the salt killed it, is there a reason for salt? 🙂 amazing otherwise!!!
Hi Hayley! You shouldn’t be able to taste the salt. In baking it does enhance the natural flavors from the other ingredients.
how many cups of buttercream does this make?
Hi Dia! I wish I had measured it that way, but I can only guess now – maybe 5 or 6 cups?
I used to make classic buttercream all the time or I just bought it ready. If I made it homemade it was too sweet and if I bought it it was overly sweet. That’s when I heard of Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I looked for a recipe and saw this one. It had 4.8 stars when I looked at it and the directions were fairly simple. When I made it it didn’t look like the classic buttercream and I became worried. But when I tasted it it was a different story. Me and my brother who helped me make it loved the taste. We both aren’t fans of overly sweet frosting and this was perfect. My parents who hate the classic buttercream were a little scared to try it because of the word buttercream at the end. When they tried it it was the best frosting they ever had. I am really happy I found this recipe and I will always remember to use it for all the cakes I make. Thank You Natasha. You have to make more recipes.
Thank you so much for leaving your thoughtful review Ahyan! We appreciate the feedback!
Hi I am having a problem with making this buttercream I am doing a wedding cake and having a few practices and find if it is left out it goes to very soft the cake will be out for some time so need it to be ok can you give me any ideas on what I can do.
Hi Margaret, 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).
Hi Natasha,
Great recipe! I am living a Keto lifestyle, and the first time I made this recipe I substituted the sugar for the same amount using Swerve instead. I also added a 1/4 of a cup of Dutch Cocoa powder. It worked like a charm. Since we used Swerve, it did have an after taste.
This time, I used the same amount of Keto-friendly sweetner (Monkfruit sugar). No aftertaste, but with just a wee bit graininess. This time I was making a vanilla icing for my nephew. I used President Choice’s Black label Tahitian Vanilla. My nephew loved it. By far the best and easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream icing. Thank you for the recipe.
Thank you for sharing that with us Vanessa! 🙂
Is the frosting supposed to be served at room temperature? I made it, froze it, rewhipped and frosted a cake, but it tastes greasy and seemed…slippery? Possibly runny but I didn’t try to pipe it.
Hi Vanessa, I have only tried refrigerating this type of buttercream but from my research, it should be ok to freeze but you do need to make sure it is thawed before rewhipping and using. Thawing can take 2 hours or more depending on your room temperature. I hope that helps!
Do you have a video for this recipe? If not I’d love to see one. 😊 Also, to make this chocolate smbc, what type of chocolate and how much would you add? Thanks!
Hi Brooke. We do not have a video for this recipe however we did post many photos to go along with this recipe 🙂 I hope they help! What do you mean by “smbc”?
Hi Brooke, I haven’t tried making this chocolate Swiss Meringue buttercream, but from my research, chocolate is added at the end. I would probably start with 8-9 oz semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled and whip it in at the end, adding it to taste.
Ok. I’ll try it with 8-9 oz semisweet chocolate. Thanks so much for the replies! 🙂
I made this recipe this weekend and it was FANTASTIC! I keep my house at 80*F (27C) for the summer, and the frosting was just limp and glossy after beating for 15+ minutes. I put it in the fridge for about twenty minutes, and then it beat up beautifully fluffy.
Thank you so much for the great review! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
I was so afraid of trying this kind of buttercream for a long time then I decided it’s time to finally give it a shot! This recipe is so easy and I LOVE it so much more than the American Buttercream. It’s silky, it’s smooth, and it doesn’t have that powdered sugar taste! This is my go to frosting now!
I’m so happy you liked that, Angela! Thank you for the great review!
Had beautiful meringue going. As soon as I did the butter, nasty soup mess.
Omg! I love working with this frosting, not to menfion the delicious taste 😋
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
I’m having a really difficult time getting this frosting to set up. The egg/sugar mixture was completely cooled. The meringue Peaks were perfect, but once I added the butter it turn completely runny and will not set up. I’ve read to let it mix longer with the paddle and that seems to make it just more runny. Any suggestions? I tried covering it and putting it in the fridge for now.
Hi Brittany, 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
Hi, can i colour this frosting?
Hi Lou, 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.
hi
can you please give the recipe in grams? am in th UK. also the weight of the egg whites in grams too.
thanks! xx
Hi Ally, We are currently working on adding metric measurements to all of our recipes but it is taking some time as we have to add them one at a time. Thank you so much for being patient! In the meantime, check out our post on measuring which should help
Love the doggie cupcakes – what did you make the tongues out of?
Hi Sue, I have the details on how I made those just above the photo 🙂
Hi, how many cups of buttercream does this recipe make?
Hi Dorimar, I wish I had measured it that way, but I can only guess now – maybe 5 or 6 cups?
How many cupcakes did you ice with it?
Miranda, 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.
I found this recipe in a quest to find a less sweet frosting for my daughters birthday. I made it with a hand mixer and it turned out delicious and glossy but extremely runny and could not be piped at all. Could it have needed to be mixed longer?
Hi Lauren, 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’ve been fighting with icing a cake with a very smooth finished look with several different buttercream recipes lately and wondering how it can be so difficult. Someone’s video I watched mentioned using SMBC instead of an American buttercream, and your recipe was the simplest I found. It was so much easier to work with than anything else I’ve tried. It’s silky without being runny and tastes the best of all my attempts as well. I don’t generally write reviews on recipes I try (I believe this is my very first), but this was so helpful! Thank you!
Wow! Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Jessica! I’m so happy you discovered our blog. Welcome! 🙂
Is there anyway I could make this into a chocolate buttercream?
I love love this recipe.
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.
Ok great !! Thank you !! Thank you so much for posting your recipe. I just for my whoopi pies and they taste amazing!
You’re very welcome!
I just made this, and am wondering if I can use this as the layer under fondant?
Hi Shirin. I don’t have any experience with fondant to be honest but I think it would work since it is a pretty stable buttercream.
Yes. 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.
That’s so great!
Hey, this looks like a great recipe. Will it frost a 6 inch cake, crumb coat included? And does it hold well?
Hi Rosie, Yes this will be enough for a 6″ cake!
Hello Natasha! Thank you for sharing this recipe 🙂
I’ve tried to follow this as closely as I can, however, mine does not come out as smooth as yours. I am planning to use this to cover a wedding cake but my SMBC seems like there are a lot of air bubbles when spread and so the end result is not smooth looking.
Is this a result of too high of a speed when mixing? Or the amount of time of mixing is too long/short?
Hi Marianne, it could be either too high of speed or using the whisk attachment rather than the paddle attachment. Either the whisk or high speed will incorporate more air bubbles. I hope that is helpful in troubleshooting SMBC 🙂
Hello:) I’ve been looking for a proper SMBC recipe for a long time, and I’ve seen that this one has a whole lot of amazing reviews, so I was about to go for this one, but then I notied that it is the only SMBC recipe (among the ones I’ve read so far) that uses more sugar than butter, and this got me wondering why. How does the amount of butter affect the end result?
thank you for answering, have a beautiful day!
Hi Elena, I like this balance (it also has more whites than most of the recipes out there). If you put it on a cake that is very sweet, the frosting will just taste like butter if it doesn’t have enough sugar in it. I hope you love it! 🙂
Hi. Is this enough go cover a 6 inch cake (including crumb coat)
Thanks
Hi Tas, yes this will be enough SMBC frosting for a 6″ cake.
One questions. Have you made this butter cream in advance. Do you store it in the fridge and how do you bring it back to buttercream consistency.
I made it in advance but I don’t know if I left it out to thaw for too long – when I whipped it again it curdled. 🙁
Any advise?!
If your frosting was at room temperature I would try beating it few minutes longer until frosting is whipped and formed. If it breaks when you rewhip the cream, just keep beating.
I made this for 24 cupcakes for my son’s outdoor birthday party. I am not a fan of buttercream usually but this was really delicious! I had some left over but not a huge amount. I was able to pipe with it also to make a lightening bolt on the cupcakes. This is a great alternative to whipped cream frosting and it won’t melt all over. I will definitely use this recipe again. Thank you for sharing!
You are very welcome Sally and thank you for sharing that with us 😀
Hi there, I’m going to attempt to make my own wedding cake so I don’t have to spend $800 on a 2 tier cake… (I’m doing practise runs before the big day). Will this SMBC last if I ice my wedding cake the day before the wedding, and leave it out in room temperature to be taken to the reception. Or is it recommended to put the iced wedding cake in the fridge, and take it out the day of?
Hi Bianca, 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.
Hey there 🙂
Exactly what I wanted to make.
Have question about storing it for the next day in the fridge.
Planning on using the swiss meringue as icing for a sponge cake.
My issue is I will be making the cake on a Monday to be served on a Tuesday night.
My plan is to store it in the fridge from Monday at home until served on Tuesday night at another place, so it will be transferred.
This is my first time making a swiss meringue. And do not know how it holds in the fridge, or how long it lasts outside. Or if it has to be brought to room temperature before serving.
Will it melt if left outside for too long. Or the fridge might ruin it?
How do you advise to store it and serve it?
How do I approach this?
I will be decorating the top of the cake with fruits, strawberries and berries.
As well on the sides with strawberries too.
If that affects it.
Would appreciate your help very much. 🙂
Hi Paul, Swiss Meringue refrigerates very well on a cake. I like to bring it to room temperature so it’s softer for serving. It won’t melt unless it’s in a hot room or in sunlight. It’s a fairly stable frosting. As with any cake, I would suggest covering it before refrigerating so it doesn’t absorb any refrigerator smells. Decorating with fruit is best the day it’s served when the fruit looks its best but even a day ahead will work.
im happy with your recipe! thank you!
My pleasure! 🙂
How many regular sized cupcakes would this make? I am making about 48 mini cupcakes so I am wondering if I should double the recipe. Thanks!
Hi Sarah, if they are mini cupcakes, I think this recipe would be sufficient, but 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.
What happen if I put less than 2 cups of sugar? I just like mild sweet but not too much sweet. Thanks.
Hi Thea, we are the same way – we don’t like desserts that are overly sweet. If you put less than 2 cups, it might taste too much like butter.
Hi Natasha
Do you think I can use this Swiss meringue buttercream to make a rainbow color frosting?
Thanks
Candace
Hi Candace, 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 really like this recipe, I did get to a point where it was really thin so I added another stick of butter. Now I have an after taste of butter but the consistency is absolutely perfect. Anything I can do to dilute the butter after taste?
Hi Kyle, it sounds like maybe the mixture needed to cool more. Once it is at the right temp (room temp and not any warmer), it does form even when it looks like it wont 🙂
Can you tell me what brand is your kitchen mixer?Thanks!
Its Kitchen Aid
Can I use organic cane sugar for this frosting?
Hi Ausra, I haven’t tested that so I’m not sure. If the granules are larger, it would take longer to dissolve and if they are cream or brown in color, the final result may be an off white. You might do some google research to see if anyone has tried making this kind of buttercream with organic sugar.
Is there a chocolate version for this buttercream? Maybe using cocoa powder while incorporating the butter?
Hi Kadensis, 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.
Can you use Meringue powder?
Hi Andrea, I don’t think that would work in this recipe. That kind of substitution would need more modifications and without testing it, I won’t be able to provide specific advice.
If I wanted to make a white chocolate frosting with this frosting would I add my chocolate mix with the vanilla?
Hi Caroline, I haven’t experimented with this one and white chocolate but generally, you would add the flavorings to SMBC frosting at the end.
Hello !
I’ve just tried your recipe, it tastes amazing. The Meringue stage turned out really well, lovely smooth and big peaks – but after adding butter (it was not too soft or cold) mine wasn’t as thick as yours, I couldn’t pipe it – can you tell me how to thicken this up if this happens again, or where I might be going wrong? Many thanks!!
Hi Susie, it usually helps to give it a few more minutes in the mixer to thicken up. I hope that helps for next time!
Hi, if I want to double the recipe should I make it twice or can I just make one batch?
Hi Nancy, I would make it twice if doubling or it would overwhelm most mixers and take probably twice as long to whip anyways to cool the mixture to room temperature. It’s safer to make 2 batches.
Instructions were very clear and easy to follow. I made a 1/2 recipe using 3 egg whites and the frosting was fantastic!
I’m happy you enjoy the recipe so much! Thanks for sharing your great review Cas!
Loved this recipe! I had read other smbc recipes that made it sound really difficult to pull off, but I followed your instructions (and pictures!) and it came out great. My meringue stiffened up very quickly and I didn’t want to over beat it so I refrigerated it for a few minutes, then added the butter. The texture changed right with the last about half a half a of butter, and really started looking creamy versus shiny. Can’t wait to use it again. Also this was the perfect amount for a two layer, 9 inch cake.
Awesome, I’m glad to hear the recipe is a success! Thanks for sharing your outstanding review with other readers Alissa!
Hi such a great recipes with easy to follow instructions thank you. I am thinking of trying this to cover a layer cake I just wanted to know what size cake will the above recipe cover? My cake is 8inch layer cake (three layers)
Hi Lara, that should work. I have used this recipe for this 2-layer chocolate cake and frosted fairly generously 🙂
You totally made my Easter! I used this frosting recipe to put on a Coconut Cream Cake (instead of 2 tsp. of vanilla, I put 1 t. of vanilla & 1 t. of coconut extract). I brought it to a family dinner at my parents house. It was such a huge hit! Everyone wanted an extra piece for later. So thanks for that!
I have to admit that I almost ruined it though. I absentmindedly grabbed the salted butter and halfway in it wasn’t fluffing up as much as I thought it should, so I checked the recipe and realized my mistake. I immediately switched to the unsalted butter for the last 2 sticks and as soon as I put the first two tablespoons of unsalted butter, it started fluffing up right away. So since I added a stick of salted butter, I didn’t add the extra salt that was called for in the recipe. I’m surprised that it still turned out but it turned into this, fluffy, billowy, silky, marshmallow-y perfection. I sprinkled some toasted coconut on after frosting. Yum! So good.
Thank you for the recipe and thank you even more for the excellent instruction.
My pleasure Kristi! I’m so glad the recipe was such a success…and just reading your review made salivate. Thanks for sharing your great review with other readers!
P.S. This was my first time ever making Swiss Meringue Buttercream so your instruction made it easy!
I would like to say to others making this that it’ll be OK if the timing of the sugar dissolving over the pot of simmering water takes longer than 3 minutes; mine took much longer than that ~ maybe because it was raining and more humid than usual (?..not sure) but don’t give up and think you’ve failed, just keep going until the sugar dissolves & no longer grainy and the mixture is very warm. Dip your finger in and rub it between your fingers like Natasha shows in the pic above. My mixture only got to 140 degrees though because, geez, it was taking forever. So I did stop then, but only because the sugar dissolved and the mixture was warmed. Thankfully it still worked out [I was nervous about it but my arm was tired, locked in the down position ;D]
It turns out that this recipe is more forgiving than what I anticipated, meaning I made a few mistakes but kept following the instructions of what it should feel, look like. That helped out SO much.
Thank you again, Natasha. I’ll be using this recipe foreva!!
Thank you so much for sharing Kristi! I’m so happy you loved the recipe!!
I was very excited to try this frosting recipe. So I got started. The eggs and sugar came together wonderfully, no problems! Got them to the right temp, sugar melting into the eggs just the way they should. Started whipping the mixture. Perfection! Cooled the bowl down, started adding the butter. Looked good, then nothing. Soupy mess. Kept going. Soupy. Popped it in the fridge, beat it. Soupy. Back in the fridge, beat it. Soupy. Added a thickener, beat it. Soupy. Over an hour nothing changed. Stayed soupy. Help, don’t know what I did wrong.
Hi Nicholle, if your meringue mixture is not completely at room temperature or if your butter is too soft (such as speed softening or partially melted in the microwave), that can occur. Also, if you are using a hand held mixer to beat the meringue, it will take longer to cool the mixture down. It is critically important to use room temperature (and not warm) ingredients. I have been able to salvage a batch by refrigerating 10 minutes at a time and re-beating for 3 minutes on medium high speed using the paddle attachment of the stand mixer. I hope that helps to troubleshoot the issue.
My eggs were good, the butter was not too warm. I put it in the refrigerator twice for 15 minutes, used the paddle first time and the balloon the second time. Same outcome. It was a cool day and low humidity.
Hi Nicholle, did you possibly use pre-packaged egg whites from a carton or use a larger granule sugar? I’m not sure what else it could be.
I had the same thing happen to me with an Italian merengue buttercream. I thought it was too warm so I kept refrigerating it then whipping it some more but it still wouldn’t emulsify. I finally found a tip online on how to save curdled merengue buttercream and it worked. It needed a little heat and it came right together. I have a metal bowl on my mixer, so I got a dish rag very hot (my tap water gets really hot), then put it around the outside of the mixing bowl while it was on. I watched closely and kept it on just until the frosting emulsified, if your tap water isn’t very hot, you may need to reheat the dish rag.
So I’m just wondering? ! cup of sugar is 120 g not 200. Are you using granulated? I just want to make sure everyone uses the correct amount of sugar otherwise it may be too sweet! 2 cups should be 240 not 400
Hi Brandi, 2 cups graniulated is about 400 grams, or more exactly 396 grams. 1 cup is 198 grams so this is accurate based on multiple resources I have checked online including Cooks Illustrated, and King Arthur Flour. I hope that helps! 🙂
Hi Brandi, one cup is 250ml of liquid and 200gr of sugar. Just measured it and I have a professional postal scale at home 😉
Thank you Gerry! 🙂
This is the fourth smbc recipe I have tried and by far the best!! It is the perfect sweet, not too buttery! All I have to do is try to ice it with a cake. Can I add fondant toppers to it?
Hi Jae, I don’t have any experience with fondant to be honest but I think it would work since it is a pretty stable buttercream.
Okay awesome. I’ll give it try. I’m just added a few fondant/polka dots circle on the cake. So I think that should be okay?
That sounds like a nice idea! I’d love to see a photo when it’s all done! 🙂
Can you freeze this once you put it on cupcakes
Hi Patsy, I haven’t tried that but I think it can be done since this frosting is freezer safe.
Hi Jae, I have made cakes with SMBC and added fondant toppers. Make sure your toppers are well dried and hard. Don’t put them on too early, wait until the day you need the cake. If the cake is in the fridge overnight with the toppers on, they will go soft and sticky. Put them on as late as you can. Hope this helps
Thank you!!!
One questions. Have you made this butter cream in advance. Do you store it in the fridge and how do you bring it back to buttercream consistency.
I made it in advance but I don’t know if I left it out to thaw for too long – when I whipped it again it curdled. 🙁
Any advise?!
Hi there, I’ve tried this recipe many times and I love the flavor and how light it is but I can never smooth it out because there are so many air bubbles especially if it has sat in a bowl and I have to rewhip it. Are you able to get it smooth?
Hi Catherine, what helps the most for me is using the paddle attachment and not the whisk. I hope that helps!
Hi Catherine & Natasha, 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).
I whipped the egg white/sugar mixture with the whisk attachment then changed to the normal “K” beater when it came time to add the butter. It worked out perfectly following your instructions. Thank you
Hi there, I’ve made this recipe a free times using clear vanilla extract but it doesn’t seem to be as white as yours. I know the butter is what tints the color. Is there something you do to get it so close to white?
Hi Catherine, you are correct – 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.
Hi Natasha, have you tried using 1/2 butter and 1/2 cream cheese with this recipe? I’m thinking it might give an interesting taste plus it would be a bit less fat?
Hi Mirka, I haven’t seen Swiss Meringue made that way so I’m honestly not sure if it would ruin the consistency. Maybe try googling that idea first. When making a buttercream with cream cheese, this is my go-to recipe.
Hi,Natasha. Thanks for sharing this recipe. With this cream can I make flowers and leaves out of them? Thanks for all these good recipes God bless you Natasha.
Hi Olga, It isn’t as firm as an American buttercream frosting, but I think that could work. Here is an example where I piped this cream onto a cake.
Hello Natasha, I just made this recipe and followed all instructions but my frosting came out still tasting a bit too “buttery” and too salty. I did use unsalted butter and I did 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Where could I have gone wrong? I’m going to try making another batch this time I won’t add salt? But what about the butter taste? I need help please!
Hi Oksana with just a 1/4 tsp of salt, it should have been a hint of salt in taste which is nice in a buttercream, but you can leave it out if you don’t like that bit of salt there. Are you certain all of your sticks of butter were unsalted? I haven’t had anyone else report it being salty so I’m not sure why else that would be. You might add more sugar if you prefer a sweeter frosting which will also mask any butter flavor. I hope that reply is helpful to you! 🙂
You could add the salt at the beginning and dissolve it with the egg whites and sugar if you don’t like the little tastes of salt in your buttercream. I’ve also found some salts seem a bit saltier than others, if that makes sense.
Does adding dye to the frosting change it?
Hi Amy, it is safest to add a gel food coloring at the end so it doesn’t loosen up the consistency and add a little at a time, keeping an eye on consistency until you reach the desired color.
So what do you do with all the egg yolks ? I’ll need some ideas— planning to make this frosting this weekend (double portion)..
Hi Tanya, 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!! 🙂
hollandaise sauce, mayonnaise, caesar dressing I think
Thanks
You’re welcome!
Lemon curd! YUMM
Hi Tanya, I make classical tiramisu with egg yolks. You make the sabayon with them and after they cool you mix the mascarpone and the cream. There are many other recipes requiring sabayon (egg yolks with sugar basically). You can google “sabayon” recipes. I made two tiramisu’s recently and now my frizer is full of egg whites :-). And yes, egg whites are perfect for freezing.
Thank you 🙂
The best frosting ever! I despise the traditional American buttercream frosting as it is so heavy and sweet. This Swiss meringue buttercream tastes so much lighter and very delicious. And it holds up so well, even in an extreme Alabama humidity. Thanks for such a great recipe, Natasha!
You’re welcome Liliana! I’m glad to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review!
Pastry cream or carbonara (if you’ve got too many sweet treats around). Here’s a list I consult every time I make a Swiss meringue haha https://neighborfoodblog.com/2014/03/recipes-for-leftover-egg-yolks.html
I just buy the egg whites from the store that why i don’t waste a bunch of eggs
Lemon, Orange or Lime Curd. Freezes well and make great cake fillngs
Lemon curd! And it makes the most delicious cupcake filling
I just made this recipe for the first time now with great success. I live in south Africa and it’s currently summer and I didn’t have a problem with the buttercream curdling. It literally tastes like vanilla ice cream. Also, I used salted butter and I didn’t find it a problem as it helps balance out the high ratio of sugar. Thanks for the great recipe 😊
You’re welcome Shannon! I’m glad to hear the recipe was such a success. Thanks for sharing your wonderful review with other readers!
How do i make this recipe chocolate? is it better to use actual chocolate or cocoa powder? and if so how much of each.
Cammy
Hi Cameron, I haven’t tested but it is on my to-do list. From my research, I would probably start with 8-9 semisweet chocolate, melted and slightly cooled and whip it in at the end.
Hi, I made this recipe and it turned out great! The only thing is mine was a bit on the ivory side as compared to yours. How can I get that white color like in the picture?
Hi Rabia, I haven’t had that experience but one of my readers reported a similar result and she suspected it had to do with the type of butter she was using. There are some sticks of butter that look more yellow than others right out of the package. It won’t affect the flavor or texture, but it might be the type of butter used.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It worked a dream for me. My husband hates regular buttercream because it’s too greasy and sweet for him. He’ll scrape it off every time. But when he tasted this recipe, he actually said, he could eat it (not piles of it though. haha)
I heated my egg whites and sugar with my Thermomix, 7minutes/70*C/speed 2. It was perfect. Then I put the egg white/sugar mixture in my mixing bowl and went on as per recipe. Absolutely perfect. THANK YOU.
🙂
My pleasure Corrinne! I’m glad to hear how much you both enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your fantastic review with other readers!
Will this buttercream get nice and stiff in the fridge if used as a crumb coat on cakes? And then fondant applied on top …
Hi Tanya, yes this one does firm up with refrigeration.
Thanks!! Will have to try it 🙂
Hi Natasha! Love all your recipes and how easy they are to follow. I was wondering what would be a good frosting recipe to use for a naked cake style? Wondering if this recipe is ok to use or if any frosting will work! Thank you so much!
Hi Irina, I think this would work, but I’m leaning more towards the cupcake frosting for a naked cake, maybe double the recipe though. It’s a little stiffer.
Hi Irina, I have just done a semi naked cake with this swiss meringue buttercream and it turned out amazing! I was so happy with it. Everybody loved the cake and commented on how the buttercream was not greasy or overly sweet. This will be my “go to” from now on. Happy baking
Hi Corinne! Thank you for letting me know 😊 what cake layers did you use for a naked cake? I used Natasha’s sponge cake recipe for the cake layers and they were too soft my cake kept sinking in different parts. I also used the cream cheese cupcake frosting.
Hi Irina, I used a white chocolate mud cake recipe from a cake decorating course I did. I’m sure there are lots out there. I split the mixture into 2 x 8″ cake pans, then I made another batch and split it again. So I had 4 cakes.
I put a thin layer of strawberry jam then dark chocolate ganache (thicker) between the cakes. Putting a buttercream dam around the circumference of each cake before the filling so it wouldn’t ooze out at the edges, the ganache glues the cake layers together beautifully.
The whole cake is quite dense then. But still moist. I piled the swiss meringue buttercream around the sides then the top. Then began to scrape off to make it semi naked.
Oh, I forgot to add that when I finished making the Swiss meringue buttercream, I gently folded in some freeze dried strawberry powder. It gave a beautiful pink fleck to it and it also had a slight strawberry tang.
everybody loved it. Hope this helps.
I made this for first time on my birthday cupcakes. It took a long time but came out great. Much less sweet than American butter cream which is exactly what I was looking for. I added 1/4 c raspberry sauce (thickened and seeds removed). It came out great. My problem was piping it. It was a lot less forgiving than American butter cream. Do you have technique that works? My main problem was when I stopped it left jagged edge. Use Wilton open star tip ( think its#1)
Hi Caye, I wonder if it was due to adding the raspberry sauce which could have thinned it out? Normally, this pipes pretty easily. Maybe try boiling down the raspberry sauce a little to thicken it. I hope that helps!
It was boiled and thickened with corn starch after removing the seeds. It piped fine until where you want to stop and lift. Just made it again today. Niece wants vanilla cupcakes and not so sweet frosting. It turned out fine but I guess I personally prefer when I added the raspberry. This tastes so buttery to me. That seems odd as I love butter. She doesn’t like chocolate and allergic to tree nuts so I can’t add almond extract. I really like cream cheese frosting but when piped on it gets too sweet. Has anyone tried adding some cream cheese and powdered sugar to this? Would it destroy the frosting?
I haven’t tried that or seen it done so I’m not sure. My favorite go-to cream cheese frosting is our cupcake frosting.
Is it possible to add less sugar without altering the recipe ? I have diabetic family members and would like it a bit less sweet .
Hi Cristina, the frosting is not overly sweet to taste, but I do understand where you are coming from. I think you could make it work with 1 1/2 cups sugar but I’m not sure if it would work with less than that.
Has anyone else tried using less sugar – I’d love to hear your results! thanks in advance 🙂
i used 1 1/2 c sugar on a slightly sweet hazelnut sponge, and it was perfect. Since i find most cakes too sweet i was glad to see this worked.
Also i want to second the forgiving nature of this recipe. I started with 1 c of sugar and then put it back over water to heat when I decided to add another half cup. I also used a herself mixer with whisks since I don’t have a stand mixer.It looked horrific 10 min before it came together b/c the mixer was giving off so much heat. Luckily I realized, let it cool , and then went back to mixing in short bursts, and it was great. Next time I might start on the whip setting but switch to mix after all the butter is in. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m so glad it worked out for you Ann!
I made this on cupcakes and it was so lovely. I just wanted to eat all the frosting off the tops! Ha! Thank you 🙂
Hi Victoria, I’m so glad you loved it! 🙂 I have the same temptation when I make this!
Hi Natasha,
Can this be used with Russian Tips as well. i like your full instructions though
Yes this would work for Russian tips. I have that on my to-do list for tutorials this year. 🙂
Thank you…hope to see the tutorials… all the best to you for 2018
I made this per instruction, it came out exactly as pictured in the instructions. I will say I had higher hope for this recipe it started to melt while in the icing bag and it melts quickly when left at room temperature, I would probably make this for an ice cream cake rather than a regular cake. The flavor is very subtle and it wasn’t very sweet at all, almost just tasted like fluff. I won’t be making it ever again
Hi Tessa, Swiss Meringue Buttercream is normally a very stable buttercream and should not be melting easily, unless you are in a very hot and humid climate. I wonder if maybe it needed to be beaten longer or if the butter was added when the meringue was still warm? That is usually the case if it doesn’t form correctly, then I would suggest refrigerating it 10 minutes at a time and re-beating for a few minutes until it is fully at room temp and fluffy when beaten. I hope that helps!
Hi: just wondering if I can use “egg whites” from a carton instead of using eggs then throwing out the yolks. I’m in the process of starting this so would really appreciate a reply asap. Thanks.
PS: Love your recipes.
Hi Claudette, I haven’t tested with carton eggs so I can’t say for sure, but I would stay away from carton whites to err on the side of caution. It may have additives or be pasteurized. I had one reader report that hers did not form for a really long time and while troubleshooting we discovered she used carton eggs so that may have been the culprit.
Thanks Natasha. I did try with the egg whites from a carton and it didn’t work. I started again, this time using egg whites from regular eggs and it worked beautifully. Thanks again. Wonder what I can do with all those egg yolks. Any suggestions? Thanks again.
I’m so glad it worked out and thank you for reporting back with that information. I’m sure that will be super helpful for others wondering about carton whites. 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!! 🙂