Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
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.
3. 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 egg whites (210 grams or 7 oz)
- 2 cups 400 grams granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened (3 sticks or 340 grams)*
- 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.
-
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!
natashaskitchen
Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream 
Lavender Lemon Blackberry Cake 
Kievsky aka Kiev Cake Recipe 
Perfect Vanilla Cupcake Recipe 
Boccone Dolce Cake Recipe 
Lemon Poppy Seed Cake (VIDEO) 
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I halved the recipe to test on a 6” cake and it was soooo good! Your steps made it super easy to make sure I got everything right! I’ll be making a full batch (possibly a batch and a half) next week!
Thanks for sharing that with us and I am so happy to know that it was a success!
Omg I’m gonna cry! We’re locked in, I used my last eggs and I think it’s over beat! It was so soupy and the butter was room temp. I dunno I was just trying something fancy for my birthday:(
Hi Jessica, put the mixture in the refrigerator for 10 minutes at a time and then keep mixing until the right consistency forms. This is 99% of the time due to the mixture being too warm and is fixable. Cool for 10-15 minutes at a time and continue mixing and it should be ok.
It worked! It worked!
Hooray!!!! I made it twice this recipe and worked perfectly.
Just put it back in the fridge to firm and whipped again!
That’s so great, Teresa! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Hi,
I would like to make the SMBC in pastel pink so may I know when to add the food colouring gel?
Hi Yen, 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 would add the at the very end.
Egg whites and sugar, heat to 160F✔️
Fluffy peaks ✔️
Butter to room temp add to fluffy peaks ✔️
Mixtures turned to soup 😭
I lost all hope! Refrigerated entire mixture.
Then I read to keep mixing just keep mixing 🐠
Persevered and it came out beautifully ❤️ Literally soupy then BAM into fluffy peaks again
Also – from Australia and it still worked (I did read a comment previously saying it didn’t work for a blogger from aus. Although it is 1 week after summer maybe not as humid?)
Thank you so much for sharing that with us. It’s really helpful for others who are also experiencing some issues. Appreciate that and your good review too!
Do you think this would be good on a strawberry cake? My daughter wants “pink” cake and I really want to try this recipe!
Hey Nikki. I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I imagine that should work too. Let me know how it goes in case you do an experiment!
Hi Nikki, that sounds delicious! I bet that would work great together. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
I made this today and it tastes amazing. I used carton egg whites and the consistency turned out great. However I added a pinch of salt at the end and whipped it a bit longer, but I could feel the graininess of the salt when I taste. Any suggestions to get rid of that?
Hi Jessi, if it doesn’t have enough time to incorporate and melt into the buttercream, you get a little graininess, so make sure to use a fine grain salt (kosher would take awhile since it has big flakes) and give it a little more time mixing.
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!! Been wanting to try SMBC for a long time.(Either sounded too complicated or I’ve just been lazy…)
At any rate, this recipe turned out perfectly the first time. Beautiful fluff without being overly sweet! Finally an icing even I like!!! My advice if it’s not turning out, be patient! Each step took a while longer for me and I had to finalize whipping on high speed, but this recipe is dead on!!! Thanks again… Oh yeah, this icing is perfect for practice decorating! You can deck out your cake then swipe it all off and start over, repeatedly!!! (Not much fun with American Buttercream.) The photos throughout this recipe were a great addition too!!!
I’m so glad that was helpful! Thank you for sharing your experience with this.
I was completely out of sugar when I decided to try this recipe for a second time, and i substituted with powdered sugar it was a success!!
That’s so awesome Lauren! I’m so glad that worked for you!
Do u think substituting flax seed gel with egg whites work? If so, how much do we need to replace?
Hi Angela, I honestly cannot say that it will or will not work out. This recipe heavily relies on the eggs for a substitution to be considered.
Wanting to try swiss buttercream icing but make ahead & freeze. My question is can u store it in plastic container after it is prepared?? I know u cannot use any plastic when preparing due to grease possibility ruining the mixture. Thanks for ur prompt reply. Pat
Hi Pat, you can store in a clean and dry container that is plastic. I would suggest washing with soap and water before using and thoroughly drying it.
Hello, how long can you store it for? Both in fridge and freezer x
Hi Krishna, it will keep tightly covered in the fridge up to 2 weeks and up to 2 months in the freezer. See the make-ahead tips above for bringing it back to its creamy consistency.
Any tips for making the icing not soupy? The first time I made it, I just put the whole bowl in the fridge to cool it down and it turned out perfectly. The most recent time making, It was still soupy even after refrigeration. I also added some freeze dried strawberry powder, so I’m not sure if that had any affect on it.
Hi Lola, it can look soupy before it comes together and that is normal. If it stays soupy after a few extra minutes of mixing, it is likely due to adding butter before the meringue fully reached room temperature, or due to adding oversoftened or partially melted butter. I would suggest refrigerating 10-15 minutes at a time and continuing to mix and it should come together.
Can I use pasteurized egg whites in a carton?
Hi Hannah, it is difficult to say. I have had some readers report poor results using carton whites. It could be due to additives in the whites but it could also have been due to a change in the process or deviating from recipe instructions.
Hi! Im anxious to try your recipe and compare to mine, If I were to cut this recipe in half, how many egg whites would I use? Thanks in advance
3-4 egg whites should be alright Pam. Let me know how it goes!
Wow! First time of making this and its a success. Will never use American buttercream again. I made ahead of time in case it didn’t work out to use on a couple of large valentines cakes that I’m making for people. Will keep in the fridge for a few days before using. Thanks for the great recipe and excellent method x
Hello Christine. I am happy to hear that the recipe was a success! Thank you for sharing.
Hi there, how many cups of buttercream does this recipe leave you with? I need enough for a semi naked 4 layer 9 inch cake
Hi Victoria, this recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake OR it will ice 24 plus cupcakes so doubling it would be a good idea! One of our readers wrote, “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” I hope that helps
Hi,
I was wondering if I could use aquafaba instead of egg whites for a vegan alternative. If so, how much would I put in?
Hi Angela, to be honest, I have not tested that with a vegan substitute to advise. This recipe relies on the egg whites but if you find a solution I would love to know how you like that.
It’s not very effective in an Australian summer with humidity of 90%
It’s been mixing for 35 minutes and it’s still not coming together. And that is after is 100% was cold enough, butter was still cold to touch just soft and with 2 x 10m in the fridge.
Sadly this isn’t work the amount of time and money to make in this climate in Australia French butter cream works a bit
better here
Yes, the humidity will affect the recipe. We try to keep it in a controlled in a home environment even during the hazy days of summer. Thank you for sharing that with me.
Hi! I’m wondering how can you make the buttercream so white? They’re lovely!
Hi Kat, some butters are more yellow in color and make this less white. 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.
Thank you so much for the info
This frosting is simply amazing! Can you add flavoring to it? If so should I use an extract? I am looking for a light option to decorate a sour cream pound cake in a few days. Was hoping for a lemon flavor. Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi Rebecca! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this frosting. Normally flavorings are added at the very end. If you try something new, I would suggest trying to add it to a small batch in a ramekin to be sure it doesn’t hurt the consistency and to see if you enjoy the overall flavor. There are so many ideas! Almond extract, liqueurs, fruit puree or preserves, the list goes on. You might google to get ideas for add-ins, depending on the type of cake you’re making. If you are adding another then I would sub the vanilla.
How much icing does this recipe make?
Hi Lauryn, this recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake OR it will ice 24 plus cupcakes so doubling it would be a good idea! One of our readers wrote, “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” I hope that helps
Hi, your frosting taste amazing, but I messed it up again. After five minutes of whipping the sugar and eggs, I had stiff peaks.
Once I added the butter, it became a little too wet/soupy. I tried to heat longer, but it became crystalized looking. Any advice would be appreciated!!!
Hi Anna, there is a period of time where it looks soupy and looks like it won’t come together but be patient and give it a few more minutes. Please see the troubleshooting tips above which cover the most common questions about SMBC frosting.
Hi there
How far in advance can I make this?
Thankyou
Hi Cindy, it will be fine to cover and refrigerate for several days, just be sure to bring it to room temperature then re-beat it to smooth and fluff the frosting
I’m trying to use mine after 3 days in the refrigerator but it is VERY runny. It whipped up just fine when I made it. How can I whip it to bring it to its former glory?
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.
It seems if I hear it longer, it looks like the butter is breaking down and the mixture is not smooth anymore but looks liken it broke down. Is that possible.
Hi Gaylene, typically it will look a little soupy before it comes together. It almost looks like it won’t come together just before it does. If it stays that way too long, I suggest refrigerating for 10 minutes at a time then continuing to beat longer.
This is the best buttercream frosting recipe I have tried. It is absolutely perfect! Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Ok, I admit I got a little panicky after the butter was added because it didn’t thicken up, but just took a little longer. 5 more minutes of mixing with the paddle attachment and it looks and tastes like heaven, thank you for the recipe!!
I’m so glad that worked out for you Hope! Thank you for the amazing feedback.
I’m going to give this a second shot today! I’ve been on a macaron kick lately. Do you think it would work well for that or is it too light?
Hi Sarah, I think it would still taste good but it doesn’t have a distinct flavor so I don’t usually use it for macarons.
Directions made it easy! Taste is great, smooth and elegant. I used a glass mixer bowl, but anticipated longer mix time. Thank you!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Wow, I don’t think I realized that I don’t like American buttercream until now. This is so smooth and buttery. I’ve tried different buttercream recipes and they always seem kind of grainy, heavy, and too sweet. This was so light and fluffy and delicious! I was a little rushed so I don’t think I gave each step quite enough time, so it came out slightly runny. But even runny this was the best buttercream ever! Totally worth the extra effort.. I might never make “traditional” buttercream again.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Chrystal!
how many cups does this recipe makes?
Hi Phem, this recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake OR it will ice 24 plus cupcakes so doubling it would be a good idea! One of our readers wrote, “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” I hope that helps
Is there any chance I can substitute the egg whites with meringue powder or pasteurized eggs whites? If so, what would be the amount?
Hi Angela, you can use pasteurized eggs. Keep in mind, when you put them over the hot steam, you are essentially pasteurizing them (see second paragraph).
Oh ok, thx! Though, would I have the need to heat the pasteurized egg whites like we do with normal egg whites?
Hi Angela, that is correct – otherwise, the sugar won’t incorporate properly.
Frosting never thickened. More like a glaze. Salvaged by adding an additional stick of butter and a package of cream cheese and a couple of scoops of powdered sugar.
I’m so glad that worked out for you. We have tips on thickening it in the recipe, I hope you find that helpful.
hi…what do you do with the egg yolks.. I’m not a fan of making custard. won’t feel good throwing them away
Hi Aby, I don’t really have many egg yolk only recipes. I know you’re not a fan of custard but my custard cake uses a lot of egg yolks. If anyone else has any great suggestions, please share and thanks in advance!!
I recommend a North Carolina lemon pie! It has the consistency of key lime pie but with a delicious lemon flavor.
Lemon curd or chocolate mousse for fillings
I was so excited for this but I must have went wrong somewhere.. My butter had been sitting on the counter all day and was really soft, my frosting turned out really thick, like marshmallow cream! I will say that it was delicious but nothing like this.
Hi Kayla, that is very likely due to having overly soft butter. I would suggest refrigerating for 10-15 minutes at a time then beating again. I hope that helps.
Hi, I’m a newbie baker, I really wanna try this for my soon-to-be 1 year old daughter’s birthday cake! But I have a question… I’m planning to use little bit of Natural food dye, which will be the red cabbage juice. So I’m worried that if cream turns out too runny. What can I add to cream if it comes to that? Thanks!! I am a Huge fan of yours. Love your sense of humors
Hi Sophie, I haven’t tested it with that cabbage juice to advise. You sure can use color though! I would 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 would add the at the very end.
Ahhhhhh. 3 times today. 21 eggs. 9 sticks of butter. 6 cups sugar. All. Wasted. My mixer ran til it was hot. Egg whites and sugar was perfect. When I added the butter it became too soft. It was for my own birthday cake because I had made it once before and it was perfect.I don’t know what was different.
Hi Trevor, it sounds like your mixture isn’t cooling down enough before adding butter. If it is too soft, I would recommend refrigerating the mixture after the butter is added for 10-15 minutes at a time then continue mixing. In most cases, you can salvage the mixture and don’t have to start over. You can also help cool down your bowl faster by wrapping a chilled towel under the bowl while mixing. Could your mixer be in a warmer spot than usual?
Have you ever made this without a whisk attachment? I don’t have one …
Hi Courtney, it would be extremely difficult without a whisk attachment. You could use an electric hand mixer with egg beaters but that would take considerably longer and would be tiring.
It looks amazing. thank you for this recipe. anyone tried pasteurized eggs? just wonder would egg whites be any different. making kids bday cake so I wanna make sure it’s safe.
Hi Gorana, you can use pasteurized eggs. Keep in mind, when you put them over the hot steam, you are essentially pasteurizing them (see second paragraph).
Can I flavor this frosting? I want to add freeze dried strawberries (in powder form) to flavor it.
Hi Heather, I haven’t tried that but it sounds like a great idea. Since you would add flavoring at the end, I would suggest mixing in a small amount in a separate dish to ensure it doesn’t change the texture and that you are getting the flavor you want.
Hi Heather, I have made this recipe many times. Most of the time I mill freeze dried strawberries into a powder with tiny chunks as well. I then add it just before it’s finally whipped, or you can mix it in by hand if you like more prominent swirls. It’s good to do it hours before you are going to eat the cake because the little strawberry flecks soften and they taste so yummy, add a little zing to the flavour. also be aware, it has tiny pink flecks through the frosting, which looks lovely, but can sometimes make the frosting a tiny little more yellow. It tastes great on vanilla cake as well as lemon cakes.
I also make coffee flavoured frosting with this recipe. I mix 2 or 3 heaped teaspoons of instant coffee with a tiny ammount of milk, probably about a teaspoon, enough to make the coffee dissolve properly but not too much as you don’t want to make the frosting sloppy. This tastes amazing on vanilla, chocolate, banana, or coffee cake.
Good luck, this is the best recipe
Hi Corrinne, Thank you so much for sharing those tips with us.
This recipe is incredible! I’ve tried other different buttercream recipes, and none of them stand up to how perfect this is! I will never use another recipe after discovering this one!
Sounds like you found a new favorite, Taylor!
Temperature is truly key! I ended up making two batches of SMBC, the first of which I thought was a failure. I have a Bosch mixer, which uses a double attachment system, and typically mixes/whips things rather quickly. The first batch was like mixing soft taffy- it would not come together, even though I was sure my meringue was cool enough, and my butter not too warm. I scrapped that into a container and set it in the fridge, thinking I’d have to figure something else out with it. The second batch was with much cooler butter, and voila- it suddenly came together like magic! So, I emptied that 2nd batch into a bowl and put the first batch back into the mixer to try again (chilled for 30 minutes by that time) and the original batch came together rather quickly as well. So… I thought I had ruined my meringue the first time, but in reality, it truly was a temperature issue. Used a few drops of organic lemon and orange essential oils to flavor the frostings for a fruity-flavored birthday cake. Yum!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Aimee! Thank you for that awesome feedback I’m sure our readers will find this helpful!
No rating, yet. Whipped my egg-whites per the time suggested, however, using a Bosch mixer which utilizes double attachments (instead of a single attachment head). Should have watched my meringue mixture more closely- ended up with a taffy-like meringue and now a buttercream that refuses to hold shape.
Can I add cocoa to make it chocolate flavored?
Hi Phem, I haven’t tested this with chocolate but here is what one of our readers wrote “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” I hope that helps.
I melted some good quality dark chocolate and mixed that in and it tasted divine
oh that sounds amazing! How much chocolate and did you add it at the very end?
It was a bit trial and error. I was just using up a small quantity to top a chocolate cake, so I probably used 3 squares of chocolate melted in the microwave! Hope that helps…
Thank you for sharing!
I’m definitely going to give this a try! I’m just wondering how long can you store this buttercream?
Hi Annie, it will keep tightly covered in the fridge up to 2 weeks and up to 2 months in the freezer. See the make-ahead tips above for bringing it back to its creamy consistency.
Hi,
I was going to make this recipe for a cake shortly. Can you tell me the size of cake (and the number of layers) this amount of SMBC would cover?
I am making a 4 layered 10″ cake and just want to make sure I have enough so it is the same consistency and texture.
Thanks so much.
Hi Rachel, this recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake OR it will ice 24 plus cupcakes so doubling it would be a good idea! One of our readers wrote, “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” I hope that helps
Hi Natasha,
I’ve made your recipe a dozen times and it is PERFECT! It’s creamy with just the right amount of sweetness. It took some trial and error but now I can make SMBC with my eyes closed! It pairs perfectly with red velvet cake (with cream cheese frosting in between the layers, and SMBC on the outer layer) and chocolate cake. Thank you!
You’re welcome, Amtul!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!!
Can you use the egg whites you buy in the carton?
Hi Debbie, it is difficult to say. I have had some readers report poor results using carton whites. It could be due to additives in the whites but it could also have been due to a change in the process or deviating from recipe instructions.
Yes! I do it all the time. But I do use 100% egg whites.
Hi Natasha! I am looking at baking a 2layer 8in chocolate cake with a raspberry filling. I will like to use the swiss meringue buttercream to frost the outside of the cake. Can you please help me with how much should I be increasing or reducing from your recipe for a quanity that I would need?
TIA
Hi, it depends on how you plan to decorate the cake and how much frosting you like but I think 1 recipe would work great for your cake. Here is an example of a 9-inch chocolate cake we frosted with 1 full recipe of this SMBC frosting and it worked great.
Hi, I’m just wondering if this would be OK if the cake was refrigerated overnight? The cake I’m making will have a custard filling so I’ll need to keep it in the fridge but I’m worried the buttercream will get a crust and look weird.
Hi Jaime, this buttercream frosting does not form a crust but does serve better at room temperature (when it softens), but it is still tasty out of the fridge. It is safe to refrigerate and it will look nice the next day. I would suggest covering it either with a cake carrier or carefully under a pot to keep the fridge odors from absorbing into the cake.
I love this icing. It takes some patience but is so worth it in the end.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for that awesome review, Cindy!
Once I was able to get this frosting together, it was so worth the stress. Firstly, I’ve never made meringue so I grossly underestimated the amount of time it would take to whip into peaks and be room temp, it took mine over 30 minutes (but maybe my egg/sugar mixture was too warm before I whipped it, I don’t have a candy thermometer).
The bowl felt like it was cool enough to add the butter, but the consistency of the frosting after adding it suggests it was still a little too warm. After reading through the comments, I put the bowl in the refrigerator for a few minutes and tried whipping it again. It finally turned into fluffy frosting.
My next biggest issue was trying to color it. It doesn’t want to take color very well, maybe I need to try darker shades to achieve the colors I want with this frosting, so maybe if you have tips about coloring the frosting you could add that to the recipe.
After all that, I’ve come to a couple conclusions about this recipe:
1) I need to make this frosting way ahead of time to prevent another stress meltdown
2) borrow/buy a candy thermometer
3) buy darker colors of dye to achieve the colors I want.
Overall this was a delicious frosting, even my vegan mother-in-law loved it (she knew it wasn’t vegan). Will definitely make again.
Thank you so much for sharing!
You don’t need darker colors! Mix your colors with some of the meringue first (you can leave a quarter to half cup out before adding the butter if needed) and it will color much more easily.
How many cupcakes should this frost?
Hi Kelly, This recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It will ice about 24 plus cupcakes. One of our readers wrote, “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” I hope that help put it into perspective.I hope that helps!
Yummy! I made 1/2 the recipe because I had egg whites in the freezer, it worked like a charm. I also put in half and half lemon/vanilla extract because it was going on a lemon cake. I will definitely make this again. Thank you, Natasha.
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Andrea!
I made this and it is so good by the way! But it was really thin and wasn’t coming together and I was starting to get Freaked out thinking I did something wrong and then stuck it in the fridge for about 10 minutes and it worked. I love this Recipe I just wish I could make a bigger batch.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I have tried making this twice now and gotten the same soupy end result. After the first time I thought maybe I wasn’t patient enough and the meringue was maybe still too warm. I waited longer and until the meringue was completely room temp the second time. I really would like to use this type of buttercream to decorate a cake. Any help will be very much appreciated.
Hi Sara, it can look soupy before it comes together and that is normal. If it stays soupy after a few extra minutes of mixing, it is likely due to adding butter before the meringue fully reached room temperature, or due to adding oversoftened or partially melted butter. I would suggest refrigerating 10-15 minutes at a time and continuing to mix and it should come together.
Hi, Mine was soupy too, I put in the refrigerator for 20 mins twice but same consistency…. what am I doing wrong?
H Riz, it could be that the butter was added when the mixture wasn’t fully at room temperature of the butter was too warm – Try also wrapping a chilled towel around the base to speed up the cooling process.
I would love to make this recipe for my daughter’s birthday cake. Is it safe to add gel coloring to it or would that affect its stability?
Hi Courtney, you could add that a little at a time at the very end.
I’d like to know if I double it can I do it in one batch. So put 14 egg whites and 4 cups of sugar and 6 sticks of butter in the mixer – will it be too much for the mixer?
Hi Ana, unless it is an industrial-sized mixer, it will overwhelm the mixer nad will take a really long time to beat and cool to room temperature.
I ended up using my two mixers. Funny thing, one set up perfectly and the other was a bit runny but popped it in the freezer for a bit and boom it whipped up nicely. I incorporated a goat milk caramel (cajeta) that I made specifically for this frosting. It was delicious!
Thank you for sharing that, Ana! I’m so glad that worked out for you.
I have made this and i loved it. So much better than american buttercream.I have another plan to make a creamcheese frosting. I would like to know if this recipe would be safe if i combined a 200 gms of cream cheese or maybe more to get a version of cream cheese swiss meringue buttercream? I would like to know if this can hold to frost a cake or cupcakes.
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Hi Natasha I made this Swiss Meringue buttercream last week and it is so delicious! I was planning to use it to decorate my sisters wedding cake but when I went to the cake decorating shop they seemed to think it wouldn’t hold up well? I am doing 2 tiers.
It is a concern because obviously the icing does t crust and remains soft so would it hold ok on the bottom layer once I put the top layer on. My other option is to use you American buttercream. The one they sold me at the shop is awful to work with and tastes too sweet! I am just getting so indecisive about which way to go!
Hi Karen, I see buttercream more commonly used for making wedding cakes and I wonder if that is the reason – because it holds up better and can support stacked cakes. I’m not an expert in wedding cakes – you might try googling that. Sorry I can’t be more helpful.
Thank you Natasha- I will go with the American buttercream this time. So now I have a beautiful batch of SMBC in my freezer ready for the next birthday cake! I used some the other day to cover a chocolate cake- I just mixed in some melted dark chocolate- my it was THE nicest chocolate frosting ever!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Could I add caramel sauce to this?
Hi Kris, I honestly haven’t tried with caramel sauce. I would google search that to see if anyone else has tested it. Let me know if you try that out.
I used this recipe for a stacked sweet 16 cake and it was great! Also need to say it was in Florida in 90 degree weather and humid. Cake was inside but still. . . Just make sure to refrigerate overnight. I have pics if you would like to see.
That’s so great, Stefanie! Thank you for sharing that with me!
This is a spectacular buttercream recipe. I love love the taste and consistency! My thermometer failed so I whisked for 5 minutes and prayed and it was just fine. I also lacked a whisk attachment for my Kitchenaid stand mixer so I used my hand mixer. Again, no problem! It spreads and pipes perfectly. Thank you so much Natasha
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi Natasha,
Last night I made a batch(which looked fine)and left it at room temp. This morning it looked a bit separated and not as fluffy, so I re-whipped it before using it. By the time I finished piping my cupcakes(around 20 mins), the frosting became firm, kinda like butter. Is it due to temperature? My room temp is around 66-68F. Every time I make this, the frosting feels dense and buttery, not really fluffy. I follow your recipe exactly and I beat on low/med speed for 15mins after adding butter. What am I doing wrong? Thank you!
Hi, I haven’t had that experience, but it could be due to a colder room temperature, although it shouldn’t cool down that quickly. Are you making any other substitutions or changes?
No I did not. I cooked the egg whites to 160F and beat till stiff. And I kept the frosted cupcakes in plastic container in room temp for 12 hours. By evening the frosting looked shiny and greasy, almost translucent. Tasted like greasy butter. Maybe I’ll give it a try again
I made this SMBC twice and failed, it was a soupy mess, I made sure that the meringue was at room temperature before adding In the butter, also tried to follow the comments by popping it into the fridge before re-whipping, and even went to the extent of wrapping a cold towel around my kitchen aid it didn’t work for my two tries. I compared a few recipes, could it be that there was too little butter? Please help!
Hi YH, 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.
Hi.. I plan to use the recipe. I will be frosting an 8inch round cake with 5 inches height…is this recipe enough for this sie of cake? pls let me know.
Hi Xen, This recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake OR 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 hope that help put it into perspective.
Do you have a recipe for Italian buttercream frosting? I love your recipes and would like your take on it.
Hi Gina, I don’t at this time but thank you for the great suggestion!
Hi Natasha,
I made your SMBC and it tastes heavenly. I used it under fondant and my issue was that it softened so fast even before I finished covering the cake with the fondant. I had the iced cake refrigerated overnight before the fondant. The cake was ruined. ..what did I do wrong? (It was 60F rainy NY weather while I was putting the fondant on)
Hi Jean, I honestly haven’t tried putting SMBC under fondant. Was the SMBC firm and spreadable when you were applying it to your cake?
It was nice and spreable and good consistency. And it was nice and solid when I took the cake out of the refrigerator. It’s just that it softened so fast in room temperature.
Maybe some condensation sweated from the inning once it came out of the fridge? Room temp might be better and more “sticky” and dense to hold the fondant… idk just a thought.
Would you half the recipe for making 30 french maccarons?
Hi Grace, I’m not sure I understand your question. Are you planning on using this as a filling for your macarons?
PERFECT! Absolutely beautiful, silky smooth and delicious! I used carton whites for convenience & followed the recipe to tee, though did find it took a little longer for my egg whites & sugar to come to the correct temperature (I used a candy thermometer). Will definitely make again, I prefer it’s flavour and the fact that it is not sickly sweet like traditional buttercream.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
PERFECT! Absolutely beautiful, silky smooth and delicious! I followed the recipe to tea, though did find it took a little longer for my egg whites & sugar to come to the correct temperature (I used a candy thermometer). Will definitely make again, I prefer it’s flavour and the fact that it is not sickly sweet like traditional buttercream.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I’ve made this recipe about 3 times.
I’m getting ready to only do a half of the recipe and hoping it works out. I need to do a tiny cake and don’t want to waste ingredients.
In the future, I may store leftover icing in the fridge.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
i also would like to know, if i will have an excess frosting, can i freeze it? if yes, how long should you freeze this kind of frosting ? safe lifespan to be considered that it is still viable to use for frosting cakes/cupcakes?
thank you
Hi Xen, It will keep well in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, just let it come to room temp and re-whip with the paddle attachment to make it fluffy again. 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!
Oh my goodness, this is amazing! My kids like it better than regular buttercream frosting. I love how light it is. This was my first attempt at SM buttercream and it came out perfectly. I did cut the recipe in half because I thought it’s make a lot, but I only had enough to frost 12 cupcakes. Next time I’ll keep the recipe as is. It did take me almost 15 minutes to get my egg whites and sugar up to 160 degrees. I used a thermometer because I’m pregnant and paranoid about making sure the temp is right so it’s safe to ingest while pregnant. Thank you again, this was amazing and easy to follow!
You’re welcome, Ellen! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
First time making this Swiss meringue buttercream and I’ll never go back to a traditional buttercream! This was absolutely delicious and my family approves!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Dena! Thank you for the wonderful review!
This is the best frosting recipe I’ve ever tried! How about making it chocolate? Would I add melted chocolate at the same stage as I do the vanilla?
Hi Sara, 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!
hi natasha,most smbc want 1:2:2.5 ratio for eggs sugar butter.yours has less butter.does it hold well and pipe?i wan tot make a dol cake and make swirls of colored smbc…will ti hold and pipe wel?also since it has less butter than sugar does it taste sweet so those who dont like butter taste,liek this?i am conserned on piping and holding well..thanks
Hi Antony, We think we found the perfect balance. I recommend looking through the recipe comments. Here is what one of our readers wrote “Finally, a swiss buttercream that is absolutely PERFECT! Not so sweet, not too buttery tasting, but exactly what I was looking for” I hope that helps.
Can you add colour to this icing? And if so at what stage?
Hi Christy, I would add color at the very end, adding a little at a time until the desired color is reached.
Thank you!
Thanks.can i add some powder sugar in it so i can color it.better?like half cup or should cut back on caster sugar in egg mixture?thanks
Ps…didnt want to sound bad.by.asking if it holds in pipping…hahaha..but i do wonder if it slides from cake or it is stable…haha.thanks and i am.gonna try it
Hi Antonis, I haven’t tried powdered sugar so I’m not sure how it would affect the frosting – I actually don’t recall in my research coming across a recipe that calls for powdered sugar in this type of buttercream.
Hi Natasha, This icing is so delicious!!! I’ve only used it for cupcakes but would it be okay to coat a cake? Or would a normal buttercream hold on the sides better? Also can I ice the cake and put it in the fridge overnight? I’m sorry I gave up trying to find the answer in the comments, there’s sooo many! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Hi Hannah! I don’t see why not! This recipe makes enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake.
This is the best SM buttercream. Things I hate about american buttercream: too sweet, the buttery taste and the crusting. This bc holds up well, pipes well and tastes good!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Trish! Thank you for that amazing review.
My smbc ended up with granules.. instructions were followed, eggwhiye sugar mix was whisked till 160temp, touched the mix to chk if sugar had dissolved which it did..but when I started whisking granules formed. What I do wrong?
Hi Ami, I haven’t seen that happen before – did you possibly use a different kind of course or larger granule sugar or could the granules have been at the bottom?
I feel like I have been beating the frosting for a long time at last phase and it’s still not stiff.
Hi Theresa, I’d recommend refrigerating for 10-15 minutes and then continue mixing.
Do you know if boxed egg whites will turn out with the same results?
Hi Jennifer, it is difficult to say. I have had some readers report poor results using carton whites. It could be due to additives in the whites but it could also have been due to a change in the process or deviating from recipe instructions.
I use Walmart’s Great Value Cage Free Egg whites for this without any issues! Go for it!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Anna!
Hello can anyone tell me if this recipe is good with Russian Nozzles.
Thanks
Hi Angela, I don’t see why not. It pipes very well.
I’ve tried this recipe and my Swiss butter cream was lovely thank you for the wonderful recipe and instructions.
Now I’m thinking I’d like to make chocolate Swiss butter cream. Do you have a recipe for this please?
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Sophie, 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!
How much does this recipe make??
Hi Esha, This recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake OR it will ice 24 plus cupcakes so doubling it would be a good idea! One of our readers wrote, “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” I hope that help put it into
Hi natasha! Will this be ok to cover a wedding cake ( no fondant on top). If so how much to cover a 10 inch and 8 inch cake.?
Hi Karen, 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. This recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake OR 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 hope that help put it into perspective.
Thanks Natasha, sorry I am still a bit confused
I want this to be the frosting on the cake as it is?
I am thinking a crusting buttercream as the crumb coat and then this recipe on top as the final frosting. It is a rustic style so doesn’t need to be perfectly smooth! I intend to run a flat spatula around it to create ‘ridges’ for want of a better word! Will it hold ok? I live in Queensland Australia and it can be quite warm…
I made the buttercream yesterday- it worked like a dream though it took forever to get the egg whites and sugar up to to 160! I think I need a different pan and bowl combo!
It is so smooth and creamy and tastes delicious (I added clear vanilla essence at the end)
Hello Natasha. I’m hoping that you can help me. I just made this today. It seemed kinda runny, so I put it in the fridge. After some time in the fridge, the frosting seemed okay enough to pipe on my cupcakes, but turns back into a runny mess after I have frosted a few cupcakes and I have to put my piping bag back in the fridge. Any ideas on how to fix this for next time?
Hi Kay, 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
Hello Natasha.
Thanks for following up. I live in Miami, Fl, so I suppose it’s humid everywhere lol. I keep my AC at 72 degrees.
I think my problem was that my meringue never stiffened the way it should, based on pictures I found online while troubleshooting.
I have a surplus of egg whites (making too much ice cream!!) so I decided to give it a go again today. This time, I added a pinch of cream of tartar and also cooled the cooked egg mixture to around 95 degrees before whipping. I think it took about 35 mins but I THINK I got a properly stiff meringue this time. I proceeded with the recipe and it’s now in the fridge. Since I wasn’t sure if I would get it right, I didn’t bake anything to frost with it LOL. I guess I’ll see tomorrow how it turned out.
I hope that helps it, Kay!
Okay, so the frosting looked firm enough after a night in the fridge. But, because I am my own worst enemy, I decided to mix in some caramel to make it caramel flavored. I know, I know…too ambitious when I’m just starting out.
Anyway, it tasted AMAZING on my pumpkin spice cupcakes, but it still wouldn’t hold its shape at room temperature. My coworkers didn’t mind eating them in a hurry, though. I was able to pipe more cupcakes than I was able to on the previous attempt, so I’m getting closer.
I will keep trying!
Thank you for sharing that with us, Kay! Sometimes its best to experiemnt and keep trying until you get it right.
Hi! Tried this tonight for the first time. The flavor was great, but it was really soupy so I let it go a couple minutes longer. Then it was almost chunky and gritty. There really was no in-between stage. Do you know why this may of happened? Would you recommend putting in the fridge next time it’s a bit soupy instead?
Hi Sarah, it can look soupy before it comes together and that is normal. If it stays soupy after a few extra minutes of mixing, it is likely due to adding butter before the meringue fully reached room temperature, or due to adding oversoftened or partially melted butter. I would suggest refrigerating 10-15 minutes at a time and continuing to mix and it should come together.
I made this exactly as the recipe says and it turned out perfectly. Buttery, smooth and just delicious. I haven’t tried piping with it yet but will soon. My new go to recipe. Thanks!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Rebecca!
I’ve now been whipping the egg white and sugar mixture for over an hour and it still hasn’t gotten past the soft peak stage. I’ve refrigerated it twice, and that actually seems to be making it *worse*!
Do I just give up, start adding butter, and hope for the best. Or do I continue into hour 2 of whipping?
Hi Amy, 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.
Ok! Gave up and just added butter at the 90 minute mark. It seems to have come together, despite not reaching stiff peaks.
Holy moly, but this is the best icing I’ve ever tasted. Even with all the hassle, I’ll never make another type of icing again.
Is there a way to use crisco in this recipie instead of butter?
Hi Crystal, I have not tried it with that to advise.
Hi Natasha! I have used this recipe along with many others of yours. They all came out great! I am now making maple cupcakes and was wondering. Is there any way to makes the swiss merengue frosting with maple flavor.
Hi Debbie, I just haven’t tested that and I also haven’t seen that done. I would suggest googling for maple extract swiss meringue and see if someone has already tested that. Without trying it, I can’t advise on that.
Hi I tried this recipe yesterday. Followed it to a T. The meringue looked perfect but as soon as I added the butter it’s gone soupy and seems to have split. I live in the UK we’re not known for warm weather. But I put it in the fridge overnight and nothing has changed much. The liquid just sank to the bottom. Help!
Hi Cassie, it should not have separated (as you described the liquid sinking to the bottom). Make sure you have the meringue look shiny and form stiff peaks and be completely at room temperature (not a hint of warmth) before adding the butter. Also, the butter should just be softened and not over softened or partially melted. If the butter is too warm, it will have difficulty forming. If the mixture separated, I suspecdt either the butter was too loose or the meringue was too warm when butter was added.
Like many other reviews, I too couldn’t get the frosting to thicken up even after multiple rounds of refrigerating for 15 minutes and whipping. I did that three times and nearly gave up until I decided to try freezing the frosting for 15 minutes and whipping for 2. This was the only thing that salvaged it for me! Even then, I was trying to make an ombré cake which proved super difficult because the frosting kept reverting to a soupy mess. Overall, the flavor was amazing which made the frosting worth the hassle.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing those steps with us!
You need to add at least one more bar of butter. It will turn up soupy and think you did something wrong.
Trying to put it on the refrigerator and it doesnt work. Add another bar of butter to the recipe.
Hi, it can look soupy before it comes together and that is normal. If it stays soupy after a few extra minutes of mixing, it is likely due to adding butter before the meringue fully reached room temperature, or due to adding oversoftened or partially melted butter. I would suggest refrigerating 10-15 minutes at a time and continuing to mix and it should come together.
I’m a very inexperienced baker and wanted to make a birthday cake for somebody special. This icing came together beautifully for me on the first try using an old hand mixer and plastic measuring bowls.
I did use a large glass bowl as my double boiler for melting the sugar and whipping it into a meringue. Once the meringue was whipped I transferred that into a larger plastic bowl to add the butter one tablespoon sized chunk at a time. Perhaps switching the bowls like this helped the meringue cool faster. I also used butter that was a bit colder than maybe I had originally planned on using and this seemed to help as well. It was firm, cold to the touch but I could still press my finger into it.
The icing was DELICIOUS! Not greasy at all. Everybody loved it.
This recipe made enough for me to crumb coat my 5 inch (4 layer) cake, ice the outside with a nice thick, smooth layer of buttercream, and also pipe some rosettes onto the top.
Hopefully this review helps to encourage someone to give this recipe a try!
I’m so happy to hear about your success. Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
This frosting was simply fabulous! I usually scrape buttercream off and just eat the cake but this one I was eating by the spoonful. So silky, smooth and had an almost caramelised flavour to it and the hint of salt wasn’t sensational. Thanks for sharing; my daughters cake turned out so beautiful and delish.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! Thank you for sharing that with me!
I made this frosting and it is by far the most delicious frosting I have ever eaten let alone made. I love it!!!! This is the only frosting I will ever make outside of my mother’s cream cheese frosting. Thanks for sharing this!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Karen!
How long this meringue can store in the fridge? just incase i have a leftover. I’m looking forward to see your next video making a Fondant for cup cake. My son loves your cupcakes.
Hi Kath, it will be fine to cover and refrigerate for several days, just be sure to bring it to room temperature then re-beat it to smooth and fluff the frosting
Amazing recipe for beginners! LOVED IT!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Where do you get to choose how much you make?
Hi Kristin, we don’t have that option for this recipe. This recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake OR it will ice 24 plus cupcakes so doubling it would be a good idea! One of our readers wrote, “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” I hope that help put it into perspective.
Hi Natasha, I’ve tried this twice and both times had issues dissolving the sugar in the egg whites, it never stopped feeling grainy even after reaching 160 degrees. I used a clean stainless bowl of my stand mixer and a hand mixer whisk attachment to mix over the simmering pot of water. I tried for 15 minutes probably. What would you suggest?
Hi Jenya, I’d be happy to troubleshoot. I also recommend reading through some of the comments, there are quite a few tips in there you may find helpful. Did you use a different kind of sugar maybe or used more than? Was anything else altered in the recipe?
Thanks for replying! I used plain granulated sugar. The other comments seem to have difficultly with the butter step which worked great for me! I just had slightly grainy smbc at the end. I want to try again tomorrow.
Do you add the sugar bit by bit or all at once? Do you whisk slowly or quickly (I read in the comments someone did it slowly by hand). How much of the egg sugar mixture is above the simmering water (meaning, the circumference of my mixer bowl is bigger than the pot, so some of the contents are directly over the water in the pot, but maybe some are further up the sides of the mixing bowl so they are not directly over the simmering water).
Hi Jenya, ideally, the bowl should be over the steam and not touching water. You might try a different pot. I do add all of the sugar at once. It helps if you feel the mixture between your fingers – it’s ready when it feels hot to the touch, reaches the right temperature and should not feel grainy between your fingers. You do want the sugar to dissolve. I hope that helps!
Just wanted to say this time was a success! Came together great! I whisked by hand whereas before I used an electric hand whisk, and I used a different thermometer to make sure I got to 160, even though I actually felt the sugar dissolve sooner. I still got some sugar crusting/sticking to the top of my bowl but it was minor and I scraped it away before moving to the stand mixer.
“Recipe has gone hit at first attempt”
I made 1.5 batch of this recipe to frost 35-38 medium size cupcakes .
I’m from Pakistan and despite the weather here is hot and humid I made 1.5 batch of this recipe and it turned out soooooper luscious , smoooth and stable buttercream.
Some pointers that can help anyone to achieve best results at first attempt ;
Patience is the key to get the recipe result
Always measure the ingredients
Butter should b of room temperature. ( not too soft nor cold )
After dissolving egg white and sugar , beat the mixture till soft peak and then put bowl into the refrigerator for 5 minutes.
If you find your mixture is runny , please do not loose hope and keep whisking the mixture and you’ll end up having smooth buttercream .
I used hand mixer and it took little long for my SMBC to get along lol , I was getting impatient but I surely didn’t want to mess my handwork to I kept on whisking the mixture until I couldn’t get the desire consistency .
Thanks a million Natasha
Thank you so much for sharing that with me. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Can I save this runny frosting? Did everything as stated but transferred to glass bowl on stand mixer after heating.
Hi Cheryl, I would refrigerate for 10-15 minutes at a time and then continue beating 3 minutes which should help it reach the desired temperature to become fluffy. The most likely culprit is adding butter while it’s still warm or adding over-softened butter but it can be saved by cooling and continuing ot beat. Also, if you have an ice pack, you can cover it with a single paper towel and wrap the bottom of your mixing bowl and it will speed up your process.
Oh my goodness you did it!!!! Thank you so much. It is a very yummy buttercream and I hate wasting ingredients. Thank you again. I love your site no one has ever answered any questions as you do. Thank you!
You’re so nice! Thank you! I’m happy to help!
I just love this recipe – turns out perfect every single time. The only thing I’ve noticed is that it takes much longer than 15-20 minutes for the meringue to get to room temperature.
I’m so glad you enjoyed that! If it is in a warmer spot it will take longer.
Hi Natasha
Can u tell me how much SMBC will be made from this recipe?
Also I love ur recipes a lot.And u too.
Hi Vishmi, this recipe makes maybe 5 or 6 cups? It is enough to frost a 9″ two-layer cake OR it will ice 24 plus cupcakes so doubling it would be a good idea! One of our readers wrote, “I put a generous amount on 24 cupcakes and still had some left.” I hope that help put it into perspective.
Hi. I have used this recipe and it was wonderful. I’m curious if you have tried adding some caramel to make a caramel Swiss buttercream? If not, do you have any thoughts? I’m wondering if cutting back the sugar 1/2 cup would be too much, but then I would be adding 1/2 caramel sauce at the end? I know messing with sugar/butter ratios is not a good thing in baking. Thanks for your input.
Hi Holly, I haven’t tried and actually had to google it. I love that idea!! There are several recipes out there that add it to the end. You can add up to 1/2 cup based on what I’ve read and comparing proportions that are in our recipe. If you test it out, pretty please let me know how it goes! I’m so curious!!
Thanks. I’ll let you know. There is one “deconstructed” Swiss buttercream recipe that whips the butter first and then adds the whites/sugar/corn syrup…with the caramel at the end. Interesting idea…says it’s a very stable end product. I’m afraid to try some other recipe when I know yours is so yummy! Smiles!
Thank you so much for sharing that! I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed this one, sounds like you found a favorite!
Fantastic recipe, and really easy! I made a batch today and used to frost a birthday cake. The buttercream is really smooth and spreads beautifully.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Eva!
Hi Natasha, I’m keen to give this recipe a go seeing all the amazing reviews it’s gotten! I want to make a nutella swiss meringue buttercream to fill and frost a 4 layer 8 inch cake. Do you think this would make enough and how much nutella do you think I can add without compromising the texture?
Thanks in advance!!
Hi Lianne, 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’ve tried a number of SMBC recipes and you are right, this one is the best texture, flavour and success rate (always works for me). The reason I’ve tried other recipes is to make a flavoured buttercream and I’m afraid to experiment and loose all that butter and egg white. How much liquid could I add to this recipe and not compromise it’s wonderful consistency? I’m thinking lemon juice, lime juice, cooled melted chocolate, raspberry or blueberry puree, etc. Thanks for your wonderful website and recipes!
Hi Sharon, I don’t have specific amounts for those written down so the best I could tell you is add them to taste and a little at a time.
I used this recipe and added freeze dried raspberries that I had crushed to a powder. It was excellent!
great idea!
This is my new go to icing recipe. It’s a huge hit on every cake I’ve made. So light and creamy and not overly sweet. I’ve ran into a couple of issues, but I’ve always followed your advice and refrigerated it and it pulls through. I’ve also adapted it to make peanut butter flavored icing by adding in 1/2 a cup at the end and it tasted just like peanut butter pie filling. Thanks for sharing this amazing recipe!
You’re welcome Baylie! I’m glad you enjoyed that.
This is an excellent recipe and works perfectly! To cool the mixing bowl faster, I put two gel ice packs on the outside to chill the bowl, as I transfer to a thick glass bowl. It works very well. 🙂
I love that tip! Simply brilliant! I’m so glad you loved the swiss meringue buttercream frosting. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Natasha, I’ll share some pics of the llama cake later. I made a double (plus a bit) quantity of the buttercream. I was a bit worried it wasn’t going to thicken at first, but once I (very carefully) upped the mixer speed, it came together fine. It only just fit in my large Kitchenaid mixing bowl though! Such a lovely, silky icing.
That’s so great, Ali! I’m so glad you enjoyed that.
Hi- can I double the recipe?
Hi Rebecca, 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.
Hello! About how much frosting does this yield? Could I fill and frost a 6 inch, 3 layer cake? Thank you!
Hi Vaishalee, it will work great for that type of cake. Here is a 2-layer, 9″ cake that we frosted so you can gauge how it covered that and with a 6″ cake, that should work just fine.
Hi Rebecca, you can double the recipe, but only if you have a huge mixer bowl. I used the equivalent of 16 egg whites (a 500g carton of egg whites because I didn’t have time to separate 14 eggs!). I have a big Kitchenaid mixer bowl, which I transferred the mix to after it came off the stove. It took longer to cool down and a LOT more beating to get a thick consistency and it was hard to keep it in the bowl at higher mixing speed. So if you have time, doing two batches is probably better, but in the end it came out really well for me (after some panicky moments!).
Hi,
I tried this recipe today and the flavour was good but there was a problem. It was way too dense and it still had a buttery flavour. Could it be because of too much butter? Whenever I make Swiss meringue buttercream it always turns out buttery and very dense. Please help.
Thanks
Hi Anne, We think we found the perfect balance. I recommend looking through the recipe comments. Here is what one of our readers wrote “Finally, a swiss buttercream that is absolutely PERFECT! Not so sweet, not too buttery tasting, but exactly what I was looking for” Also, that may be 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 hope that helps!
Hi,
Thanks for the reply. I was wondering if it would be caused by not whipping enough after adding all the butter. Also is it necessary to refrigerate the meringue? And does the meringue need to be cold or at room temperature?
Thanks a ton
Hi Anne, it could be due to underwhipping after adding butter. Also, the cream should be piped or spread onto a cake while at room temperature and then it can be refrigerated. I let the dessert and frosting come back to room temperature to serve.
Hi,
Thanks for the reply. But I was wondering if I halved this recipe, would I use 3 egg whites or 4 egg whites since the amount of egg whites in this recipe is 7.
Thanks
Hi Anne, here is what one of our readers wrote “I halved it and used 4egg whites, large eggs. It was perfect!” I hope that helps.
This turned out beautifully i did have to whip it a bit longer but i think it was because it was a very warm day. The flavor is perfect….not overly sweet and its pipes perfectly
I’m so happy you enjoyed that, Jenn. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Hi,
I would like to know how many eggs I would have to use if I halved this recipe.
Thanks
Hi Anne, 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 halved it and used 4egg whites, large eggs. It was perfect!
Thank you for sharing that!
Can you clarify the amount of egg white needed please. It’s a bit confusing.
Thanks
Hi Anna, I apologize that did look confusing in the print friendly card, it is 7 large egg whites. I updated the recipe card so it reads more clearly. Thank you for asking!
I made this and it turned out perfect, Snow White and stable enough for piping. I use a 1M tip and my cupcakes were beautiful. The key is to follow the recipe exactly! At the end, beating it UNTIL it becomes light and fluffy. BE PATIENT! I added 1 teaspoon almond extract to mine! Thanks Natasha!
Thank you for sharing those awesome tips with us, Melanie!
If I want to make chocolate, when should I add Cocoa? Or should I add melted chocolate, if so when?
Hi Melanie, I’m so happy to hear this recipe is a hit! I haven’t tested this with chocolate but here is what one of our readers wrote “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” I hope that helps.
Hi natasha.could u plz tellme what happens if i add more butter?many recipes have triple butter to eggs and i dont like it too buttery but still i want it to hold shape.so this recipe makes stable ambc?is it good for frosting?also to add white chocolate how much should i use and if now its hot in my country,if i need to add more butter to be stable and not melting…or humidity and het has nothing to do?thank you very much
Hi Dimitra, I haven’t had the experience of this being too buttery. It’s stable enough to pipe onto a cake. Here is an example of a cake I made using this frosting. I haven’t tried adding white chocolate. You might experiment with a small batch at the end to make sure it doesn’t alter the consistency too much.
I really want to try this recipe but last time I tried to make it I feel it came out oily. What can I do about that! I’ve heard you can just keep mixing it and it usually fixes most complications with this icing.
Hi Amber, We think we found the perfect balance. I recommend looking through the recipe comments. Here is what one of our readers wrote “Finally, a swiss buttercream that is absolutely PERFECT! Not so sweet, not too buttery tasting, but exactly what I was looking for” Also, that may be 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 hope that helps!
Ok thanks you! I’ll give it another try.
Hi! This recipe looks great! My stand mixer only has glass bowls. Would this still work?
I glass bowl should still work.
Hi there!
I tried this recipe last weekend and it turned out SO WELL! It’s delicious, so smooth, and pipes beautifully. I used salted butter, and it was divine!
My only hiccup was when I was heating up the egg whites and sugar over the simmering pot. I was nervous that my egg whites weren’t heated all the way to 160F, and it definitely took much longer than 3 minutes. I used a candy/meat thermometer, and it only ever got up to 155F… this was after heating and whisking for more than 15 minutes, it was no longer gritty, and it was very hot to the touch. Everything still turned out great, but I made sure to heat it for much longer to ensure it would be safe to consume. Is there something I was doing wrong, for it not to warm all the way to 160F?
Thank you for your advice!!
You’re welcome, Anne! I’m glad you enjoyed that. Do you have a gas or electric cooktop? I”m wondering if the heat source was not consistent?
Hi Natasha! We have an electric top stove. I wonder too if something was wrong with my candy thermometer. What type would you recommend?
I found that it took no time for the sugar to dissolve, but it was just the heating to 160F that I couldn’t achieve😞
We use this one here and love it!
How much does it make?
Hi Raina, 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’m wondering if I could substitute meringue powder for the egg whites? (1 Tbsp powder + 1 Tbsp water should equal 1 egg white). Is there anything I would need to change? Or is this not recommended at all?
Hi Deb, 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
Everything was fine until I added a tbsp of butter. I’d made sure it was still cold, but it still turned soupy. I’ve tried refrigerating it for about 15 minutes and then whipping it for 4 min two times already but it just seems even more liquid. I added cream of tartar but after the egg whites were already whipped. Any ideas on how to fix?
Hi Laura, I wonder if it’s the cream of tartar that is throwing off the texture? I don’t use that in my recipe so I’m not sure. Were there any other substitutions? Did the egg whites look silky and reach stiff glossy peaks as shown in step 2?
I’m pretty sure my eggwhites reached that stage. I added cream of tartar after trying to whip it again after refrigerating because it’s supposed to be a stabilizer. However, I heard that it’s only effective when added before you whip the whites, sadly.
My first attempt at this was a total hit; even with a handheld mixer so I rate this a 5. However, my next attempt- with a kitchenaid stand mixer was traumatic, good it ended well although I had to refrigerate the frosting every 3minutes while piping the cake.
I’m still unsure what I did wrong- is it possible that the piping tip was too small? Can I use this to pipe smaller designs on my cake?
Also, is it ok to use pasteurized egg whites? I know the heat pasteurizes the eggs but just for my ease and comfort 😀
Last question, is there anything like over whipping the egg and sugar mixture?
Thank you Natasha!!!
Hi Anna, under-whipping is typically the issue with SMBC and making sure it gets completely to room temperature (bowl no longer feels warm at all) before adding room temperature butter. Also, if your butter is over-softened or partially melted, it will negatively affect the buttercream. I have had several readers report good results using pasteurized but the important thing is to find pasteurized whites with no additives or preservatives, just pure whites.
Thank you for your swift reply! I’ll give it another go and let you know the result.
I must say, I love your recipes!
You’re welcome, Anna! I’m glad that was helpful.
Hi, what kind of tip did you use to pipe it on the white cupcakes with sprinkles? The design looks like whipped cream out of a can!
Hi Laura, that is a Wilton 2D tip.
Just made this recipe with some adjustments: I had pasteurized egg white so I used that and I added 1/2 tsp cream of tartar as a stabilizer. Following recipe amounts of sugar and liquid whites, I set my mixer bowl over a bain marie and gently stirred mixture with a whisk until sugar granules dissolved, remove bowl and add the cream of tartar. Follow the rest of recipe instructions.
Result was a stable buttercream able to pipe borders and flowers. Great recipe which is a keeper!! Thanks for sharing:)
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Margaret!
Hi natasha! I love you recipes.. just wondering if I’d like to add a specific flavour for your swiss meringue buttercream, should i omit the vanilla? Or if i had to add them both, like what is the max grams i csn add for the flavouring? Thank you very much.
Hi there Kris, normally flavorings are added at the very end. If you try something new, I would suggest trying to add it to a small batch in a ramekin to be sure it doesn’t hurt the consistency and to see if you enjoy the overall flavor. There are so many ideas! Almond extract, liqueurs, fruit puree or preserves, the list goes on. You might google to get ideas for add-ins, depending on the type of cake you’re making. If you are adding another then I would sub the vanilla.