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. Watch the easy video tutorial and you will be a pro in no time!

Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting piped onto a cupcake

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Swiss Meringue Buttercream Video

Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) 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 a special occasion worthy frosting (scroll down to see the fun design I made for my niece and nephew’s puppy-themed birthday party). 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 as 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. It’s also freezer-friendly (see instructions below).

Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting on a spatula

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 a 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 the mixture between fingers), and the mixture will feel hot to the touch.

Two photos of a mixer with a mixture for Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Two photos one of mixture being cooked over a steam bath and one of fingers feeling the mixture

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).

Meringue with stiff peak on a whisk

3. Once bowl is at room temperature, switch to the 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.

Two photos of Swiss Meringue Buttercream in a mixing bowl
A mixing bowl of Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4. Add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt then mix on med-high until incorporated (about 1 min).

Two photos of vanilla extract being added into a mixing bowl with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

P.S. The tiny amount of salt at the end gives this frosting incredible depth of flavor.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream will become your go-to buttercream frosting. Swiss meringue buttercream is silky and pipes beautifully on cakes and cupcakes | natashaskitchen.com

Common Questions

Why is my meringue not reaching stiff peaks?

For egg whites to become glossy and reach stiff peaks, it’s critical to make sure your mixing bowl and attachments are free of any grease, egg yolks, or water. You need to start with thoroughly clean and dry tools.

Why is my Swiss Meringue Buttercream Soupy?

This is usually due to the mixture being too warm or adding the butter before the meringue has fully cooled down. Thankfully, it is easy to fix. Refrigerate the bowl for 15-20 minutes then continue mixing until the frosting thickens.

Can I use a hand mixer?

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.

Why is my frosting grainy?

Avoid using coarse sugar. Granulated sugar works best here. Also, make sure to heat your mixture over the water bath until it registers 160˚F on a thermometer.

Can I use SMBC to frost a cake?

Absolutely! See how we frosted our 9-inch, 2-layer Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream.

Stable smbc frosting piped on a vanilla cupcake

Make-Ahead

  • Room Temperature – Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a stable frosting, meaning it will keep well covered at room temperature for 1 to 2 days in a low humidity environment.
  • Refrigerator – cover and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Bring back to room temperature to re-whip before piping.
  • Freezing – SMBC can be frozen for up to 3 months. Transfer to a freezer-safe zip-top bag, squeeze out any excess air, and store flat for quicker thawing. Thaw at room temperature then re-whip for a few minutes to lighten it up.

More Frosting Recipes

We haven’t found a storebought frosting even comes close to homemade. If you love homemade frosting as much as we do, you’re sure to find some new favorite frosting recipes in this list:

Natasha's Kitchen Cookbook

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

4.93 from 562 votes
Author: Natasha Kravchuk
Swiss Meringue Buttercream will become your go-to buttercream frosting. Swiss meringue buttercream is silky and pipes beautifully on cakes and cupcakes | natashaskitchen.com
Swiss meringue buttercream is supremely better in both 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 very stable.
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

Servings: 24 (makes 5 cups) Frosts 9″ cake or 24 cupcakes
  • 7 oz egg whites, from 7 large egg whites
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened, (3 sticks)*
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/4 tsp 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 a large saucepan 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).

Notes

*Butter should be softened at room temp for 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.
Troubleshooting: If your frosting seems soupy, or won’t thicken up properly, this is usually due to the meringue or butter being too warm. See the Common Questions section above to troubleshoot. 
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Skill Level: Easy/Medium
Cost to Make: $

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).

Swiss Meringue Buttercream will become your go-to buttercream frosting. Swiss meringue buttercream is silky and pipes beautifully on cakes and cupcakes | natashaskitchen.com

If you make this frosting, let me know what you think of it in a comment below.

Natasha Kravchuk

Welcome to my kitchen! I am Natasha, the blogger behind Natasha's Kitchen (since 2009). My husband and I run this blog together and share only our best, family approved and tested recipes with YOU. Thanks for stopping by! We are so happy you're here.

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Recipe Rating




Comments

  • Umm Rascal
    August 26, 2017

    Hi. I tried this recipe today, it came out quite lumpy (looked curdled). Any idea why?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 26, 2017

      Hi Umm, if it looks curdled, you need to continue beating it and it will correct itself. It is pretty normal for Swiss Meringue buttercream to look that way while beating and then it corrects after a few more minutes of mixing.

      Reply

    • TanyaKots
      August 27, 2017

      Hello, so I made cream and it turned out runny at first too and got me a bit disappointed at first. I believe its because the butter was probably too soft. I put the cream for like 15 min in the fridge and beat it again for 1 min or so and it came together beautifully. Piped roses out of it and ruffles.

      Reply

  • Titilayo Lamidi
    August 25, 2017

    I just finished a 1.5x batch and it came out perfect. Thanks for a great recipe! I added a little homemade cherry preserve to make it pink for my niece’s birthday. Its not overly sweet and very glossy.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 25, 2017

      You’re welcome! I’m glad you like the recipe! Thanks for sharing your excellent review!

      Reply

  • Diana
    August 22, 2017

    Hi NAtasha! I was just wondering if this buttercream will hold under fondant?

    Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 22, 2017

      Hi Diana, I do believe it will. It is a pretty stable buttercream.

      Reply

  • Melissa
    August 22, 2017

    Would your full recipe be enough to ice a 6/8/10″ round cake?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 22, 2017

      Hi Melissa, I have used it to frost a 2-layer 9″ cake. Click here to see that recipe.

      Reply

  • Heather
    August 18, 2017

    🙁 I weighed (instead of measured), I took the temperature of the sugar/egg white mixture, did everything according to the recipe and mine was super runny. No way this would hold up on a cake.

    I’m not sure what I did wrong (and I know it’s me, since the recipe has excellent reviews).

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 18, 2017

      Hi Heather, 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!

      Reply

      • Bryony Boyce
        September 9, 2017

        I’ve just had the same problem and have put it in the fridge to see if it will harden up. Meringue not quite cool enough I’m guessing, but the silkiness is amazing so I’m hoping it will have a miraculous recovery! Will keep you posted.

        Reply

        • Bryony Boyce
          September 9, 2017

          It worked!! 45 mis in the fridge and it’s mixing up beautifully.

          Reply

          • Natasha
            natashaskitchen
            September 9, 2017

            AWESOME!! I’m so happy for your success :).

  • Janet
    August 17, 2017

    What a great recipes. This turned out great. I cut the recipe in half since I don’t like lots of sugar. I used this on your scrumptious chocolate cupcakes for a friend, who quickly devoured them up. We are making your chicken fritters tonight. I love your site and your recipes and videos.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 17, 2017

      I’m glad to hear how much you are enjoying the recipes Janet! Thanks for following and sharing your great review!

      Reply

      • Janet
        August 18, 2017

        I had to make more today to share with friends. I have a tip when beating in the butter I put the bowl in ice water to make it fluff up quicker. So if anyone has problems they might try a bowl ice water in the last step. p.s Made your chicken fritters last night, it was a hit.

        Reply

        • Natasha's Kitchen
          August 18, 2017

          What a great tip Janet! Thanks for sharing with other readers!

          Reply

  • Ida Sulaiman
    August 16, 2017

    Could I use SMBC for making flowers i.e. rose, peony, carnation, etc. Is the consistency ok for flowers?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 16, 2017

      Hi Ida, it is a pretty stable cream and will work well for flowers.

      Reply

  • Adeeba
    August 14, 2017

    Hi Natasha, can I use this buttercream to cover my rainbow cake because l’m not a big fan of American buttercream .

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 14, 2017

      Yes I think that would work great! I would love to see your cake when it is finished! I started a new group on Facebook where readers can share their beautiful creations. I would love it if you joined 🙂

      Reply

  • Ritu
    August 9, 2017

    Hi Natasha thanks for posting this recipe. I am from India.I have made Swiss meringue once and I swear it tastes heavenly. So I am pretty sure that this ia going to be juat yum. I am planning to try my hand at thia frosting sometimw very soon. Could you please tell me the quantity of butter needed in grams? Thanks in advance😊

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 9, 2017

      Hi Ritu, 1 stick of butter is 113 grams so 3 sticks would be 339 grams of butter. I hope you love it! 🙂

      Reply

  • Vanessa
    August 8, 2017

    Hi I made this recipe but with 5 eggs and 1/2 cups of sugar and it tastes too buttery. Is there something I can do to fix it?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 9, 2017

      Hi Vanessa, I have tested it with less (not that much less though) and found it to be a good balance with 2 cups for sweetness where you can taste more than just butter :). To be honest, I haven’t tried adding sugar after the fact. It may take a while for it to incorporate and no longer be grainy but I’m not sure if that extra length of mixing time wold break the frosting or hinder the consistency somehow. I wish I had a good answer for you. Has anyone else added sugar after the frosting was already made? Thanks in advance! 🙂

      Reply

  • BlueHoneyBakery
    August 8, 2017

    This is the best ratio of SMBC I ever made. do you have a cream cheese version of SMBC. I try many different ways of making cream cheese buttercream always come out soupy

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 8, 2017

      Thank you for such an amazing review! 🙂 I do have a cream cheese and butter frosting but it isn’t a SMBC. It sure is good though and easy too! 🙂

      Reply

  • Morgan
    August 7, 2017

    I made this yesterday for my dads birthday cake! It was my first time making a SMBC and tasting one. It turned out absolutely beautiful and the taste was amazing!! I really loved the texture, and also that it wasn’t overbearingly sweet like American buttercream.

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 7, 2017

      I’m happy to hear you love the recipe Morgan! Thanks for sharing your excellent review! 😀

      Reply

  • Katerina
    August 4, 2017

    This recipe is perfect! Not too buttery and the salt adds so much flavor. Thank you for sharing this goodness with us!

    Reply

    • Natasha's Kitchen
      August 5, 2017

      My pleasure Katerina! I’m glad you love it as much as I do! Thanks for sharing your wonderful review!

      Reply

  • Holly
    August 2, 2017

    I was unable to get it thick after adding the butter. Not sure if my butter was too soft or if my meringue wasn’t cooled enough. Is there any way to rescue it once it gets to this point? Like sticking it in the fridge and rewhipping it?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      August 2, 2017

      Holly, usually if you just continue beating it for another 2 to 3 minutes, it will thicken. You may run in to a problem if your butter was overly soft/partially melted, or if butter was added while the meringue was still warm. If that was the case, I would refrigerate 15 minutes and then continue mixing.

      Reply

      • Fiona Darby
        August 4, 2017

        Great advice!

        Reply

  • Tatyana
    July 24, 2017

    Hi, does the icing taste like butter or buttercream? Because my family isn’t a big fan of buttercream and i’m making my mom a birthday cake. Also, would this icing go well with biskvit?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 24, 2017

      Hi Tatyana, this is a buttercream so yes it does taste like a buttercream but nothing like an American buttercream. It is much more silky and smooth and I do think it works great over biskvit. 🙂

      Reply

  • Betty
    July 11, 2017

    Looks great! What can I add to make chocolate frosting.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 11, 2017

      Hi Betty, I haven’t tried that with this frosting but I should!! I’ve seen others fold in melted chocolate towards the end but I can’t really provide any specifics without trying it first. Sorry I can’t be more helpful!!

      Reply

  • Natalya
    July 9, 2017

    This recipe comes at a perfect time! I’ll be making birthday cupcakes this week, not a fan of American buttercream at all, but getting tired of cream cheese frosting. Question: I do not like to use artificial dyes, could I add strained juice of raspberries for pink tint (like you do in blackberry cream cheese frosting?) or would that mess up this frosting? Thanks

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 10, 2017

      Hi Natalya, I assume you could do that but I haven’t tried it myself. I would add it slowly until the correct color is achieved and better yet, you might test with a small batch of the frosting to make sure it doesn’t break the frosting consistency.

      Reply

  • Ana Talbot
    July 8, 2017

    I love SMBC and this is the best recipe I’ve ever tried!

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 8, 2017

      Wow! That is a seriously amazing compliment! Thank you so much Ana! 🙂

      Reply

  • olga
    July 8, 2017

    Man this looks sup. good. i love those doggy faces. And the frosting looks great! gonna make it for my little brother’s birthday. He loves dogs.

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 8, 2017

      Awww that’s so sweet of you to make them for him. All of the kiddos at the party my sister threw just loved the puppy cupcakes 🙂 I hope they make him smile big and happy birthday to him!

      Reply

  • Desiree
    July 7, 2017

    Hi. Making this frosting right now. 2 questions: What piping tip did you use in the photo and when would be the best time to add a gel color?

    Reply

    • Natasha
      natashaskitchen
      July 7, 2017

      Hi Desiree, add the food coloring at the very end, one drop at a time until desired color is reached. I used the Wilton 1M large open star tip

      Reply

      • Eljer
        July 11, 2018

        Natasha- Thank you for sharing your recipes and techniques. Your puppy is adorable! I plan on making it for my grandchildren. I read in a response that you used a Wilton 1M for the frosting swirl. When I enlarge your super photos of the puppy cupcake, it appears there is another layer of frosting, underneath the swirl. Maybe a star tip or…? Can you please share what tip you used under the swirl. THANK YOU!

        Reply

        • Natasha
          July 12, 2018

          Hi Eljer, I believe that was the star tip like this Wilton #199 (Amazon affiliate link) which was the best one I could find to look like dog fur underneath 🙂

          Reply

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