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!
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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).
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.
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 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.
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.
Common Questions
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.
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.
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.
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.
Absolutely! See how we frosted our 9-inch, 2-layer Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
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:
- Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Vanilla Buttercream
- Cupcake Frosting
- Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients
- 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
Filed Under
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.
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!