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.
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!