This Swiss meringue is super silky, glossy, stable, and simple to make! It’s made by gently heating egg whites and sugar, then is whipped until fluffy. Use it as is as a topping for tarts/pies, turn it into a Swiss meringue buttercream, or even bake it into treats like meringue cookies, macarons, or pavlovas.
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Meringue 101: French, Italian, and Swiss Methods
Meringue is a fluffy, cloud-like concoction made from whipping together egg whites and sugar. The most common ratio is 1 part egg whites to 2 parts white sugar by weight (ex: 100 g egg whites + 200 g sugar), and can easily be scaled up or down! There are three different types of meringues: French, Italian, and Swiss, and each one has a different texture and best uses.
French is the lightest in texture yet least stable, and is made by whipping egg whites while gradually adding sugar. Out of the three, it’s the simplest to make and commonly used for pavlovas, meringue cookies, and folding into other batters to make things, like macarons or souffles. It’s not recommended for topping a tart because the egg whites are raw.
Italian meringue is made by whipping egg whites and gradually pouring in a 240°F/115°C hot sugar syrup. This is the densest, glossiest, and most stable meringue. You can use it for most French meringue applications, but since it’s much denser than French meringue, it can affect overall texture. But because the hot syrup cooks the egg whites, Italian meringue is perfect for topping tarts/pies, buttercream, and fillings.
Lastly, Swiss meringue is made by heating together the egg whites and sugar over a double boiler to 160°F/71°C, then whipping until fluffy. It’s the “Goldilocks” of the three—more stable than French, less dense than Italian. It works beautifully anywhere you’d use French meringue, and it’s also great for topping pies/tarts, buttercream, and fillings.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s silky, fluffy, and stable. Since the egg whites are
- Swiss meringue is incredibly versatile! Since the egg whites are cooked to a safe temperature to eat, you can use the meringue to top pies, tarts, and cakes! You can use it to make fillings, or whip in butter to make Swiss meringue buttercream. Lastly, you can even bake it to make meringue cookies or fold it into a batter for souffles or macarons.
Looking for more recipes? Try out my matcha cream cheese frosting or strawberry whipped cream!
Ingredients
To make Swiss meringue from scratch, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- The ratio for a basic Swiss meringue is 1 part egg whites : 2 parts sugar, by weight!
- You can use any flavoring, like vanilla extract, vanilla paste, ube extract, etc.
- If you want to dye the meringue, I recommend using gel food coloring over liquid, because just a few drops go a very long way!
For the full list of ingredients and measurements, see the recipe card below.
💡 Baking Tip
- Make sure your equipment is very clean and dry! If there are any traces of fat or grease on your bowls or whisk, the egg whites will not whip up well. For extra precaution, feel free to wipe down your equipment with some white vinegar, then dry well.
How to Make Easy Swiss Meringue
Step 1: In a medium bowl over a double boiler, add egg whites and sugar. Constantly whisk until the mixture reaches 160°F/71°C, about 5 minutes.
Step 2: Transfer to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high until you get room temperature thick, fluffy, stiff peaks, about 15-20 minutes. If adding any flavoring or dye, mix it in at the very in.
Enjoy! Use your Swiss meringue to top a lemon tart, frost cakes, bake it into meringue cookies, or whip in softened butter to make Swiss meringue buttercream. The standard ratio is 1 part egg whites : 2 parts sugar : 3 parts butter!
For full instructions, see the recipe card below.
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Swiss Meringue
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Equipment
- hand whisk
- saucepan for double boiler
- medium bowl, heatproof
- Stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment
Ingredients
- 5 (150 g) egg whites
- 1 1/2 cup (300 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (13 g) vanilla paste or extract; can use any flavoring
- ½ teaspoon (3 g) fine sea salt optional
- gel food coloring optional
Instructions
Preparation:
- Measuring the ingredients by weight and using a stand mixer are highly recommended. Whipping the meringue will take a long time, so doing it by hand or even using an electric whisk will be tiresome.
- Make sure your hand whisk, stand mixer bowl, and whisk attachment are completely cleaned, dried, and do not have any traces of grease or fat. If they do, then the Swiss meringue will not whip correctly. For extra precaution, wipe them down with white vinegar to remove any oils, and fully dry.
Make Swiss Meringue:
- In your medium bowl, whisk together 5 egg whites and 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar until combined.
- Fill a saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Place medium bowl with egg whites and sugar on top, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk constantly, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl as it heats. Keep whisking until the mixture cooks to 160°F/71°C, about 5 minutes. The mixture will be thick at first, then thin out, and later turn white.
- Carefully transfer the mixture into your stand mixer bowl fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until you get room temperature, stiff, glossy peaks, about 15 minutes. If it’s taking longer than expected, place the bowl in the fridge for 5-10 minutes, then whip again.
- Once you get the desired consistency, mix in 1 tablespoon vanilla, ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, and any gel food coloring at the very in.
- Enjoy! Use your Swiss meringue to make buttercream, meringue kisses, macarons, and more.
Notes
- Want to try other flavors? Try adding other flavorings like almond extract, culinary matcha powder, or ube extract!
- Refrigeration instructions: Store matcha frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Feel free to rewhip!
- Freezing instructions: Store matcha frosting in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight, and feel free to rewhip.
