I learned how to make this easy, delicious Swiss Meringue Buttercream in pastry school. It’s silky, smooth, not-too-sweet, and versatile! You can flavor and dye the buttercream to your liking, and use it to frost cupcakes, cakes, and more.
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What Is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC) starts with a classic Swiss meringue—1 part egg whites to 2 parts sugar (by weight) is gently heated over a double boiler, until smooth and glossy. Once the meringue is ready, 3 parts of softened butter is added, turning it into a rich, silky SMBC!
Because the egg whites are heated to dissolve the sugar and reach a safe temperature, SMBC is food-safe and stable. You can even add any flavoring or coloring you’d like. It’s a popular buttercream among pastry chefs, and is great for intricate cakes, cupcakes, and any dessert that needs to look and taste incredible.
SMBC firms up when chilled, but stays soft and silky at room temperature. Keep this in mind when transporting decorated desserts—chilling or freezing them beforehand may yield the cleanest, safest results.
❤️ Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s pastry school approved. I learned the 1:2:3 ratio (egg white:sugar:butter) and all of the steps in pastry school. It’s the best buttercream I’ve ever tasted, and my go-to!
- It’s silky, smooth, and stable. The egg whites are heated with the sugar until it reached a food-safe temperature. Because of this, the buttercream is stable and also grit-free.
- Swiss meringue buttercream is incredibly versatile! Add any extracts or colorings you’d like.
Looking for more recipes? Try out my strawberry ganache and lemon curd.
Ingredients
To make Swiss meringue buttercream from scratch, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- The ratio for a basic Swiss meringue buttercream is 1 part egg whites : 2 parts sugar : 3 parts butter, 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 before making the meringue! 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 Buttercream
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 speed.
Step 3: Keep whipping until you get room temperature thick, fluffy, stiff peaks, about 15-20 minutes.
Step 4: Switch to the paddle attachment and add 1 tablespoon of softened butter at a time. Add flavoring, salt, and any food coloring, then continue beating until smooth and silky. Enjoy!
If the buttercream curdles or is grainy, that is completely normal. Keep mixing for another 10-15 minutes and it should smooth out.
If the buttercream doesn’t smooth out, place the mixing bowl over a simmering pot to let just the edges of the meringue warm up and slightly melt. Rewhip and it should come together!
For full instructions, see the recipe card below.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream FAQs
You can add any flavoring you’d like, such as flavored extracts (vanilla, ube, pandan, almond), or dyes! If dying the buttercream, I recommend using gel food coloring because a few drops go a long way compared to liquid coloring.
This can be due to the butter being colder than the meringue. Don’t worry, this is a completely normal problem to have!
Keep mixing for another 10-15 minutes and it should smooth out. If the buttercream doesn’t smooth out, place the mixing bowl over a simmering pot to let just the edges of the meringue warm up and slightly melt. Rewhip and it should come together!
If the meringue is still warm when adding the butter, the butter will melt. But don’t fret—you can still save the buttercream!
Pop the bowl back in the fridge for 10 minutes to firm up the
butter, then whip again. If it is still soupy, chill the mixture longer, then whip again.
Storage
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, or freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to use, let it reach room temperature then remix using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
SMBC hardens when chilled, but at room temperature, it remains soft and silky. Keep this in mind when transporting your decorated dessert, as transporting it chilled or frozen may be the best option!
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Thank you so much! -Bianca ❤️
📖 Recipe & Video
Swiss Meringue
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Equipment
- hand whisk
- saucepan for double boiler
- medium bowl, heatproof
- Stand mixer both whisk and paddle attachment needed
- silicone spatula for scraping
Ingredients
- 5 (150 g) egg whites
- 1 1/2 cup (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter room temperature, cut into tablespoons
- 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.
Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
- If the meringue is still too hot, let it sit at room temperature before proceeding. If it is warm, you do not want add butter yet because it will become soupy.
- Replace whisk attachment with paddle attachment.
- While mixing on medium speed, add the 2 cups unsalted butter one tablespoon at a time. Scrape bowl as needed using silicone spatula.
- Once all the butter is incorporated, mix in 1 tablespoon vanilla and ½ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Continue beating mixture until it is smooth and silky. If the buttercream curdles or is grainy, that is completely normal. Keep mixing for another 10-15 minutes and it should smooth out.
- If the buttercream doesn't smooth out, place the mixing bowl over a simmering pot to let just the edges of the meringue warm up and slightly melt. Rewhip and it should come together!
- Enjoy! Use your Swiss meringue buttercream to decorate cakes, cupcakes, and more.
Notes
- Want to try other flavors? Try adding other flavorings like almond extract, culinary matcha powder, or ube extract!
