Swiss Meringue Buttercream

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Swiss Meringue Buttercream is light and fluffy, creamy and silky smooth. This buttercream is very stable and perfect to fill macarons and decorate cupcakes and cakes. I also make buttercream flowers with this cream.

Ingredients Note

• Egg whites. You can also use carton egg whites.
• Sugar. White granulated sugar was used in this recipe.
• Butter. European or Irish unsalted butter. You can also use American-style butter.
• Vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract. This is for flavor.

How to make this recipe

Set up Double Boiler. In a small saucepan, bring a small amount of water to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer. In a medium heat-proof bowl ( I use my stand mixer bowl), whisk together egg whites and sugar. Place the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water. This is a double boiler method. Make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

Cook Egg Whites and Sugar. Heat the egg white mixture until the sugar is completely melted and it reaches 160^oF (70^oC), whisking frequently. This will take about 5 minutes.

Make Meringue. Remove the bowl from the heat and start whipping the mixture with the mixer on low speed for a minute. After that, increase the speed to medium-high and whip until stiff peaks form and the mixture is cool to the touch. This will take 5-10 minutes.

Add Butter. Once the meringue has cooled to below 79-81^oF (26-27^oC), switch to pedal attachment and start adding in tablespoon by tablespoon butter while beating on medium speed. Make sure the butter is fully incorporated before adding the next piece.

Tip from Marina: butter should not be too soft. When you push a finger into butter, it should dent with some resistance.

Please note that it is normal if buttercream starts looking like cottage cheese halfway. Keep adding the butter and beating the buttercream until smooth, light, and fluffy, about 10 minutes.

Add Flavor or Color. Add vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract and mix to combine.

Tip from Marina: if meringue is too hot, butter will start to melt and could cause a soupy mess. Place the entire mixture in the fridge for a few minutes and then start adding more butter.

Add a pinch of salt at the end; this gives buttercream depth of flavor. Before transferring the buttercream to a pastry bag, stir it with the spatula. This will help to eliminate air bubbles and make the cream silky.

Expert Tips

• When you separate egg whites, make sure there are no egg yolks made in the mixing bowl. Use an egg separator.
• Use a clean and dry mixing bowl and mixer attachments. Wipe them with a paper towel with vinegar before use.
• Normally, the cream will be curdled after adding the butter. Just keep whipping, and it will come together at the end.
• Use a thermometer to check the temperature of egg whites and butter.
• The temperature of butter should be 57-61^oF (16-18^oC).

Recipe FAQs

If you make Swiss Meringue Buttercream, please tag me on social media and leave a rating below. I would love to see your creations!

Recipe