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Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting Recipe

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This recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting is from The Doherty Family Cookbook , one of the cookbooks created at FamilyCookbookProject.com. We'll help you start your own personal cookbook! It's easy and fun. Click here to start your own cookbook!
Category:
Category:
Ingredients:  
Ingredients:  
5 large egg whites (make sure no yolk is in with the whites)
1 cup, 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Directions:
Directions:
Combine sugar and egg whites in your stand mixer's glass or metal bowl. Attach candy thermometer to side of the bowl, so tip is inside the egg mixture, but not touching the bottom of the bowl. Put about 2" of water in a large saucepan. Place mixing bowl of egg whites and sugar on top of the pan - do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water, it should rest 2" - 3" inches above the water level. Heat on medium. Stir constantly until mixture reaches 140º. This is the most important part. You do not want the egg whites to cook. At this point the sugar should be completely dissolved. You can test this by putting a drop of the mixture on your finger tips and rubbing them together. The mixture should be completely smooth. Remove the mixing bowl from the top of the saucepan and fit onto your mixer stand. Using the whisk attachment, beat the eggs. Start on low and increase the speed to medium after 2 minutes. Beat for another 3 minutes on medium. At this point your mixture should have turned white as the egg whites are whipped and the body of the meringue starts to form. Increase speed to high. Beat for another 5 minutes. After you have beaten for the entire 10 minutes the bottom of the bowl should have cooled to room temperature. Stop mixer and scrape down all the sides and bottom of the bowl. Turn mixer to medium-low. Slowly add butter, about a tbsp at a time, mixing well after each addition. After you have added all the butter, slowly add vanilla extract. Mix for another minute, then scrape down sides of the bowl. Switch to the paddle attachment and continue beating on medium to allow air bubbles to escape. Frosting should be smooth in about 2-3 minutes. To tint frosting, slowly add gel food color and beat with paddle attachment until completely incorporated.
Number Of Servings:
Number Of Servings:
Enough for 24 cupcakes or 2-3 layer cake.
Preparation Time:
Preparation Time:
40 minutes
Personal Notes:
Personal Notes:
This frosting takes a lot longer than American buttercream, but it is quite a bit less sweet and lighter. It pipes beautifully onto cupcakes and smooths easily when frosting a cake.

(For vanilla bean frosting, scrape the insides of one vanilla bean into sugar and egg white mixture before heating and omit vanilla extract)

 

 

 

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