Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
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Category: |
Category: |
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Ingredients: |
Ingredients: 8 large egg whites, room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups butter, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1/2 tsp salt
gel food coloring if desired
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Directions: |
Directions:Before making this frosting, be sure to thoroughly clean your mixing bowl. If there’s any grease it can make it difficult to whip up the meringue.
In a medium sized pot, add about 1 inch of water and bring to a simmer.
Add 8 egg whites and 2 1/2 cups of granulated sugar into a large metal bowl.
Place the bowl on top of the pot filled with simmering water. The bowl should create a seal over the pot. Make sure the water isn’t actually touching the bottom of the bowl, or it can cook the egg whites.
Whisk the mixture constantly for about 3 minutes, until it reaches 160°F/71°C. You can test the mixture to see if it’s ready by rubbing a tiny bit between your fingertips. The sugar should be fully dissolved, and it should feel super smooth and hot to the touch.
Once it reaches this stage, lift the bowl away from the pot and dry the bottom with a towel. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on a medium-high speed with a whisk attachment. Mix for about 10 minutes, or until you have stiff, glossy peaks that stick straight up. While the meringue whips, I like to add something cold around the base of my bowl. I find the meringue stays quite warm while it whips up, and placing a bag of frozen veggies around the base of the bowl helps cool it back to room temperature. This can prevent your buttercream from becoming soupy in the next step.
Mix in 2 cups of unsalted butter at a medium speed, 1 stick at a time. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. The frosting should have a thick, whipped consistency once all the butter is mixed in. If it looks lumpy or broken, keep mixing until it looks fluffy and thick. If it doesn't seem to come together after an additional 10 minutes of mixing, check out the troubleshooting section in the post above.
Once the consistency is right, swap out the whisk attachment for a paddle attachment and add in 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp fine salt. Continue mixing on a low speed for a couple of minutes to make the frosting extra smooth.
Then comes the fun part! This buttercream can be used to frost everything from cakes to cookies!! It pipes like a dream and is also great for filling layer cakes. It can sit out at room temperature for up to 2 days or be stored in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
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Number Of
Servings: |
Number Of
Servings:7 cups - make single batches at a time as doubling makes it hard to whip |
Personal
Notes: |
Personal
Notes: Tips for Making the Best Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Wipe down your tools with lemon juice or vinegar to make sure they’re grease-free. Traces of grease in the mixing bowl can prevent the meringue from forming stiff peaks!
Separate the eggs when they’re cold! It makes it way easier, and they’ll be heated before being whipped, so there’s no need to bring them to room temperature.
Heat the egg white/sugar mixture to 160°F/71°C and check to make sure all the sugar is dissolved before removing it from the double boiler.
Whip the meringue until your peaks are stiff enough to defy gravity.
Make sure your butter is actually at room temperature and add it in gradually (1 stick at a time).
When in doubt (if the frosting breaks/curdles), just keep mixing!! It should come back together with the help of your stand mixer and a little more time.
Mix the finished buttercream on the lowest speed with a paddle attachment for a few minutes to make it super smooth. This pushes out any excess air and will make it easier to smooth onto a cake.
One batch of this recipe makes about 7 cups of frosting. This should be enough to fill and frost a seven- or eight-inch layer cake, or frost 2-3 dozen cupcakes (depending on the size of your swirls).
This recipe can be halved, but I don’t recommend doubling it unless you have a commercial-size KitchenAid (8 qt). Otherwise, it can be really difficult to whip up the meringue to stiff peaks.
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