Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
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Simply perfect chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream: So light and silky-smooth, with a deep chocolate flavor and a hint of sweetness. This will be your new favorite frosting!
Swiss meringue buttercream takes a little more effort than the powdered sugar + butter American variety, but it's doable, even for a beginner, and the flavor payoff makes it all worthwhile!
If you've never tasted it before, you won't believe it! Every time one of my friends or family tastes it for the first time, they're always like, "What is this???"
Once you give it a try, you'll never want to go back to American buttercream!
Why this is the best chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream recipe
- Texture: It has the most incredible silky-smooth mouthfeel.
- Not overly sweet: The meringue helps balance the chocolate's sweetness.
- Versatile: Use it for various desserts, including layer cakes, and cupcakes, and even as a filling for macarons.
- Firm: It holds its shape well, making it an excellent choice for decorating cakes with intricate designs or smooth finishes.
- Stable: It pipes beautifully and is stable enough to withstand warm temperatures.
Ingredients and notes
Egg whites: Use the whites only from large eggs. It's best if they're at room temperature, but I don't find this to be too critical. Be careful not to pierce the yolk when separating the eggs. If you do, the meringue won't whip up properly.
Sugar: Granulated white sugar combines with the egg whites to create an airy meringue.
Butter: I use unsalted butter because it lets me control the amount of salt in the dish. Different brands of butter can contain different amounts of salt, so this way you get a more consistent result. This recipe works best if you allow the butter to come to room temperature first. You can set it out on the counter a few hours ahead of making your recipe, or you can microwave it for 10 seconds, turn it over, and microwave it again for another 8 seconds. Make sure that the butter is at room temperature, but not warm or melted.
Chocolate: Use high-quality chocolate that has been melted and cooled. Baking bars that have been chopped or broken into small pieces will melt the smoothest. You can use semi-sweet, bittersweet, white chocolate, or milk chocolate depending on your preference.
Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds a subtly sweet flavor without being at all sugary.
Salt: Carries the flavors and intensifies them. The end result won't taste salty, but it will make everything so much more flavorful! I like kosher salt best because it doesn't have any additives (table salt usually contains iodine which can leave a bitter taste), so the flavor is pure. It's also inexpensive and easy to find in a regular grocery store.
Variations
White chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream: Use melted white chocolate to create a white chocolate Swiss buttercream.
Mocha Swiss meringue buttercream: Add a tablespoon or two of instant espresso or coffee powder to the melted chocolate before incorporating it into the buttercream.
Raspberry or strawberry chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream: Mix in one to two tablespoons of seedless raspberry or strawberry jam to the finished buttercream to add a fruity twist that complements the chocolate.
Peppermint chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream: Add peppermint extract to the buttercream for a festive and refreshing flavor, perfect for holiday treats.
Tools and equipment
- Measuring cups and spoons: Follow my "How to Measure Ingredients" guide.
- Large pot: The meringue is cooked over a pot of simmering water.
- Mixing bowl: In which to make the buttercream.
- Whisk: For stirring the egg whites and sugar together as they cook.
- Electric mixer: Either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer, fitted with a whip attachment.
How to make chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream
This recipe comes together in just 4 simple steps.
Step 1: Cook the eggs and sugar
Place the egg whites and sugar in a large metal or glass mixing bowl and set the bowl over a pot of simmering water.
Allow the mixture to cook, whisking, until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture looks opaque.
Step 2: Whip
Remove the sugar mixture from the heat and whip it on high speed using the whisk attachment (not the paddle attachment) until completely cooled and stiff peaks form.
Step 3: Add butter
With the mixer going at medium speed, whip in a tablespoon of butter at a time, allowing each addition to become fully incorporated before adding the next.
If it looks curdled, continue to whip until it comes back together before adding the remaining butter.
Step 4: Add flavorings
Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then fold in the melted dark chocolate, vanilla, and salt.
Expert tips For making Swiss meringue buttercream
- The hardest part is warming the eggs and sugar together to create the meringue base. I do it right in the bowl of a stand mixer over a pot of simmering water. Be sure the egg yolks are separated from the whites. You don't want to use a heatproof bowl; you need the bowl to warm up enough to melt the sugar.
- Continue to whisk over the simmering water if the egg whites and sugar still feel gritty.
- Once you place the egg whites and sugar on your stand mixer, whip it on medium-high speed until it's completely cool and air bubbles form. It will look (and taste!) a lot like marshmallow. If you don't have a stand mixer an electric mixer will also work.
- When there is no hint of warmth, start whipping in the softened butter a tablespoon at a time.
- If it starts to look curdled, don't panic. Just whip, whip, whip, and it'll come back together.
- Melt the chocolate in the microwave, stirring after each 20-second interval, until it's completely smooth and velvety. Allow it to cool a bit before folding it into the meringue.
FAQS
Mistake #1: Not entirely dissolving the sugar in the egg whites over the double boiler. If this happens, the buttercream can have a grainy texture.
Mistake #2: Not cooling the meringue completely before adding butter. Adding butter to warm meringue can lead to a runny buttercream.
Mistake #3: The butter is too cold or too soft. Adding butter that is too cold or too soft can affect the texture of the buttercream.
Mistake #4: Underwhipping. Underwhipping can result in a loose and unstable buttercream.
Mistake #5: Adding warm chocolate. Adding warm chocolate to the buttercream can cause it to melt, resulting in a runny texture.
Yes, Swiss meringue buttercream does firm up, but its texture is influenced by temperature.
At room temperature, Swiss meringue buttercream has a smooth and creamy consistency.
If you refrigerate the buttercream, it becomes more solid, similar to butter, due to the high butter content. The firmness can make it easier to handle when working on intricate cake decorations.
Serving suggestions
This buttercream is great on just about any cake or cupcake.
Frosting for layer cakes: Provides a smooth and luxurious coating that complements a variety of cake flavors.
Cupcake frosting: I especially love it on a vanilla cupcake, but chocolate cupcakes are perfect, too. It works great as a filling for cupcake centers.
Macaron filling: Sandwich macarons with Swiss meringue buttercream for a delicious and sophisticated twist.
Filling for pastries: Use as a filling for your favorite pastries, such as cream puffs, éclairs, or turnovers. It adds a luscious and sweet element to the pastry.
Storage
Room temperature: If you have frosted a cake or cupcakes with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, they can be kept at room temperature for about 1 to 2 days, depending on the ambient temperature. However, Swiss meringue buttercream is sensitive to heat, so avoid leaving it in a warm environment for too long.
Refrigerated: Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It should last for 1 to 2 weeks. Before using it again, allow the buttercream to come to room temperature, and then re-whip it to restore its smooth texture.
Freeze: Place it in an airtight container or a zip-top bag, ensuring that it is well-sealed to prevent freezer burn. It can be stored in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw it in the refrigerator overnight and then allow it to come to room temperature before re-whipping.
More simply perfect frosting recipes
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Simply Perfect Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 3 (90 g) egg whites
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, (2 sticks), softened but cool
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) semisweet chocolate,, melted & cooled slightly
- ½ teaspoon (2 g) vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.75 g) kosher salt
Instructions
- Place the egg whites and sugar in a large metal or glass bowl.
- Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water, and whisk continuously until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture looks opaque.
- Remove the bowl from the heat, and whip on high speed until completely cooled.
- Whip in the butter, a tablespoon at a time, until thick and fluffy. (If it begins to look curdled, continue to whip until it comes back together before adding in remaining butter.)
- Fold in the melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt.
Notes
*Enough to ice (2) 9-inch diameter cakes, (1) 9 x 13-inch sheet cake, or 2 dozen cupcakes
I love Swiss meringue buttercream frosting and this chocolate version is divine!
Hi, this looks amazing! I get nervous about egg whites not being thoroughly cooked, how do I know for sure when they're cooked enough to be safe? Also, does this recipe double or triple well?
Hey Eileen! It does double/triple well, as long as you have a big enough bowl for your mixer. I'd suggest you click over to this post: https://bakingamoment.com/swiss-meringue-buttercream/ for lots more info on SMB. You'll see that if you want to use a candy thermometer to be sure your whites are safely cooked, you can do that and you're looking for a temperature of 140 degrees F. Hope that's helpful!
Hi Allie! Thanks for this great recipe!
I am Swiss so I got really proud when I heard the name hahaha.
The recipe is so simple, perfect for a clumsy beginner. Forget the Classic Buttercream, this is the stuff you want on your cupcakes!
So happy you like it Laura! And glad I've done your country proud! Thanks so much for the awesome feedback!
This recipe is DELICIOUS! I have make a few different kinds of merengue buttercream but this one tastes soooo good!
A little advice for those that had problems getting the right texture:
1. Cube your butter.
2. Eggs are ALWAYS different sizes even if they say they are the same, so keep an extra cubed stick of butter off to the side. I usually have to add three or four extra cubes to get my desired consistency.
Great recipe, definitely saved this one !
So glad to hear it! Those are some great tips Staffani. I especially love the second one. Thanks so much for the great feedback!
How many cups of frosting does this make?
Enough to ice (2) 9-inch diameter cakes, (1) 9 x 13-inch sheet cake, or 2 dozen cupcakes. Hope that's helpful!
Hi, Can you use white chocolate instead? does it hold well if piping roses?
Thanks!
Hi Sana! You absolutely can and it should hold up very well. Swiss meringue buttercream is extremely stable. Thanks for reading and good luck!
Thank you!
Hi Allie, thank you for this recipe. If I want to make double quantity of SMBC do I just double all the ingredients? Do you think it will work? Thanks and God bless!
My pleasure Anu! And yes, you can totally do that and it should work out just fine. Good luck and I hope you enjoy!
Hi! My oven is pretty old and doesnt cook things very evenly. I worry if I try to put three pans in at once they might get burned towards the back. I read your earlier comment about how the batter won't wait. Should I try two 9" pans?
Hey Erin! Sorry for the late reply; I've been traveling. I think that would probably work- just keep an eye on the bake times! Good luck and enjoy!
I'm really having a terrible time with this. I have done everything exactly as said but once the SMBC gets to room temp it just melts down the cake. I have tried scooping it off and putting in fridge and whipping again and no luck
I'm so sorry you're having trouble Gina! Is the cake maybe still a little too warm? I often refrigerate my cakes overnight before frosting them. It seems to help the frosting to go on easier.
hi , may i know do we use medium sized or large eggs for this buttercream and is it okay to reduce the amount of sugar?
Hi there! I recommend large eggs. And I'm not sure I would drop the sugar too much, it could affect the texture and stability. Good luck and thanks for reading!
Hi, i was wondering would this be suitable to ice a cake then cover with fondant? Thanks 🙂
Yes, absolutely! We always used Swiss meringue buttercream under fondant, back in my days as a pastry chef. It works beautifully because it doesn't crust over and stays workable, allowing you to get it really smooth! Good luck Rebecca!
Hi. I love your website. I want to make so many things here.
I've never done swiss merngue buttercream before. I have done the 7 min frosting which sounds similar to the first steps of this frosting.
Anyways, how long can it stay out at room temp? I want to make these on Sat but won't serve until Sunday. I don't think I'll have the room in the fridge for all the cupcakes. I also do not want to be decorating cupcake Sunday morning. Also, for the just the plain vanilla frosting, how does it handle food coloring? Thanks!
You should be totally fine Jo! I've kept it out at room temp for several days without a problem. And it works very well with food coloring- I prefer to use the gel-paste kind from Wilton or Americolor. Hope that helps! Thanks so much and enjoy!
Hi, I tried your simply perfect chocolate cupcakes with this swiss meringue chocolate frosting. They both turned about tasting great. I wish I went with my normal cupcake scoop which is 3 Tbsp instead of the 1/4 cup you recommended for the cupcakes b/c they overflowed a little. Also I think I beat the meringue too long waiting for it to cool because it became paste like material. I almost started over but decided to add the butter anyways. It actually turned out fine. Some of the chocolate re-solidified after I added it, but the rest of the frosting was very smooth, chocolatey, and delicious. To half I added coloring to make orange frosting and that turned out really well. I ran out frosting after doing about 18 cupcakes probably because I over beat the egg whites and lost volume there. Anyways, despite all my mistakes, the cupcakes were very delicious and the frosting was delicious. Thanks for the recipe!
Hi, I would like to try this recipe. What would be the weight of egg whites in grams? Thanks.
Hi Frissia! An egg white from one large egg is approximately 34 grams. Hope that helps! Good luck and enjoy 🙂
I tried making this frosting twice and both times it didn't get fluffy it remained very runny. I followed the recipe to a T but never even got to the "looks like a marshmallow" phase. Any ideas on what I might have done wrong?
Hey Terra! I do- if your frosting is runny it's most likely because it's too warm. It's really important that there be no hint of warmth left in the meringue before the butter starts going in. If it doesn't fluff up, you can just pop the whole bowl in the fridge for 10-20 minutes and then re-whip. I do this a lot and it always brings it right to where it should be! One other tip is to make sure your bowl and whip have no grease whatsoever, and that there's not even a trace of yolk in your whites. Any kind of fat at all will inhibit your whites from whipping properly. I hope that helps and I'm so sorry you had trouble the first time 'round!
Hi! I just made this frosting today and it turned out too runny, even after almost 3 hours in the fridge it still could not hold its shape! I was soo disappointed... I think its egg whites part that is the problem... How do you get the nice stiff peaks when beating the egg whites? I followed your recipe percisely but still got bad results. Any tips? After heating the eggs I beat them for almost 10 min and they still were not stiff. 🙁
Sounds like maybe you got a little yolk in your whites. Or perhaps there was some residual grease in your mixing bowl? Even the slightest trace of fat can prevent egg whites from whipping up properly. I'm so sorry you had trouble this time around but I hope you'll have better success next time!
Hi
I just have to say i tried it twice and it didnt work at all 🙁
It does look amazing
Hey I'm so sorry to hear that! Not sure what you mean exactly but I'd love to try and help troubleshoot if you want to provide details.