Swiss Meringue Buttercream
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream might seem a bit intimidating at first, but once you try it, you'll discover a whole new world of cake decorating and desserts. It's light, silky, buttery, and less sweet than traditional American buttercream, with a smooth, luxurious texture.
Swiss meringue buttercream is a frosting used to top and fill cakes, cupcakes, and macarons. It's incredibly light and airy, yet rich and buttery.
What I love most about it is its silky texture. It's made by first dissolving sugar in egg whites; it has an incredibly smooth texture that you just don't get with regular powdered sugar (aka American-style) buttercreams.
When you take a taste, you'll be struck by its subtle sweetness and how it melts on your tongue.
I tried Swiss meringue buttercream for the first time about 15 years ago, and it was a total "a-ha moment!" The light, silky texture and perfectly sweet flavor blew me away. I had never tasted anything quite so delicate before. Right away, I realized that this was the BEST way to take my cakes and cupcakes to the next level, and I have never looked back!
It also works very well under fondant! It gives you a perfectly smooth surface with no lumps or bumps, so it's ideal. When I worked as a pastry chef, it was all we used for fondant-topped cakes.
There are so many recipes here on Baking a Moment that utilize Swiss Meringue Buttercream. I'll share some examples below. But first, I'd like to take the opportunity to answer any and every question you've ever had about this unique and delicious frosting!
Here's Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Light, silky, and smooth!
- Less sweet than powdered sugar-based frostings.
- Perfect for frosting, filling, and piping.
- Easy to flavor in lots of different ways!
- Beautiful texture and glossy finish.
- Great for layer cakes, cupcakes, and celebration bakes.
Ingredients You'll Need
The recipe card at the bottom of the post contains the full list with all of the amounts. Refer to that when you're cooking.
- Egg whites: These form the base of the meringue and give the buttercream its light, airy texture.
- Granulated sugar: This dissolves into the egg whites to make a smooth, glossy base and adds sweetness.
- Unsalted butter: Softened butter turns the meringue into a rich, silky frosting with a luxurious texture.
- Kosher salt: A small pinch balances the sweetness and brings out the flavor.
In Photos: How To Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
A Few Things to Know Before You Start
Swiss meringue buttercream can look messy partway through. Sometimes it seems soupy, curdled, or separated after you add the butter. This is normal.
Usually, it just needs more mixing. Keep beating, and it will come together into a smooth, fluffy frosting. The meringue should be fully cooled before adding the butter, and the butter should be softened but not greasy or melted.
Step 1: Heat the egg whites and sugar
Put the egg whites and sugar in a large heatproof bowl over gently simmering water. Stir continuously until the sugar dissolves and the mixture feels hot and smooth when rubbed between your fingers.
Pro Tips: I usually cook my whites/sugar for around 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. You'll notice the mixture goes from thick and transparent to thinner and more opaque.
The best way to know if it's really ready is to place a drop on your finger and rub it together with your thumb. If you feel any grit at all, keep cooking. When it's smooth as can be, you're ready for the next step.
You'll also notice that the mixture feels hot to the touch. You can gauge it with a candy thermometer (it should register 140 degrees F), but I don't really find that necessary. If it feels hot and the sugar is fully dissolved, you should be good to go.
Step 2: Whip into a meringue
Take the bowl off the heat and whip the mixture on high speed until it's thick, bright white, and glossy. It should hold stiff peaks and feel cool before you continue.
Step 3: Add the butter
Add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. This step takes some patience, but it's what gives the buttercream its smooth, velvety texture.
Pro Tips: Your buttercream might start to look funky and curdled at this stage. Be sure to add the butter slowly (a tablespoon at a time) and let each addition fully incorporate before adding the next. Just keep on whipping, and I promise, it will come back together!
I have found that if I soften my butter in the microwave (while still wrapped in sticks) for 10 seconds at 30% power, then flip it over and do another 8 seconds at 30% power, it comes out perfect!
Just bear in mind that all microwaves are not exactly the same, so you might have to experiment a little to find that perfect sweet spot.
Step 4: Finish with salt and flavorings
Once the buttercream is smooth and cohesive, fold in the salt and any flavorings you would like to use.
Helpful Tips and Tricks
- Use a clean bowl: Even a little grease can stop the egg whites from whipping up properly.
- Dissolve the sugar fully: Rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers to check that it feels smooth, not gritty.
- Cool the meringue completely: If it's still warm, it can melt the butter, making the frosting soupy.
- Add butter slowly: Adding it one tablespoon at a time helps everything blend smoothly.
- Don't worry if it looks curdled: Just keep mixing. It usually comes together nicely.
- Re-whip before using: After storing, let it warm up to room temperature and beat it again until it's smooth and fluffy.
- If you want to serve it on a very hot day, just keep your cake or cupcakes refrigerated until ready to serve.
Add-In Options
- Fold in the seeds of a vanilla bean, 1 ½ teaspoons of vanilla bean paste, or 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract to make Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Add melted chocolate to make Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Add melted white chocolate to make White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Place freeze-dried strawberries in the food processor, grind them to a fine powder, and stir them in to make Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Whip in the zest and juice of a lemon, lime, or orange for a citrus Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Stir a tablespoon of instant espresso powder into 3 tablespoons of hot water, then stir the cooled mixture to make Coffee Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Puree a couple of cups of raspberries, then cook them down until thickened and stir in to make Raspberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
- Reduce sparkling wine to a thick syrup and add it to make Champagne Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
Recipe FAQ
While there is slightly more to it than just creaming butter and powdered sugar together, the payoff is huge! You'll definitely find that it's worth that little bit of extra effort. And once you get the hang of it, it will seem like second nature!
When making Swiss meringue buttercream, the first step is to melt sugar and egg whites together over a pot of steaming water. When the sugar is completely dissolved, you get that incredibly silky-smooth texture in your final product.
But if you don't heat the mixture long enough, you might feel gritty sugar crystals between your teeth.
Believe it or not, you are doing it right! Swiss meringue buttercream almost always goes through a stage where it looks curdled, broken, or split. This often happens just before it fully comes together!
Temperature is everything when making this recipe. The whites and sugar need to get hot enough to dissolve the sugar, but then they need to cool down a lot before the butter goes in.
It's easy to get impatient at this stage! I've done it plenty of times myself and ended up with a runny mess.
But you do not have to pitch it! It's totally salvageable. Just put the entire thing (mixing bowl, whisk, and runny buttercream) into the fridge for about 20 minutes and then re-whip. It works like magic!
It's also a good idea to pay attention to your butter's temperature. You want it softened, but it should still be somewhat cool to the touch. You don't want it so slippery and nearly melted!in the fridge for about 20 minutes,
Swiss meringue buttercream will not crust, as American-style buttercream does. This makes it really easy to work with, especially if you're trying to get a perfectly smooth finish on your cakes.
Swiss meringue buttercream is super versatile! It can be colored with gel paste food coloring (aka: icing colors), and flavored in TONS of different ways.
I often make it the night before I need it, and let it sit out at room temperature. This is fine to do if you plan to use it early the following day.
If you'd like to get even more ahead of schedule, it can be refrigerated for up to a week. But you may find that it comes out a bit hard, and loses some of its airy lightness. Just scoop it out of the container and re-whip it (after it's come back to room temp). It will be just like new!
I honestly think it's one of the most stable buttercreams out there. It works really well for piping, and it holds up beautifully.
It can be frozen as well; just thaw overnight in the fridge, then follow the method above.
Recipes Using Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, , softened
- ⅛ teaspoon (0.13 teaspoon) kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large glass or metal bowl, combine the egg whites and sugar.
- Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, and stir continuously, until the sugar is completely dissolved. (Check by rubbing a small amount between your thumb and forefinger; it should be hot to the touch, and feel smooth, not gritty.)
- Remove the bowl from the simmering water and whip on high speed until the meringue is thick, white, glossy, and can hold stiff peaks. (It should be cooled completely. There should be no hint of warmth when you place your hand on the side of the bowl. Refrigerate the meringue for 15 to 20 minutes if necessary.)
- Add the butter in, a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the mixture begins to look curdled, continue to beat until it comes back together, before adding the remaining butter.)
- Fold in the salt and any other flavorings you may be using.
Hi! Thanks so much for the helpful tips! But just can’t seem to get it right. I have tried 5 times now, but I can’t get the sugar to dissolve! I heated it to 160F, whisked frequently, used a spotless bowl, used ultra fine sugar. But it just stays grainy and thus doesn’t whip up. Should I add the sugar in bits? Or what am I doing wrong? Thanks so much in advance!
That's so strange Jael! I can't imagine why your sugar wouldn't melt at that high of a temperature. And honestly it should still whip up even if the sugar isn't dissolved. So sorry you're having trouble! I am at a loss?
Hi, thanks so much for your quick reply! Too bad you don’t have a solution. I’m completely mystified too. I even used a thermometer. When it reaches 160F it’s still grainy. Maybe I’m not doing it long enough? How long should it take? And is it ok if it surpasses the temperature? Thank you!
They only thing you want to be careful of is that the egg whites don't scramble. Really your sugar should dissolve way before you hit 160F. Are you whisking as it heats?
Yes I am! Stove at lowest heat, whisking, and the egg never scrambles. It turns into soupy and frothy like some recipes mention, and till a certain degree the mixture feels soft, but I can alsways feel the sugar. When I put it in the stand mixer it doesn’t whip up. Well, a little bit at first but then It just becomes flatter and it’s like the egg and the sugar separate again. So weird. I’m going to try again this week and try and keep whisking all the time. Thanks for the help anyway!
So strange! I am going to keep thinking about this and maybe a light bulb will go on for me at some point. If I think of anything I will let you know!
Oh and I have whipped up egg whites before with a hand mixer, so I have some reference to what it should look like 🙁
Hi! I am making my daughter’s birthday cake and covering it with fondant. If I use this Swiss buttercream to fill the cake does it need to be refrigerated? I’m trying to make the cake 1 to 2 days before the party.
Hi Anita! I think you will have much better luck with it if you can find the room in your fridge. It will hold nice and firm for you, and your layers will be less likely to slide apart. Good luck and happy birthday to your daughter!
How long will this recipe keep at room temp? I’ve made a similar recipe before and keep it refrigerated, but a cake plate takes up a lot of room in my fridge!
I always use a candy thermometer to verify the cook step, rather than relying on the ‘feel’ test, so I know the egg whites are cooked...
Hi Drew! I've kept it at room temp for a few days and not had a problem. Hope that's helpful!
Hello thank u so much for the recipe and tips but I do have one question how long can a frosted cake with the Swiss meringue buttercream last in the fridge uncovered? Thank u once again !
Not sure what cake recipe you've used, but the frosting should keep well in the fridge for at least a week. Hope that's helpful!
Hey, Is it possible to overheat the egg and sugar cuz even before adding the butter (i didnt do it yet) it was very runny and i want to know if I should start over again? I mixed for sure for 10 min if not longer ... what did i do wrong?
also, would i be able to use organic sugar?
thanks so much!
Organic sugar should not make a difference. What exactly was the problem? I don't think you've said, unless I am missing something? Is it just that the liquid seemed runny? Egg whites are liquid and would be runny before being whipped. Did they not whip up right? If they don't whip up to stiff peaks then it could be because you got some yolk in there. Even a tiny drop of yolk would prevent a meringue from whipping up properly. Or if your bowl or whisk were greasy that would cause the same issue. If the egg and sugar are overheated then you would have scrambled egg whites. Sorry I can't be of more help but I need more info from you in order to troubleshoot!
Thank you for sharing your smbc recipe, I tried it for the first time and loved it.. I did do one thing different and beated my butter for 1/2 hour until it had lost its yellowness and then added it to the meringue mix and it worked wonders.
Great tip! Thanks so much for sharing that Anne!
Hi, I made this icing for the first time today. It was very smooth and creamy but I thought it tasted too 'buttery'. Is this the way it's supposed to be, or did I do something wrong?
Thanks!
I don't think you did anything wrong Ala! It is meant to be buttery for sure. It's a true buttercream, lots of butter and that flavor really shines. Thanks for the great question!
How long can you wait between making the meringue mixture and adding the butter. Could you make the meringue in the evening, leave it and add the butter in the morning?
Hey Kelly! Thanks for the great question. I think if you heated the whites and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved, then refrigerated that mixture overnight, that you could whip it the following morning and add in the soft butter. That would probably be the best way to do it. I'd be afraid that if you whipped it the night before, it might lose a lot of its volume overnight. Hope that's helpful! Good luck!
where is the quick video mentioned in right above the recipe ? I can't see a video.
If you are viewing on mobile, it's in the recipe card. On desktop, it loads at the top of the post and then scoots to the lower right sidebar as you scroll.
Hi Allie,
Thank you so much for your recipe and videos. I made it the first time last week and the consistency and taste was perfect. The only thing I noticed was that it smelled very eggy. My husband even asked me why it smells funny. Any ideas what I did wrong?
Thanks,
Ann
Hi Ann! You want to put them on before baking the meringues. They will not melt! They are meant to be baked. Good luck and enjoy!
Hi Allie,
Thanks but what do you mean? what needs to be baked? I didn’t see any baking for the SMBC...
Thanks,
Ann
I'm so sorry Ann there must have been a glitch. That comment was meant for another reader who was commenting on a baked meringues recipe. I'm not sure why it went to you! I'm looking at your question now... you were asking about your frosting smelling eggy? I'm not sure but the only explanation I can think of is that the recipe does contain egg whites, so that is probably where the smell is coming from. I'm glad you were happy with the taste and consistency! Thanks so much for reading I apologize again for the mixup!
Hi Allie,
No worries. I think i overcooked it a bit, hence, the smell. I re-did it and it smelled better 🙂
Many thanks,
Ann
This came together really well. It became quite worrisome after adding the first half of the butter as the mixture became quite floppy and limp. Slowly but surely with the addition of the second cup of butter and more beating it came together and became light and fluffy once again. Thanks for the note on curdling. I would consider beating the butter before adding it to the meringue, I feel it may make a smoother finish.
Thank you for this post. I will be making blueberry, lemon and carrot cake cupcakes for my son's wedding in 6 months. I will begin practicing with your tips in mind
Congratulations to you and your son Tammy! Have fun practicing!
Hi! Does the crumb coat (using the swiss meringue) harden enough for the decorative coat?
Hi Donna! This buttercream does not crust over like a powdered sugar buttercream would. You would have to refrigerate it if you want it to harden. It does get quite hard in the fridge. Hope that's helpful!
Hi Alli
I just made the Swiss meringue and it’s just fabulous. Mine was a little runny so I popped the bowl in freezer for 10 mins. Perfecto. Thanks for a super recipe
So glad it worked out for you Terri! Thanks for the positive feedback!
will i get the same results if i use an electric hand mixer?
Hey Keren! You should. I would say use a whisk attachment if you have one, and get ready to work out those biceps because you'll be mixing for a long time! Good luck!
I only use this recipe for my buttercream needs. Love it so much. The first time I felt it let alone tasted it I was hooked and I personally don't like frosting but this is the exception! I would like to double this recipe and add peanut butter. I would appreciate your help in knowing how much peanut butter I should add. Thank you so very much!
I am so with you Kimberly! This is my absolute favorite, for taste and for texture. If you'd like to make a peanut butter version, please check out this recipe: https://bakingamoment.com/snickers-cupcakes/.
Hi Allie!
Your photos are absolutely gorgeous!
I've been running into some issues with making swiss meringue buttercream and I was wondering if maybe you would know the culprit behind it? I heat up the sugar and egg whites mixture until 155 degrees F and whip the mixture with a stand mixture until cool and stiff peaks form--but the whole process takes me over an hour! I've seen lots of people say that it should only take around 10-15 minutes to whip up glossy peaks but my meringue mixture at the 10 minute mark is just shiny and soupy. I love the texture and taste of swiss meringue buttercream but this hour plus process drives me nuts and I'm on the verge of giving it all up.
Would love to know your thoughts about this!
Hi Iris! My best suggestion would be to make sure your bowl and whip are immaculately clean and grease free. And be really careful when separating your eggs. Even the tiniest drop of egg yolk in the whites mixture will prevent your meringue from whipping up properly. Fat is the enemy when it comes to whipping egg whites! Hopefully that advice is helpful!
I have a same scenario. And I was wondering if it’s gonna work to save the runny buttercream by starting a meringue again and then add then runny buttercream into it
I don't think it would work because the grease would still be present.
Hey Iris!
You may also benefit from popping the bowl in the fridge for a few minutes to help it cool down faster. I find that it takes FOREVER to make a SMBC on a hot day, but cool days are a lot faster!