Find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Swiss Meringue Buttercream: from how it’s made and stored to what to use it for, and how to flavor it in all sorts of ways. You’ll love this light, silky frosting so much that you’ll never go back to powdered sugar again!

Whisk attachment with Swiss meringue buttercream and blue mixer in background with broken eggshells off to one side.

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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 lovely, subtle 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!

 
Whisk attachment with Swiss meringue buttercream and blue mixer in background with broken eggshells off to one side.

Why You’ll Love Swiss Buttercream

Silky Smooth Texture: This Swiss meringue buttercream recipe has an incredibly smooth and silky texture that melts in your mouth. It feels so luxurious and whisper-light.

Creamy and Rich Flavor: The combination of meringue and butter creates a rich and creamy flavor profile that is not overly sweet. It strikes a perfect balance and enhances the taste of the cake or cupcake it adorns in a beautiful way.

Versatile and Adaptable: Swiss meringue buttercream is a versatile canvas for lots of different flavors. You can easily infuse it with various extracts, such as vanilla, almond, citrus, or even floral flavors like lavender or rosewater, allowing you to truly make it your own.

Stable and Pipeable: Swiss meringue buttercream holds its shape exceptionally well, making it perfect for intricate piping designs and layer cakes. Whether you want to create delicate rosettes, elaborate borders, or intricate patterns, this buttercream will maintain its structure beautifully.

Great for Decorating: Due to its smooth texture, Swiss meringue buttercream provides an ideal base for fondant decorations. It gives a satin-y finish that’s just gorgeous, and provides a clean canvas for elaborate fondant decorations.

Not Overly Sweet: Swiss meringue buttercream is a little less sweet. The meringue helps to balance the sweetness, making it a great choice for those who prefer desserts that aren’t too sugary.

Exceptional Stability: Swiss meringue buttercream has excellent stability, which means it can withstand various temperature conditions. It holds well in warmer environments without melting or losing shape, making it a reliable choice for outdoor events.

Long Shelf Life: Swiss meringue buttercream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week and frozen for future use. This allows you to save time by preparing the frosting in advance.

Ingredients and Notes

Egg Whites

The egg whites help stabilize the sugar syrup and prevent it from crystallizing. When whipped at high speed until they form stiff peaks, the egg whites add a light, fluffy texture.

Granulated Sugar

The sugar is used to sweeten the buttercream and create a sugar syrup with the egg whites.

Regular white sugar is fine, or sub for another type of sweetener if you like.  As long as it swaps 1:1 for granulated sugar it should work.

Butter

Softened butter is gradually added to the mixing bowl while the mixer continues to run at a medium-low speed. The butter is incorporated a few tablespoons at a time, allowing it to mix thoroughly before adding more. The meringue and butter combine to create a smooth and creamy buttercream.

I like to 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.

Salt

Salt carries the flavors and intensifies them.  The result won’t taste salty, but it will make everything much more flavorful!  

I like to use Kosher salt because it has no 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.

Specialty Equipment

Stand-Mixer

It’s easier to use a stand mixer when whipping the egg whites, but you can also use a hand mixer.

I recommend using the whisk attachment, not the paddle attachment as the whisk helps to create an airy and fluffy texture.

How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Step 1: Combine the egg whites and sugar in a large glass or metal bowl.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream: Rubbing a small amount of cooked egg white & sugar between the thumb and forefinger.

Step 2: Set the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, and stir continuously at medium speed 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.)

Action shot of Swiss meringue buttercream being whisked together over a double boiler.

Step 3: 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.)

Fluffy Swiss meringue buttercream in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 4: Add the butter in a tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the mixture looks curdled, continue to beat until it comes back together before adding the remaining butter.)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream: animated gif of softened butter being pressed with a forefinger.

Step 5: Scrape the sides of the bowl. Fold in the salt and any other flavorings you may be using.

Swiss meringue buttercream being piped into a shallow glass dish, on a wood plate sitting on a gray background.

Recipe FAQS

What is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

Swiss meringue buttercream is a frosting used for topping and filling cakes, cupcakes, and macarons. It’s incredibly light and airy, yet rich and buttery at the same time. The thing that I love most about it is its silky texture. It’s made by first dissolving sugar into egg whites; it has an incredibly smooth quality that you don’t get with regular powdered sugar (aka American-style) buttercreams. When you taste it, you’ll be struck by its subtle sweetness and how it melts on your tongue.

Is it hard to make Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

While there is slightly more to it than just creaming butter and powdered sugar together, the payoff is huge! You’ll 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!

Why is my Swiss Meringue Buttercream grainy?

The first step when making Swiss meringue buttercream is to melt sugar and egg whites together over a pot of steamy 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.

Why does my Swiss Meringue Buttercream look curdled?

Swiss meringue buttercream almost always goes through a stage that looks curdled, broken, or split. This often happens just before it entirely comes together! Just 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!

Expert Tips

Avoid grainy buttercream

Cook the whites/sugar for around 10 minutes, whisking occasionally. The mixture goes from thick and transparent to thinner and more opaque.

The best way to know if the eggs and sugar are 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, you’re ready for the next step.

You’ll also notice that the mixture feels hot to the touch. You can gauge with a candy thermometer (it should register 140 degrees F), but I don’t find that necessary. You should be good to go if it feels hot and the sugar is fully dissolved.

Avoid runny Swiss meringue buttercream

Temperature is everything when making this recipe! The whites and sugar need to get hot enough to dissolve the sugar, but they must cool way down before the butter goes in.

It’s easy to get impatient at this stage! I’ve done it plenty of times and ended up with a runny mess.

Salvage runny Swiss meringue buttercream

Put the entire thing (mixing bowl, whisk, and runny buttercream) into the fridge for about 20 minutes and re-whip. It works like magic!

It’s also a good idea to pay attention to the temperature of your butter. You want it softened, but it should still be somewhat cool. You don’t want it so slippery and nearly melted!

Use soft butter

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!

Remember that all microwaves are not exactly the same, so you might have to experiment a little to find that perfect sweet spot.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream: animated gif of softened butter being pressed with a forefinger.

How to Store and Keep

I often make it the night before I need it and let it sit at room temperature in an airtight container. This is fine to do if you plan to use it the following day.

It can be refrigerated for up to a week if you’d like to get even further ahead of schedule. But it may come out a bit hard and lose some airy lightness.

Scoop it out of the container and re-whip it (after it returns to room temp). It will be just like new!

It can also be frozen, thawed overnight in the fridge, and follow the above method.

How to Serve

A photo collage featuring vanilla Swiss meringue buttercream, Champagne Swiss meringue buttercream, white chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, raspberry Swiss meringue buttercream, strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream, and chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream.

These are just a few ideas! You’re only limited by your imagination.

Just be careful not to add too much liquid, or your buttercream could separate.

Is Swiss meringue buttercream stable?

It is the most stable buttercream out there. It works well for piping, and it holds up beautifully.

Swiss meringue buttercream being piped into a shallow glass dish, on a wood plate sitting on a gray background.

It is mostly butter, so on hot days you may have some trouble, but the egg whites do a lot to help it hold its shape. If you want to serve it on a hot day, keep your cake or cupcakes refrigerated until ready to serve.

It also works very well under fondant! It gives you a perfectly smooth surface with no lumps or bumps, so it’s really ideal. When I worked as a pastry chef, this is what we always used for fondant-topped cakes.

Does Swiss meringue buttercream crust over?

Swiss meringue buttercream will not crust as American-style buttercream does. This makes it very easy to work with, especially if you want a perfectly smooth finish on your cakes.

A small glass jar full of piped Swiss meringue buttercream, sitting on a wood plate with a piping bag off to one side.
 

Recipes that taste great with Swiss meringue buttercream:

Find more great frosting recipes on my “Icings, Frostings, Fillings, & Toppings” Pinterest board!

 

This post contains affiliate sales links.

Whisk attachment with Swiss meringue buttercream and blue mixer in background with broken eggshells off to one side.
4.22 stars (51 ratings)

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Servings: 24 servings (6 cups total)
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Find out everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Swiss meringue buttercream: from how it’s made and stored, to what to use it for, and how to flavor it in all sorts of ways. You’ll love this light, silky frosting so much, you’ll never go back to powdered sugar again!
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Ingredients

  • 6 large egg whites
  • 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
  • 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter, , softened
  • 1/8 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.

Notes

This recipe makes enough to fill and frost 1 triple-layer 6-inch layer cake, 1 double-layer 8-inch layer cake, or 2 dozen cupcakes.
Calories: 204kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 9g, Cholesterol: 40mg, Sodium: 26mg, Potassium: 16mg, Sugar: 16g, Vitamin A: 475IU, Calcium: 5mg
Cuisine: frosting or topping
Course: Dessert
Tried this recipe?Mention @bakingamoment on Instagram or tag #bakingamoment.

Author

  • Allie

    Allie is the creator and owner of Baking a Moment. She has been developing, photographing, videographing, and writing and sharing recipes here since 2012.

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