Swiss meringue buttercream, also shortened to SMBC, is a buttercream frosting recipe that is creamy, thick, buttery, and holds its shape well. This meringue buttercream comes together easily with only cooked egg whites and sugar, butter, vanilla extract, and salt. It is silky but stable, making it perfect for piping it, making decorations with it, or spreading it over a cake. It can also be made ahead of time and frozen for another day.
Unlike American buttercream, this version is not overly sweet, making it a crowd-pleaser. This light and airy SMBC can sometimes be tricky, but it’s worth the effort! This tutorial will teach you everything you need to know to make the best Swiss buttercream in no time. In a pinch and need something quick and fast? Try my vanilla buttercream frosting or chocolate buttercream frosting instead!
What You Need to Make This Recipe
Eggs — I highly recommend using fresh eggs instead of carton egg whites for this buttercream recipe, as it whips up much better. Save your egg yolks for another recipe, such as my easy crème brûlée recipe!
Butter — butter is what turns your Swiss meringue into a meringue buttercream. It’s essential to have room temperature butter, so it incorporates effortlessly into the meringue. Make sure to buy unsalted butter, not salted.
Sugar — you must use granulated sugar. You cannot swap for powdered sugar for this buttercream recipe.
Vanilla — as the main flavor component, I highly suggest using the highest quality real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
1. Add egg whites, sugar, and salt to a large bowl.
2. Whisk everything together.
3. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bowl.
Whisk the egg whites occasionally while it warms up. When the mixture has warmed, whisk it constantly until it reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF or until it’s not grainy between your fingers. Transfer the bowl to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, and mix with a whisk attachment until you get room temperature glossy peaks.
4. Switch to a paddle attachment and while the mixer is running on low, add tablespoon-sized dollops of room temperature butter, making sure to let the butter incorporate before you add the next piece. Add the vanilla extract and whip until combined. Transfer to a piping bag or ziptop bag to store.
Pro Tips for Making This Recipe
- It is essential to have a clean and dry bowl for whipping the egg whites. The egg whites cannot contain any egg yolk whatsoever. If the bowl is not completely clean or yolk-free, it prevents your meringue from setting up.
- If your equipment or bowl has grease on it, wipe down everything with lemon juice or vinegar.
- Eggs are easier to separate when cold, but egg whites whip up easier when closer to room temperature. I recommend separating them in advance if you have the time. In addition, allowing the egg whites to sit gives them a chance to relax, which improves their elasticity during the whipping process.
- It is entirely normal for the SMBC to look soupy or curdled after adding the butter. Not to worry, just continue to let it whip, and it’ll come together at the end.
- If the mixture does not come together and stays curdled after 5 to 10 minutes, you can place the mixing bowl over a simmering pot to let the edges of the meringue warm up before continuing to mix it.
- Keep in mind that, like all buttercream, this recipe uses butter. This means if it is humid or hot, the buttercream will melt.
- If your mixer’s motor is starting to overheat, you can give the mixer a break by placing the whisk or paddle attachment in the mixing bowl and placing everything into the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between this and buttercream?
This Swiss meringue buttercream recipe involves using a double boiler, eggs, and regular sugar. A regular American buttercream recipe does not require you to whip or cook egg whites, and instead of regular sugar, it uses powdered sugar.
What is the difference between Swiss and Italian buttercream?
The two buttercreams are pretty similar, but an Italian buttercream recipe is more stable. This is due to boiling sugar to the hard crack stage (240F) and then adding it to your whipping egg whites. This method yields an extremely firm meringue.
Will meringue buttercream crust?
Unlike American buttercream, this SMBC recipe does not dry out or crust, making it easy to work with and yields a perfectly smooth finish on your cakes.
Can I make this ahead of time?
You sure can! You can leave the SMBC at room temperature for a day or two. If you want to make it further ahead of time, refrigerate the Swiss buttercream for up to two weeks, or freeze it for up to 3 months. The butter in the buttercream will solidify in the fridge, so you must bring the buttercream to room temperature and re-whip it before using it.
Is this safe to consume?
Yes, this buttercream is safe to consume as long as the eggs reach 160F. Please consult with your doctor if you are unsure.
Can I add flavors?
You can swap out the vanilla extract for a different extract such as almond extract, lemon extract, orange extract, maple, and more!
Can I add colors?
If you would like to add color, add gel food coloring to the buttercream after adding the vanilla extract. Gel food coloring ensures you are not adding liquid to the mixture.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Video
Equipment
- Stand mixer
Ingredients
- 5 egg whites at room temperature
- 2 cups unsalted butter 452g, at room temperature
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar 300g
- 1 pinch kosher salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Add egg whites, sugar and salt in a bowl.
- Give the mixture a brief whisk.
- Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bowl.
- Whisk the egg whites occasionally while it warms up. When the mixture has warmed, whisk it constantly. You will heat the mixture until it reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF or until it's not grainy between your fingers.
- Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer, mix with a whisk attachment until you get room temperature glossy peaks.
- Switch to a paddle attachment and while the mixture is running on low, add tablespoon sized dollops of room temperature butter making sure to let the butter incorporate before you add the next piece.
- Once all the butter is incorporated, go ahead and add the vanilla extract. You can transfer it to a piping bag or to a ziplock bag to store in the refrigerator or freezer.
Notes
- It is essential to have a clean and dry bowl for whipping the egg whites. The egg whites cannot contain any egg yolk as well. If the bowl is not completely clean or yolk-free, it prevents your meringue from setting up.
- If your equipment or bowl has grease on it, wipe down everything with lemon juice or vinegar.
- Eggs are easier to separate when cold, but egg whites whip up easier when closer to room temperature. I recommend separating them in advance if you have the time. In addition, allowing the egg whites to sit gives them a chance to relax, which improves their elasticity during the whipping process.
- It is entirely normal for the SMBC to look soupy or curdled after adding the butter. Not to worry, just continue to let it whip, and it’ll come together at the end.
- If the mixture does not come together and stays curdled after 5 to 10 minutes, you can place the mixing bowl over a simmering pot to let the edges of the meringue warm up before continuing to mix it.
- Keep in mind that, like all buttercream, this recipe uses butter. This means if it is humid or hot, the buttercream will melt.
- If your mixer’s motor is starting to overheat, you can give the mixer a break by placing the whisk or paddle attachment in the mixing bowl and placing everything into the fridge for 20 to 30 minutes.
Kimberly says
Vanilla cupcakes this morning, perfection! Swiss meringue buttercream this afternoon, perfection! I made the roses just like you did with the Russian piping tips. I think I need a little practice with the leaves, but the roses came out great! I did have to refrigerate the icing just a little bit to get it to the right consistency for piping. I’ve always been a good cook, but thank you for giving me the encouragement and confidence to try baking. It was so much fun !
Naz says
Hi John, wanted to ask at what point do i add the pinch of salt. Also if i use pasturised egg whites how much would i use and which sugar to use please. Thank you for your recipes
miha says
so many previous buttercream attempts have failed…soooo many were very sweet, too much sugar, very oily. This one is perfect!
I like that it gets stiffer after being refrigerated. cupcakes look lovely with it
Anna says
This recipe is so amazing ? thank you so much
Donna Colville says
My first time making Swiss Meringue Buttercream. This recipe is easy to follow and turned out great. Great taste and texture. Thanks.
Angelica Hernandez says
I’ve tried the Italian meringue buttercream recipe and it was delicious, but i can’t get passed the butter flavor. In both the Italian and Swiss meringue buttercream videos you mention that we can also just use the meringue. Would i be able to pipe and decorate a cake with the meringue alone? will it hold its shape? I’d love to see a video on what can be done with the Italian or Swiss meringue alone.
jkanell says
You can pipe a bit with it and make a two or even three layer cake but the shelf life is VERY short so basically assemble and serve 🙂
Katherine says
Excellent recipe, thank you for the clear instructions!
jkanell says
Thank you!
Jennifer Velasco says
It is literally like a cloud!! It is so good and silky smooth. My sisters tried it and loved it! I found it a lot easier to ice my cakes with this SMBC. Forgot about American buttercream this is now my go to!!
jkanell says
Yay! Thank you!
Janet P says
Omg it came out amazing! I wasn’t sure if I was doing it right because it wasn’t looking right but in the end it came out perfect! Thank you for sharing!
MK says
One word for this recipe : YASSSSSS!!!
I’ve only ever made American buttercream and the result was always “meh.” I made this SMBC on a Saturday afternoon and it was a dream just like John says! The best part is tasting it along the way 🙂 For me, I did not experience the “soupiness” nor depletion of the meringue fluffiness while adding my butter chunks. I think for that I could have used less butter, but don’t think anyone minded!
I was making a naked cake (your ‘Best Vanilla’ recipe, which it so is!!), and was wanting to use a yellow color for the icing. I dyed a large portion of the SMBC yellow, which took a lot of gel color to do. I think it was because it was so airy and fluffy that it just used a lot of color to get saturated. Anywho, I stacked 2 layers together the same day and put the rest in the fridge until 3 days later. I stuck the yellow SMBC back into the stand mixer, and after some revolutions it lost all the air and was SUPER super yellow! It took maybe 20 min of whipping and some white buttercream to get it close to the original pale yellow. I just didn’t realize it’d do such a thing after reactivating/refluffing the icing, but it turned out not to be a big deal!
The cake I made with John’s recipes (his vanilla cake baked with cooling strips and this SMBC) turned out to be the most delicious cake that we had ever had!
One piece of advice for other bakers using this recipe: when you eat your iced cake – honey, you just stick that slice of cake in the microwave for about 10 seconds and it is pure heaven!!
Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom and recipes with us! I can’t wait to make another of your recipes! You’ll definitely be my go-to recipe guy for anything I make! 🙂
Kirsty says
Hello,
Quick question regarding method- I don’t have a stand mixer. Is it possible to do this recipe with a hand mixer?
Thanks,
Kirsty
jkanell says
It’s possible but won’t be pleasant… pack that bowl in ice to cool it down fast when whipping it up.