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Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting is creamy, buttery, light and not too sweet. It’s an ideal buttercream for gluten-free celebration cakes and cupcakes as it can whip up and pipe like a dream. It can seem intimating for first-timers but rest assured it’s easier than you think and if you follow this foolproof guide then you’ll enjoy choosing this buttercream every time you bake a cake.
Jump to:
- The Most Important Tip
- What Is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
- Why You’ll Love This Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
- Watch the Video
- Ingredients and Notes
- Tools and Equipment
- How To Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Expert Tips and Troubleshooting
- How To Scale This Recipe Up Or Down
- How Much Buttercream Should You Make?
- FAQs
- How to Flavour Your Buttercream
- How To Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Swiss Meringue Buttercream was my go-to buttercream that I made for all of my gluten-free layer cakes, cupcakes and celebration cakes when I had my cake business.
For newcomers to this buttercream it is a revelation – velvety smooth, creamy, buttery and not too sweet.
Because it requires a few more steps than regular buttercream made with just icing sugar and butter (aka typical American buttercream if you are US based) it can seem intimidating, but I promise you perfect Swiss Meringue Buttercream is not difficult to make and if you enjoy baking then actually this is pretty relaxing and enjoyable to make.
If you are still worried then rest assured, even if some of the steps go slightly awry it’s hard to totally mess up this buttercream. If you feel at any point that it’s not looking, acting or tasting as it should then don’t worry there is nearly always an easy fix.
Apart from the recipe itself the most important part to read here is the troubleshooting and it’s pretty much always a temperature based problem and solution. Your buttercream will act differently depending on how cool or warm your ingredients are, whether you have brought your buttercream up or down to the right temperature at various stages in the process or what season it is in your kitchen.
I made kilos of this buttercream every week for decorating the cakes on my market stall in all sorts of flavours and colours. I think I’ve encountered any and every problem you can make with this buttercream from a too hot kitchen in the height of summer to a fridge cold kitchen in December. The good news is that you can always bring SMB back from the brink and create an ultra smooth and creamy buttercream.
The Most Important Tip
The most important tip I can give you if you are making this buttercream for the first time is to invest in a sugar thermometer. Once you’ve made Swiss Meringue Buttercream several times then you can mostly make it by look and feel of the ingredients but for first timers a thermometer is essential.
You’ll enjoy getting to know this not-too sweet buttercream and will love making it for all your future cakes.
What Is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
This is a classic type of buttercream (frosting) made by heating egg whites and sugar in a double boiler until the sugar dissolves. The mixture is then removed from the heat and whipped up to form soft meringue peaks. Cubed butter is added to the meringue base until the mixture results in a smooth and creamy easy buttercream frosting.
Why You’ll Love This Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
- If you find regular buttercream too sweet then this ultra creamy buttery frosting is the right choice for you.
- Easy to scale up or down so you can adapt it for whatever cake you are making.
- 5 easy ingredients.
- Easy to troubleshoot.
- It takes on flavour and colour really well so you can adapt this recipe for all sorts of different cakes.
Watch the Video
It helps to see a visual of what I'm talking about at the various stages in this buttercream creation. So watch the video to see what it looks like to make your Swiss Buttercream.
Ingredients and Notes
Egg whites. This basic recipe uses 8 egg whites. You can use fresh egg whites by all means and then just freeze the egg yolks for another day or make custard or ice cream. However, I recommend buying a carton of liquid egg whites as it saves wasting the yolks or finding a use for them.
Caster sugar. This is a finely ground white baking sugar common in the UK. If you can only get hold of white granulated sugar then that’s a fine substitute.
Butter. Unsalted is the best choice here so you can control the salt content. Make sure it is at room temperature. This means that you should be able to press into the buttercream easily using your fingertip but reach resistance so your finger doesn’t sink straight through the butter. The right temperature for the butter here is absolutely key. There are tips below if you have a cold kitchen and your butter is staying too firm.
Vanilla extract. It’s essential in buttercream to use a good quality extract since this is a vanilla buttercream and will be the key flavour here. I like Nielsen Massey. You could always use the seeds from a vanilla bean if you like the speckled effect which can look beautiful covering the right cake.
Salt. It’s essential too. The salt will bring out the flavour of your vanilla and add complexity and depth to the buttercream – you will really notice the difference if it’s left out.
Tools and Equipment
Double boiler. I recommend a double boiler, if you have one, for melting your egg whites and sugar as the bottom of the bowl should not be in contact with a direct heat source. However, you can also use the metal bowl of your stand mixer and sit it on top of a large saucepan of simmering with an inch of water (just don't let the base of the bowl touch the water).
Digital thermometer (candy thermometer). This is very useful if you are a SMB first-timer (although to be honest I still prefer to use one to avoid any mistakes). I definitely have a preferred instrument – the thermapen (thermapen.co.uk) as it is an instant read thermometer. Some of the cheaper digital thermometers do have to be held in the mixture for thirty seconds or so to confirm an accurate reading, plus they have annoying wires which really get in the way. Thermapens are not the cheapest but they come in different colours and if you shop around some of the colours are strangely cheaper than others.
Stand mixer. This is not essential but you do have to whip the mixture for some time and it can be tedious using an electric hand mixer. If you are have a stand mixer then I recommend using it as it means you can walk away and let your mixer do its thing.
How To Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Whisk sugar into the egg whites in a double boiler until the sugar dissolves. About 160°F (71°C).
- Remove from the heat and pour the sugar mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Whisk at low speed until meringue is glossy, forms peaks and has cooled to room temperature. About 68°F to 75°F (20°C to 24°C).
- Change to the paddle attachment and continue to mix the fluffy meringue at low speed, adding the room temperature butter one cube at a time.
- Once all the butter has been incorporated allow your buttercream to continue mixing, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally, until it stabilises into a light creamy buttercream consistency.
- Finally add the vanilla and salt and mix in.
Expert Tips and Troubleshooting
Sugar thermometer. The most important thing is to achieve the right temperature for each stage of the process so a sugar thermometer will be very helpful. If you get this right then the buttercream will be plain sailing for you.
The temperature of your butter is key. It should be room temperature which is around 65°F to 70°F (18°C to 21°C). This means it should not feel too cold or warm to touch. When pressed your finger should sink slightly into the butter and it should retain its shape. If the butter is too cold it will not mix smoothly into the buttercream. If the butter is too warm the buttercream will be too greasy.
Avoid grainy egg whites. When melting the egg whites and sugar together make sure to brush the sides often as it cooks so all the sugar melts evenly and there is none left in the pan – uncooked sugar granules in your white mixture would get grainy.
Keep whisking your egg whites and sugar. There is nothing worse than cooked egg whites in your meringue. As long as you keep whisking during the sugar melting process then this won't happen.
Curdled buttercream. This awkward stage is part of the process. Once all of your cubed butter has been added the buttercream will look lumpy, soupy and curdled. The butter just hasn’t been fully incorporated yet. Keep your mixer mixing and it will come together I promise.
How to achieve ultra smooth buttercream. Don’t rush the process. Keep your mixer on low and slow so you don’t incorporate too much air in your buttercream.
Don’t overwhip. Not only can this warm your buttercream and lead to a greasy texture but it could also lead to excess air bubbles.
The trick to removing air bubbles from your swiss meringue buttercream. This quick tip is an absolute game changer. Even though you are mixing your buttercream on an ultra low and slow speed the nature of how long you are processing the buttercream for means that air bubbles are inevitable. Or maybe you’ve been whipping too quickly or maybe you had to troubleshoot it a bit so it lead to some overmixing. Don’t worry, it’s easy to knock those air bubbles right out so your buttercream still pipes super smooth. Just place all your buttercream in a food processor and the sharp blades of the food processor with cut out all the bubbles. It only takes about 10 seconds or so.
How to fix soupy buttercream. If you have been mixing your buttercream for a while and the butter has been incorporated but it still won’t come together then your ingredients are too warm (usually this means you still had warm meringue when you added the butter). To fix this just place the whole mixing bowl in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up slighly, then try whipping again.
How to fix greasy or too soft buttercream. If your butter has been incorporated and your finished buttercream is greasy looking and slides around the bowl then your butter is too warm. To fix this just place the whole stand mixer bowl in the fridge for 15-30 minutes to firm up again, then re-whip.
How to fix grainy or lumpy buttercream. Your buttercream might be grainy and lumpy because the butter was too cold when you added it and so it’s not mixing properly into the buttercream. You can set the mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water until the buttercream at the base of the bowl starts to melt. Then remove from the heat and re-whip.
How To Scale This Recipe Up Or Down
It's easy to scale your buttercream recipe up and down provided you know the ratio of the ingredients which is as follows:
1 medium egg white (30g) : 50g sugar (¼ cup) : 60g unsalted butter (¼ cup)
So I give an approximation of how much buttercream you need for various different cakes below but this might vary for you depending on how much piping work you are completing on your cake so the ratio of ingredients is useful to know if you want to just scale the recipe up or down as you see fit.
How Much Buttercream Should You Make?
These tables will help you understand how much buttercream you need for each type of cake:
Round Cakes (2 layers)
| 6 inches (15cm) | 500 to 750 grams | 2 to 3 cups |
| 8 inches (20cm) | 1000 to 1250 grams | 4 to 5 cups |
| 9 inches (23cm) | 1200 to 1500 grams | 5 to 6 cups |
| 10 inches (25cm) | 1450 to 1750 grams | 6 to 7 cups |
Sheet Cakes (Traybakes)
| 9 x 13 inches (23 x 33cm) | 1000 to 1250 grams | 2 to 3 cups |
| 11 x 15 inches (28 x 38cm) | 1450 to 1750 grams | 6 to 7 cups |
| 12 x 18 inches (30 x 46cm) | 1925 to 2250 grams | 8 to 9 cups |
Cupcakes
| 12 cupcakes | 500 to 750 grams | 2 to 3 cups |
| 24 cupcakes | 1000 to 1250 grams | 4 to 5 cups |
| 36 cupcakes | 1450 to 1750 grams | 6 to 7 cups |
FAQs
This recipe makes 1kg buttercream which is enough to cover and fill an 8 inch 2 layer sponge cake.
But if you want to do extra piping then I recommend increasing the recipe by 1 egg white, 50g more sugar and 60g more butter which will bring it up to 1.25kg.
No, you can always fit the bowl of your stand mixer or a large metal bowl over a large saucepan of simmering water. Just make sure the base of the bowl doesn't touch the water.
This depends on which type of sugar you use. This recipe recommends caster sugar which is quicker to melt than white granulated sugar. But it should not really take longer than 10 minutes. Keep a sugar thermometer handy so it’s doesn’t overheat.
This may be due to excess fat or grease in the mixing bowl which is not allowing the egg whites to whip properly. However, it can take up to 15 minutes for your egg whites to whip up so do try leaving mixing for a little longer.
SMB can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw to room temperature and re-whip to restore the consistency.
SMB can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Before using bring to room temperature, between 68°F to 75°F (20°C to 24°C), and re-whip to restore the consistency.
You should store your fully decorated cakes in the refrigerator but remove and bring to room temperature before you serve them.
Yes, it pipes very well and can be used to decorate any kind of cake or cupcakes, and is a favourite for wedding cakes. However, it doesn't like a lot of warmth as it does contain lots of butter so I don't recommend leaving your buttercream out for long periods of time (or in direct sunshine) as it will melt.
Absolutely, it holds onto colour really well. I recommend good quality pastes and gels as you can control the colour more and you don’t have to add too much in. Plus you are not messing around with the moisture content of the buttercream.
This buttercream holds a lot of butter so the natural colour is a gorgeous buttercup yellow which is lovely but you may like a whiter effect. If so, you can add a tiny drop of violet food colouring gel to the buttercream and this magically will make your buttercream whiter.
This recipe for Swiss meringue buttercream involves heating egg whites and sugar over a double boiler, then whipping until stiff peaks form before adding softened butter.
Italian meringue buttercream uses a hot sugar syrup which is then added to whipped egg whites before incorporating butter.
French meringue buttercream is made by creaming softened butter with sugar, then gradually adding whipped egg whites to create a light and airy texture.
How to Flavour Your Buttercream
If you are not in the market for a vanilla buttercream then there are so many different flavour variations of this buttercream to try:
Chocolate Buttercream. Add 230g melted and cooled chocolate (I like to use 70% dark chocolate) to the buttercream along with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, the vanilla and salt and mix until combined.
Lemon Buttercream. There are three different ways you can make this. The easiest is just by adding lemon curd to the finished buttercream which is what I do in my Lemon Curd Cake. Or you can add lemon powder to the finished buttercream which adds such a lovely intense lemon flavour. Or you can add the zest and juice of two fresh lemons. You can keep the vanilla or leave it out - it's up to you.
Peanut Butter Buttercream. This one is so special. Just mix in 500g (2 cups) of smooth peanut butter to the finished buttercream. You can use natural peanut butter but I think the sweetened brands like Sun-Pat and Skippy give a better result.
Salted Caramel Buttercream. I think this is the version of the buttercream I make most often as it was on my bestselling Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake and is still such a favourite for me. Switch half the amount of white sugar for brown sugar and add 250g (1 cup) salted caramel to the finished buttercream. You will only need 1 tsp vanilla as well.
Brown Butter Buttercream. This was one of my favourites on the market stall. It's so easy. Just melt the butter until it browns with a lovely toasted flavour then place back in the fridge to firm up to room temperature and use this butter instead of regular butter. The taste is incredible - especially with a vanilla cake.
Fruit Purees. This is the best way to add a fruity flavour to your buttercream. You can buy the purees ready-made (often sold as cocktail mixes) but you can also make yourself. You can see this at work in my Chocolate Raspberry Cake.
✨Have you tried this Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment as well! I would love to hear about how your recipe turned out and your feedback also helps other readers✨
How To Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 240 g egg whites - about 8 medium sized egg whites
- 400 g caster sugar
- 480 g unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Heat the egg whites and sugar in a double boiler (or bowl of stand mixer sitting on large saucepan filled with simmering water), whisking all the time.
- When the sugar has completely melted and the temperature reached 160°F (71°C) then remove from the heat and immediately pour into a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
- Whisk on a medium setting for about 10-15 minutes until a glossy meringue has formed into peaks and the temperature has lowered to room temperature 68°F to 75°F (20°C to 24°C).
- Change the whisk attachment to a paddle beater and beat on low adding the room temperature butter one cube at a time.
- Once you have added all of the butter the mixture will look thick and curdled but keep whipping the buttercream until it comes together to a smooth and creamy consistency.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt and mix in until thoroughly combined. Your buttercream is now ready for decorating and piping.
Video
Notes
Quick Troubleshooting Tips
See post above for full troubleshooting guide- The temperatures here are important. If you have made SMB a few times then you can intuit when the sugar has melted into the egg whites or when the meringue has cooled enough to add the butter. However for newbies a sugar thermometer is invaluable.
The butter must be at room temperature before you add it. Slightly soft to the touch but not melty. - As you are adding the butter your buttercream will look a bit curdled. This is absolutely normal. Keep on mixing the buttercream and don’t lose faith, it will always come together in the end.
- If your buttercream is lumpy or grainy. This is normal whilst you are adding the butter just keep on mixing the buttercream once it’s all added, the butter will soon warm and melt into the buttercream. However, if your butter does not incorporate into the buttercream even after 5-10 minutes of adding it all this means your butter is too cold. To fix this warm the buttercream (in the mixing bowl) slightly over a bowl of boiling water. Once the edges of the buttercream start to soften then start whipping again off the heat.
- If your butter is too warm place in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill then try re-whipping it.
- If your buttercream does not come together and looks too soupy that means your butter was too warm. Place the buttercream (in the mixing bowl) in the fridge for 20-30 minutes to chill and try re-whipping again.
Penny says
This is a super tutorial. I love the part about scaling the recipe. I had such success with your Chocolate raspberry cake that I am keen to try the salted caramel recipe. I will post again once I try it.
Georgina Hartley says
I'm so happy it's helpful! Thank you for letting me know your feedback.