Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) is a super smooth, stable buttercream that is not too sweet! This makes it a great alternative to American buttercream which some people just find a little too sweet. For the chocolate version, check out my chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream recipe.
What is Swiss meringue buttercream?
Swiss meringue buttercream is what we call a meringue based buttercream. It’s made by whipping cooked egg whites and caster sugar together into a stiff meringue, followed by your butter and flavourings. It is less sweeter than American buttercream and is one of the easiest meringue based buttercreams to make. This makes it a popular option for many bakers!
My top tips for success!
SMBC is a little harder than making a traditional American buttercream, BUT it’s totally achievable! Below are a list of my top tips to get your SMBC right the first time around 🙂
– Make sure there are no fats/oils on your bowls or spoons. Any fat residue can prevent your meringue from whipping up properly. Ensure all bowls and utensils used in this recipe are washed properly. You can also wipe your bowl down with a touch of lemon juice or vinegar to ensure there are no fats left behind from a previous bake 🙂
– Make sure your butter is at the right consistency. Your butter should be soft enough that you can make an indent in it with your fingers, but should still be relatively firm and hold it’s shape. Check out the recipe video below for a visual on this.
– Cook your egg whites and sugar over a bain maree on a very low heat. If the heat is too high, you’re going to overcook your egg whites and have scrambled egg buttercream!
– Whip your meringue to stiff peaks. If your meringue is too soft, it’s not going to be as stable and hold it’s shape as well.
– Let your meringue cool before adding in your butter. When you whip your meringue it should take about 15 minutes to reach the stiff peak stage. By this point it should be cool enough to add in your butter. If it still feels warm, then pop your bowl into the fridge for 10 minutes or so and then add in your butter. If your meringue is too hot, it’s going to melt your butter and you’re going to end up with soupy SMBC! But not too worry, if this happens you can totally fix it! Check out the troubleshooting tips below.
Help! What’s wrong with my SMBC?!
– Why is my buttercream soupy?! – If your buttercream is soupy it’s most likely because your meringue was too hot when adding in your butter. You can easily fix this by popping your soupy SMBC into the fridge for about 30 minutes, and then rewhip it.
– Why is my SMBC curdling? – Don’t panic, this is TOTALLY NORMAL! When adding your butter to your meringue, you need to give it time to incorporate into the meringue. It may look like it’s curdling, but just let it do it’s thing and it will eventually come together. You want to let it whip for at least a few minutes after the butter is added in.
– Why does my SMBC taste like butter? – SMBC does taste more buttery than American buttercream, but it shouldn’t taste like you’re eating butter! Firstly, check the quantities you have used carefully. Secondly, make sure you’re whipping your SMBC long enough after adding in the butter. If you don’t whip it long enough, it won’t lighten up the frosting and you’re more likely to have that intense buttery taste.
– Why is my SMBC grainy? – This would be because your sugar wasn’t completely dissolved into your egg whites. Check that you can’t feel any sugar granules between your fingers before whipping up your egg white/sugar mixture.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
- 1⅔ cups (400 g) unsalted butter - room temp, cut into small cubes
- 5 large (150 g) egg whites - see note 4
- 1½ cups (320 g) castor sugar - regular white sugar okay - see note 3
- 1 tsp vanilla extract/essence
Instructions
- If this is your first time making SMBC, I would recommend watching the demonstration video below. This will help with understanding what things should look like at each step 🙂
- Begin by separating your egg whites from your egg yolks (if using fresh eggs). Make sure there are no yolks in the whites, otherwise this will prevent the whites from whipping up properly when we make our meringue.
- In a heat proof bowl, whisk together the egg whites and caster sugar, and gently heat the mixture over a double boiler. Keep gently mixing the mixture so it heats evenly. The goal is to get a smooth texture without over-cooking the egg whites. After a few minutes, check the mixture by rubbing it in between your fingers. If you can't feel any sugar granules then it is done. If you're not using pasteurised egg whites, then ensure the mixture has reached 75 °C so that it is safe to eat.
- Transfer the mixture into a stand mixer (see note 1). Using the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and sugar on medium-high speed (speed 8 on KitchenAid) for 10-15 minutes until the mixture is cool and stiff peaks have formed.
- Turn down your mixer to a medium speed (speed 6 on KitchenAid) and slowly add in the butter, about a tablespoon at a time (see note 5). It is important to ensure that the butter is at room temperature (soft enough to make an indent with your finger, but not melted or losing it's shape). See note 2
- Once all the butter is mixed in, add in your vanilla and continue to mix your buttercream until it is smooth in consistency, about another few minutes. At some stage it may look like the buttercream is curdling, but this is totally normal! Just let your mixer do it's thing and it will come together.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
58 Comments
Hi darling, does the chocolate need to be cool before add to the SMB?
Hi Marisa! Yes you want your chocolate to cool down before adding it into your SMBC 🙂
Hi Ms MK! Can i make this SMBC in advance and freeze it? How long can this smbc be frozen? Thanks!
Hi Allysa! Yes you can freeze it for a few months 🙂 when you’re ready to use it bring it back to room temperature and then rewhip it and it’ll be good to go 🙂
Thank you for the detailed tips !
You’re most welcome! Glad you found them helpful 🙂
As a cake makers love, love, love this recipe. Light and kids favourite too.
So happy to hear Jeya! 😀
The helpful tips makes this recipe so easy!!
So happy to hear that Jenny! 🙂
This is such a smooth buttercream and really does taste incredible. I used it for my four year old’s birthday cake this year, and everyone was asking about what sort of icing I had used!
Awesome! So happy to hear everyone loved it Naomi! 🙂
Perfect recipe’
Thanks so much for your feedback Vasavi! 🙂
Easy to follow and insightful as always. From being apprehensive to a confident Swiss Meringue buttercream specialist … couldn’t have done it without your recipe et guidance Mariam. Love how you’ve taken time to explain every stage and what to expect visually and theoretically which makes a huge difference especially for a novice baker or someone whose anxious attempting it for the first time. And thank you tor answering my DM regarding Substituting with pasteurised whites. My go to recipe from hereon. Thanks x
So happy to hear that Zia! Thanks so much for the feedback 🙂
Have made both the vanilla and chocolate one and its never disappointed me. I would say though If you’re someone wanting a bit more of a stronger vanilla hit I usually double my essence but not the end of the world. Another easy to follow clear cut recipe
So happy to hear you enjoyed both recipes Nazia! 😀
Lol . Ez to make .hard to not eat before decorating with it
Haha totally agree! Glad you enjoyed the recipe 😀