Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
This Swiss meringue buttercream is creamy but not overly sweet. It’s thick, silky, stable and pipes beautifully in any cakes, cupcakes, cookies and many other more.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Whisk and silicon spatula
- Heat-proof bowl and pan / double boiler
Ingredients
- 6 large egg whites
- 1 and ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 and ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Clean and wipe your tools properly to ensure that they are free from grease.
- In a medium pan, add around 1-2 inches of water and bring to a simmer.
- Separate egg whites using a small bowl before transferring to your mixing bowl. Remember: Do not separate the egg whites directly into the mixer or you will end up spoiling the whole batch.
- In a heat-proof bowl, combine egg whites and sugar. Whisk until combine. In a pan with simmering water, place bowl on top, making sure that the bowl seal the pot completely and doesn’t touch the water.
- Whisk until the sugar is fully dissolved and temperature reaches 160 °F (around 3-5 minutes) using a candy thermometer. Or scoop a little mixture and rub between fingertips, if you feel that there are no more sugar granules, then it is ready.
- Remove the bowl over the pan and transfer mixture to a clean and dry stand mixer bowl. Start to beat in medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form (around 15-20 minutes) and the bottom of bowl feels completely at room temperature and not warm (note: warm meringue will melt the butter).
- Once at room temperature, reduce speed to medium and add around 1 tablespoon of butter at a time, in interval of few seconds or just as fast as is it absorbed by the meringue. Once butter is all used up, scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and continue to beat until it reaches a thick whipped consistency, around 3 minutes on medium-high speed. If it looks liquid, keep beating until smooth, thick and whipped.
- Add vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high speed for another minute until well combined.
- Frost and pipe in your favorite cake or cupcakes, etc.
- Share and enjoy!
