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If you’re looking for a delicious, not overly-sweet, slightly leveled-up buttercream, look no further than the Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
Swiss buttercream is like the classier and more refined older sister to American buttercream.
It’s less sweet than American buttercream, so it’s a terrific option for frosting cakes, cupcakes, fill French macarons, and more!
While it can seem a little intimidating to make, I’m here to show you it is TOTALLY doable.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream is definitely easier than you might think, and it’s actually very forgiving.
My favorite part is that it is a perfect blank canvas for ANY flavor additions. I’ve listed a bunch below to get you started.
I’ve created a video inside the recipe card below so you can actually see what each stage is supposed to look like, with tips and tricks along the way in case you are worried you messed up somewhere along the way!
How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream
What is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream (aka SMBC) is made by whipping a mixture of egg whites and sugar that has been gently heated in a double boiler until the sugar dissolves and the eggs are cooked.
- The egg white mixture is then whipped up into a beautiful glossy meringue.
- Cubes of butter are then gradually added to the meringue, then flavor ingredients.
- It’s more complicated than American buttercream, but is so delicious and the texture is so silky smooth that it’s well worth the extra steps, especially for special occasions!
What’s the Difference Between Swiss and American Buttercream?
- American Buttercream is basically a combination of beaten butter, powdered sugar, and flavoring(s).
- It is by far the simplest and easiest buttercream, but can often have a very sweet one-note flavor profile.
- Check out my recipe for American Buttercream here, for a quicker, slightly sweeter but equally delicious buttercream.
Are There Other Types of Buttercream?
- Italian Meringue: Similar to Swiss, but a little more complex. Italian Meringue Buttercream is made by cooking a sugar syrup and carefully drizzling this into an egg white mixture.
- French Buttercream: Similar again, but French Buttercream contains egg yolks instead of egg whites. It can be the most difficult to make, as it requires cooking a hot syrup, then drizzling this into egg yolks, which can scramble easily. It’s ultra-rich and smooth but may result in the consumption of raw eggs.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Tools
- Candy Thermometer: For ensuring your egg white/sugar mixture has reached the correct temperature. An instant-read thermometer will also work.
- Whisk: For whisking the egg white/sugar mixture constantly throughout heating.
- Stand Mixer: The best tool for SMBC! While this can be done with a handheld electric mixer, I don’t recommend it as it will take much longer.
- Piping Bags: For piping your perfect Swiss meringue buttercream onto your cake or cupcakes.
- Piping Tip: This Ateco #825 star tip is my favorite piping tip.
Flavor Customization Ideas
Feel free to get creative here! Add more or less depending on your preferences, and even combine two flavor ideas for something more unique. Be sure to taste as you go, and add a little more flavoring as needed. If you’re adding a liquid, be sure to add it slowly, in tablespoon-sized increments. If you get a little heavy-handed, see the note above about curdling.
- Vanilla Bean: Add 2 tablespoons pure vanilla bean paste or the scraped seeds from 1 bean.
- Chocolate: Add 2/3 cup cooled melted chocolate
- Mocha: Add 3/4 cup sifted cocoa powder and 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
- Raspberry or Strawberry: Add 2/3 cup seedless raspberry or strawberry preserves + red food coloring if desired
- Almond: Add 1 teaspoon almond extract
- Nutella, Peanut Butter, or Cookie Butter: Add 3/4 cup to buttercream
- Mint: Add 1 teaspoon peppermint extract + green food coloring if desired
- Lemon or other citrus: Add 2 tablespoons fresh zest and 3 tablespoons fresh juice
- Hazelnut: Add 1 teaspoon hazelnut extract
- Coffee: Dissolve 1 tablespoon espresso powder in 2 tablespoons hot water and add in at the very end
- Caramel or Dulce de Leche: Add 3/4 cup to buttercream
- Brown Sugar: Substitute the white sugar for brown sugar in the recipe.
- Spiked: Add 2 tablespoons flavored liqueur such as Chambord, Kahlua, or Bailey’s.
Recipes Perfect for This Buttercream:
- Best Ever Chocolate Cupcakes
- Ultra Moist Yellow Cupcakes
- Best Yellow Cake Recipe
- Best Birthday Cake
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
How to Make Perfect Swiss Meringue Buttercream with a step-by-step video, with tips and tricks along the way. Can be made ahead of time. Includes a list of flavor customization ideas!
Ingredients
- 5 large (150 grams) egg whites
- 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar
- 3 sticks (340 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
Instructions
- Wipe the bowl of an electric mixer with a paper towel and lemon juice or vinegar, to remove any trace of grease. Make a double boiler by placing the mixer bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Add the egg whites and sugar to the bowl, whisking constantly but gently, until the temperature reaches 160°F, or until the sugar has completely dissolved and the egg whites are hot and foamy. Carefully wipe the bottom of the bowl dry.
- Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and begin to whip, until the meringue is thick, glossy, and stiff peaks are achieved. The bottom of the bowl must no longer feel warm to the touch. This should take about 7 to 10 minutes.
- Switch over to paddle attachment and, with mixer on low speed, add the butter cubes, one at a time, until incorporated. Continue beating until it has reached a silky smooth texture. This may take several minutes.
- If the buttercream curdles, simply keep mixing and it will come back together and be smooth. If the buttercream is too thin and runny, refrigerate for about 15 minutes before continuing mixing with the paddle attachment until it comes together. Add the vanilla and salt, continuing to beat on low speed until well combined.
- Add additional flavors, purees, or mix-ins as desired.
To make ahead:
- Keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let come to room temperature and beat on low with the paddle attachment, until creamy, before using.
To use under fondant:
- Frost the cake as smoothly as possible. Place in the refrigerator until the buttercream has hardened before covering in fondant. Cover with fondant straight from the refrigerator.
Show us!If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture and share it on Instagram with #handletheheat so we can all see!
Recipe Notes
This makes enough frosting to generously frost a 9-inch two-layer cake or about 2 dozen cupcakes. This recipe can easily be doubled.
Please don’t panic if the frosting looks curdled as you mix in the cubed butter and/or flavorings. Just keep mixing and it will eventually come back together and look creamy and smooth again.
This recipe was originally created in 2015 and was recently updated with more recipe tips and FAQs.
Tips for the Perfect Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Cooking the egg whites/sugar: Don’t be tempted to crank the heat up too high. Allow the water in your double boiler to just simmer, to slowly raise the temperature of the egg whites and sugar without cooking your egg whites.
- Whisk constantly: If you stop whisking, the egg whites can cook on the sides and bottom of the bowl. Keep the mixture moving, to prevent chunks of scrambled eggs from ending up in your buttercream.
- Whipping speed: Once you move your bowl to the mixer, start whipping slowly and increase the speed as the mixture thickens. I stop increasing the speed once it’s on medium-high. This allows the air to slowly be incorporated into the meringue, to create a stable base, and also allows the bowl time to cool before proceeding with adding the butter.
- You want stiff peaks: Ensure your meringue has reached stiff peaks before adding the butter. Medium peaks won’t result in a thick, luscious buttercream. Stiff peaks are sharp points in meringue that don’t bend or droop.
- Ensure your bowl is completely cool before adding the butter: If your meringue or the bowl are at all warm, the butter will melt and you’ll end up with a soupy buttercream. Don’t add the butter until the bowl is completely cool and back to room temperature.
- Curdling isn’t a big deal: It’s normal and totally okay if your buttercream looks separated, curdled, or chunky while the butter incorporates. It might happen again when you add your flavorings, especially if they’re liquidy. Don’t worry! Keep mixing with the paddle attachment and it will come back together eventually, becoming a super creamy, smooth buttercream.
- If your SMBC contains air bubbles: Mix on your mixer’s lowest speed for a few minutes, or even mix by hand with a rubber spatula for a few minutes, to smooth out the buttercream and pop those pesky air bubbles.
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve made this many many times and it’s never failed me. This is my go-to recipe for the perfect Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
I loved working with your Swiss meringue buttercream. It was easy to make and it piped beautifully. It was also delicious . Thank you for another great recipe.
I’ve made this recipe for almost 4.5 years now. I use it almost every time I make a cake (which is pretty often) and I always always get compliments on how delicious the buttercream is! It is just perfect. Thank you so much for this recipe!
That’s amazing to hear! So happy you love this recipe so much, thanks for taking the time to let us know, we appreciate it! 🙂
I have made Swiss meringue before and love it. I’m planning to put the brown sugar version on pumpkin spice cupcakes. I am always unsure how to store cupcakes with Swiss meringue after they are iced- any suggestions?
Hi Laura! As SMBC contains eggs, you don’t want to leave it out longer than 6 hours at room temperature. We suggest refrigerating your frosted cupcakes, then letting them come to room temperature before serving as the buttercream hardens quite a bit (about half an hour, though it depends on the temperature of your kitchen). I hope that helps!
Hi Tessa,
I have a basic old stand mixer that just has beaters. Can I make this without using all the special attachments you used?
Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan! We’ve actually never used one of those, so we can’t say for sure! If you give it a try, please let us know how it goes.
I have tried making Swiss Meringue Buttercream in the past but without success. The directions were never simple to follow and I would wind up with a soupy mess! The instructions for this recipe are excellent! Very specific and detailed which you need for this type of frosting. I was so happy when I finished it. Very light texture and delicious. I also added the extra cocoa powder and espresso to make it mocha flavored. It’s great.
So glad to hear that, Cindy! Glad the instructions were easy to read and that you enjoyed the end result 🙂 Mocha buttercream is so delicious!
Sorry forgot to ask if I wanted to make chocolate orange buttercream, is it better to melt a chocolate orange bar or do the amount you indicate of melted chocolate and then the amount you suggest for the orange addition? Thank youuu so much!!
I haven’t tried melting a chocolate orange bar, but you’re welcome to experiment with it. I would imagine it’d taste delicious 🙂 You can also combine two flavor ideas as stated in the flavor customizations as well 🙂
Ah thank you so much Tessa! What a great suggestion to combine two flavour ideas! Sorry didn’t read that.
May I ask, when you suggest juice (for both orange and lemon) is the juice from a carton? Or freshly squeezed juice?
Thank youuuuuu!!
I suggest 2T fresh zest and 3T fresh juice (from the fruit) for best flavor 🙂
Hello dear Tessa, may I ask if I can use any chocolate to melt and then add to the buttercream? And how much would it be in grams?
Many thanks, much appreciated
Check out my Flavor customizations listed on this post, yes, you can add chocolate 🙂 Here’s a link to my free conversion guide: https://handletheheat.com/measuring-cheatsheet
Simple and elegant
Thanks
Thank you very much for your kind reply and for providing this really wonderful recipe for free, I just hate to think that I may ruin it by adding the wrong amount of flavours! I will never understand cups, everything weighs the same in grams, I just would have loved that as the recipe itself has conversions in grams it would have been the same for the add ins…Thank you kindly anyway for giving me the conversion for nutella and jam! I wish I could have them for everything hehe! X
Dear Tessa, sorry to bother you I just wanted to ask you, for your Swiss meringue buttercream recipe flavour adaptations when you say cup is meant as the same cup measurement you use for the sugar?
For example 2/3 cup jam = 135g? 3/4 cup of nutella = 150g? So sorry, there are so many cup conversions according to the country and ingredient itself etc that I thought I’d double check with you. Hope you don’t mind.
Thank you so very much for your time and please know that your recipe is the best one I have used (I have tried many) and I absolutely trust it and love it. If you have developed any more flavours I can’t wait to hear, I feel like the possibilities are endless and want to try them all!!
Thank you, thank you for your amazing hard work and passion!
Many greetings from afar,
Best wishes Veronica
Hi Veronia, I understand your confusion! A cup measurement is the same as how I measured the sugar; however, as things weigh differently, a cup of sugar will weigh differently than a cup of jam! 3/4 cup of Nutella is about 217g (1 cup of Nutella is around 290g total). 2/3 cup jam is around 215g. Hope this helps! If you’re ever unsure about the add-ins, you can also slowly add them into the buttercream to your taste 🙂
hi tessa,
I read if we can add espresso powder into the buttercream
How much espresso powder should i use?
Thanks