Swiss Meringue Buttercream

My favorite buttercream frosting of all time! This frosting is sweet, but not too sweet; pillowy soft, fluffy, light, airy, creamy. It's everything you could want in a frosting.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Swiss

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Mixing Time 20

Total Time 50

Servings cupcakes

Calories 205kcal

Author Whitney Wright

Equipment

Kitchen Aid stand mixer

Ingredients

6 large egg whites
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups unsalted butter softened but still a tad firm. Cut into tablespoon increments.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In a medium sized pot, bring 1-2 inches of water to a simmer.
Thoroughly wash and dry your stand mixer bowl. We don’t want ANY grease touching the egg whites! (Makes it harder for them to whip).
In the bowl of a stand mixer whisk the egg whites and sugar until combined.
Place the mixing bowl over the pot of simmering water. The bowl shouldn’t be touching the water. Mix the mixture with a whisk, stirring constantly until no longer grainy (you shouldn’t feel any sugar granules when you rub the mixture between your fingers), and the mixture reads 160 °F on an instant read thermometer. (This took me about 20 minutes). Once it reaches 160°F, remove from the heat and wipe the outside of the bowl with a paper towel to remove the water.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture cool for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
Place the bowl on your stand mixer and (fitted with the whisk attachment) and whisk on medium high for 10-15 minutes or until the meringue is stiff and cooled. The bowl should no longer be warm to the touch. (You do not want the meringue to be warm! This will melt the butter). If the meringue is too warm, place it in the fridge for 4-5 minutes to cool down.
Change to the paddle attachment. Add the butter, a tablespoon at a time, waiting to add each tablespoon only after the previous butter has been mixed in. Once all the butter is in, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and whip on med-high speed for 2-4 minutes until the it’s smooth and whipped. If it’s lumpy or liquidy, keep beating.
Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.

Notes

Will make enough to frost a 3 layer 6 inch cake. Or a 2 layer 8”inch cake.

Swiss meringue will last for 2 days at room temperature or 2 weeks stored in the fridge in an airtight container. When ready to use again, remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature. Beat on medium speed until soft and fluffy. See blog post for troubleshooting tips.

To freeze, store in an airtight container in the freezer for 1-2 months. Let thaw at room temperature.

Note the serving size says "24 cupcakes." This recipe should frost about 24 cupcakes, give or take a few (depending on how much frosting you use). Nutritional information is based off 1 frosting serving.

Nutrition