This is the Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe you’ll ever make! Once you try it, you’ll want to use it to cover all of your cakes and cupcakes.
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If you’re looking for the Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe (aka cheater’s Swiss Meringue), you’ve come to the right place! While you’re here, make sure you sign up for my newsletter so you get every future dessert post sent straight to your inbox!
Swiss Meringue Buttercream is my FAVORITE type of frosting—it tastes delicious, is a dream to work with, doesn’t crust, and isn’t overly sweet or greasy. In short, it’s almost perfect!
The only problem? It can be a big pain to make. I won’t go into all the steps—for that, you’ll want to read my post on how to make traditional Swiss Meringue Buttercream. But the point is, the whole Swiss Meringue shebang has been a necessary evil…until now. Introducing your new favorite recipe, The EASIEST Swiss Meringue Buttercream!
Traditional Swiss Meringue involves heating egg whites, then lots and lots of whipping. This recipe skips the heating step entirely, and still produces a rich, smooth, ultra-creamy buttercream with the characteristic texture and taste of Swiss Meringue. It’s as easy to make as American Buttercream, but it doesn’t crust over and it isn’t teeth-shatteringly sweet. You seriously NEED to try this recipe!
First things first: this is based on a frosting recipe by the amazing cake decorator Lauren Kitchens. If you want to see some real talent, check out her site! The frosting is not technically a Swiss Meringue, because the technique is different, but the ingredients and final product are so close, I have no problem calling this a lazy version of SMBC! I did a lot of tweaking and ended up with some very different ingredient quantities than the original recipe, to find the right balance of sugar + butter for my personal taste buds.
This recipe is so good, it’s the starring player in my NEW Craftsy class! This is my second class I’ve filmed with them, and I am THRILLED to share it with you. I am so proud of this one! It’s called “Get Started Decorating: Quick Birthday Cake Ideas,” and it has twelve (twelve!!!) different cake designs/techniques. Most of the cakes also have accompanying cupcake suggestions as well, so there is a serious boatload of information packed into these videos.
I love this class because it’s not fussy. None of the cake designs require a piping bag, we are NOT covering cakes in fondant, there are zero gumpaste flowers, and in short, it’s for people who might not have a ton of decorating experience or a ton of time to construct a super-elaborate cake. (Soooo, basically everybody!) The cake designs use common ingredients you can find in a store, they’re colorful and fun, and once you have the basic methods down, you can translate the specific design ideas to any occasion you want! (“Birthday Cake” may be in the title, but these are NOT reserved for just birthdays!)
Here’s a little glimpse of all of the cakes we make in the class. This was taken at the very end of the last day of filming. We shot all of these cakes and cupcakes in TWO days! Believe me when I tell you I collapsed in bed at the end of that week!
My Craftsy cake decorating class is now live, and you can read about it and watch a trailer here!
Now let’s get down to the business of buttercream.
Because the Craftsy class is aimed at beginners, I wanted a frosting recipe that would be easy to make—no heating of egg whites required! But I also didn’t want the standard American Buttercream, both because I think it tastes gross, and because it crusts over when it dries, and many of the designs require a non-crusting buttercream. Easiest Swiss Meringue to the rescue!
This frosting will seriously change your decorating life. I used it as a base for all of the cakes in the Craftsy class, and it was easy to work with, tasted great, and didn’t crust over, so I could press the various candies, sprinkles, and many (MANY) other assorted goodies into it, even hours after I frosted the cakes. That is gold, people.
FAQ About the Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream Video
What piping tip are you using in the video?
It’s a closed star tip, Ateco #849. You can get the closed star tip here.
What is that mixer attachment you are using?
It’s called a beater blade, and I LOVE it. Literally never use my regular paddle, ever! Get one!
Where can I get those cupcake cups?
Sadly, I don’t know! I bought them at Michael’s Craft Store, but can’t find a link to them online anywhere. If you search for “paper baking cups” online, you’ll find similar shaped cups in lots of cute patterns, though.
Is it safe to eat raw egg whites? / Do I have to use egg whites in a carton?
I recommend using pasteurized egg whites for food safety reasons. Pasteurizing means the whites have been heated to kill the bad bacteria, so you can safely consume raw whites. If you cannot find pasteurized whites in a carton, look for pasteurized whole eggs, and separate out the whites yourself. If you cannot find either, and you personally feel comfortable eating raw egg whites, then you can use regular whites. OR just use this recipe for traditional Swiss Meringue! The whites are cooked in that recipe, so it is safe to use regular eggs.
How to Make the Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream Video:
The EASIEST Swiss Meringue Buttercream
This is the Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe you’ll ever make! Once you try it, you’ll want to use it to cover all of your cakes and cupcakes.
A note about the ingredients: this recipe calls for pasteurized egg whites. IT IS SAFE to consume egg whites without cooking them, as long as you make sure that the whites you buy are pasteurized. To save time, I buy them in a carton--look for 100% egg whites, not liquid egg substitute. If you cannot find them in a carton, you can buy pasteurized eggs and separate them yourself. You’ll need about 5-6 large eggs to get the ¾ cup called for in the recipe.
Ingredients
- 6 fl oz pasteurized liquid egg whites (3/4 cup)
- 24 oz powdered sugar (6 cups)
- ½ tsp salt
- 24 oz unsalted butter (3 cups) , at room temperature
- 2 TBSP vanilla extract
Instructions
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Combine the whites, powdered sugar, and salt in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix everything together on low speed, until the sugar is moistened and no dry patches remain. Turn off the mixer, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula, then turn the mixer to medium speed. Beat on medium for 5 minutes.
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After 5 minutes, turn the mixer to medium-low and start adding the softened room temperature butter, 1-2 tablespoons at a time. Once all of the butter is incorporated, add the vanilla extract and mix it in. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides once more. Turn the speed to medium and beat the buttercream for 10 minutes. At the end, you’ll have a frosting with a wonderfully light and creamy texture. It can be used right away, or stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or the freezer for up to two months. If you have chilled the frosting, let it come to room temperature and then beat it for several minutes to smooth it out and restore its texture before using it.
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To make chocolate buttercream, chop 12 oz unsweetened chocolate, and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds to prevent overheating. Once the chocolate is melted, let it cool until it is completely room temperature. Make the frosting as described, and after it is finished, add the melted and cooled chocolate. Mix on low speed until the chocolate is completely incorporated.
Recipe Notes
This recipe is adapted from a frosting recipe by Lauren Kitchens.
Want to learn to make traditional Swiss Meringue buttercream? I have a Swiss Meringue Buttercream photo tutorial and recipe right here!
Here are a few of my favorite cake recipes that would be great with this Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cakes
Can I use egg whites va liquid egg whites? And I have regular butter not unsalted I know the flavor will be slightly off but is that all just flavor of a little saltier? Main question is the egg white…..
Tried this recipe today. Was looking like one hot mess UNTIL the end! Will be my go to forever. Thanks for all your help in perfecting this recipe.
I has anyone tried this after few days at room temp? How long is it safe for as wedsing cakes can be made for as long as 4 days . Is this safe out the fridge for 4-5 days?
Beautiful cakes! I was wondering if you can make the easiest buttercream in chocolate? My daughter wants chocolate frosting on her grad cake and I just can’t bare to make the American buttercream….tooo sweet! Thanks
I don’t bake. But this summer we are celebrating my dads 100th birthday. I am doing a circus theme. To give the family a memory I am having each family bring a 9×13 baked cake around 10:30 am. We will set them up like a circus train and decorate them all together for the party starting at 1pm. Can I just leave them out in an air conditioned church? I have little plastic animals for decoration. This recipe looks like exactly the kind I need. Will make different colors in big bowls for their choosing. If anyone has any tips or ideas for decorating I sure would enjoy that. Using decorated tuna cans for the wheels. Can’t wait to try this recipe!
I just made this buttercream for some cupcakes, and it is absolutely delicious! Light and fluffy, and not over-sweet! My only question is whether or not I now have to refrigerate the cupcakes, or whether they can stay at room temperature until they are eaten tomorrow. I’ll stick them in overnight to be on the safe side, but if I don’t have to take up half my fridge with future cupcakes, that would be awesome lol. Please advise! Thanks!
Was wondering the same thing
I love this recipe! I’m curious if I could add pureed fruit for flavor or will it break it down?
Hello, is there a way to incorporate flavors? like lemon or mint? Hoping to try your recipe in a day or two and wanting to make it lemon. thank you 🙂
Yes, definitely! You can always use extracts to add flavor. For lemon, you can also stir in some very finely grated lemon zest (I recommend using a microplane) if you don’t mind a little bit of texture. I also like to add a touch of citric acid to fruit buttercreams. It adds a really realistic sour flavor – just 1/8-1/4 tsp is all you need to really boost fruit flavor. Totally optional but if you can find it (either online or at grocery stores) I think you’ll like what it adds to the recipe!
In addition to the extracts mentioned by Elizabeth, you could consider using emulsions (found at lorannoils.com). I started using emulsions recently and love what I have used so far. I used raspberry in a royal icing and it was amazing! This flavor was strong without that bitter extract taste.
Hoping to try this recipe today and hoping it works well in a cake roll.
Agreed, I love their baking emulsions!
Hi Elizabeth. Thank you for this. It’s so lovely and light, much better than ABC. However I found that it still has that gritty powder icing after taste.
Can I substitute the powdered sugar for granulated sugar as they do in SMBC? And how much granulated sugar?
Hi!
I’m sorry I’m a little confused. The recipe calls for powdered sugar so that the meringue isn’t gritty. Granulated sugar would make it much more gritty.
As far as powdered sugar goes, I do find that powdered sugar varies in texture. I am loyal to CNH since it is the least gritty one I have found. Good luck! I hope this helps.
I made this today and it tastes delicious! However it seems not quite as fluffy as yours. Do I need to whip it longer? I’m afraid to overwhip!
Hi Jana! You definitely can whip longer if the texture is not what you’d like. If you’re using a paddle attachment and mixing on medium you can go longer than 10 minutes without being worried about overwhipping. (Different mixers might produce different results, so the timing is a guideline and not a hard and fast rule.) If after whipping the frosting seems to have lots of tiny air bubbles, just run the mixer on low for a few minutes to try and get some of those bubbles out. Hope this helps!
Thank you!!!! This is absolutely the perfect combination of SMBC and ABC. I’ve been trying to find a recipe just like this for ages. Not only is it easier than SMBC, it’s not quite as pure buttery tasting either. It’s more of a whipped cream tasting version of buttercream without the terrible over-sweetness. I typically make IMBC, but this will be my new go-to, I think.
Hi Vanessa, thank you so much for the comment! I’m thrilled that you like the recipe, and agree that it’s a great blend of SMBC and ABC. 😀
if this recipe separates in the fridge does that mean that decorated cakes/cupcakes need to be kept out at room temperature?
Is it possible to incorporate cream cheese into this frosting? I absolutely love the consistency of it, but need a cream cheese flavored for a cake. Thanks!
Look up whipped cream cream cheese frosting. It will change your life.
How does this icing do with fondant figures? will it melt them or drag them down if fondant figures are used on the sides of the cake?
Has anyone tried ? I live in florida so humidy is an issue for me.
Also I have not seen any response to if this has to be refrigerated or can be left outside and if can stay outside for how long?
How long can this stay out of refrigeration?
Can I use this for a cake filling and add freshly sliced strawberries on it as well?
Hi Elizabeth. I made the frosting. I looked and tasted great. I refrigerated it overnight. Let it sit for a while this morning and then whipped it with paddle attachment in the mixer but it looks like its yellowed, butter like colour and I can see the sugar crystals. Should I just whip it longer? Thanks for your help.
Yes, absolutely that typically happens because it wasn’t completely up to room temperature before whipping again. Really, the solution is just to beat it until it comes together.
I am planning on making this for my daughter’s birthday cake. I’m in the UK so will be using icing sugar which I think is the same. I don’t have a stand mixer, will an electric whisk be ok?
Hi Fran, I believe icing sugar is the same so that should be fine. An electric whisk should work but you may have to adjust the time since it is not as powerful as a stand mixer. Best of luck!
How long can this frosting be left at room temperature? Does it stay fluffy, or does it start to wilt?
Hi Cindy, It is fine, it doesn’t melt but if you haven’t applied it to a cake yet you should mix it again before frosting. I leave mine at cool room temperatures for several days and have never had a problem. Of course, use your best judgment for food safety in your particular environment. Thank you.
Comment…Hey thanks for the go to way. But still curious on wether on not you can use and not need to refrigerate.
I leave mine at cool room temperatures for several days and have never had a problem. Of course, use your best judgment for food safety in your particular environment. Thank you.
Does this need refrigerated? Or is room temperature a safe storage method for the cakes?
I leave mine at cool room temperatures for several days and have never had a problem. Of course, use your best judgment for food safety in your particular environment. Thank you.
Just wondering if this can be left at room temperature for a few days?
Hi Alicia, I leave mine at cool room temperatures for several days and have never had a problem. Of course, use your best judgment for food safety in your particular environment. Thank you.
H Elizabeth. Just made your recipe for the first time, followed directions to a T but my icing seems a bit too runny? Taste is delicious and it’s easy to work with it just doesn’t seem quite as firm as I thought it would be. Any thoughts? Thanks!
Hi Lorrie, The frosting should be pipe-able but it is less stiff than an American buttercream. If you are sure that you measured the ingredients and mixed them properly, it could be environmental issues causing the problem. You could try briefly refrigerating the frosting. If that does not work you could add a bit more butter, adding butter tends to give it more body. Hope this helps, please let me know.
I’m going to be making this recipe in a few days, but all I have is a Bosch. Will it work?
To be entirely honest, I have never tried it with a Bosch but believe it should fine. Let me know how it turns out if you do try it. Thanks!
Does it work to make and frost a cake with this icing and then freeze for later? It will not have any color it is a white wedding cake. thanks so much!
If possible I prefer to freeze the components separately. I think for the best taste and texture it is better not to freeze it assembled, that being said it won’t go bad but I think you would be happiest with the results by keeping them separate to freeze.
I made this yesterday and love it! I also have left the cupcakes on the counter and they are fine! I was wondering if you could add PB and if so do you just substitute it for some of the butter?
You can add peanut butter but the texture can be adversely affected if you add too much. What I prefer to use is the powdered peanut butters like PB2 or similar products. Thanks!
How many cupcakes does this recipe cover?
Hi Deanna, it depends on how you are decorating them. Assuming you are not doing a tall swirl and using lots of frosting, you should be able to frost 2 dozen cupcakes.
Can you use the pasteurized egg whites in the carton to make the meringue cookies for decoration?
Hi Debbie, when I am making an actual meringue I prefer to use fresh egg whites from the shell because I think they whip up better.
I tried this recipe and I had an issue with it and I’m hoping you can help! The butter was room temp and the first steps went well but after all the butter was added and well combined, ie no lumps or separation, it did not thicken up. It was just too soft and creamy. I tried chilling it and remixing for a good 20 minutes and it still didn’t thicken, then I added more powdered sugar (about a cup) still did not come to a thicker consistency. I loved the taste and sweetness level of this icing so I’m hoping this is a simple fix!
I note that your buttercream in your mixing bowl looks very much more yellow than what you are piping on your cupcakes. How do you get it to be more white in colour?
Hi Lois,
Part of it might just be the color that was captured by the video/photos. In real life, it is more of an ivory. It’s not a true white because of the butter. A huge part of the color will be the butter you use, so if you can find a lighter butter this should help. If it is still really yellow, you can add a drop of purple food coloring (since yellow and purple are opposite on the color wheel), this should help get it back to a white. Good luck! I hope this helps.
Can I frost the cupcakes the day before the event and leave them on the counter? How many cupcakes with this recipe?
I have been using this as my go to icing on all of my cakes for over a year now. I get compliments on it all the time. I have a wedding cake request using lemon flavored white cake and raspberry filling. The bride’s fiance has requested a cream cheese frosting and she wants vanilla buttercream. I would like to continue to use this SMBC and was curious if there was a way to convert it into a CCSMBC?
Hi Jessica!
I’m so glad to hear that you like it so much! That cake sounds delicious!
Converting it to a cream cheese swiss meringue shouldn’t be a problem at all! I would start with the recipe as written so you have a finished SMBC. Once you have this, take a pound of cream cheese in a separate bowl, and beat it until it doesn’t have any lumps. Then, gradually add in the buttercream. If you add the cream cheese to the buttercream, sometimes it breaks. But if you add the buttercream slowly into the cream cheese, it usually comes together really well! Additionally, you can add extra powdered sugar to taste if it is a little too tangy. Best of luck, I hope the cake turns out beautifully!
I noticed in this recipe compared to your reg. Swiss Meringue Buttercream you use a lot more butter and it makes less buttercream why is that and on the original Swiss Meringue Buttercream you can add more flavors like peanut butter etc. I was just wondering if you could use your amounts for the other one for this one? I need more than this and I want to flavor some of it not half with peanut butter? I have seen you can add a cup of peanut butter to Swiss Meringue Buttercream but, was going with this one because I have a carton of egg whites so hate to waste the ones in the carton and don’t like having so many egg yolks left over. I am doing this tomorrow hopefully you will see this before then. Love all your recipes and your classes look great. Also one more question I also saw on that other Swiss Meringue recipe you could add shortening to it to make it more stable and, for the chocolate you could add the melted bars or cocoa mixed like a paste to get the chocolate version. What are your thoughts on that also. I really trust your judgment as I have made a lot of recipes from your site and loved them all.
Oh I’m sorry I didn’t see this in time! But for future reference/other users I’ll still answer your questions! I hope it all still turned out for you.
In the other one, you have a meringue that is a lot more voluminous because the egg whites take up more room. You can use the exact same amounts for this one, it’s really flexible so you can kind of taste and adjust as you go.
I haven’t personally tried shortening, but a lot of other users have and it has turned out fine, so you should be good to do it! The cocoa should work just fine as well.
I’m so glad you’ve made so many and like them! I love to hear that. I hope this still helps even though it’s a little late! Best of luck, and thanks for your comment.
I just wanted to say that this recipe is my go to for a light, fluffy textured frosting that pipes well for soft swirls, pearls and dots. This is not a crusting frosting and I like that! My husband and co-workers love it!! I never have any leftovers when I make a cake with this frosting. In fact, I used this for my daughter’s wedding cake as it had the texture my son-in law likes. I wish I could attach a picture of the cake. It had swirls on top, pearls between the tiers, and swiss polka dots all over the sides. The wedding was in September and the cake was left out in the reception room. No sliding or dripping. Perfect. I am not a professional and everyone was amazed with how it looked and tasted!
-Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth!
I’m so glad you love it so much! That cake sounds incredible, I would love to see it! And I’m so glad it turned out beautifully, as I’m sure the entire wedding did! So glad it has never failed you! Thanks for the sweet comment 🙂
As some other people have mentioned, I made this buttercream but the last time I made it and added cocoa powder to it, it became very soft and wasn’t able to pipe it. It would not stand up when piped. What would cause this, and how could it be fixed. We made the same recipe another time and the chocolate frosting stood up just fine. Thanks in advance for you answer.
Hi Lynn,
So sorry to hear that! I usually recommend using melted, unsweetened chocolate because that doesn’t affect the texture as much! But, if you’re in a situation where the buttercream is already soft and you’re looking to fix it, you can always try adding powdered sugar. Best of luck!
Hi Elizabeth, i live out side US and got a bit confused convirting the egg whites …so if you could help me with that. Im planing to frost a cake a day before the Birthday, and as I live in a hot country I need to put in in the fridge. Is it ok?
another thing is how can i make this frosting with chocolate.
thanks Anna
Hi Anna,
As far as the egg whites go, the measurement should be 177mL, if that helps? You can put the frosted cake in the fridge, but I would recommend serving it at room temperature because I think it serves better when it’s not cold. I have recommendations for adding chocolate in step three of the recipe if you want to check that out!
Good luck!
I use fondant decorations with buttercream icing. I live in Florida and the humidity is terrible. Will this hold up to decorations, like cut out sillhouttes of buildings on the sides of the cake.
Hi Pam,
I live in a climate that gets hot, but is quite dry. I can’t say for sure how it will react to the Florida humidity. In general, fondant works well, but I haven’t tested it in humidity! Please let me know if you give it a try, I’d be curious to see if it’s any different. Best of luck!
Oh my goodness… I am SO happy to have come across this!!! I can’t wait to try this! My customer has been complaining about my normal buttercream frosting crusting over (American), but having 3 very active boys, I don’t have the time to do the more complicated Swiss, Italian, and French meringue frostings. I’m so excited to give this a try!!
Glad you found it! I hope it goes well for you, you’ll have to let me know if it’s worth the switch!