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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.
Hello, and welcome to SugarHero!
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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
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
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
The recipe looks amazing and easy! Will this buttercream hold fondant design on the cake?
Hey Stella, Yes for the most part it is as stable as a traditional Swiss Meringue. It does hold fondant fairly well, my concerns would be if it is too warm or if the decor is really heavy. My suggestion is to use your best judgment! I hope it works out great for you!
Can you make 1.5 batches in the kitchenaid?
The receipe says 24oz powdered sugar and 6 cups next to that…24oz would equal 3 cups…. which is correct?
Hey Erin, They both are! I actually get this question a lot! I expound more about the confusion here. I hope it helps! I am excited for you to try out the buttercream! https://www.sugarhero.com/frequently-asked-questions/#measurements Thanks!
I made this for your Unicorn cake a couple of months ago and it turned out amazing. I made this again a couple of days ago, and it separated and was quite liquidy. My kitchen gets very warm in the summer and especially when I’m baking, so i had put it in the fridge for a while then re-whipped it some. It was still liquidy. I wonder if the butter was too soft; would it change the consistency? I’m also thinking I needed to re-whip it longer. I also was using the whisk attachment instead..I really liked this the first time and want to use it again…Any tips?
Hey Clair, I have rarely found a problem that whipping it longer can’t solve. I would suggest whipping it longer with the paddle attachment. It is hard considering it is summer so the heat wont help, a couple things you can do is add additional powder sugar possibly up to three cups. Another thing is to swap out half the butter for shortening. That will be good especially if the baked goods are in the sun or outside. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have anymore questions!
Hey I have been using this recipe with great success … except this one batch which feels grainy – what can I do to get that smooth texture again –
Hey Niloufer, I’m sorry to hear that happened! When it gets grainy it usually comes down to ingredients, specifically the powdered sugar. Did you by chance switch up your brand of powdered sugar? Powdered sugar has corn starch in it which can make that happen. One way to avoid this is to make sure you are using quality powdered sugar. I would recommend that when looking for powdered sugar you look for pure cane rather than brands that may use beat sugar. My preferred brands are C&H, or Domino. I hope that helps! If you have anymore questions about it feel free to send me an email. Thanks!
Hi-I want to try this for sunflower cupcakes I’m making for my granddaughter’s first birthday. Two questions…can it be colored and is it suitable for piping? Thanks!!
Hey Elaine, That is going to be so fun! Happy Birthday to your granddaughter! To answer your questions, yes and yes! When coloring my buttercream I tend to use gel food coloring. It will be more pigmented while using less product. It should be great to pipe with!
I really, really like this buttercream recipe. Will certainly use it again. I also love Cuisinart….without whom, this recipe would be’ much more difficult. The powdered sugar blends in seamlessly, no worries about limps. Thank you.
Hey Lila, I am so glad to hear you enjoy it so much! Thank you so much for your feedback!
Finally an icing that is not sweet, gritty or greasy tasting. I have made Italian meringue buttercream and it tasted like I was eating pure butter. Once iced do these need refrigeration?
Hey Sandra, They are fine to sit out for the day. I do typically refrigerate if it’s going to be overnight or longer. The other thing I would mention is to be aware of the temperature when they are out, like any buttercream it will be susceptible to hotter conditions. So glad to hear you love it as much as I do! Thanks for your feedback!
LOVED this frosting! Taste is amazing. Only problem I had was it crusted overnight in the frig. How can I avoid the frosting from crusting?
Hey JoAnn, I am glad you loved it! This frosting does get hard when it’s chilled. However in my experience it hasn’t crusted. Can you tell me about the texture of it once it has come to room temperature, is it crusted once thawed? It should become smooth again once it has come to room temperature. If it is crusting, my only guess would be that it would have to do with the powdered sugar? Did you had the correct amount? This frosting just isn’t one to crust so if you could give me a little more detail I would love to help figure it out. Thanks!
So, in the recipe you call for a paddle attachment, but then in the picture you’re using the whisk attachment. Which is recommended?
Hey Angela, I am sorry for the confusion. That is actually a link to my original Swiss Meringue. You will use the paddle attachment for this recipe. I would love to hear how it goes!
Lovely recipe, I’d like to know if you can freeze it and for how long please
Hey Joanne, Yes absolutely! It will stay good in the freezer for up to six months!
I love the taste of this recipe and have used it a few times! Is there a way to make it a little stiffer for piping? I live in a very humid climate by Gulf of Mexico and it does not hold it’s shape down here.
Hey Amber, Yes! If you are making a regular sized batch (the one written on the recipe card) I would add a quarter cup of shortening and 3-4 cups of powdered sugar. This does make it sweeter and it also makes it more like a crusting buttercream just to give you a heads up. It will definitely make it easier to pipe with as well! Hope that helps!
So I made this yesterday exactly as directed. It came out white, smooth, fluffy and delicious. I put it in the fridge overnight with the anticipation of using it today. It was hard when I took it out of the fridge, which was to be expected so I let it come to room temperature and then gave it a quick whip in the stand mixer. The texture of it was completely different then when I made it yesterday. It looked almost chunky so I figured that I just needed to beat it longer, so I did. The texture smoothed out a bit but it didn’t look the same and it definitely wasn’t as white as when I first mafe it. Any ideas on how to remedy this?
Hey Hope, I am sorry to hear that the buttercream is giving you some trouble! To be honest there are very few things that whipping longer won’t solve. If the color or texture isn’t how you like or comparable to when you first made it I recommend whipping it longer! I recommend whipping it for a long time on a high speed. After whipping it for a long time I usually whip it on a low speed for three to five minutes to smooth out any air bubbles. You should be able to get the same product you started out with! Putting it in the fridge or freezer shouldn’t be a problem, I hope that helps!
OH MY WORD! BEST FROSTING EVER!!!! I have made a lot of cakes in my day with every kind of icing known to mankind, but this literally takes the cake! :0) SO incredibly light, smooth, and delicious! It was wonderful as is, but I added 1/2 cup of fresh strawberry juice and my guests couldn’t stop raving over it! This recipe makes a lot of icing, so you can 1/2 it for a sheet cake with plenty for piping. I was able to ice two 9×13 sheet cakes with piping and still had a lot left over. This is now the ONLY frosting I plan to use! I can’t wait to try different flavors and I have lots of family and friends lined up to be taste-testers!
Hey Debby, I am so happy to hear you enjoy it as much as I do! I completely agree, it is great for anything and everything! Thanks for your feedback!
Hi, this is my favourite buttercream frosting. It tastes amazing! I love piping rosettes but I find the buttercream too runny and doesn’t hold its shape. What am I doing wrong? Yours holds its shape so well. Please advise!
Hey Mandy, I am sorry to hear it’s too runny. I would suggest adding some additional powdered sugar and see how it starts to thicken up it could be up to three cups that you add. A hot environment will have an impact on this as well. With it being summer that is something to be aware of. My first suggestion would be to add the sugar and see how it goes! I hope that helps. Don’t hesitate to email me with more questions, I would love to troubleshoot more if needed!
Can I use a hand mixer for this? Will it actually be very bad if I just use normal egg whites that aren’t pasteurised?
Hey Naomi, yes you can use a hand mixer! It may take a little longer but shouldn’t be a problem! As for the eggs whites I don’t suggest using raw egg whites, I mention why pasteurized is preferred on the post just right above the recipe. I hope that helps!
I love the taste and texture of this buttercream and I love not having to deal with heating the egg whites. However, it was too soft to pipe with my Russian tips. Can you suggest a solution?
Hey Victoria, I am sorry to hear it is a little soft. It is especially tricky in summer months when our kitchens tend to get more warm. There are a few things you can try, you can try adding up to an additional three cups of powdered sugar. If it seems to warm after mixing you can put it in the fridge briefly, you wont want it to get cold but just to take a bit of the warm edge off. Then lastly I also always recommend not filling the piping bags full. I suggest working with smaller amounts in each piping back and switching off between the piping bags while you pipe. The heat of your hand can tend to melt it while piping so when you switch off you can stick them in the fridge in between. I hope that makes sense! I would love to hear if one of these methods helps! I am so glad to hear you love it!
Hi, this is my favorite frosting, not to sweet and not to greasy. Do you know if it can be made with high-ratio shortening? I have to make a cake and cupcakes for a 40th wedding anniversary this weekend and it’s going to be very hot and humid. Thank you and have a nice day from Québec, Canada
Hi Claudine, I know some people substitute half of the butter for shortening. I have not tried it myself though so I am not sure how it would be substituting it all. If you give it a try I would love to hear how it goes! Thanks so much, I am glad to hear you love it as much as I do!
Love the recipe. Can I just check this is ok to be stored at room temp once on the cake?
Hey Lindsey, I am so glad to hear you love the recipe! It is fine to stay at room temperature for a couple hours, if it’s going to be a day or so I usually put it in the fridge. After being stored in the fridge I usually let it soften a couple hours before serving. It being a buttercream I suggest making sure it is kept in cooler temperatures, like any buttercream it can melt if it is too warm or in direct sunlight. I hope that helps!
Hi. I just made this and made mine lemon flavor. I added 2 tsp of lemon extract and some lemon zest. It taste really good… however I have 2 questions… I followed the ingredient amounts, but my butter cream is very very thick. Would adding milk at the end mess it up? It’s so so thick it’s hard to spread. Is that the consistency this recipe usually yeilds? Thank you so much!
Hey Amanda, No I would say it’s usually pretty silky smooth however if you are finding it too thick you are more than welcome to add a bit of milk or cream. I would suggest mixing it in slowly and then just keeping an eye on it to get it to the consistency you like! I hope that helps!
Hi I was wondering if you were going to use cream cheese flavoring, would you use that instead of the vanilla or with it? I loved this frosting!!! My friend Kathy sent me the recipe to try and it is definitely my new favorite!! Thank You
Hey Margaret, I would probably use both if it was me because I think vanilla goes with everything. You can probably just replace it though if you wanted a more pure flavor. The cream cheese should be able to stand on its own! I am so glad to hear you loved it!!! Thanks so much!
Hi Elizabeth first of all thank you so much for this amazing recipe i’ve tried it sooo many times on my cake ! it taste amazing! melts in your mouth and makes my cakes looks super clean and smooth! however i did wanted to ask you if its possible to use high ratio shortening instead of butter? i live in Houston Texas and omg the heat & humidity is horrible!! i would highly appreciate your response. thank you!!!!
Hey Karen, I know some people substitute half of the butter for shortening. I have not tried it myself though so I am not sure how it would be substituting it all. If you give it a try I would love to hear how it goes! Thanks so much, I am glad to hear you love it as much as I do!
I just made this icing, it is hands down delicious! My question is is it a good icing to use on a 3 layer cake, specifically a fault line cake? I’m unsure with it’s texture it would hold stiff enough to stack. Any help please! Thanks!
Hey Leah, it should work great! I use it all the time for my layer cakes. I am so glad to hear you like it so much! I would love to hear how it goes!