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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.
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.
Now let’s get down to the business of buttercream.
This frosting will seriously change your decorating life. I used it as a base for almost all of my cakes. It’s easy to work with, tastes great, and doesn’t crust over. That is gold, people.
FAQ About the Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream
What piping tip do you use for these cupcakes?
It’s a closed star tip, Ateco #849. You can get the closed star tip here.
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.
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.
Video
Recipe Notes
MEASURING TIPS
Our recipes are developed using weight measurements, and we highly recommend using a kitchen scale for baking whenever possible. However, if you prefer to use cups, volume measurements are provided as well. PLEASE NOTE: the adage “8 oz = 1 cup” is NOT true when speaking about weight, so don’t be concerned if the measurements don’t fit this formula.
Click here to learn more about baking measurements and conversion.Nutrition
Want to learn to make traditional Swiss Meringue buttercream? I have a Swiss Meringue Buttercream photo tutorial and recipe right here!
I love it, it was so easy and great tasting however, your display cupcakes on this page look firmer than my icing did. I’d like to use this on my sons wedding cake but i just don’t think it will be firm enough. Did I do something wrong
Hi Bonnie, I doubt you did anything wrong, my first guess is that the butter you used has a higher water content. Most butter I’ve tried works fine, but I’ve had a few experiences (notably with the Great Value brand from Wal-Mart) where I’ve made the recipe completely like usual, and the frosting has been VERY loose, almost unworkable. Butter can vary a bit in fat % / water %, so if you’ve only tried it once, I think it’s worth your time to try it again with a different brand. I most often use Land O’ Lake and Costco store brand and have good success with both. Also, are you using a stand mixer or a hand mixer?
The other things you can do to stiffen up this frosting is to use powdered egg whites instead of the carton eggs (let me know if you want to try this and I’ll guide you on quantity) and/or swap up to 1/3 of the butter for shortening, preferably hi-ratio shortening. You’ll lose a little flavor but it’ll be more stable and also whiter!
This is my go to recipe. Will it stand up to 80 degree weather outside for a wedding? Should I add anything to it to make it more stable? I’d rather not use traditional buttercream as I don’t use it unless specifically asked. Thank you.
Sooooooo good!!!! This is my go to recipe for every birthday cake!
Hi Camille! I’m glad this has become a staple frosting in your house too!
I see you commented about the consistency of the frosting can vary depending on if you’re using a handmixer or a KitchenAid mixer. But I can’t find the different instructions if you were actually using a hand mixer – Which is what I would need to be using. What do you recommend for mixing times and so forth with a hand mixer? Thank you for your help!
I have found that mixing time can vary depending on the hand mixer but I would plan on adding about 5 minutes to each mixing time. As always, use your best judgment and take into account how the mixture looks when deciding how long to mix.
Hello! Do you find that this mock SMBC, in general, has a little more stability and resistance to heat, warmer climate? I’ve made traditional SMBC before, and I know that that does. I’m in Los Angeles right now…dealing with some warm weather and I just made a cake with American buttercream and I dealt with some melting issues from leaving it out only for a couple hours. I have to make a cake next week, but I don’t really feel like dealing with making traditional SMBC, so I’m wondering on your thoughts for this… if it has a little more stability to resisting melting/that ‘drooping’ thing when you pipe, etc… from the warmer weather… especially if I plan to leave the cake out for a couple hours. Thank you for your time!
This recipe is comparable to traditional Swiss Meringue in that it is somewhat heat durable but not as stable as Italian Meringue. My best suggestion for making this more stable would be to replace up to a third of butter with Hi-Ratio shortening which will greatly increase the stability without impacting the flavor. I would try a butter shortening hybrid to sustain the heat. Best of luck!
I have to say I LOVE this particular SMBC! Super easy and tastes fantastic! Easy to add other elements to it as well to change flavor, texture, color etc. while still keeping it a SMBC. I have made this a gazillion times. One thing I must add is I live in Houston, Texas … humid climate, and I have never ever had this frosting condensate! Not ever! I have put it in fridge as well as left it at room temp. NO condensation to worry about! Very stable and very workable for decorating! I just wanted to add the tip about it not condensation get because I had not experienced it nor have my customers after bringing cakes home. Now… idk if this is just a fluke thing or not but like I said I have made it sooo many times and same awesome results even after customers take it! Give this a whirl y’all!
Hi Misty, this is wonderful to hear! Thank you for sharing your experience!
This buttercream was extremely easy to work with and did taste good for me! It was a little more buttery than I would have liked, is there any way to tone down the butter flavor? I used land o lakes.
Thank you for your feedback, Amy! Trying a different brand of butter might give you better results, the Costco Kirkland brand works well for me. You can also consider increasing the flavoring or using a high quality vanilla extract/paste. Vanilla can help balance out that butter flavor. You can try substituting a quarter of the butter with shortening which will make the buttercream more stable and more white in color and might make that butter flavor less overwhelming.
What type of vanilla extract will bring the best results for this Swiss meringue buttercream recipe and would your recommendation differ from other types of buttercream frostings such as American or Italian buttercream?
Is it best to use the typical pure vanilla extract (like Durkee) sold in grocery stores? Or a clear vanilla extract like that sold in a cake supply store?
Great question, Carolyn! In general, I prefer the flavor of real vanilla extract and my pick for best quality brand is Nielsen-Massey. It does add a slight ivory color so if the white color is important to you, then clear vanilla extract would be a better choice. In regards to my recommendation for other buttercreams, this is my go for all frostings!
I’m not sure why but it did not turn out. We have no idea what happened
I’m so sorry to hear you had trouble with this recipe. If you’d like, I’d be happy to help troubleshoot what might’ve happened. You can email me more details at elizabeth@sugarhero.com.
Love this recipe! Can you make with fresh strawberries?
I love how this frosting comes together and tastes! But I’ve never done one with egg like this. How long is it safe to leave out once used? Will cakes frosted with this SMBC need to be chilled overnight or can they sit out and not have food safety issues?
Hi Becca! I regularly leave mine out for a few days at cool room temperature. Because the eggs are pasteurized they shouldn’t need to be refrigerated. If this is a concern you can absolutely refrigerate it. Happy baking!
This recipe is amazing! Thanks for sharing. Is there a way to add cream cheese to this frosting? I’m nervous about the stability of the frosting. Thanks very much!
Hi Pauline, I am so glad to hear you enjoy the recipe, thank you! In regards to adding cream cheese, I would suggest making the full recipe as written. Then, separately beat 4 oz. of cream cheese. Once the cream cheese is soft the next step is to add the buttercream to the cream cheese and continue to beat until combined. Depending on what you are planning to use it for I wouldn’t suggest adding more (for stability purposes). If you want more cream cheese flavoring I would add a cream cheese emulsion, that way the buttercream will keep its stability. If you don’t care to keep the stability as much you can definitely play around with adding more! I hope this helps! I would love to hear how it goes!
Can I lay fondant over this?
Hi Jill! Yes, this Swiss Meringue Buttercream does hold fondant fairly well. If you are concerned, you can swap up to 1/3 of the butter for shortening in the recipe, preferably hi-ratio shortening, to increase stability. Good luck, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
I have a question— in your instructions it only mentions the paddle attachment but your photo shows the frosting on the whisk attachment. Do you ever switch the whisk attachment while making this recipe? Just trying to be clear. Thanks!
Hi Abby, I typically use the paddle attachment to mix the egg whites, powdered sugar, and salt until stiff, then switch to the whisk attachment for the remaining mixing. I apologize about the confusion, I will update the recipe instructions soon!
I love this recipe – but it’s always so soft . Then I clicked on the 2x and 3x buttons – all three egg amount changed but not the powered sugar or butter so which numbers are true for the 1x ?
Hi Carrie! I’m so sorry, it looks like there was an error on the back end. The weight measurements did change with the multiplier but the volume measurements did not. I just fixed it so the multiplier should work now for both weight and volume measurements. Thanks for pointing that out!
I have always had a question about this recipe – it says for the powdered sugar to use 24 Oz or 6 cups, whereas for the butter, it says to use 24 Oz or 3 cups; the confusion is that 24 Oz can’t equal both 6 cups and 3 cups. I have always used 6 cups for the powdered sugar and 3 cups for the butter, but I’m guessing this error is what is causing confusion and problems for some of the other commenters who have not had the recipe come out right. Which is too bad because it is a wonderful recipe!
Hi Tegan, this is a very common question! Both of those measurements are actually correct. 24 oz is a weight measurement, meaning that both the powdered sugar and the butter should weigh 24 oz if you use a kitchen scale to measure ingredients. The cups are a volume measurement. Butter is much denser than powdered sugar, so a cup of butter weighs much more than a cup of powdered sugar. (If you think about it, a pound of feathers and a pound of gold will take up much different volumes–this is a similar principal.) So while 24 oz of butter is only 3 cups, 24 oz of light and fluffy powdered sugar is 6 cups. I hope this helps, and I’m glad to hear you enjoy the recipe!
Thank you so much. I was worried at first but my frosting turned out great. I made 2 batches and the second one I used my smaller kitchen aid and it came together faster. My large kitchen aid I had to whop it more. But both turned out.
Hi Beverly! Thank you for your comment, I’m glad the frosting turned out well!
Is this buttercream good as a base to add gel food coloring?
Hi Shirley! Yes, you can add gel food coloring to this frosting. I would suggest adding a little at a time so you can get the color you want without changing the taste or texture of the frosting.
I’m looking to use this recipe for my daughter’s unicorn birthday cake. Has lots of flowers and such. Would this be the right kind of frosting to use for the flowers? First time trying to make flowers on a cake.
Hi Orinda! Yes, this frosting should be just fine for piping flowers! What a fun birthday! Here are a few unicorn themed treats: https://www.sugarhero.com/unicorn-cakes/ and https://www.sugarhero.com/unicorn-milkshakes/.
Amazing recipe! I always wanted to try Swiss Meringue Buttercream but it always looked like too much work. This wasn’t at all and was so easy to work with. Will be a new favourite for sure
Thank you Emma! I’m so glad you found this recipe helpful and have added it to your favorites 🙂
How many days in advanced can it be made
???? Trying to make ahead for couple orders by the end of the week…
Hi Amelie, this buttercream can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or the freezer for up to two months. Hope this helps!
I LOVE this recipe! I have a small business and I use it for all my cakes. It’s quicker, easier and tastier than regular American buttercream and Swiss buttercream. So convenient for me. I use pasteurized egg whites from the carton. I’m able to get nice smooth lines and pipe wording with it as well. THANK YOU!
Hi Bella! This makes me so happy! It really is one of my top recipes 🙂 So glad you like it too! Thank you!
I have made this frosting many times and love it. I was wondering if you could add caramel to it for a different flavor???
Hi Kathy! Yes, you can add up to 1/2 cup of caramel. I recommend using a thick, spoon-able caramel (like the kind that comes in a jar) so that the buttercream doesn’t get too runny. I suggest following the recipe and adding the caramel at the very end, in several batches to ensure the texture stays intact. Hope this helps!
Thank you
Does anyone know if this can be made using margarine/dairy free butter? I have a friend who can’t eat dairy but does eat eggs and I’d like to try this recipe adapted (i’ve made the original countless times and love it!)
Yes! I believe people have had success using Earth Balance instead of butter. If you want to maintain a texture that is more stiff, you can try using part Earth Balance and part Shortening. Let me know how it turns out!