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.
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!
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!
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.
Ideas for using this buttercream recipe
Not sure what to frost with this amazing frosting? It literally goes with almost anything! I especially like using it on cakes and cupcakes. You can make some basic Chocolate Cupcakes or Strawberry Cupcakes, and pipe a big swirl on top. Delish! Or, add a layer to your favorite basic brownies, blondies, cookie bars, or cookies to take them to the next level. And, you can use it to top sweet breads like my favorite Zucchini Bread and Banana Bread.
Table of Contents
🧾 What You’ll Need
Ingredients
This is a simple recipe and only needs a few ingredients. Here are a few ingredient tips. Full amounts can be found in the recipe cared below. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Pasteurized liquid egg whites: Use pasteurized egg whites in a carton for this recipe. See my egg white tips below to answer commonly asked questions.
- Powdered sugar: It may seem strange, but I am very picky about my powdered sugar. Some brands have too much cornstarch, or are too coarse, leading to a rough, gritty texture in frosting. This is my powdered sugar of choice! It’s made from cane sugar instead of beet sugar, and produces smooth, consistent results.
- Unsalted butter and salt: Your butter should be at room temperature. This means it’s pliable but cool–you don’t want it to be greasy and melty. I always recommend unsalted butter in baking, so you can control the precise amount of salt. If you only have salted butter, use that but omit the additional salt in the recipe.
- Vanilla extract: Nielsen-Massey Bourbon vanilla extract is my absolute FAVORITE vanilla extract! However, feel free to use your favorite vanilla extract you have at home.
Equipment
This frosting recipe requires very little to make and that’s good news for you! You’ll be on your way to enjoying delicious buttercream before you know it! (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)
- Stand mixer: A stand mixer with a paddle attachment is an absolute necessity for making smooth, creamy buttercream.
- Spatula: You’ll want a good spatula to help scrape down the sides of the bowl and ensure all the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Piping tip: I’m frequently asked what piping tip I used to make the buttercream swirls on the cupcakes picture in the post. It’s a closed star tip, Ateco #849.
Ready to Make These?
Get the recipe below. 👇👇
Scroll below the recipe card for step-by-step instructions (with a video!), tips, FAQs, and variations!
💗 More Desserts to Frost
Leave a Review!
If you make this recipe, let us know! Leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating on the recipe below, and leave a comment, take a photo and tag me on Instagram @elabau, or use #sugarhero on IG!
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.
Want to learn more about baking measurements and conversion?
Nutrition
🥣How to Make The Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Here’s an overview of how to make The Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream! Full instructions are included in the recipe card above.
- Combine egg whites, powdered sugar and salt: Combine 6 fl oz of pasteurized egg whites, 6 cups powdered sugar, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in the bowl of a large stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.
- Mix on low speed until combined: 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.
- Mix on medium speed for 5 minutes: Then turn the mixer to medium speed. Beat on medium for 5 minutes.
- Mix on medium-low and add softened butter: After 5 minutes, turn the mixer to medium-low and start adding the softened room temperature butter, 1-2 tablespoons at a time, until all 3 cups have been incorporated.
- Add vanilla: Next, add 2 tablespoons vanilla extract and mix it in. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bottom and sides once more.
- Mix on medium speed for 10 minutes: 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.
- Use or store: 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.
💡 Tips for Success
One of the reasons buttercream might not get silky is that too much air is being incorporated into the mix. After making the recipe as directed, my number one recommendation would be to turn the speed on your mixer down to low and mix for an additional 5-10 minutes to release some of the air.
And, here’s another general tip… When making buttercream, you want to use the smallest bowl that will accommodate your mixture. Air bubbles generally start forming when the bowl is too big and the paddle isn’t fully submerged. Sometimes it’s not possible to use a smaller bowl but you could adjust the recipe by 1.5 or 2 times. Then freeze any excess for up to 6 months or keep it in the fridge for up to a month to use with another dessert.
When buttercream gets grainy it usually comes down to ingredients, specifically the powdered sugar. Powdered sugar has cornstarch in it which can start to clump together if its a lower quality brand, older, or has sat on a shelf for too long. One way to avoid this is to make sure you are using high quality powdered sugar. When looking for powdered sugar, look at the ingredients and try to find a brand that uses pure cane rather than brands that use beet sugar. My preferred brands are C&H, or Domino.
It’s hard to diagnose without seeing the buttercream, but here are 2 common reasons you might get lumps in your frosting. First, if it’s not perfectly smooth I would say it needs to be beaten longer. I like to finish mixing for about 10 minutes on low to get out air bubbles and make it really creamy.
Or, your butter might have been too cold. It needs to be soft (room temperature) when you start mixing. If this was the problem, you can take about a cup of the buttercream and microwave it for about 10 seconds (just until melted, NOT long). Then mix it into the rest of the buttercream for a few minutes. Keep repeating this process until the consistency is right and the lumps are gone.
I wouldn’t suggest it because the buttercream relies heavily on the sugar for stability and texture. I have not tried decreasing the sugar but I suspect it will be too soft and would hate to see anyone waste so many ingredients.
For layer cakes: This is kind of a difficult question to answer because so much depends on how the exterior of the cake is decorated, and how much frosting you prefer between layers. I would say on average I estimate about 1 cup between each layer for 8″ or 9″ cakes, and around 2/3 cup between each layer for 6″ cakes. (I do like a generous frosting layer, you may find that you like to use less.) For the exterior, probably 3-4 cups total for 8″ or 9″, and 2-3 cups for 6″–this is likely more than you will need, but it takes into account the fact that it’s helpful to have excess frosting on the top and sides that will be scraped away when smoothing out the finish of the cake.
For cupcakes: If you think you will use the amount of buttercream in the swirl pictured in the blog post, I’d recommend making a full batch of the buttercream to cover 27 cupcakes. If you’ll be using slightly less of a swirl per cupcake, a 3/4 batch would suffice. If you have any leftover buttercream, you can store the unused portion for 2-3 weeks in the fridge or 6 months in the freezer (I usually wrap mine in plastic wrap, but you can also freeze it in a plastic tub or similar). When you are ready to use the frozen buttercream, defrost it overnight, bring it to room temperature, mix well until it has a smooth texture again, and it’s as good as new!
I have a couple thoughts about what might be going on. It could be a problem with your butter. Some brands perform differently and some tend to be much more yellow. I’ve also heard discussion that many companies have changed formulas over the last year as ingredient costs have risen, and have started using more water vs butterfat, meaning both the texture and color might be different. If you find that your buttercream is looser, or cookies spread more, or things just behave differently, I’d consider trying other butter brands to see if that solves things.
The other thought is that it might be temperature related. If you are working with room temperature buttercream, and spreading it on a very cold cake, then scraping, adding more layers, using a hot spatula, working it for awhile, etc., your buttercream is going through a lot of extreme temperature fluctuations in a short amount of time. I’ve noticed buttercream with darker/lighter patches when I do a lot of this. If you are noticing the yellow coming through primarily when working with it on cakes, try adjusting some of those factors: don’t use a hot spatula (if you were), have the cake be a little less cold, don’t work it as long, etc.
Here is a tip for color-correcting. You can add an extremely small amount of purple food coloring to the buttercream and mix until fully incorporated. The purple balances out the yellow and will give the buttercream a white color. Go very slow (start with a drop) because too much will definitely show.
My first guess would be an accidental mis-measurement of one of the ingredients. It happens to everyone occasionally. And, my second guess would be the butter. Sometimes butter can vary in its water content. Occasionally, my regular brand of butter has been softer than usual and handled a little differently. It can be frustrating when that happens.
Don’t despair! There are a few things you can do to save the batch. If it still seems liquidy, you could try adding additional powdered sugar or some shortening. If you use shortening, I’d start with a 1/4 cup to see if that helps. Adding a little extra room temperature butter could help as well.
It holds up pretty well, but if it is going to be in a hot setting for an extended period of time I highly recommend replacing 1/4-1/3 of the butter with shortening to increase stability. When blending shortening and butter, you can substitute up to half of the butter with shortening. However, my personal preference is not to replace more than 1/3.
Also, I’d recommend using a high ratio shortening like Sweetex because it is lighter and less greasy than traditional Crisco. It can be purchased online or in a cake supply store, and you’ll notice that it will help the frosting stay fluffier without the grease.
💡FAQs About Egg Whites
The carton egg whites can be used right from the fridge! You want the eggs to be closer to room temperature when you add the butter, so if after the 5 minute mixing with powdered sugar you think they are still too cold, let the mixture sit for a minute before adding the butter (you just want to avoid the butter seizing up).
It’s not safe to eat raw egg whites unless they have been pasteurized. Egg whites in a carton are pasteurized which means the whites have been heated to kill bad bacteria and can be consumed raw. If you cannot find pasteurized whites in a carton, look for pasteurized whole eggs, and separate out the whites yourself. For food safety reasons do not use this recipe with fresh (un-pasteurized egg whites).
The biggest difference between fresh egg whites and the store bought carton egg whites is pasteurization. Most people don’t like to eat raw eggs due to the potential for salmonella or other bacterial contamination. My recipe is called the Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream because it uses pasteurized (carton) egg whites and allows us to skip the entire step of heating the egg whites.
However, if you don’t want to purchase the carton egg whites or just want to use up fresh eggs, I’d recommend trying my regular recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream. This recipe does require heating the egg whites and will make the eggs safe to eat.
You can make this recipe with either meringue powder or powdered egg whites–both work great! For a medium-sized (36 oz) batch of frosting, you’ll need:
3 TBSP powdered egg whites or meringue powder
½ cup warm water
1 lb (16 oz, or 4 cups) powdered sugar
½ tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla extract, to taste
1 lb unsalted butter, at cool room temperature.
Whisk the meringue powder or powdered egg whites and the warm water together in a bowl. Meringue powder will dissolve fairly quickly, the plain powdered egg whites typically take longer. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until all the lumps are gone. Then just follow the recipe procedure as written!
I have noticed that meringue powder has a more tangy flavor, probably due to the citric acid it has. It’s not BAD, but it is noticeable to me. It works best with fruity-flavored buttercreams where the tanginess goes well with the flavor–you might not like it as much with a vanilla buttercream.
💭 Variations In Flavoring
Want to change up the flavor of the buttercream? Here are some of the most requested flavor variations.
- Chocolate: 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. (Alternately, you can use unsweetened cocoa powder. Make the recipe as directed and then add 3/4 cup cocoa powder. Taste and add a little more if needed, but beware that it can dry out the buttercream and/or make the flavor bitter if you use too much. If the cocoa powder makes the buttercream texture seem too thick, you can add a little milk to thin it out. Mix on low speed until the chocolate is completely incorporated.)
- Cream cheese: In regards to adding cream cheese, I suggest making the full recipe as written. Then, in a separate bowl, beat 4 oz softened cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Next, add the buttercream to the cream cheese and continue to beat until combined. I don’t recommend adding more than 4 oz for stability purposes. However, if you want more cream cheese flavor, I suggest adding a cream cheese emulsion so that the buttercream will keep its stability. I would recommend LorAnn’s brand. Start with a teaspoon and more until you achieve your desired depth of flavor.
- Freeze-dried fruits: If you love fruit flavored buttercream, I highly recommend using freeze-dried fruits like strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. Make the buttercream recipe as directed. Then take 2 oz of your fruit of choice and place it in a food processor. Use long burst until the fruit becomes a fine powder. Add it to the buttercream and mix on low speed until the powder is well-mixed into the frosting. Add a few drops of food coloring, if desired, to boost the fruit color. I do not recommend using fresh or frozen fruit because of their water content. It will throw off the texture of the buttercream.
- Peanut butter: I don’t recommend adding peanut butter to this recipe. The peanut butter oils really mess with the texture of the buttercream in an unpleasant way. You could try using powdered peanut butter like PB2 (found at most grocery stores next to the peanut butter). You could start with a tablespoon and add more until you reach the right flavor.
- White chocolate: White chocolate can make the buttercream softer, so I would start slow. Chop 3-4 oz of real white chocolate and go from there. 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. If you are in a hot environment, you may also consider replacing 1/4-1/3 of the butter with shortening to stabilize.
- Vanilla: The buttercream has a very neutral/mild vanilla flavor. If you want to boost the vanilla flavor you could add a little extra vanilla extract or vanilla bean to taste.
- Other flavorings and extracts: If you want to add another flavoring in addition to or in place of the vanilla, I would recommend starting with a teaspoon and then add more to taste if necessary. Extracts and flavorings vary in intensity so starting slow is key until you are familiar with how much you will need. I love using LorAnn’s brand of baking flavorings, extracts and emulsions. You might try butterscotch flavoring, caramel flavoring, or cinnamon flavoring.
💭 Variations In Coloring
You’ll want to use gel food coloring when attempting to color the frosting. Gel coloring is highly concentrated so you’ll only need a little to get a vibrant color. To achieve the same depth of color with a liquid food coloring would require A LOT of product and might alter the stability of the frosting. Americolor is my favorite brand of gel food coloring. Start with a drop or two of gel coloring, mix and then evaluate the color to see if you need more.
- Extra tips for creating black frosting: First, I highly recommend making the buttercream at least one day before you need it. The color will get darker and set with time. It’s much easier to start with a chocolate buttercream. If you’re planning to use the Easiest Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe, I’d suggest using black cocoa powder. It’s super dark (think Oreo shade of black). Start by adding 3/4 cup . . . a little more if needed. It can dry out the buttercream and/or make the flavor bitter if you use too much. If the buttercream texture seems too thick, you could add a little milk to thin it out. Then, you’ll want to use a high quality black gel food coloring. I prefer Americolor Super Black Gel Food Coloring. I’d add at least a tablespoon and then go up from there until you reach the right shade. Finally, when you get ready to use the buttercream you might notice inconsistency in the coloring. If that’s the case, I’d suggest warming up a small amount of the buttercream in the microwave. Start with a cup and microwave it for about 10 seconds. Mix the warm buttercream back into the main batch. The warmth helps with the emulsification process and can help even out the color.
🧁More Frosting Recipes
Want to learn to make traditional Swiss Meringue buttercream? I have a Swiss Meringue Buttercream photo tutorial and recipe right here!
- Cinnamon Buttercream
- Red Velvet Fudge Frosting
- Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Lime Cream Cheese Frosting
- Honey Buttercream
- Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting
- Lick-The-Knife-Clean Chocolate Spread
- Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting
- Butterscotch Frosting
Cookie Dough Frosting
Strawberry Buttercream
I like to bake ahead of time. Can I bake, frost, and freeze my cupcakes for a later time. How does the swiss meringue hold up after thawing?
Hi Susan. You can bake and freeze your cupcakes and frost them later. I wouldn’t recommend freezing frosted cakes and cupcakes. I do it all the time this way.
Hi Susan,
My response is the same as June’s. I would recommend freezing separately and decorate after frosting.
Hi Elizabeth. I just wanted to tell you I came across this recipe last fall and IT IS THE BOMB! It is the only one I use. I am a home baker and do lots of cak s for friends and family and everyone LOVES it. Last month I put dulce de Leche in it and it was so delicious! I am going to fl in 10 days for my mothers 87 birthday. My sister doesn’t have a stand mixer so I am making the buttercream at home and packing it for the flight. I have left it out of fridge for a few days and it has been fine! Thank you thank you thank-you!
Hi June,
Thank you so much! I’m glad to hear that you love it. I have actually done the flying with buttercream before and I wish you best of luck with the cake. Please let me know how it goes!
Elizabeth
How much dulce de leche did you add to this recipe?
Hi, I would start with 1 cup of thick dulce de leche and check the taste/texture after it’s mixed in. If you want a stronger flavor, add more a few spoonfuls at a time until you’re happy with it.
Hi there,
Making/trying this recipe to use as a cupcake tray set up like a weeding dress for a bridal shower. My friend wants white icing. This seems pretty white to me. Is that right? Also, for 40 cupcakes, should I double the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Melissa,
I would say it’s fairly white, but because it uses butter and not shortening it’s not pure white like a Crisco-based recipe. The amount you need depends on how you plan on decorating them, but to be safe I would double it. If you have extra buttercream you can freeze it for up to 6 months.
Please let me know how it turns out.
Best,
Elizabeth
Hi Elizabeth! I live in Finland and we don’t use cup, fl oz or oz when measuring ingredients. So could you please tell me how many grams of powdered sugar and butter you use for this recipe cause I’m really confused now. I’ve tried with this now twice and failed both times. The buttercream is pretty loose in the end, way too loose for making any decorations. I use a hand mixer and after adding the butter it looks excellent and thick, but after 5 min mixing it starts to become loose. And it stays like that even after 30 min of mixing. I’ve even added more powdered sugar, but that doesn’t help either. I really don’t know what I’m doing wrong. The butter and the egg whites are room temperature (which is around 22°C so not too warm.)
Hi Katri,
I’m sorry you’re having trouble with the recipe. I don’t bake in grams myself, but here are the conversions provided by Google. For the 6 fl oz of egg whites, it is 175 ml. 24 oz of powdered sugar becomes 680.389 grams, and same for the butter.
Let me know if this turns out any better.
Best,
Elizabeth
And those same numbers I got also. So I have everything correct. Hmmm…. Weird. I really don’t know what could go wrong then. Now I’m even more confused. 😀 Could it be just that I’m using a hand mixer and not a stand mixer?
I’m so sorry to hear that! Hand mixers are less powerful, so sometimes it takes more mixing with the hand mixer, but I have heard from readers that use hand mixers that it does work, so hopefully if you just try mixing it a little longer that will help fix the problem? Let me know if that works!
First I would like to thank you for this fabulous swiss meringue buttercream recipe. I’ve been afraid to try SMBC before, because some of those recipes looked a little difficult to make. But using the pasturized egg whites worked fantastic, and I thought it was really easy. It is now my absoluetly favorite frosting ever. I did frost some chocolate expresso cupcakes and did freeze them. To see how they would be after they had thawed. They looked and tasted, just as good as when they were freshly made. Like I mentioned in a comment before I like to have baked goods in the freezer for when company stops by, or I want a cupcake in the middle of the night.:) Thank you again. I’m so happy I found your recipe.. P.S. Do you have any Idea on how, or if you could make a caramel SMBC
Thank you so much! I’m glad you tried this one! And well of course, desserts on standby is a must. Yes! You can add a thick caramel sauce, as in from a jar, and if you add up to one cup to the batch after mixing, it makes a really nice buttercream! Let me know if it turns out!
I saw in a comment above that the SMBC doesn’t “crust” like traditional buttercream does. I also saw the comment that said that the SMBC will hold fondant, but my question is:
Will it hold fondant “decorations” that are on a two-tier cake, or will they slide down the cake, since it doesn’t crust? This frosting looks amazing, and I’m not into the overly sweet frosting’s, so this would be perfect. I just hope that I can adhere fondant decorations to it, instead of having to resort to using the overly sweet frosting’s out there. I’m wanting this for a cake for a 4 year old’s birthday party.
Thank you so much!
I haven’t tried adhering fondant decorations to this buttercream. I’ve done it with other Swiss Meringues, and it turned out just fine. This Meringue behaves much like any other, so I think it should be fine. However, since I haven’t tried it, I would recommend doing a test run. Let me know how it goes! Best of luck.
Wow I love this recipe, I’ve made it a few times now and love the taste, so much better then normal buttercream. However is there a way of making it a bit more stiff? I follow the recipe to the dot with loads of whipping x
Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoy it! You will get differences in texture depending on the heat or humidity in the room, so you may find that adding more butter, or shortening, will give the buttercream more body. Hope this helps!
You are my “Sugar Hero”! I will be doing my daughter’s wedding cake in next June and have already been practicing. I will be using this in my blog–I will make sure I follow your reuse rules!:) I have made regular Swiss buttercream with about 85% success–but I need 100%! I followed this recipe to the letter–during the entire process I’m thinking–no way–no WAY can this be this easy. I used Costco butter and clear vanilla because I wanted to see how white it could be. First off, it’s WAY whiter than any buttercream I have ever made–even the ones with half shortening. I plopped some on a snow white bowl and it was totally camouflaged. I’m interested to see if it darkens after freezing. Second, it is the best frosting I have ever tasted–bar none. My husband agreed and so did the (3) others that tried it. All 5 of us have tasted many types of frostings. Finally, the ease and safety of it all. The fact that the egg whites are pasteurized is a relief when feeding a crowd. The time this saves is amazing and its simplicity! A stand mixer is a must. I froze this batch after filling and crumb coating an 8″, 3 layer (2″ high layers) vanilla cake. I froze the cake with the crumb coating and filling as well. I’m still in shock and so fantastically happy about this recipe!
Hi Debby! Thank you so much for all the kind words and detailed feedback! I’m thrilled that it worked out so well for you and I really appreciate the information, hopefully others will benefit from it now as well! I have never noticed darkening after freezing, so hopefully it won’t for you either. I would absolutely love to see how it turns out! Keep me posted. Thanks again 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! Very easy, very quick and very delicious! The only thing I would keep in mind for the next time is if I am planning on tinting the frosting a deep color, I will add food coloring during the final mixing time and not wait until the end. I was going for maroon and the frosting was a little overworked on a hot June evening by time I reached the color I wanted.
Great point. I’ll add it to the notes of the recipe so others are aware as well! Thank you!
I can’t tell you how much I LOVE this buttercream!!!!! It’s my all-time favorite!! I’ve noticed it definitely makes a difference in the color of my buttercream, by the brand of egg whites I use. If I use the, All Whites brand, instead of the off brand at Walmart, I noticed my buttercream is so much whiter. The egg whites in the off brand tend to make it more yellow. I’d rather pay the extra dollar and change for the whiter egg whites!! Thank you again, for sharing your recipe!!!
That’s great to know! I get a lot of questions about the buttercream being more yellow, so I will definitely make sure to let them in on this little secret in the future. Thank you so much for letting me know! I really appreciate it. And of course! Thanks for trying it out! 🙂