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Liv for Cake

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How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream

By Olivia, 147 Comments

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This tutorial on how to make Swiss Meringue buttercream is the only resource you’ll need to make the smoothest, silkiest frosting!

Swiss meringue buttercream on a stand mixer whisk.

The topic of Swiss meringue buttercream comes up regularly in my Baking group on Facebook and in comments on some of my recipes here — how to make it, but more often how to deal with it when it’s just not cooperating.

Meringue buttercreams can be a bit temperamental, but whatever state you’ve got it in (provided you started with a stiff peak meringue) is totally saveable.

If you love Swiss meringue buttercream as much as I do, hopefully you’ll find these tips useful. If you’ve never tried it and are intimidated by it, I hope this tutorial will give you the confidence to give it a shot.

Swiss meringue buttercream on a whisk different angle.

What is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

Though more involved than an American buttercream, Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) is the easiest of the meringue buttercreams. It involves cooking eggs and sugar over a double boiler, whipping them into a meringue, then adding butter and flavourings.

The other two meringue buttercreams (Italian and French) both involve pouring boiling sugar into a partially whipped egg and sugar mixture. They are equally delicious, and known to be a bit more stable, but I find boiling sugar to be stressful and intimidating, so generally stay away from it as much as possible.

If you’re feeling adventurous though and you’ve tried SMBC before, I encourage you to give those a go and see how you like them.

Swiss meringue buttercream consists of 3 very simple ingredients:

  1. Egg whites
  2. Sugar
  3. Unsalted butter 

Swiss Meringue buttercream ingredients - butter, eggs, sugar.

From there, you can flavour to your heart’s content. A simple and standard recipe will include vanilla, but the flavour possibilities are limited only by your imagination.

You can add melted chocolate for a milk, white, or dark chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream, freeze-dried berries for fruit flavour and color, peanut butter/peanut butter powder (preferred), or choose from a variety of flavourings to add in.

How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I’m going to take you through each step of the process here and call out tips or issues you may run into. I recommend using a stand mixer for this buttercream. You likely could do it with a hand mixer, but it would be a more painful process — you’d be holding that hand mixer for a good 20+mins. As such, the steps I describe are for a stand mixer, but you can adapt to a hand mixer if that’s all you have to work with.

The very first thing you must do, this is NOT optional, is: 

Step #1 – Wipe down all tools with lemon juice or vinegar

To help ensure a stable and stiff meringue, you must make sure that everything that will come in contact with the egg whites is completely grease free. This includes things like your:

  • mixer bowl
  • whisk attachment
  • hand whisk
  • measuring cup (that will be used to scoop sugar)
  • small bowl(s) (to crack eggs into when separating whites)

Tools to make Swiss Meringue buttercream shown with lemon juice

Grease is meringue’s enemy. Even the tiniest speck of grease (or egg yolk) will cause the meringue to not whip to a stiff peak and result in a less-than-perfect (aka dense and greasy) Swiss meringue buttercream.

Another important tip here is to not use plastic tools, especially bowls, when making Swiss meringue. Plastic has a tendency to retain grease no matter how thoroughly it’s cleaned. Best to be safe and stick to metal (preferred) or glass bowls.

Step #2 – Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer (1-2 inches of water)

You’ll want a pot that’s big enough to comfortably place your mixer bowl onto, but not so big that the bottom of the bowl touches the water. You want a maximum of 1-2 inches of water in the pot. Bring this to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer.

Pot with simmering water.

Step #3 – Separate your egg whites

Separate each egg white into a small bowl, then transfer into your mixer bowl. Do not separate the egg whites directly into your mixer bowl. If you do that and have even one cracked yolk, you will ruin the whole batch of whites.

Egg white in a small bowl.

It’s best to separate each egg individually. Even a speck of yolk will cause the meringue to not whip up properly. Do not attempt to make a meringue if your egg whites are not completely yolk-free.

Broken yolk

Note that the eggs do not need to be room temperature, since you’ll be cooking them anyhow. 

Some people have had success with carton egg whites but, at this time, I cannot recommend them myself. The carton whites I have tried have caused my meringue to stay flat and never stiffen. If you do want to experiment with carton whites, make sure the carton says something like “egg whites only” or similar.

Step #4 – Cook your egg whites & sugar

Once you’ve separated all your eggs, add them and your sugar into your mixer bowl and place it over the pot of simmering water. I stir constantly at this point, with a clean hand whisk, to make sure the egg whites cook evenly. This process will take 2-3 mins depending on the amount of egg whites you’re working with.

Whisking egg whites and sugar in a bowl over a simmering pot of water.

You’ll know the egg whites are done when the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch. I dip a (clean) finger into the mixture and rub it between my thumb and forefinger. If there is any graininess at all, I keep cooking them.

Finger test for graininess

You want to make sure the mixture is hot to the touch too. Ideally, you’d use a candy thermometer to check that it has reached 160F. This is the most accurate way to make sure your whites are cooked fully. 

I am too lazy to whip out a thermometer, and not concerned about eating raw eggs, so I do the touch test. If this is a concern for you, I recommend using a thermometer.

Step #5 – Whip your meringue

Remove your mixer bowl from the pot, wipe the bottom of the bowl, and place it on your stand mixer. Attach the whisk attachment and begin whipping. I usually crank it right up to high speed (about 8-9 on my KitchenAid). You’ll want to whip this until the bowl is completely cool to the touch — this can take anywhere from 5-10mins. 

Meringue whipping in a stand mixer.

You’ll know if your meringue was successful if it holds a stiff peak. This is what it should look like – no droopy peaks!

Picture of a stiff peak meringue on a stand mixer whisk.

If your meringue is droopy, it was likely affected by either grease, yolk, or carton whites. See step #1. Unfortunately, if this happens, you will need to start over. There is no way to save the meringue at this point.

Step #6 – Cube your butter

While the meringue is whipping, cube your softened but still slightly cold butter. I roughly do 1″ or so cubes. It’s not an exact science, about 1 Tbsp or so each. 

You will know your butter is the right consistency when you can press it with your finger and leave a bit of a dent in it.

Cubed butter

It’s important to note that your butter should not be too soft. If it’s so soft that you can press your finger through it easily, it will be too soft for your buttercream. You can still use it, but you may need to chill your buttercream for a bit if it becomes soupy (see Troubleshooting section below). I find it easier to deal with an SMBC that has used butter that’s too cold vs too soft.

Step #7 – Add the butter

When your meringue is completely cooled, stop your mixer and switch to the paddle attachment. This isn’t critical, you can leave it on the whisk, but I like to switch to the paddle as I find that the whisk can incorporate too much air into the buttercream. I also like that my paddle scrapes the sides of the bowl for me, which is a time saver.

Adding butter while meringue continues to whip.

Set your mixer to medium speed (4 or so on a KitchenAid) and slowly start to add your butter cube by cube. Once all of the butter has been added, crank the mixer back up to high to beat the buttercream.

The buttercream can go through a few undesirable stages while it mixes. It can become soupy:

Soupy buttercream

And it often curdles: 

Curdled buttercream

I find it best to walk away and come back after 5 mins to a (hopefully) perfect SMBC. See Troubleshooting section below if this is not the case.

Perfect Swiss meringue buttercream

Once the buttercream is completely smooth, fluffy, and creamy, you can add in your flavourings (see below for a list of recipes).

How do I make my buttercream white?

This is a bit off topic, but also comes up often. SMBC can turn out a bit yellow depending on how much butter you use. This is not always a desirable effect, especially if you’re going for an all white cake. The trick is to neutralize the yellow color by adding a bit of blue/violet to it.

Toothpick with violet color gel to help make the buttercream white.

And I mean a bit. The amount on the toothpick above is more than I added. I basically swiped the toothpick over the buttercream on the whisk, so really only used one side of it. I’d recommend starting with less and adding more as needed, or you’ll end up with a grey or bluish looking buttercream.

Once the gel has been added (I used Americolor Violet), give the buttercream a good whip and you’ll see the yellow tint fade away. Add more color gel as needed.

Side by side of yellow and white buttercream.

Troubleshooting Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Swiss meringue buttercream can be finicky. It’s temperamental and can cause a whole lot of unnecessary stress. The good news is that as long as your meringue was stiff before the butter was added, whatever issue you encounter after that is fixable.

Here are some common issues you may run into while making Swiss meringue buttercream, as well as my tips and suggestions on how to avoid/fix them:

  1. My meringue won’t whip up. This is either due to grease or egg yolks or both. See Step #1 of tutorial above.
  2. My buttercream looks curdled. This is a common step when making SMBC. Once all the butter is added, it often goes through a phase where it looks curdled. If you keep whipping it, it will come together.
  3. My buttercream still looks curdled. If the temperature of the butter is too cold, it can be harder to get it to come together. You can either put it over a double boiler again like in Step #2, or warm the sides of the bowl with a hair dryer. One time, I had thawed some frozen SMBC and I didn’t completely bring it to room temperature before rewhipping. It looked like cottage cheese soup in my mixer. I thought it was a lost cause, but I heated the bowl a bit with a hair dryer and walked away for a few mins. When I came back it had come together perfectly! If you use the double boiler method, warm the buttercream just until the very edges start to melt, and then rewhip. You can also try to microwave 1/4 cup of the buttercream for a few seconds then drizzle it back into the buttercream with the mixer on low speed until it comes together.
  4. My buttercream is soupy. This is the opposite problem of a curdled buttercream. This occurs because either the meringue was too warm when you added the butter or your butter was too soft, or both. Pop the whole bowl and whisk into the fridge for 20mins and then rewhip. Depending on how warm it was, you may need a couple sessions in the fridge.
  5. My buttercream is grainy. This is due to the sugar not being dissolved properly in Step #4 above. Once the meringue is whipped, there is nothing you can do to fix this. It’s best to start over.
  6. My buttercream is greasy. SMBC is more buttery than an American buttercream, but it should not feel greasy. If you haven’t added more butter than the recipe calls for and your meringue was stiff, then the greasiness is likely due to the buttercream not being whipped for long enough. It’s also good practice to rewhip the SMBC if it’s been sitting out on the counter for a while.
  7. The buttercream gets hard in the fridge. This is normal. Just like the butter it’s made from, it will firm up to the consistency of butter in the fridge. When you let it come to room temperature it will soften again.
  8. It tastes too buttery. Some people just don’t like meringue buttercreams — they’re not for everyone! But the buttercream should be light and fluffy, not thick and greasy. If yours tastes like you’re eating a stick of butter, perhaps your meringue wasn’t whipped to stiff peaks before adding butter, or the butter was too cold, in which case it just needs some more whipping. Or you added too much butter. 

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. Can I make Swiss meringue buttercream in advance? Yes! You can leave it at room temperature for a day or two, refrigerate for up to two weeks, or freeze it for up to 3 months. Be sure to store it in an airtight container. You must bring the buttercream completely to room temperature and rewhip before use. If the buttercream separates, it was still a bit too cold. See Step #3 above in the Troubleshooting section.
  2. How do I thaw my buttercream? Thaw it on the counter. It will be too hard if you thaw it in the fridge. I thaw mine overnight. Rewhip before use. See above.
  3. How long does Swiss meringue buttercream last? It will last for a day or two at room temperature, 2 weeks in the fridge, and 3 months in the freezer. Be sure it is properly stored in an airtight container or a freezer bag.
  4. Is Swiss meringue buttercream safe to eat? Yes. If you cook the eggs to 160F the buttercream will be safe to eat.
  5. Can I flavour Swiss meringue buttercream? Yes. Once the buttercream has come together, you can add any kinds of flavourings, extracts, powders, or chocolate — see list below for a list of recipes.
  6. Can I color Swiss meringue buttercream? Yes. Though SMBC is more difficult to color than an American buttercream. The color doesn’t take as well, so you may need more color gel. Be careful not to add too much, as the buttercream may split. You may want to look into powdered food coloring if you’re wanting to do very vibrant colors.
  7. I don’t have a stand mixer. Can I use my hand mixer to make Swiss meringue buttercream? You probably can, but I do not recommend it. You’d be whipping forever! First to cool the meringue, and then when the butter is added. It can be a 10-15min process with a stand mixer, so I imagine it could take twice as long. So… doable if that’s all that you have at your disposal, but just know you’re in for a long haul.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

The recipe I’m including below is the standard SMBC recipe that I use, though I tend to experiment a lot with it and sometimes add an extra egg white or use a bit less butter, depending on the amount of frosting I need. I haven’t run into any issues doing this, but it’s important not to add more butter than the recipe calls for unless you’re also increasing the egg whites & sugar.

The recipe below is enough to frost a two layer 8″ cake or 3 layer 6″ cake (using 2 cups butter) or a three layer 8″ cake (using 3 cups butter).

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Variations

This tutorial on how to make Swiss Meringue buttercream is the only resource you'll need to make the smoothest, silkiest frosting! It includes step-by-step photos, a troubleshooting guide, and frequently asked questions. | livforcake.com
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4.96 from 21 votes

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

This tutorial on how to make Swiss Meringue buttercream is the only resource you'll need to make the smoothest, silkiest frosting!
Course Dessert
Cuisine Buttercream
Keyword Swiss meringue buttercream
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 6 cups
Calories 817kcal
Author Olivia

Ingredients

  • 6 large egg whites
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2-3 cups unsalted butter softened but still a bit firm, cubed
  • flavouring
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

  • Place egg whites and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.
  • Place bowl over a pot with 1-2" of simmering water and stir constantly with a whisk until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch or reads 160F on a candy thermometer (approx. 3mins)
  • Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
  • Switch to paddle attachment (optional). Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.
  • Add flavourings as desired whip until smooth.

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Notes

This recipe makes enough to frost a two layer 8" cake or 3 layer 6" cake (using 2 cups butter) or a three layer 8" cake (using 3 cups butter).
See blog post for tips and troubleshooting.
 
Calories: 817kcalCarbohydrates: 66gProtein: 4gFat: 61gSaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 162mgSodium: 63mgPotassium: 71mgSugar: 66gVitamin A: 37.8%Calcium: 2%Iron: 0.2%
The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.

This tutorial on how to make Swiss Meringue buttercream is the only resource you'll need to make the smoothest, silkiest frosting! It includes step-by-step photos, a troubleshooting guide, and frequently asked questions. | livforcake.com

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Comments

  1. Rhian says

    Hey! I made this beautiful recipe today and although delicious, found it a bit thick to pipe with, is that normal? And how could I make it easier to pipe? 🙂 Thank you!

    Reply

  2. Ramee says


    Thank you so much for the detail we’d recipe. Just wondering what would happen to the buttercream if you use salted butter instead of unsalted butter.

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Ramee! The buttercream would be less sweet and would taste salty. I don’t like it with salted butter, but it’s a personal preference.

      Reply

  3. Robyn says


    These instructions were so helpful! Mine turned out perfect, no curdling or anything! I halved the recipe and it was just enough for 12 cupcakes with nice big fluffy swirls of icing!

    Reply

  4. Anu says

    Hi

    I want to use this for daughters birthday cake. I if I use this for crumb anf final coat and then use it for for piping, do I have to store the cake in fridge afterwards as I would be doing this early morning and we have party late afternoon.

    Please share your insight on storing the cake after decorating.

    Thanks for heaps..

    Reply

  5. Melanie Curtin says


    First time I made it it worked AMAZING…… 2nd time I was in more of a hurry cause i waited till the last minute to make a cake for a birthday party, BAD mistake if something could go wrong it did go wrong. IT has taken me FOREVER to get this frosting to whip up so I can frost my cake! Other wise I Love this frosting it is now my go to for when I frost a cake!!

    Reply

  6. Mary Kay says

    I’m excite to try this recipe on my cupcakes. How many will the recipe cover? I pipe my buttercream.

    Thank you!

    Reply

  7. Thea says


    Very good tutorial, my first try was a total success. I made the buttercream, crumb coated the cake and stored both in the fridge overnight. The next day I let the buttercream warm to room temperature, beat it and it was perfect again. Silky and smooth,.yet when cold holds its shape really well. Im not a huge fun of the buttery taste, but everyone else loved it. Thank you

    Reply

  8. Kirsten says

    Hi! I tried making this recipe with dairy free baking sticks because my family has a sever milk allergy but we still love SMBC much better than traditional American buttercream. Unfortunately, I found myself with a soupy mess due to the low fat content in said vegan baking sticks. I’ve done a small amount of research in the last day or so and many people recommend a high-ratio shortening if attempting a dairy free version. Do you have any experience with that? Would it be the same amount of shortening as butter? Thanks for any advice!

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Kristen! Thanks for the tip re: the dairy free butter. I haven’t tried it with shortening myself. Honestly I don’t think anything will work as well as actual butter, but if anything the hi ratio shortening would be your best bet. Let me know if you try it!

      Reply

      • Kirsten says

        Hi Olivia! Thanks for the tips! I finally had a few moments to try the frosting with some high ratio shortening today. As expected, flavoring is difficult. The liquid extracts seem to flavor the frosting only a little bit and I’m afraid to add too much liquid. I haven’t tried any fruit flavorings yet but I would assume it’s much more effective. As difficult as the flavor is, the texture is amazing! It’s light and fluffy without being even the slightest bit greasy – yay! I’m excited to keep playing with flavors to find a good method 🙂

        Reply

        • Olivia says

          Yay! Thanks so much for your tips and feedback. Definitely give some powdered freeze-dried fruit a try for flavouring, I find it works amazingly!

          Reply

  10. Isha says

    Hi there, just wondering if I can make a double quantity of the SMBC in my Kitchen aid ? Will it fit in the bowl ? I have the KSM150 Artisian mixer.

    Reply

  11. Beatrix Mattyasovszky says

    hi! I am wondering, can I add a bit of berry jam to color the frosting or would it spilt?

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Beatrix! You can for sure, I would add a little at a time (1 Tbsp or so at a time) to make sure it doesn’t split and be careful not to add too much. My favourite is using freeze-dried berry powders to flavour and color though.

      Reply

  13. Amanda says


    I love SMBC but no matter what I do I always get air bubbles, so the final cake never has that super smooth finish. What am I doing wrong?? Tell me your secrets! 😄

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Amanda! I run my mixer on low for a couple mins at the very end to knock out some of the bubbles and then use a spatula by hand to knock out some more. Also, when smoothing on the cake, be sure to use light pressure as pressing too hard can make more bubbles show.

      Reply

  14. tohid says

    would u plz tell us how many grams is the butter???. is it written 2 or 3 cups??? I didn’t get it
    thank u a billion

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi there! There is a metric converter below the list of ingredients – 454-680g depending on how much buttercream you need. I’ve made it both ways. See my notes in the blog post for how much is needed depending on the size of the cake.

      Reply

  15. Kristen says


    I love SMBC and this is one of my favorite recipes! I love that it includes troubleshooting, which was crucial when I was first learning to make this buttercream.

    I do have a question! When I frost a cake using SMBC, the frosting often has bubbles in it, which makes it really difficult to smooth out to get nice crisp edges. Do you have any tips?

    Thanks!

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Kristen! So glad you found this post helpful 🙂 I usually run my mixer on the lowest setting for a couple minutes after the buttercream has come together to knock out some of the bubbles. I then knock some more out with a spatula. When smoothing a cake though, be sure to use light pressure as pressing too hard can cause bubbles too. I hope that helps!

      Reply

  16. Shannon says


    I got to the curdled soup panic stage and tried the double boiler trick. It turned out perfect after a few more minutes of whipping!! Than you!

    Reply

  18. Maryann says


    This was my first time attempting a Swiss Meringue buttercream. Your Instructions were really easy to follow and I had amazing results. The buttercream looked and tasted amazing! Thank you 🙂

    Reply

  19. Liz says

    THANK YOU for this tutorial!! This has to be one of the best posts I’ve seen about SMBC. I’ve always been an American Buttercream type of girl but you’ve given me the confidence to give SMBC a try!!

    Reply

  20. Angie says

    I see you didn’t have a “key lime ” flavor…I’m assuming you can add key lime/lime juice with zest at the end of mixing the frosting ?

    Reply

  21. Pat says

    so….not sure what I am doing wrong…..
    I have made this many times. Each time with a thermometer (and several times i’ve used 3 different ones…all with the same temp showing). I use a gas stove.
    problem:
    my whites/sugar takes FOREVER to heat to 160* (ike 20 min…) and another 45 min (with ice bags surrounding the mixer bowl) to cool down and come to a soft peak.
    any suggestions??
    HELP!!

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Pat! Sorry to hear you’re having some trouble with this one. Is your bowl sitting directly over a pat of simmering water? It should not take that long to heat! Are you using a glass bowl by change? Those do not conduct heat very well and could be why it’s taking so long to heat/cool.

      Reply

  22. Alyssa says

    I just want to say I love your recipes and blog! It’s so helpful and down to earth. I was wondering if you have ever added cream cheese to SMBC? Is that a thing or does that go against rules? I’m new to baking and not sure, but I love cream cheese frosting and SMBC and wondered if they can be mixed.

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Alyssa! Thank you for your sweet comment! I haven’t added CC to SMBC myself and I know people have had trouble doing that. I’ve added mascarpone before and I swear it was fine, but that was years ago and I can’t totally remember. What I’ve head with CC SMBC is that you should whip up the CC and the SMBC separately and then slowly add the SMBC to the whipped CC (1 Tbsp at a time). It seems like a lot of effort so I haven’t been bothered to try it yet. Let me know if you do!

      Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Katie! Honestly, most of them go into the organics bin, but you can use them to make pastry cream (custard, pudding) or various types of curds.

      Reply

    • Deborah Chapman says

      Make lemon curd! It freezes beautifully. You can then add it to stabilized whipped cream for a lovely, light lemon mousse cake filling. Or serve it just as mousse. You can add lemon curd to cream cheese frosting, too, for a good lemon frosting.

      Reply

  24. Donna Augustyn says

    I love the idea of this recipe but the printing options are not convenient. why all the steps and ‘adding extensions’, etc.? Can you make this simpler to enjoy and use…

    Reply

  25. Eydie says

    I will be baking my daughter’s wedding cake & will be using both your simple vanilla buttercream & your swiss meringue buttercream. The wedding is 6 hours from where i live. My plan is to do the crumb coating at my house, then finish the frosting once I arrived. My question is two-fold: 1) can both frostings be made ahead of time 2) do both frostings freeze?

    Reply

  26. C Clark says

    Just made your dulce de leche buttercream. I have never worked with SMBC before and was a little surprised by the final product; purely smooth and light, buttery and sweet but not sickly sweet like American buttercream can be. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  27. Holly says

    I need to make this with an articifal sugar, like Swerve, any thoughts?
    Also, I’ve noticed the recipe could easily be halved. Do you think that would be ok for a trial run?

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Holly! I haven’t tried artificial sugar myself, but I suspect it won’t whip up as firm a meringue. I think it’s definitely worth trying though and yes you can halve the recipe!

      Reply

  28. Sharon says

    Hi i am just worrying about ..others are adding some powdered sugar to smb .. i tried it for how many times but the result is became runny….after adding powdered sugar

    Reply

  29. Sophie says

    Been trying to do the buttercream but tried twice and have made sure to do everything perfectly but won’t peak to save my love maybe my mixer is not great but can’t see why this would effect it now my cake is going to have to have normal buttercream as ran out of. Eggs sadly !!!????

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Sophie! Have you made sure the under side of your mixer is clean too? If you’ve followed all my tips and troubleshooting that’s the only other thing I can think of.

      Reply

  30. Margarita Álvarez says

    Hello. My query is: there is variation in the recipe, depending on whether it is for the coverage of the cake, or if it is to make flowers for the decoration

    Reply

  33. chahinez says


    Hello Olivia!
    I just wanted to let you know that you have an awesome blog! I personally loved this specific swiss meringue recipe!!

    I have been working on a small batch cream cheese frosting that I recently posted and I made sure to link back to your website for those interested in this beautiful Swiss meringue buttercream!

    Have a great rest of your day!

    Reply

  34. Sylvie Gauthier says

    I was having a hard time with my SMB, I finally tried whipping my butter ahead of time. That works great for me .
    Thank you for all your tips and recipes ,

    Reply

  35. Kandace says

    Thanks for sharing all the tips! I tried three different recipes multiple times….. probably 10 lbs of butter all together…. and I think it was your lemon juice cleanse that made it finally work!! Came out perfectly the first time!!

    Reply

  37. Linda says


    This is my new favorite type of frosting! I have a question: As an activity to thank my staff I am bringing in unfrosted cupcakes along with frosting and different items so that my staff can decorate the cupcakes and bring them home to share. If I make the SMBC the night before, put it in pastry bags and bring it in the next day – will they be able to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes?

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Linda! Yay! I’m so happy to hear that you love it. They will be able to pipe it onto the cupcakes. You can refrigerate it or not, either way, but it will need to come to room temp again before piping. The only thing is that the frosting won’t be as perfect and smooth. SMBC could always use a rewhip if sitting for a while, but I don’t think it would be a disaster at any rate 🙂

      Reply

  38. Irma says

    Hi Liv

    First of all let me tell you that my son love your Oreo cheesecake cupcake. Every year for his birthday, he always asked me make that cupcake as his treat to his classmates. Thank you for this detailed instructions and troubleshooting guide. Can I use this Swiss meringue buttercream to pipe rosette on the cake?

    Reply

  39. Emy says

    The recipe is perfectly detailed and the additional tips are awesome.
    Can I use a mixture of sunflower oil and butter to make this?
    If yes, then in what ratio?

    Reply

  40. L says

    I’m confused — when would you use 2 C. butter, and when would you use 3 C. butter? The variance seems extreme to me.

    I’d love to try this recipe.

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi there! Per the notes in the recipe: This recipe makes enough to frost a two layer 8″ cake or 3 layer 6″ cake (using 2 cups butter) or a three layer 8″ cake (using 3 cups butter). It just depends on how large your cake is and how much buttercream you need.

      Reply

  41. Julie norris says


    I have never made Swiss Buttercream before and this recipe made it so easy! I cut the recipe in half and used it for cupcakes I will be making this again!!

    Reply

  42. Marni says

    First, thanks for this!! I’ve made it a few times now and SMBC is my preferred frosting!

    It says it’s good for 1-2 days on the counter and up to two weeks in the fridge. If I make a cake Sunday night, can I take it to work Monday and leave it out the entire day (it will be eaten Monday so probably less than the whole day lol). How should I store it in the fridge Sunday?

    Thanks!!!

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Marni!! That will be totally fine. If you leave it out, the buttercream will get quite soft, but that’s how I prefer to eat it. If storing the cake whole, you can just pop it in the fridge — if you have an airtight container it will fit in that’s even better, but I never bother. If your fridge has some strong smells though, you might want to consider the container for sure!

      Reply

  44. Jessica Chow says

    Hi, thank you for sharing the receipe and your steps of making is so clear and easy. Especially love the tips for white frosting. I do have a question … what size egg do you use (medium or large) for the egg white. Do you have it in gram?
    Thank you Jessica C

    Reply

      • Vivien says

        Hi Olivia,

        This is probably a silly question but can I heat up the egg white and sugar mixture in another bowl and then transfer it to the stand mixer bowl? My stand mixer bowl is glass and heavy so don’t want to put it over a double boiler.

        Thanks,
        Vivien

        Reply

  45. Melissa says

    This is a great post! I’ve never tried making SMB before but I’ve been wanting to for a while and this makes me feel ready! One question that I feel kind of dumb asking but…. if you frost a cake with SMB and then keep it in the fridge for a day will it be fine once it comes back to room temperature? Or will the frosting somehow separate while already on the cake?

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Melissa! Not dumb at all. The frosting gets very firm in the fridge (like butter), but will soften up again at room temperature. It will not separate — it will be perfect!

      Reply

  46. Zara says

    Hi Olivia, thank you for the tip to add some blue/violet to the SMBC to get that white color. Question, could I do the same with a white chocolate drip cake?

    Thank you for all your great recipes!

    Reply

  47. Michelle says

    Amazing recipe and great tips!. May I please ask if I can use lemon curd to the buttercream? If so how much of lemon curd should one add? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Michelle! You sure can. I would start with 1/4 cup and see if the flavour comes through. Add more (by small amounts) until it’s where you want it to be.

      Reply

    • Olivia says

      Cześć Bożena! I’m from Krakow 🙂 There is a metric converter below the list of ingredients. Butter would be 454-681g depending on if you use 2 or 3 cups.

      Reply

      • Rebecca Hamilton says

        I used a glass bowl as a double boiler and it came out perfect!!!! I did need to standby by and adjust my heat a few times but my stove is electric.

        Reply

  50. Gideon says

    Oh wow!!!! This is currently my FAVORITE SMBC recipe 💚💚 I’ve made it 4 times within the last month 😂😂 I just can’t get enough of it…my motherinlaw will come over to eat some with her cookies like a sandwich too…and she is a TOUGH one too please with bake goods!!

    Reply

  52. Janice says

    I’m making a Golden Wedding anniversary cake, 2 layers, an almond cake, and a vanilla cake. Could this recipe be used to fill and crumb coat? Also, could I add 2 or 3 tablespoons of homemade lemon curd to the finished SMBC without ruining it?! Thank you for any advice.

    Reply

  53. Tiff says

    I would like to try this for a three layer 8″ cake. Does your suggestion of 3 cups of butter mean the sugar and eggs amounts remain the same no matter how much butter you use?

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Tiff! Yes, that’s correct for this particular recipe. I wouldn’t add more than 3 cups of butter though without increasing the whites/sugar.

      Reply

  54. Merilyn Torres says


    I was given this recipe by friend and I kid you not, it is the best icing I have ever used or tasted! I separated my icing in 3 equal parts and made raspberry, peanut butter, and Oreo flavored icing for cupcakes and everyone raved about how good the icing was. Thank you for sharing your recipe!

    Reply

  55. Courtney says


    I switch to a paddle when adding the butter and for some reason when I go to frost my cake I get a million air bubbles all over my cake. Any advise?

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Courtney! You’d get even more with the whisk! I always run my mixer on low for a few mins after the buttercream has come together to knock any bubbles out and then take a spatula to it to knock out even more.

      Reply

  57. Yoko says

    Hi Liv,

    Love SMB, too. Just wondering, have you tried it using under fondant?

    Thank you, this is very informative. Saved this already, been using your recipe.❤

    Reply

  59. Rachel says


    Everything you do is so amazing you gave me courage to try SMBC (I love the acronym – like a secret club!)
    But my first attempt came up ‘curdled’ and freaked me out. A semi panicked but mostly annoyed google search later I found a Serious Eats tutorial that shared the magical number 74 degeees. If you cool (or heat it – if yours has chilled out in the fridge or freezer) it to 74 degrees it will be perfect!! That was so helpful for me to know if I needed it warmer or colder to get the texture right.

    Reply

  61. Amanda Liberato says


    Thank you so much for sharing all these useful information! It’s very precious for people like me who are beginning to use SMBC.
    I have a small doubt, how much in grams or oz is one cup of butter? I never know if I should press the butter on the cup to fill it all or not.

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Amanda! There’s an option to convert to Metric right below the list of ingredients. I haven’t verified the accuracy of these numbers, but they should be correct for the basics like butter, flour, sugar, etc.

      Reply

  62. Zina says


    Can I substitute butter with baking margarine. I mean if I don’t have butter can’t I use the margarine instead. Would it have any effect on the end product. Thank you very much for your good work

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Hi Zina! I don’t think the margarine would give the correct flavour texture since it’s not dairy based and softer than butter when chilled. I could be wrong, I’ve never tried myself, but my gut tells me it wouldn’t work as well. Can’t hurt to try it though if that’s all you have available?

      Reply

  63. Lamya says

    You are such an honest person.
    I have been almost studying butteecream last year and I can say you left nothing out!
    I only have one thing to add to your very useful source, if you are short on time or in the mood for a short cut, I recommend a quick no cook version that really worked great for me, it is great, easy and predictble.

    Reply

    • Olivia says

      Thanks Lamya! For the no cook version do you just whip the whites and sugar right away? Or do you dissolve the sugar somehow? How do you ensure it’s not grainy?

      Reply

  64. Beth says

    I have never made SMB but I made it for the lemon elderflower cake. After adding the butter, it got soupy-curdly until I added the elderflower syrup. Once I added that it suddenly became perfect. I can’t wait to try other flavors!

    Reply

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olivia

Welcome to liv for cake!

I'm Olivia, a professionally trained pastry chef, recipe developer, and photographer from from Vancouver, BC. Creating classic cake recipes with a modern twist.
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