This tutorial on how to make Swiss Meringue buttercream is the only resource you’ll need to make the smoothest, silkiest frosting!
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.
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 flavorings.
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:
- Egg whites
- Sugar
- Unsalted butter
From there, you can flavor to your heart’s content. A simple and standard recipe will include vanilla, but the flavor 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 flavor and color, peanut butter/peanut butter powder (preferred), or choose from a variety of flavorings 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)
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.
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.
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.
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 number of egg whites you’re working with.
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.
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.
You’ll know if your meringue was successful if it holds a stiff peak. This is what it should look like – no droopy peaks!
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.
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 the 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.
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:
And it often curdles:
I find it best to walk away and come back after 5 mins to a (hopefully) perfect SMBC. See the Troubleshooting section below if this is not the case.
Once the buttercream is completely smooth, fluffy, and creamy, you can add in your flavorings (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.
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.
Be sure to check out my detailed tutorial on How to Make Buttercream White for other tips.
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:
- My meringue won’t whip up. This is either due to grease or egg yolks or both. See Step #1 of the tutorial above.
- 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.
- 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.
- My buttercream is soupy. This is the opposite problem of 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 of sessions in the fridge.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- Is Swiss meringue buttercream safe to eat? Yes. If you cook the eggs to 160F the buttercream will be safe to eat.
- Can I flavor Swiss meringue buttercream? Yes. Once the buttercream has come together, you can add any kinds of flavorings, extracts, powders, or chocolate — see list below for a list of recipes.
- 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. I don’t recommend using liquid food coloring as it is not intense enough an can cause the buttercream to split. For more tips on getting rich, dark colors with SMBC see my Chocolate Peppermint Cake post.
- 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.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Variations
- Blueberry (or any kind of berry)
- Brown Butter
- Brown Sugar
- Caramel
- Chocolate
- Cinnamon
- Coconut
- Dulce de Leche
- Espresso
- Honey
- Maple
- Mint
- Mocha
- Peanut Butter
- Vanilla
- White Chocolate
I hope you’ve found this guide helpful and that it’s given you the courage to give Swiss Meringue Buttercream a try! It truly is one of the most delicious buttercreams out there.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 large egg whites
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 cups unsalted butter softened but still a bit firm, cubed
- vanilla or other flavoring to taste see post for options
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 flavorings as desired whip until smooth.
Notes
- This recipe makes enough to frost a two layer 8″ cake or a three layer 6″ cake.
- The recipe can be made with 3 cups of butter instead, if you need more frosting.
- See blog post for tips and troubleshooting.
Updated Nov 2, 2022. Originally published Jan 2, 2019
Heather Reinbolt says
Hi Liv!
I have made this buttercream with your sticky toffee pudding recipe, and can’t wait to eat the cake!
I made the buttercream ahead of time, and had to warm it up to make it not look curdled, and it worked!
My question is, now that I have iced the cake, is it best for me to leave it on the counter till tonight? I’m worried the beautiful icing job may be affected by the fridge. Just don’t want the buttercream to curdle on the cake! HELP!
Olivia says
Hi Heather! Once the buttercream is on the cake you’re totally safe to refrigerate it or even freeze it. If it’s just until tonight though you can leave it at room temperature too and it will be just fine! Let me know how you like the cake 🙂
Saad says
Hi! So I haven’t tried this recipe yet but i have made smbc before and as far as I could tell it turned out right but…I JUST CANT GET MYSELF TO LIKE IT! Which funnily enough makes me so confused and I can’t stop thinking about it bc almost everyone says they love it but I don’t…it’s never been sweet enough and also it just has this kinda…greasy shiny look and feel that I can’t get behind. But you say your recipe is sweet so I’m wondering do you add more sugar than most peoples recipes? I love the matte look of abc and I do love sweets (way too much lol) but I feel like I would love something that’s matte in feel and look but not as sweet…but also sweet enough that it tastes like frosting!
Olivia says
Hi Saad! SMBC is not for everyone. It is definitely less sweet than an American buttercream and a lot of people find it buttery. It shouldn’t taste too buttery though, and if it does it just needs more whipping. It should be light and fluffy and delicious. There is nothing wrong if you don’t like it though! I find it delicious and easiest to work with compared to other buttercreams.
Caroline says
This recipe is wonderful. Ever since I tried this,
I read everything, I’ve never made a powdered sugar (American style) buttercream again. I’m a total convert. Thank you so very much Liv. It’s ace. Perfect results every time. Though I do really miss your upper butter limits.
Olivia says
Hi Caroline! I am so happy you love this one! And funny because I tend to use the higher butter limits too, but it confused people so I took it out. You can use up to 3 cups of butter with this recipe here.
Mira says
Hi, my buttercream turned soupy and tastes buttery. I read your suggestions but can I add powdered sugar to bring out the sweetness before I whisk it again?
Olivia says
Hi Mira! I would follow my tips first until the buttercream comes together. Then taste it and see if you’d like to add more sugar. You can add powdered sugar at the end if you like but it will give it a little bit of a grainier texture.
Meredith says
I LOVE this frosting. The details int his post are so helpful! Thank you! I’m using this for a 2 tiered cake so I want to double the recipe. I assume this shouldn’t be an issue but figured I’d ask to make sure. Is there anything I need to be aware of to double this?
Olivia says
Hi Meredith! Thanks so much, I’m so glad you found it helpful! You can double the recipe as long as your mixer can handle the volume.
Lacy says
Tried the full recipe, and it was wonderful! I split the recipe in half, and it was not as sweet at all. Not sure if I should decrease the amount of butter only, and keep the # of egg whites.
Olivia says
Hi Lacy! So happy to hear you loved it. Cutting the recipe in half should have no effect on flavour. Strange that it wasn’t sweet at all. You could keep the same amount of whites and sugar though and decrease the butter a bit.
mona says
I love every bit of your recipe tutorial. I shall try it this weekend’
I will post a you a picture if it all goes well 🙂
Olivia says
Hi Mona! Yay! So exciting. Please let me know how it turns out!!
Hannah says
I tried this yesterday and it worked flawlessly! I was so worried because I’ve tried other SM recipes and failed and this one just worked perfectly. I put ice packs around the bowl while it was whipping to cool it faster and it still took like 20-30 minutes to cool in my warm kitchen but it’s okay. Putting it in my recipe box this morning. Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Hannah! Yay! So happy to hear you loved it 🙂
Annie says
This is now my go to buttercream recipe. I’ve made it a dozen time, following the instructions to the dot. My heart still stops when I add the butter, but every time, I walk away and come back 5 minutes later to a perfectly smooth and silky buttercream. Thanks for the detailed instructions!
Olivia says
Yay! So happy to hear that 🙂
Julianne Luong says
I made a lot of lemon SMBC for a cake, and have a bunch leftover. My mom suggested I use it for cream puffs or eclairs, but I’m not sure if it has the flavor or consistency I need.
Do you know what I could do to it (maybe add some whipped heavy cream) to make it suitable to replace a normal creme patissiere?
Olivia says
Hi Julianne! I’ve never tried that myself and am not sure how well the two would incorporate together. I would try whipping the frosting until it’s light and fluffy and then fold in a bit of whipped cream to it to lighten it up, then fold in more whipped cream. Let me know how it turns out!
Oksaba says
Very easy to follow instructions. It wasn’t hard to do. If it turned grainy I warmed up a bowl with a hair dryer and then mixed again.
The only thing I didn’t like about this recipe – it was extremely sweet (way too sweet for my liking).
Olivia says
Hi Oksaba! So glad you found the recipe easy to follow. You can add a pinch of salt to cut the sweetness 🙂
Julia says
Hi Olivia,
I prefer to use less sugar and butter and would like to make a large batch. However, I am not sure if it is possible to reduce the amount of sugar and butter used. Will this affect the end result? If so, what is the maximum amount I can reduce it to? Thank you!
Olivia says
Hi Julia! Reducing both will affect the end result. It would require some experimentation to see how far you can go. If you’d like a less sweet buttercream you could give ermine a try! https://livforcake.com/ermine-frosting/
Amy says
Hi do you have a sizing chart for number of grams preferably Swiss meringue buttercream needed to cover 6, 8 , 10 inch cakes please? Am uk based and don’t work in cups. It’s really hard finding a chart for Swiss meringue as there are ganache and buttercream charts?
Olivia says
Hi Amy! I have a metric converter below the list of ingredients that will give you the amounts in grams. This is enough for a two layer 8″ cake or a three layer 6″ cake.
Jennifer Casarella says
This turned out great! I made a half recipe for a 9 x 13 cake. I only had salted butter. Although I can see where unsalted would be preferable, was loved by the whole family. It did go through a curdled phase, but as you said… keep going and it will come together. I will make this over regular American buttercream from now on. Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Jennifer! Yay! So happy you loved it 🙂 Definitely try it with unsalted butter and see how you like it 🙂
Aliya says
HI Oliva et al,
I’m a little bit gutted, as I’ve made this 3 times and I’ve failed 3 times 🙁
I get the most gorgeous, and thick meringues but after I add the butter it turns into a soupy mess (like melted ice-cream) and I just can’t recover it.
I’ve tried putting everything in the fridge and re-whipping but I don’t get the buttercream thick enough that looks like it will stick to a cake.
Do you have any more suggestions… 18 eggs down!!!
Olivia says
Hi Aliya! I completely understand your frustration. I really do think it needs more time in the fridge. If your meringue is stiff, some fridge time will save it. It might just take a few sessions. You can try starting with colder butter too and/or placing an icepack (or frozen peas) under the mixer bowl to help cool the buttercream. Please let me know if you try it again!
Ashley says
Hi Olivia!
I am making your Key Lime Pie cake for my infant sons birthday. I want to ice and decorate the outside and was thinking of making a lime Swiss Meringue for the outside and dam for the curd. What would you suggest to make the Swiss Meringue lime flavoured? Would adding Lime juice ruin it?
Jan Claire says
Add up to 5 Tbsp of lime juice for this batch but add in 3 Tbsp first and taste and add in again if necessary. Keep some confectioners sugar on hand in case the liquid begins to break the SMBC. But all should be fine.
Olivia says
Hi Ashley! Personally I would leave the buttercream vanilla flavoured so the curd stands out 🙂 If you do want to flavour it though, I would suggest lime zest and only a bit of juice (2 Tbsp max).
Erica says
Help! I’m a professional pastry chef and I am just at a loss. I’m hoping you can help.
I recently switched to SMBC. However, I’ve only successfully made it a handful of times. The problem is that my bowl is taking an extremely long time to cool down. Last week it took an hour! By the time I add my butter, the meringue has deflated and my SMBC turns out soupy. I use a thermometer so I know my meringue is just right. I have tried whipping it on high continuously until it cools, whipping to stiff peaks and then turning the speed down until it cools. I have even tried chill my bowl in an ice bath. I’ve literally tried everything.
I know my bowls are spotlessly clean and there is no fat or egg yolk (first thing they teach you in pastry school). I cannot figure out why my bowl is taking so long to cool. I am using an Artisan KA mixer with the steel bowl and whisk attachment. Please help!
Olivia says
Hi Erica! Thanks for all the details, it helps troubleshoot for sure!! Strange that it’s taking so long. I assume you use the thermometer to test that the whites are at 160F? I wonder if the friction of the whipping is keeping the bowl warm. Is the meringue itself still warm after an hour? I’ve put frozen peas around the bottom of mine to help cool it while it’s whipping, but it often doesn’t need much.
How large is your mixer bowl (I’m not sure if there are size variations in the artisan model) and how large a batch of buttercream are you making? If 5quart and just a standard amount (6 whites or less), that shouldn’t be the problem.
Ramona Maynard says
Second time making SMBC, first time with this recipe. It didn’t turn out well the first time but came out perfectly with your recipe!! Thanks!
Olivia says
Hi Ramona! So glad to hear that it worked out for you! 🙂
Kim says
Can this be stored in fridge then pulled out to ice a cake a couple days later?
Olivia says
Hi Kim! Yes, but you’ll need to bring it to room temp and rewhip it. All of the details and tips are in the post.
Alice Greer says
Works perfectly everytime
Olivia says
Yay! So happy you love it Alice 🙂