Swiss Meringue Buttercream

5 from 1 vote

The most delicious Swiss Meringue Buttercream is easy to make with just 5 simple ingredients! It whips up deliciously light and silky with the right amount of sweetness. The perfect finishing touch for all of your favorite treats!

Prep Time40

Cook Time4

Total Time44

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Swiss

Keyword: less sweet frosting, Meringue Buttercream, non-crusting buttercream, vanilla buttercream

Servings: cups

Author: Alyssa Rivers

Ingredients

230 grams egg whites, about 7 large eggs, room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Place a medium pot on the stove with about an inch of water in it and bring the water to a simmer.
Whisk together the egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Place the bowl on top of the pot of simmering water, ensuring the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
Whisk the egg mixture constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture reaches 160 degrees Fahrenheit, about 4 minutes. If you rub the mixture between your fingers there should be no sugar granules left.
Remove the bowl from the pot and turn off the heat. Place the bowl on the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whip on medium-high speed for about 10-15 minutes, until you have glossy stiff peaks and the bowl has cooled to room temperature. If the outside of the bowl still feels warm to the touch, you can either place the bowl in the refrigerator or press ice packs or bags of frozen vegetables to the bottom of the bowl as it whips to help cool down the meringue, but be sure to stop whipping as soon as you reach stiff peaks.
Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time with the mixer running on medium-low. As the butter is absorbed into the meringue, add the next tablespoon until all the butter has been added. Add in your vanilla extract and salt. Switch back to the whisk attachment, scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and whip on high speed.
The buttercream will go through stages where it will look curdled, but it will come together. It may take 15-20 minutes of mixing before it comes together to form a thick, glossy frosting. If the frosting is soupy or still looking curdled after 15 minutes, see the tips section for ways to troubleshoot it!

Nutrition

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