Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe (with Detailed Instructions for Perfect Results!)

Name: Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 65 min
Ingredients: 6 large egg whites (180g) (from fresh eggs, not the carton); 2 Cups (400g) granulated sugar; 1 1/2 Cups (340g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces; 2 tsp pure vanilla extract; pinch of salt, or to taste (optional)

April 30, 2025 · In: Featured, Frosting, Recipes

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I’m usually an American buttercream girly, mostly because it’s so quick and easy to make. Swiss meringue buttercream takes a little more effort, but if you’re willing to do the work it is SO worth it! This frosting is silky smooth, not too sweet, packed with vanilla flavor, and incredibly easy to work with for decorating cakes and cupcakes. It’s made with just 5 ingredients and this detailed recipe will help you make perfect Swiss meringue buttercream, even if it’s your first time or you’ve tried before and failed.

swiss meringue buttercream recipe for cakes

What is Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

Known for its silky smooth texture, Swiss meringue buttercream is made by whipping cooked egg whites and sugar into a meringue, then adding softened butter and flavoring. It is extremely stable and easy to work with for cake decorating, whether you’re using it as a filling, frosting a smooth buttercream finish, or piping intricate details. If you’ve ever complained about American buttercream being cloyingly sweet, you will LOVE Swiss meringue buttercream. It has a rich buttery vanilla flavor and is just the right amount of sweet.

Swiss meringue buttercream recipe with detailed instructions

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Ingredients

There are just five ingredients involved in making Swiss meringue buttercream and each plays an important role:

Egg Whites. Together with the sugar, the egg whites are whipped into a meringue. It’s best to use fresh egg whites in this recipe (not egg whites from a carton) to yield the most stable meringue. If you’re wondering what to do with those leftover egg yolks, here are some good ideas.
Granulated Sugar. This sweetens the frosting just the right amount. You can also use caster sugar in place of granulated sugar.
Unsalted Butter. Adding the butter is what turns the meringue into buttercream. I recommend using unsalted butter because salted butter will taste extremely salty, even if you omit the salt in this recipe. It’s important that the butter is at room temperature when you’re adding it – too cold and it won’t blend properly, too soft and it might turn the buttercream soupy.
Flavoring. I use pure vanilla extract in this recipe but you can see other options for flavoring in the next section.
Pinch of Salt. This is optional, but if you want to add a tiny bit of salt to make the flavor more complex, go for it!

swiss meringue buttercream recipe ingredients

How to Make Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Step 1: Clean Your Equipment. The mixing bowl and whisk attachment should be super clean and grease-free before starting the recipe, since any trace of grease or fat can prevent the meringue from setting up. Consider wiping them down with a little lemon juice or vinegar.

Step 2: Separate the Eggs. Collect the egg whites into a medium bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer) and save the yolks for another recipe or discard them.

Pro Tip: Since we want the butter to be slightly cooler than room temperature, take the butter out of the refrigerator right after separating the eggs and slice it into Tablespoon sized pieces before moving on.

Step 3: Cook the Egg Whites and Sugar. Whisk the sugar into the egg whites and place them over a double boiler with a few inches of simmering water. Whisk the mixture constantly until the sugar dissolves and it reaches 160ºF (71ºC).

Step 4: Whip it into Meringue. Add the warm egg white sugar mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Afterwards, if the meringue is still warm to the touch, refrigerate for 10-15 minutes before moving on. It should be about 90ºF or less.

Step 5: Add the Butter. Switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment and add the butter, 1 Tablespoon at a time.

adding butter to swiss meringue buttercream

Step 6: Add the Flavoring. After all the butter has been added, mix in the vanilla and salt. Done!

how to flavor swiss meringue buttercream

swiss meringue buttercream recipe with troubleshooting tips

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Video Tutorial

Here’s a quick video tutorial that will show you how to make Swiss meringue buttercream and shows troubleshooting tips:

If you love recipe videos like this one, be sure to check out my YouTube channel! I’ve got a growing collection of cake recipes, decorating tutorials, and Cake Basics over there. Hit the subscribe button on my page so you never miss a new video.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream FAQs

Is it safe to eat since there are raw eggs involved? This recipe starts with raw egg whites, but they are heated with the sugar to 160ºF (71ºC), which makes them safe to eat.

Can I use egg whites from a carton? I recommend fresh egg whites for this recipe, as carton egg whites can contain preservatives that prevent the meringue from setting up properly.

Does this buttercream crust? No. It will stay soft at room temperature and will not form a crust on top like American buttercream does. It does firm up in the refrigerator though.

How can I flavor this buttercream? Here are a few different ways you can flavor Swiss meringue buttercream:

Substitute up to half of the vanilla in the recipe with other extracts. Some extracts can be quite strong (like almond, peppermint, coconut, etc), so for extracts like this try to add up to 1 tsp.
I love using Amoretti Natural Artisan flavors, which come in so many flavor options. Add 2 Tablespoons in place of the vanilla extract. They’re not as strong as extracts which is why you’ll want to add more.
For coffee flavored buttercream, add 1 ½ teaspoons of espresso powder.
For chocolate flavored buttercream, melt 8 ounces of quality chocolate, cool to room temperature, and add with the vanilla and salt.

Is it heat stable? Swiss meringue buttercream is very stable at room temperature, but will start to melt if the environment is particularly hot or humid.

Can I add food coloring? Yes, as long as they’re gel-based food colors. Even better if they’re oil-based gel colors like these.

Can I make this frosting ahead of time? Yes! It lasts up to two days at room temperature when stored in an airtight container. See the notes of the recipe for instructions on refrigerating and freezing Swiss meringue buttercream.

white cake recipe with vanilla buttercream and berries

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

4 from 1 vote

Made with just 5 ingredients, this Swiss meringue buttercream is silky smooth, not too sweet, packed with vanilla flavor, and incredibly easy to work with for decorating cakes and cupcakes! This detailed recipe and troubleshooting tips will help you make perfect Swiss meringue buttercream every time!

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Prep Time:30

Cook Time:5

Cooling Time:30

Total Time:1 5

Course: Dessert

Servings: Cups

Ingredients

6 large egg whites (180g) from fresh eggs, not the carton
2 Cups (400g) granulated sugar
1 1/2 Cups (340g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt, or to taste (optional)

Instructions

Prepare the double-boiler: Fill a saucepan with a few inches of water and set over medium heat. Make sure that the mixing bowl you’ll be using for the next step fits on top of it without the bottom of the bowl touching the water, then remove the mixing bowl and bring the water in the saucepan to a simmer.
Separate the eggs: it’s really important not to get even a drop of egg yolk in your egg whites, so I recommend separating one egg white at a time into a small bowl, then adding each egg white into your heat proof mixing bowl (glass or metal).
Add the sugar into your egg whites and whisk together to combine, then set the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water. Whisk constantly until the mixture has thinned out and the sugar is fully dissolved, 5-7 minutes. To test that it’s ready, carefully dip your finger into the mixture and rub your thumb over it. If you don’t feel any sugar granules, it’s ready. You can also use an instant read thermometer to check that the temperature has reached 160°F (71°C).
While the mixture is still warm, transfer it to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or attach the bowl to your stand mixer if you used that for the mixture). Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until stiff peaks form, 10-15 minutes. If stiff peaks have not formed at this point, try placing your bowl into the refrigerator for 10 minutes, then continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
At this point feel the bowl of your stand mixer. If it feels warm to the touch, place it into the refrigerator for 10-15 minutes to cool it down. The meringue should be about 90ºF (32ºC) or less before moving on to the next step.
Once the meringue has cooled, switch the stand mixer to the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer to medium-high and add the butter 1 Tablespoon at a time. After all the butter has been added, turn the mixer down to medium speed and beat in the vanilla and salt, about 30 seconds. At this point, the Swiss meringue buttercream should be thick, creamy, and silky smooth.
Troubleshooting Too Thin/Curdled: If the buttercream is thin and curdled-looking, it usually means the meringue was too warm before adding the butter. Place the entire bowl in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before returning it to the stand mixer and beating on medium speed until thickened. If it’s still soupy, place it back into the refrigerator for longer before re-whipping again.
Troubleshooting Too Thick: If your buttercream looks too thick and air bubbly, scoop out about ½ Cup of the buttercream and place it in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds, until the buttercream has melted. Add it back to the big bowl of buttercream and turn the mixer to low speed until it’s all mixed in. This should bring the buttercream to a smooth consistency. Repeat if necessary until smooth.

Notes

Yield: One batch of this recipe makes enough to fill and frost a triple layer 6-inch cake or a double layer 9-inch cake, or frost 24 cupcakes.

Scaling this Recipe: You can easily halve the recipe to make less, but unless you have an industrial sized mixer it won’t be easy to double. The most you can scale this recipe up with a 5-quart stand mixer is 1.5x the recipe, which yields 8 Cups of frosting. If you need more than this, make separate batches.

Make Ahead Tips: The Swiss meringue buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also refrigerate the buttercream for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, bring back to room temperature before mixing on medium speed until creamy and smooth.

Troubleshooting Tips: it’s usually easy to fix Swiss meringue buttercream if it’s not the right consistency after adding the butter. See step 7 in the instructions for the most common problems and troubleshooting tips.

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