Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This buttercream is smooth, silky and beautiful every time. It gets firm in the fridge, so it's perfect for building cakes sky-high. It's my favourite icing to use on just about everything.

This is a 1-2-3 recipe, 1 part egg whites, 2 parts sugar, and 3 parts butter. It's easy to alter depending on how much you need.

This recipe makes enough for an 8 inch, 3 layer cake.

Recipe

Ingredients:

150g    Egg Whites

300g   Sugar

450g   Butter - Room Temperature

1 tsp    Vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine egg whites and sugar in a stainless steel bowl, or your stand mixer bowl. Heat over a double boiler, whisking frequently, until the sugar granules have all dissolved. The egg whites should be warm.

2. Pour into mixer with the whisk attachment, and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, and the meringue is room temperature.

3. Reduce to low speed, and add the soft butter in small pieces. When all the butter has been added, bring up the speed and mix until smooth, scraping down the bowl a few times.

4. Add the vanilla and mix to combine.

5. The buttercream should be smooth, silky, and ready to apply to cake.

If your buttercream looks curdled, lumpy, or just not smooth by the end, this may be because the butter was too cold. Move your mixing bowl onto the double boiler for one or two minutes, whisking the whole time. Return to the mixer with the whisk attachment, and mix on high speed. Repeat until the buttercream is smooth, silky and shiny.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Gather your ingredients. 150g egg whites, 300g sugar, 450g butter, and 1 tsp vanilla

Pour the egg whites into the bowl

Add sugar to the egg whites

Slowly heat the egg whites and sugar on a double boiler, stirring constantly with a whisk

Cook until sugar is dissolved and egg whites are warm

Move the bowl to the mixer with the whisk attachment

Turn the mixer on high speed

Mix until stiff peaks form, and the meringue is room temperature

Cut room temperature butter into small pieces

Turn mixer on low, and add butter piece by piece. Let each piece of butter start to incorporate before adding the next 

Once all the butter is added, mix on high speed until smooth, scraping down the bowl several times 

Stop mixer, add vanilla, and mix again on high speed until combined 

When buttercream is smooth, scrape down your whisk and the sides of the bowl

Your buttercream is ready to use!