Swiss meringue buttercream is addictive!
In a good sense, this thing is addictive, have you tried Swiss meringue buttercream aka SMBC ?
When I started decorating cakes back in the day, all I knew was American ButterCream (ABC) and I had to make it myself. And since I was making cakes under the Texas Cottage Law any other kind of frosting was out of the picture.
I was happy with it, since it is a very stable buttercream for the hot and humid weather we have down here in Texas. But the downside were the ingredients. I felt guilty giving a cake to my clients and knowing the frosting’s main ingredient was shortening.
A lot of the cakers I follow and admire use the Swiss meringue buttercream and all of them say the same…it is the best buttercream!
With such recommendation, I had to try it. The first time I tried it was because I took an online course called Miniature French Desserts. I simply loved the mouthwatering taste and the velvety texture. I could not believe a buttercream could be so rich and delicious and not leave a fat trace in my mouth.
Something was off!
So I had a delicious SMBC recipe, but when I actually tried to frost a cake, I ran into trouble.
The recipe I was using was designed as a filling for macarons and not to ice a cake. There had to be a difference in between the recipe for the macarons and the one used by the cakers. Sure enough, the egg white and sugar proportions were off. I needed a buttercream with a more stiff texture.
After researching I found a great recipe and then another one and another one. So many people had a great recipe so I looked closely at the ratios and ingredients used and the common ones were sugar and egg whites.
And the best ratio for me is the one I show you here in the video and the recipe down below.
So versatile.
This Swiss meringue buttercream is so versatile. You can add different extracts and flavors (so far my favorite one is caramel buttercream). Also, you can add fruit reductions, Amoretti artisan natural flavors and even powdered freeze dry fruit as Kara from Kara’s Couture Cakes recommends. (pssss…you can find them at Target too). Chocolate? sure!, you can make a chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream too ( recipe coming soon).
Pointers:
1.The sugar has to be completely dissolved or you will feel the granules when eating the buttercream.
2. Stear the mixture constantly so you don’t end up with sweet scrambled eggs.
3.Whip the meringue until it is very close to stiff peaks and you can touch the bowl and is at room temp.
4.If the buttercream looks like cottage cheese, keep whipping it at fast speed until it comes together.
5. Ingredients have to be at room temperature.
Hope you do give it a try and you love it as much as I do. If you do choose to make other flavors I would love to know and see the results, just leave a comment.
Words of wisdom:
“Life is too short to compare yourself with everybody else. God has a very special plan just for you.”
Perfect Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Make a perfect Swiss meringue buttercream to fill and frost your cakes. This recipe is perfect to create different flavors of buttercream for fillings and to get sharp edges on your cakes.
- 12 oz egg whites
- 18 oz Granulated Sugar
- 2 pinch Cream of Tartar (optional)
- 2 lb unsalted butter
- 2 Tbs Vanilla extract
- On a clean mixing bowl combine the sugar, egg whites and cream of tartar.
- Place the mixing bowl over a double boiler (simmering water). Water should not touch the mixing bowl.
- Stir the mixture constantly. Check for granules and keep on stirring until no granules are present and the mixture temperature reaches 155 F.
- Remove the mixing bowl from the heat and place it in the mixer. Using the whip attachment, whip up the meringue until it is close to stiff peaks and the bowl is cool to the touch.
- With the mixer at medium speed, add the cubed butter and keep on mixing until the buttercream becomes thick.
- Add the vanilla extract and mix together. Buttercream is ready to use.
Butter and Egg Whites should be at room temperature.
