Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Not your average buttercream frosting – this Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting can be a bit difficult, but it’s worth it in the end!

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

I wanted to try a new frosting. One that I had heard was challenging and delicious. I’ve seen many bloggers make Swiss Meringue so I figured I’d give it a try.

I tried twice and almost cried!

This frosting was finicky.

I used a recipe from “The Joy of Cooking” and it took me nearly an hour! Seriously! After 45 minutes I just couldn’t walk away from it to go pick up my daughter from school. I had to get through this frosting. I thought I had, so I put it into the fridge as I ran out the door. When I got back home I let it sit out for an hour and then went to re-beat it… and it totally separated… 🙁  The egg whites turned to liquid and I had a gross butter lump that would not smooth out. I was so bummed.

I was also out 4 egg whites and 3 sticks of butter. All of it went down the drain.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Don't give up on Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Once you get it, it's a beautiful frosting.

Preparation 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 0:25

Print

shopping list

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon strawberry extract
• 3 sticks butter
• pink food gel

Instructions

1. Combine egg, sugar, water and cream of tartar into your mixing bowl (from your stand up mixer). Place the mixing bowl into a wide saucepan of simmering water. The water should come up as high as the ingredients inside the bowl. Attach a candy thermometer to the mixing bowl and beat with a hand held beater until the mixture reaches 160 deg F. Remove the mixing bowl from the water and add in the extract and return the mixing bowl to the stand up mixer.
2. Whip with the whisk attachment until the meringue is no longer hot and the mixing bowl is at room temperature.
3. Change out the whisk for the paddle attachment and slowly add in one tablespoon of butter at a time. The meringue will deflate and hopefully the butter will cream.
4. If the frosting turns into a curdled mess, melt a cup of the "frosting" in the microwave and then beat back in. Add in one drop of food coloring if desired until color is achieved. Remember that the colors darken over time.
5. The frosting should be smooth and fluffy.

by Karyn Granrud

Gotta Sweet Tooth? Share your recipe with me on Instagram using the hashtag #PintSizedBaker so I can see what you've been craving!

So I then googled it to search for some help from some blog friends and I came across this post from Sweetapolita. So I remade my Swiss Meringue Buttercream and watched my frosting turn into a curdled mess! I was beyond bummed – I was devastated. I was out of butter and had 8 egg yolks in the freezer.  But, she said to just keep beating and beating and I did! For like 20 minutes and it still didn’t turn into frosting.

So I searched some more and found Cath’s Cookery Creations.  So I followed her advice to melt some of it and beat in the melted goo. And you know what?? It totally worked!

Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!

I don’t want to scare you off from making Swiss Meringue Buttercream, just read up on a few sites and search around if you think you’re at a complete loss. I most likely could have saved my first batch if searched online sooner rather than just throwing it all away.

This recipe is part two in the three part series including Strawberry Curd and a Strawberry Birthday Cake.