We’re thrilled to welcome our newest contributor, Summer Stone of Cake Paper Party! Join along as Summer explores traditional baking concepts in new and exciting ways.
CAKE MYTH : You must create a meringue in order to produce a European-style buttercream.
For some time, I puzzled over the idea that you have to create a fully realized, stable meringue in order to make a Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC). I wondered why one would create a beautifully peaked meringue and then destroy it by adding in loads of butter. I also wanted to know why SMBC’s were so inherently unstable and even the most practiced of bakers sometimes had difficulty making them behave. After much experimentation, I have found answers that will help you make buttercream faster and easier than ever before. You will find that you don’t need a meringue at all!
Here is my method for making Swiss Buttercream (SBC) and an explanation as to why it works:
STEP 1 : Start with egg whites
Egg whites serve two important roles in SBC. They act as a structural component and serve as a liquid to dissolve granulated sugar into. In traditional SMBC, egg whites are beaten to peaks as a means of incorporating air into the buttercream. The problem with this is that protein mediated air pockets are very unstable in the presence of fat. When butter is added, much of the air which was beaten into the eggs is lost and it they become a syrupy puddle. Here I have used pasteurized egg whites from a carton, but separated egg whites from cracked eggs work just as well.
STEP 2 : Add sugar
Sugar obviously plays an important role as a flavor provider in a buttercream but it also serves to thicken and stabilize the egg liquid it is dissolved into. The sugar-egg combination, when mixed with butter, creates an emulsion that is more stable than either individual component.
STEP 3 : Whisk the sugar and eggs together
The eggs and sugar have a symbiotic relationship. The eggs serve the sugar by providing a solvent into which it can be dissolved. At the same time, the sugar helps the egg whites by weakening their ability to coagulate allowing them to remain in a liquid state. Be sure to whisk the eggs and sugar together very well for maximum benefit. No one likes scrambled egg buttercream!
STEP 4 : Heat the eggs and sugar
While the egg whites are helpful in dissolving the sugar, at this high of a sugar concentration heat is required to fully dissolve the sugar crystals. Heat also functions to destroy any harmful bacteria that may be living in the egg whites (particularly if they are fresh). For this reason, you should heat your egg-sugar syrup to 160ᵒ F which will ensure Salmonella is killed. I find the easiest way to do this is in the microwave. One recipe will take 3-4 minutes stirring at one minute intervals. Alternatively you can heat the syrup in a double boiler until a safe temperature is reached. At 160ᵒ F all sugar crystals should be dissolved. I like to add a half ounce of corn syrup to the sugar-egg mixture to minimize the chances of recrystallization. Be sure to stir in any sugar granules than remain on the sides of the bowl. One undissolved rebel sugar crystal can reseed the whole batch.
STEP 5 : Cool the egg-sugar syrup
I place my syrup in a clean cake pan and place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to reach a cool/cold temperature (45-60ᵒ F). When the sugar syrup is added to the butter in this temperature range, the two components generally go into emulsion seamlessly without “breaking”. This seems to be one of the problems with traditional SMBC. Since a meringue will not form readily in a cold syrup, the eggs and sugar would have to be at room temperature when the butter was added. This room-temperature blending stresses the combination and makes formation of a proper emulsion more difficult.
STEP 6 : Make extra syrup to save for later
One of the advantages of making SBC by this method is that you can make large batches of syrup and freeze the extra for quick and easy batches in the future. In the photos above, I made a double recipe of syrup and saved half for a future batch.
STEP 7 : Beat butter until light and fluffy
Butter is the all-star of SBC. It does the amazing emulsifying work. For this reason, it makes the most sense to start with the butter and add the cooled syrup to it. When the butter is beaten on high for 2 minutes before the syrup is added, it lightens the buttercream and takes in air in a way that is more structurally sound than that of beaten egg whites. I like to start with butter that is at a cool room temperature since it holds air better in a more solid form.
STEP 8 : Add half of the sugar syrup
Adding half of the liquid at a time allows the mechanical action of the mixer to work to develop the emulsion without overwhelming the butter and causing the mixture to break. Beat for one minute to fully incorporate the syrup before adding the final half.
STEP 9 : Add remaining syrup
Add the second half of syrup to the butter mixture and beat on high to complete the emulsion and incorporate air into the mixture. The buttercream will be quite firm at this point.
STEP 10 : Add vanilla and other flavorings
Adding liquids such as vanilla not only incorporates flavor but the liquids also smooth out and lighten the texture of the buttercream. At this point, the buttercream will be very firm and stable. If you would like a creamier buttercream that is less sweet, you can add additional butter, up to another 4 ounces. If you want a buttercream that is lighter in texture, more like whipped cream, you can add more liquid in the form of milk, sour cream, cream cheese, juice, alcohol, fruit purees or water. I have added up to a half a cup of cool water per recipe with success. Slowly drizzle in the additional liquid while the mixer is going on medium speed.
I hope you enjoy this alternate method for making a Europen-style buttercream and that you find it easier and more fool-proof than ever before! Happy baking!
SWISS BUTTERCREAM
a recipe by Summer Stone
- 8 ounces (227 grams) egg whites separated from whole eggs or from a carton- 1 cup
- 16 ounces (454 grams) granulated sugar- 2 ¼ cups
- ½ ounce (14 grams) corn syrup- 1 tablespoon
- 16 ounces (454 grams) unsalted butter softened but not warm- 2 cups
- 2 tablespoons (30 milliliters) vanilla extract
Whisk egg whites and sugar together in a microwave-safe bowl. Make sure the mixture is well mixed so the sugar can protect the eggs from cooking. Heat the mixture in the microwave for 2-4 minutes on high in 30 second intervals whisking well after each 30 second heating. Heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 160ᵒ F/72ᵒ C. (Alternatively this step can be carried out in a double boiler over simmering water). Pour the syrup into a cake pan or shallow metal bowl and chill in the freezer for 20-30 minutes until it is quite cool (45-60ᵒ F).
Meanwhile, beat the butter in a mixer for 2 minutes on high until the butter is lighter in color and aerated. Add the cooled syrup in two additions to the butter beating 1 minute after each addition. Add the vanilla and beat 30 seconds until smooth. Can be used immediately.
You can store this buttercream at room temperature for 2 days, in the refrigerator tightly sealed for 2 weeks, or in the freezer for 2 months.
I was pretty excited to try this recipe, especially because I was planning to make a SMB with cream cheese.
I followed the recipe but reduced the sugar by about 50 grams.
I just didn’t quite work out for me so I left it to mix a little longer hoping it would magically come together like the regular SMB does. I gave up after a while and added extra butter and that did the trick!
I introduced the cream cheese as directed and it went back to being unfortunate looking. The taste was OK but I wasn’t happy with the texture.
I wish I had the success others had. I don’t think I’ll try it again as I haven’t had any problems with regular method.
Thank you!
I added cream cheese too. Got to 6 oz with no problems, then at 8 oz the buttercream broke. I was able to save it by drizzling in melted white chocolate while beating at a high speed.
I wonder if it would help if you introduced the cream cheese with the butter during the first stage of creaming…? adding cream cheese at the end seem counter intuitive, unless you cream it separately first. the cream cheese maybe too heavy to blend in at the last stage.
Could I possibly sub half of the butter with cream cheese for a cream cheese-SMBC? I have a client wanting coconut cake with cream cheese icing. I tried this recipe the other day and LOVED it. Possibility? Or would the cream cheese curdle it?
Can you use the carton of eggs whites that are already pasteurized? Thanks!
Would this method work with egg white liquid cartons that are already prepastuerized? Thanks!
Does the syrup stay in the freezer or go in the fridge when you have extra? Thank you for this recipe. Look forward to trying it.
Hello! Summer,
Thank you for sharing your good method.
I love SMBC’s texture,so it is my best favourite.
Can I use any syrup that I have instead of corn syrup?
It looks very easy.
Have a lovely day!
I’ve always made swiss meringue buttercream by hand, with a whisk. it sucks. and then, when it separates, i have to put in even more elbow grease. but it just tastes sooo good.
do you think this method would do ok being hand whisked/beat?
I was wondering if stability also has to do with using a butter with a higher percent of butter fat. I use European butter when making pastries but I was curious if this butter would also be better in butter cream icing. Thank you, Cindy
Hi! Looks like a great way to make Swiss Buttercream. I would like to make this but add chocolate to it. Do you know what kind, how much, and when the chocolate should be added?
Thanks!
Would your SMBC recipe be good for making buttercream flowers? I can’t stand the taste of the buttercreams that are stable enough to create flowers. I end up having to tell customers that the flowers are not the same as the rest of the frosting. Thank you in advance for a reply. I just discovered you from being on the Cake Blog.
Hi Summer,
Can I substitute corn syrup with glucose (Brix 81%)???
Will it still work?
Will a hand mixer work for this frosting?
hi, I made it last night. But it is too sweet for me. How can I cut down the sweetness now? I don’t want to throw it away? I followed your recipe and used 1/2 cup less sugar but it is still too much for me. Pls help.
I tried both ways while making my first wedding cake for a friend this summer, and while your method is certainly much easier on my mixer than beating for ages, it’s not QUITE the same as traditional Swiss meringue buttercream. I find that the finished frosting is slightly yellower and has less of that distinct “meringue” flavor to it. It wasn’t what I was wanted for the wedding cake, but I could certainly see myself using this method for other cakes in the future. Thanks so much for the interesting tip, and for all of your baking experiments!
Hey I bumped into this recipe recently and thot of giving it a try….since my SMBC looks like ricotta cheese n not smooth and silky lately and I’ve got no reason why…..the only thing is I added d corn syrup along with sugar n egg whites n mixed it over a double boiler….is that ok?….will the buttercream come out well??…keeping my fingers crossed…. Lemme know
Cool. Thank you so much for the helpful tips. This is what I call a “Bakers Life Hack”.
how long does it last?……if I happen to make one for a customer!
Oh it’s so great to finally see I’m not the only one making my buttercream this way! I’m tired of being told that I have to make the meringue or it wont work! And when I see people still playing with making italian meringue buttercream I just want to scream why are you doing this to yourselves people!!!
So excited this is finally out in the open, and now when another bakers thinks I’m crazy I can say :
”go to the cake blog!and read… I’m not the only one!” love your post!
I tried this yesterday and wow what a time saver! The consistency was perfect for icing and decorating a small 8 inch cake. My husband loved it but it’s just a tad too sweet for my taste. I am wondering… can I cut down a little on the sugar or add more butter to adjust for a less sweet buttercream?
I can’t believe this worked but I am so glad it did!I tried it a few times it worked wonderfully every time. The last time I did it I used our standard recipe but your cooking methods, 32 oz egg, 64 oz sug, 96 oz butter. First I microwaved and chilled the syrup, then whipped the butter and added the cool syrup and it worked like a charm. I did it again but this time I whipped the warm eggs to make the meringue and then added the butter and that also worked. Love love love this super time saving technique!
Hi, my question is regarding stability , I made Wedding cakes with Fondant , can I replace my regular SMBC with this version to put underneath the fondant ?????
I live in Miami, very very hot weather .
Thank you
ISO
I’ve just tried making this and I LOVE IT! You are a genius. Easy to make and taste great.
I wonder if you can add cream cheese to it? To make a stable cream cheese frosting.
Thank you.
Awk. I followed the recipe and the sugar/egg whites are now in the fridge cooling. But I can’t find anywhere in the recipe where it tells when to add the corn syrup. To the sugar/egg as it is heating, or with the cooled mixture as it is beaten into the butter?
IF it is covered in the comments above, I won’t see it as I’ve got too many things on my plate to go through them all.
Thanks!
Hi Summer! Just discovered this site, and I am simply astounded by your recipe. Although I have made SMBC with no troubles, I just hate having extra yolks languishing in the fridge until I can figure out a use for them. I usually end up throwing them away because too much time has elapsed. I had a carton of egg whites which were headed toward the garbage when I saw this recipe. Amazing! Thank you so much. I am looking forward to keeping a carton of egg whites in the fridge and just whipping (ha!) up a batch of your SBC just because I feel like it. Thank you. Thank you.
I was hesitant to try this as I didn’t want to waste any ingredients…. Summer, this is the ONLY way I will make SMBC from now on!!!! 😀 I live in American Samoa (wee island in the South Pacific) and it works really well in our heat/humidity. It stands up a lot better than standard-method-made SMBC.
Thanks! 🙂