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.
Nadia says
Hi!
I made this buttercream last night with great success! It was smooth and fluffy! However my cake was not ready for frosting as it was not cool enough, so I refrigerated the SMBC overnight.
I attempted to rebeat the SMBC the next morning and it curdled!! And I could not salvage the first batch.
Any tips on how to use SMBC after refrigeration ? Does it need to be rewhipped? Or can I just use it after letting it warm up a little? 😊😊😊
Jaja Shah-Mohen says
A baker friend told me to wait for it to be at room temperature first after you take it out of the fridge before whipping it.
I haven’t tried it though, but I hope it works if you try it again.
Vickie Piere says
Set it out to get to room temperature. Rewhip and if it doesn’t get light and fluffy take about 3/4 cup of your buttercream from your bowl and melt in the microwave ….yes you read right melt it. When its soft and melted add back to the mixer bowl and beat it will be light and fluffy in no time.
Alexandra says
Thank you!!! I just tried this method using the SMBC brown sugar peanut butter icing from the Peanut Butter and Jelly cake and it was a success. I look forward to trying it again… especially as I’ve had bad luck with my buttercream recently.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
BTW, do you have a ratio, eggs/sugar/butter that you like best? I know the eggs to sugar should be 1:2 but I’m not entirely sure about the butter part. Would love to hear your opinion on this.
Jaja Shah-Mohen says
I can’t tell you how glad I am to have read your post before I try SMBC for the first time.
I just love decorating with icing, but I always find American Buttercream too sweet to my taste. Every recipe I read said to whip the meringue until it cools down. But yours sound so much easier that I will have to try it like immediately!
Thanks so, so much, Sharon!
Amiya Lewis says
I am a vegan baker and would love to know if this recipe would work if i subbed flax seed gel instead of the egg whites!? Would anyone know?
Tasoula Adossidis says
I did not like this recipe what so ever. Save yourself the time and effort AND EGGS and just make American Buttercream, because that’s what this basically turned into, imo.
There was no volume what so ever, I mean, I didn’t expect the volume a true SMBC would give you, but I also didn’t expect it to basically look like whipped butter.
As for it’s taste, again, not only did it look like whipped butter, but tasted like it, with the addition of a very sweet factor; there’s way too much sugar and vanilla extract in this recipe. It’s just way too sweet, and that is not how SMBC is suppose to be and is one of several reasons people choose to make it over ABC.
In the end, I basically just set it aside in the fridge until I figured out what I could with it. I figured I would whip in some very dark chocolate in hopes to rescue it and make it tolerable enough to eat. I just hope that works, because I really hate the idea of throwing anything away.
Thanks for the recipe, I gave it a try, but it just didn’t work for me.
Vickie says
If its not light and fluffy its because your syrup or butter is too cold. Some butters do not beat up the same as others. Try melting a portion in the microwave add back to the mixer and beat it comes right together. Also she does state that you can use your own recipe to adjust the sweetness to what you prefer. If it tastes like butter then it was not mixed enough try the melting. Good Luck
Kj says
I realize that I’m commenting on an old post here, but I just want to make sure you know that this has changed my life. Well… my cake life that is. 😉
I LOVE baking cupcakes, but I got to the point that I absolutely HATED the buttercream. I could never get it fluffy and light enough or not mouthfullofpowderedsugarandbutter-y enough.
I wanted to try the meringue buttercreams but I was just too shy. It looked complicated and kind of scary, to be honest.
However, this technique was JUST the bridge I needed.
OMG, I couldn’t be happier!
Amanda Ashley says
Hi! I have a question about it. How many did you double for egg whites and sugar for extra batch? How long can I freeze them? Please let me know because I’m planning to make a birthday cake. Thank you!
Cam says
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I have to say, this is the best recipe for buttercream I’ve ever come across. Stable, light, easy, it really has it all c’: Not to mention, it’s a DREAM to pipe. I could rave about this all day. I would definitely recommend this to everyone.
God bless
Cam says
Just wanted to add on that this recipe is not at all annoyingly buttery. I had wanted to stay away from all buttercreams since my family hates that awkward butter taste, but after this, I’ve had a change of heart. I didn’t tell them it’s a buttercream but that’s okay! They didn’t even think twice about it having butter ;D It was just delectably creamy.
dendro says
I’ve been making smbc for years…but now I’ve found THIS method,I think I shall revise my recipe. I can’t wait to try it.
Thank you. I wanted to read about the science of buttercream cos I’m interested in it, instead I found a terrific new method oh-AND some science!!
Incidentally, aren’t some people a bit dense. No. It doesn’t crust. Yes. You can reduce the sugar. It will withstand temperatures of up to 120°. Etcetera etcetera etcetera. How many times does something have to be written down before it goes IN????
cristina says
Hi Summer,
Regarding the extra syrup how long can I keep it for future use?
Alana says
Hello! When do you use the corn syrup in the recipe?
Tiffany says
You add the corn syrup to the eggs and sugar
Tiffany says
With the recipe quantities above what size cakes will this cover?
Priya says
Hi Summer and everyone,
My syrup came out thick foamy white syrup. Is it still ok to use?
Thanks,
Priya
Amy Bakes says
Hi Summer, found this 2 weeks ago and I’m wondering how do I make half of the recipe? since I will just try it for the first time. The recipe calls for 225g eggwhites. Can I make it 112g then instead of 454g sugar will use 227g only. What I’m trying to say is that can I make half recipe just by dividing the measurements to half? Thanks. Excited to try this out.
rachel thompson says
Does it matter if the eggs are heated to more than 160 degrees?
Mark says
I have a question. So you beat the butter first and then add the sugar-egg syrup which is at room temperature or still cold from the freezer?
Ann says
Hello Summer, I want to try your method, but is corn syrup absolutely necessary? Can I use this method with my standard SMBC recipe without corn syrup?
Sandy says
OMG!!! this really works thank you thank you!!!!
Thoiba says
Hi, this sounds great. I am from Maldives and it is always tropical so I really struggle with buttercream. I tend to add a fair bit of shortening to make it more stable. But I quite like the buttery taste of BC and would so prefer not to use shortening.
Will this recipe work well even without shortening? Or would you reckon I use some just to be certain? How would you recommend I use the butter to shortening ratio?
Thanks heaps.
Theresa Tangonan says
Hi!can you substitute the egg white with the yolk instead and can you use less sugar?
Shelby says
If you are wondering if you can use yolk, I wouldn’t recommend it. When you heat the yolk, it will heat at a different temperature than the whites and possibly cook/scramble. Also, you will not be able to achieve the amount of air in the meringue and butter to give it the body that you are looking for. There are some custard frosting recipes that use whole eggs that are delicious that you can google. I hope that helps! Custard frosting is delicious too.
Janine says
Hello Summer
Thank you for this interesting article. Since you mentioned, one can add alcohol to the SMBC, I think you may know, where I went wrong with my buttercream.
I tried to make SMBC (as well as IMBC) the traditional way by starting with a meringue base. This worked very well everytime I did so. The buttercream was still perfect, after I added the butter. But then everytime I added alcohol (Brandy in my case), it broke. I managed to fix the cream afterwards, by letting it cool down in the fridge, get rid of the liquid and then mixing it very well. But why does that happen? So far I figured out, that alcohol seems to affect the eggwhites. Do you know more?
Mien says
Wow… I shall try this during the weekend. After adding the egg white mixture to the butter, do I beat on low or high? Will this frosting curdle if overbeaten?
Shelby says
I don’t know about Summer’s experience, but mine has never curdled or ‘broken’. I have made it about 10 times. I posted a question about the last time I made it; I think I may have whipped mine too long and taken some of the air out of the meringue.
Shelby says
Hi, I have made this successfully a few times and love it. It is so much faster to microwave than to stand over the double boiler! The last time I made it, it didn’t get the same volume though. It didn’t break but was somewhere between sweetened whipped butter and SMBC. Any advice?
Thanks!
Shelby
Nancy Plamann says
This recipe is fantastic! Thank you!
CharmBakes says
Hi. To everyone asking about adding chocolate:
I had really great luck with adding 8 ounces of 60% chocolate melted then cooled. I added it after I finished following all of the directions in the original recipe. Add the melted and cooled chocolate, then run the mixer until smooth and homogenous.
For me, the recipe as written is very sweet, so the 60% chocolate mutes that sweetness just the right amount. I would imagine you could use a sweeter chocolate or a darker one to get the flavor which suits you best.
Good luck!