- 3
- 20 mins
- 20 mins
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup egg whites from about 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cubed and softened at room temperature
- Pinch of salt
Preparation
Step 1
Swiss buttercream is silky-smooth, incredibly creamy, and unbelievably delicious. Because it's made with Swiss meringue, it holds up pretty well in warmer temperatures. The meringue base also makes it a lot lighter in color than most buttercreams. In fact, it looks almost pure white against a dark chocolate cake.
Makes about 2 1/2 cups, enough to generously frost 10 cupcakes
In a medium heatproof bowl, whisk together the egg whites and sugar. Place the bowl over a small saucepan of simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bowl. Continue to whisk until sugar has dissolved (you can check by rubbing a bit of the mixture between your fingers; the mixture shouldn't feel grainy). If you're not worried about salmonella, you can take the mixture off the heat and proceed to Step 3.
If you want to pasteurize the meringue, keep whisking until the mixture registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer, then remove from heat. Using a hand-held or a stand mixer, beat the warm mixture until the meringue holds stiff peaks and has cooled to room temperature.
Beat in vanilla. Add butter one cube at a time, beating well with the electric mixer after each addition. Sprinkle with salt and continue to mix. The mixture may start to look as if it’s separating during this process but don't panic: just keep beating and the buttercream will come together and become smooth.
Use immediately or refrigerate in an airtight container or a zipper-lock bag for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for up to 2 months. To use buttercream that has either been refrigerated or frozen, first allow to come to room temperature, then beat until smooth and spreadable again. Cakes or cupcakes decorated with buttercream generally keep up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container. Allow buttercream to come to room temperature before serving.