Go Back
A layer cake filled with raspberry buttercream and lemon curd and covered in vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

For the cake pictured here and in my YouTube cake tutorials, you’ll use half for the filling with raspberry preserves and half will be kept vanilla for the outside of the cake. Divide the finished buttercream into two bowls and add 1/4 cup raspberry (or other flavor) preserves to one of the bowls.
Author: Zoë François

Ingredients

  • 2 cups / 400g granulated sugar
  • 1 cup / 240ml egg whites from about 5 eggs, at room temperature
  • 3 cups / 660g unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch kosher salt

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the sugar and egg whites and beat on medium speed to mix. The mixture will be very thick and grainy.
  • Put 1 inch / 2.5cm of water in the bottom of a double boiler or a medium saucepan and bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat. Place the bowl with the sugar mixture over the simmering water and stir the mixture with a rubber spatula until the sugar is completely melted. Brush down the sides of the bowl with the spatula to make sure all the sugar is melted. Feel the mixture between your fingers to check for graininess. Once all the sugar has melted and the mixture is smooth, the syrup is hot enough (140°F / 60°C) to be safe to consume.
  • Return the bowl to the stand mixer fitted with a clean whisk attachment and beat on medium-high speed until the egg foam is light, fluffy, and glossy and the bowl feels just about room temperature. (If the egg foam isn’t cooled sufficiently, the butter will melt when you add it.)
  • Once the egg foam is whipped and cooled, turn the mixer speed to medium, add the butter, 2 Tbsp at a time, and beat until incorporated. Turn the speed to low, add the vanilla and salt, and mix until incorporated.
  • Use immediately.
  • After you have added about half of the butter, the mixture may look curdled and runny; this is normal, and you should continue adding the rest of the butter. Once you have finished adding the butter and it has mixed on medium speed for about a minute, the buttercream will be creamy and glossy looking again.

Notes

Makes enough to cover one 8-inch / 20cm triple-layer cake or two 9 by 13-inch / 23 by 33cm sheet cakes. For the cake pictured here and in my YouTube cake tutorials, you’ll use half for the filling with raspberry preserves and half will be kept vanilla for the outside of the cake. Divide the finished buttercream into two bowls and add 1/4 cup raspberry (or other flavor) preserves to one of the bowls.