Easy Swiss Meringue Buttercream

If you’re looking for an alternative to American Buttercream but you’ve been afraid to try some of the European varieties, I’ve got a special recipe for you. This simple Swiss Meringue Buttercream is easy and delicious and can be made in minutes. 

Why are there so Many Different Kinds of Frosting? 

I asked myself that question a few years back when I was first starting to bake. 

In case I haven’t shared much of my story before: I have four daughters and they all got married within four years of each other. 

We purchased a wedding cake for the oldest daughter when she married in 2004. But when my second-oldest got married four months later, she asked me to make her cake. 

With the help of a few friends, I did that. And, I’ll confess, I knew very little about frostings at that point, so I did a simple Decorator’s Buttercream which is basically Crisco and powdered sugar, with a little vanilla. 

I know. I know. But the guests loved it, so I didn’t think twice about it. 

We Learn and Grow!

Jump ahead a couple of years and I was learning a lot about cakes. I challenged myself to create a better frosting, one I could be proud of. That’s when I came up with my Dreamy Buttercream Frosting recipe. 

I’ve used it for nearly every cake I’ve made since. Occasionally I’ll make a traditional cream cheese frosting (for, say, a carrot cake). But usually I stick to my Dreamy Buttercream for layer cakes or tiered cakes.

We are creatures of habit and I’m certainly stuck on my own recipes and my own ways of doing things. But I’m learning to be flexible!

Kids are Finicky

Most adults seem to love my frostings, but I’ve noticed that the kids aren’t always a fan. 

I bake a lot of cakes for the grandkids and quite a few for the inner city ministry I work with. The kids don’t seem to appreciate the heavier buttercream. 

So, here I am, years later, trying to come up with yet another frosting to give myself more alternatives. 

And that’s when I happened across a recipe for Swiss Meringue Buttercream. 

Is Swiss Meringue Hard to Make?

Meringue-based buttercreams have always seemed too complicated for me. And I’ve worried about the use of raw egg whites. Once I tried to make an Italian meringue buttercream using meringue powder, but I didn’t like it as much as, say, my royal icing (my meringue-based cookie icing). 

Swiss Meringue, though? It seemed almost as doable as a traditional American buttercream.

So, I decided to give this recipe a try. I’ll tell you more about how it went in a bit. For now, let’s look at what you’ll need to make this creamy recipe. 

Swiss Meringue Frosting Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need. These are simple ingredients and I’ll bet you already have most of them on hand in your refrigerator and pantry. 

• eggs (whites only, room temperature)
• room temperature butter
• granulated sugar
• salt (if you’re not using salted butter)
• Vanilla extract

That’s it! Just a few simple ingredients. 

How to Make the Perfect Swiss Meringue Buttercream

The process for making this buttercream is very different from my American frostings because it involves a double boiler. To be honest, that’s why I was afraid to try a meringue-based recipe sooner. I’m so glad I finally gave it a try! 

Cut the butter into cubes and set aside. 

Have a mixer (or stand mixer) ready. 

Place a heat-safe mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water. You don’t want the bottom of the bowl to touch the water, so just a few inches of water will do.

Place sugar and salt into the bowl, then add the five egg whites. 

Place bowl over simmering water and whisk until the ingredients come together. 

Lightly whisk as the mixture comes up in temperature. (Heating egg whites makes them safe for consumption.)

You can use a candy thermometer to bring it to 160 degrees, but the primary point here is that you want the graininess of the sugar to go away completely. 

I tested my hot sugar syrup by pinching a bit of the mixture between my fingers. When it felt silky, I knew it was good to go. 

Turn off the heat and start mixing at medium speed. You want the meringue to reach the soft peak stage, not stiff peaks. (I used an electric mixer for this process.)

Now it’s time for some patience. The meringue has to cool down before you add the butter. If you put it in too soon, those soft peaks will turn to liquid. (Ask me how I know.) 

When the meringue is cooled, start adding the butter, one square at a time. The frosting will soften up and change texture, but if it becomes too liquid, don’t worry! Just put it into the fridge for 20+ minutes and let it cool down. Then start mixing at medium to medium-high speed again. (You want it to be the right temperature for this process, for sure!)

What you’re left with is truly a creamy frosting, loaded with flavor and texture. It’s completely different from an American buttercream in both consistency and sweetness level. (Meringue-based recipes aren’t as sweet.) 

Look at that gorgeous fluffy white mixture, y’all! Talk about a silky texture!

It’s crazy to think that kids wouldn’t want something as sweet as American buttercream but I honestly think it’s because they’re used to store bought cakes and those cakes usually have a lighter, foamier icing. 

I piped some onto cupcakes. (Meringue buttercreams are so easy to use!)

Swiss meringue can be used right away or stored in the refrigerator for several days. You can even freeze it up to two months in an airtight container. 

What to Expect from this Swiss Buttercream Frosting

I’ve been dying to try this for two reasons: First, I wanted to compare the taste to my buttercream. And second, I wanted to use it to actually decorate a cake or cupcakes, to see if I could get a smoother frosting. 

I’m so glad I finally did this! I was very pleasantly surprised that I liked the flavor as much as I did. The vanilla extract came through. (I might even add a bit of almond extract next time!) 

And decorating with this frosting was a lovely experience, as well. It pipes great and spreads on smoothly. (Mine looks a little jagged on the edges because I piped it cold from the fridge.)

In some ways, this reminds me of my 7-minute frosting that I used on my homemade marble cake. Only, the 7-minute frosting doesn’t have butter in it. It’s more of a true soft pillowy meringue. 

I can’t wait for the next party so that I can try out this recipe on the kids to get their opinion. I suspect they’re going to love this one! (This is a type of frosting I can use for just about everything!)

Variations on this Swiss meringue Buttercream Frosting Recipe

I haven’t tried any flavorings in this one yet, but I understand it takes gel colors just like the American buttercreams do. If I do add flavorings, I might go for:

Lemon: I think this is so soft and luscious it would be nice with my Strawberry Lemonade Cake. If I use it for that, I’ll definitely add lemon juice or lemon extract. 

Coconut: I’m convinced this frosting would be delicious with my Coconut Cake. I would probably add a little cream of coconut and then stir some coconut into the frosting. 

Chocolate buttercream: Melt and cool some baking chocolate and then mix it into the finished Swiss Meringue buttercream. The results will be out of this world! 

Strawberry: Add a cup of strawberry preserves to your finished frosting. Mix well! 

Questions People are Asking about Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Can I add gel food coloring to this recipe?

Absolutely! Swiss meringue serves as a lovely base for gel colors.

How is this recipe like Italian buttercream or French buttercream?

Both of those are meringue based, as well, but the process is different. For instance, with an Italian meringue you make a hot sugar syrup and pour it into your whipped (uncooked) egg whites. The hot syrup cooks the whites, making them safe for consumption. You continue to beat the mixture until it cools, and then add the butter, one pat at a time.

Do I have to use white sugar? Can I try powdered or brown?

I would stick with white/granulated sugar only. I don’t think the others would work very well for this recipe.

Cakes that Would Pair Well with Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This is one of my newest favorite frosting! I have so many cake flavors that would work beautifully with Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Here are some I recommend: 

The Most Delicious White Cake from a Box: This is my go-to recipe for wedding cakes, birthday cakes, and nearly every white cake in-between! This recipe would pair beautifully with Swiss Meringue Buttercream!

Ultimate Chocolate Cake Recipe: Your guests will never know this one started with a boxed mix! Pair it with white or chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream. 

Pink Peppermint Angel Food Cake: This one is so light and fluffy! I think the light, billowy Swiss Meringue would be a perfect complement!

Southern Hummingbird Cake from Scratch: This one calls fora. Traditional cream cheese frosting but I think a lovely Swiss meringue would be great! Add some cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice to the meringue to give it even more flavor. 

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That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious swiss meringue buttercream recipe. 

See this recipe at

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 150 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.