Regular buttercream can often be heavy on the palette. It can also, quite frankly, be a little boring! If you’re looking to spice things up a little, you came to the right place; this Swiss Meringue Buttercream is luxuriously creamy and luscious, making it the perfect pairing for all kinds of cakes and cupcakes. The use of egg whites gives this buttercream an added layer of lightness which makes it superior to regular buttercream.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream is similar to Italian and French Buttercreams in terms of flavour and texture but the process is far simpler to follow. This recipe is quite forgiving and most problems can be solved with quick-fixes that are listed below.
Ingredients:
4 egg whites
350g castor sugar
400g softened unsalted butter, cubed
2 tsp vanilla extract
Points to keep in mind:
If your bowl has any traces of fat in it, the egg whites will not whip. Therefore, ensure that the bowl you are using is grease-free. You can achieve this by wiping down all the tools (whisk and bowl) that will touch the meringue with a little lemon juice or white vinegar.
Cold eggs are easier to separate but room temperature eggs are easier to whip. I would suggest you separate your eggs while they are cold and then allow them to sit on the kitchen counter to reach room temperature.
Always separate your eggs in a small bowl and then add them to the main, large one. This way, in case the yolk breaks, the rest of the separated eggs do not get contaminated.
It is very important that you do not get even the slightest bit of yolk into the egg whites. If you do, the eggs will not whip.
Use a metal bowl to whip your eggs as they retain less heat than glass bowls and will help quicken the process.
Using salted butter instead of unsalted butter might cause an imbalance in flavour so stick to unsalted butter and add a pinch of salt at the end to achieve the perfect balance.
Remove your butter from the fridge in advance and allow it to reach room temperature. Keep in mind that the frosting will turn soupy and thin if the butter is too warm.
If you live in a tropical climate, keeping the butter out on the counter for too long causes it to melt. I would recommend cubing the butter in advance, putting it back in the refrigerator and removing it just as you begin to whip the eggs. This ensures that the butter is ideal, soft to touch and slightly cooler than room temperature.
Method:
In a large metal bowl, add the egg whites and the castor sugar.
Place the bowl on top of a pot of simmering water set over a medium flame, ensuring that the water in the pot does not touch the bowl, to create a bain marie.
Whisk the sugar and egg whites slowly but constantly until the sugar has completely dissolved. This step is only to dissolve the sugar, do not cook the eggs.
To test if your egg and sugar mixture is ready, lightly and quickly dip your finger (it’s very hot, be careful) and rub the mixture between your thumb and index finger. If you can’t feel any sugar granules while doing this, the mixture is ready.
Remove the bowl off the heat and, using an electric whisk, whip the egg whites and sugar on high speed to form a meringue.
Beat the mixture until it holds stiff peaks and the meringue is no longer warm to touch. This will take at least 10-15 minutes.
NOTE: If the weather is very hot and humid, it will take longer for the meringue to form stiff peaks.
If the meringue does not reach stiff peaks after whipping it for 20 minutes, stop the mixer and place the bowl in your refrigerator for 10 minutes, then return to the mixer and continue beating it until stiff peaks form.
If your mixer overheats, follow the same procedure as listed in step 8.
Once the meringue holds stiff peaks and the mixture has cooled down completely, turn your electric mixer to medium speed and slowly add the softened butter, one cube at a time, making sure that each cube has been whisked in completely before adding the next.
After all the butter has been mixed in, add the vanilla essence and mix together one final time for about 1 minute.
Serve by piping or spreading the buttercream on a cupcake or cake of your choice!
You can also store the buttercream in a piping bag or an airtight container under refrigeration for 1 week. When you want to use it, remove it from refrigeration, allow it to reach room temperature and whip it on a low speed for 2-3 minutes to make it soft and fluffy.
Troubleshooting
If your meringue is too thick or has separated:
Return the bowl to the bain marie and heat the mixture for 2-3 minutes until the edges of the meringue turn liquid but the centre remains solid liquid.
Whip the partially melted mixture on high speed, using an electric whisk, for about 2 minutes and your meringue should be perfectly light and creamy!
If your meringue is too runny:
This problem generally occurs if your butter was too soft when you added it to the meringue or if the meringue had not cooled enough before adding the butter.
Either way, the solution is to cool down the mixture by placing it in the refrigerator for 20 minutes and returning to the mixer to whip until thickened.
You can repeat this process until the desired consistency is reached. However, ensure that you do not place the meringue under refrigeration for more than 20 minutes at a stretch or else the butter will harden and you will have chunks of solidified butter in your final buttercream.
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