Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

Here’s my recipe for a professional Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting to make in a Thermo cooker.  Swiss Meringue tastes a little less sweet than the usual buttercream, that’s probably why I prefer it (in cases where it can be used). I’ve had so many people tell me that they love this recipe, what will you think?

How much buttercream will this recipe make?

This recipe makes enough to cover a 20 x 20cm cake — approximately 3 cups with a thin crumb coat underneath.

Buttercream colouring (colour versus taste)

This recipe is for Swiss Meringue, and yes, it can be quite yellow because of the butter content, and the above image has little black dots from the Vanilla Extract that I’ve used. When making buttercream (in Australia) with butter, you’ll find it is quite yellow.  You’ll have to use vegetable shortening or animal shortening to get around this, which also works well for hot days.  But for taste and mouthfeel if you can get away with butter, go for it.

I’ve used white food colouring in the picture below, which is usually in the form of Titanium dioxide.  Sounds terrible, doesn’t it?  Well, there is a food-grade titanium dioxide, and it’s used extensively in the food industry. Chemical Maze states it’s “Safe for most people” although if you have issues or you don’t like the sound of it, I think your only choice is to not worry about the colour or choose a white vegetable shortening product instead of butter.

I generally prefer the white colouring, rather than using shortening.  I don’t like the flavour or mouthfeel of shortening. Although If I really need something like “Cookie Monster blue”, I might just suck it up and use the vegetable shortening, as our butter here in Australia is quite yellow.  If you go to a cake decorating shop, they’ll help you choose the better tasting one.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

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A professional Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting using the Thermomix. Its a little less sweet than the usual buttercream.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 18 minutes mins

Total Time 28 minutes mins

Difficulty Medium

Course Basic recipe

Cuisine Swiss

Servings 1 cake

Method Thermomix

Cook ModePrevent your screen from going dark

Equipment

• 1 Thermomix

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 180 g egg whites that’s about 5- 6 egg whites
• 300 g sugar caster
• 450 g butter, unsalted cool cut in cubes
• 1/4 tsp salt
• *food colouring as desired
• *flavouring as desired

Instructions

 

• Add your sugar, salt and egg whites to the TM bowl with the butterfly in place. Set the temperature to 70°c for 8 minutes on speed 3.5. MC out
• Then set the timer for ten mins and continue to whip the whites as the mix is cooling, set the speed to 3 – 3.5 with no heat. MC out. You must allow this mix to cool before adding the butter. Read the post to find out more.
• Once the mix has cooled, at least doubled in volume and peaks, have formed, slowly start adding the cubed butter into the TM bowl a little at a time while the butterfly is spinning. Don't worry if the mix looks like it has separated it will come together with a bit more mixing.
• Add flavouring and colouring as desired and stir till cleared through.

Video

Notes

You must allow your mix to cool before adding your butter.  Read my post before you make this recipe.

* Flavouring can be 2 tsp of vanilla (the real stuff of course) or the zest and juice of a lemon, lime or orange. What about cocoa powder, instant coffee powder not granules (or turn granules into powder in the TM first) I could go on and on.

* Colours. If I’m not going to use natural colours and I need something for a special occasion, I will use gel, paste or powdered pigments. For most of the things I make, the liquid colours aren’t suitable, so I don’t purchase them anymore. But as long as you’re not using too much, they should be ok in this recipe, or it will all become too liquid.

* Texture: If your buttercream looks wrong please read my blog post, there are tips there that will help. It won’t have failed it’s all about temperature.

Our notes for Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1. It’s lighter than traditional buttercream
2. It’s not as sweet as a traditional buttercream, although you can add more sugar or fold in icing sugar at the end to my recipe and it will be fine.
3. Once you start adding the cool butter, it should firm up, but if it doesn’t or it starts to become runny – pop it in the fridge.  Pop the whole TM bowl in the refrigerator and whip it again after about 15 minutes.  It might even take a little longer, but please persist. This is a brilliant icing.
4. You can make this in advance, but you’ll have to whip it again when you go to use it (just like any buttercream)
5. You can add any flavouring you like, be creative.  Pssst – I love maple syrup on my Gingerbread Cake.
6. Can you make swiss buttercream ahead of time?  Yes, of course.

Want to know more?

And for some yummy (and soft and gooey) brownies, try our Best Thermomix Brownies, or maybe you’d like to join us for a course on Perfect Shortcrust Pastry course.