Vegan Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting (2024)

FAQs

Can I use dairy free butter in Swiss meringue buttercream? ›

For best results, use Miyokos vegan butter in this recipe. Our test kitchen found that it had a fluffier texture and also held up better during piping than other brands. The classic flavor for this frosting is vanilla: add 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste, to taste.

Cons: Requires some time and patience, as well as a double boiler and candy thermometer, which can be intimidating. SMBC will soften quickly in warmer conditions. Learn how to make and decorate with Swiss meringue buttercream like a pro in the FREE Bluprint mini-class Modern Buttercream.

American buttercream is sweeter than Swiss or Italian. It forms a “crust” when exposed to air – perfect for paining and piping on. Swiss Meringue buttercream is silky smooth and light. It's perfect if you're looking for a slightly less sweet buttercream.

Temperature: If the butter is too cold, it won't incorporate well with the meringue, resulting in curdling. On the other hand, if the butter is too warm, it can cause the buttercream to become too runny. Make sure the butter is at room temperature, around 68-72°F (20-22°C), before adding it to the meringue.

This happens when you're butter is too cold. It can also happen to chilled SMBC that has not fully been brought to room temp before mixing. Again the butter is too cold to whip together with the meringue and they separate.

Two good options for this recipe would be Earth Balance sticks and Country Crock Plant Butter (my personal preference). If you have another butter that's at least 79-80% oil/fat though, it should be fine.

Maybe the meringue whipped too long, cooling to well below 75°F (24°C). Maybe the butter came straight from the fridge. Maybe your buttercream was even frozen in advance, but didn't fully thaw. Doesn't matter why—if your Swiss meringue buttercream looks dense and greasy (or even tastes that way), it's simply too cold.

Swiss meringue buttercream is probably the most standard buttercream for pastry professionals. It is incredibly smooth, making it an extremely popular choice for icing cakes.

If you are uncomfortable with that, feel free to pop your frosted cake in the fridge. The buttercream will get super firm in the fridge (after all, it is mostly butter). I like to wait until the buttercream has firmed, remove it from the refrigerator, wrap it in plastic, and then put it back.

– SMBC does taste more buttery than American buttercream, but it shouldn't taste like you're eating butter! Firstly, check the quantities you have used carefully. Secondly, make sure you're whipping your SMBC long enough after adding in the butter.

What is the advantage of Swiss meringue buttercream? ›

Swiss meringue buttercream is a favorite among many cake decorators because of its smooth finish on the outside cakes and its ability to hold piping detail. If I'm not using one of my custom Sugarologie frostings, this is my favorite for cake decorating.

That means the butter in your Swiss meringue buttercream is too warm. Now you've likely formed a stable emulsion because it looks hom*ogenous and not split. The problem here is that the fat based ingredient (butter) is liquid. In baking and cooking we can use butter in both its states: liquid and solid.

Why is my Swiss Meringue Buttercream Soupy? This is usually due to the mixture being too warm or adding the butter before the meringue has fully cooled down. Thankfully, it is easy to fix. Refrigerate the bowl for 15-20 minutes then continue mixing until the frosting thickens.

Yes. Swiss meringue buttercream can be whipped for too long. This usually happens when the mixture becomes too cool, and it will start to look curdled and greasy. To fix this, simply place the bowl of buttercream over a pot of simmering water for a few seconds at a time, mixing constantly.

If the buttercream splits and looks curdled, like cottage cheese, it means the mixture didn't emulsify because the temperature of the butter was either too cold or the meringue was still too warm. There's a few different ways to fix this: Remove a few spoonfuls of the buttercream and place it in a heat safe bowl.

But the buttercream should be light and fluffy, not thick and greasy. If yours tastes like you're eating a stick of butter, perhaps your meringue wasn't whipped to stiff peaks before adding butter, or the butter was too cold, in which case it just needs some more whipping. Or you added too much butter.