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I can always count on Swiss Buttercream, no matter the chaos. Last week, I was cooking for my baby’s first birthday, cleaning for guests, and just trying to keep everyone alive. Then I lost an entire post to the WordPress black hole. So, in honor of napping babies and not giving up, here is the only buttercream I make anymore. It’s light, not too sweet, and has graced everything from wedding cakes to Christmas cookies.
You just have to promise me one thing: Don’t be afraid of the butter.
This week’s focus started out as ‘recovery from social anxiety’ and quickly became ‘no personal space or sleep for mama’. My poor child turned one and instantly morphed into a nap-fighting, teething insomniac.
All that said, I actually tried to post on Monday. That will teach me to try new things (story posts). I spent 30 minutes while he was sleeping on my shoulder typing and uploading photos only to discover that once I had posted it, all my work was instantly sucked into a black hole and left no trace behind. I could call it user error, but in my exhausted mental state, I refuse to acknowledge that reality and choose instead to believe that the WordPress gods hate me. Yes, I’m sure that’s it.
In honor of birthday cake and (currently) napping babies, here is the only buttercream I ever make anymore. I was introduced to swiss meringue and light, fluffy swiss buttercream in school and have never looked back. This icing has graced multiple wedding cakes, birthday and baby shower cakes and everything in between – even Christmas cookies!
This is the one-size-fits-all, holy-grail buttercream I was introduced to in cooking school. It has graced multiple wedding cakes, birthdays, baby showers, and even Christmas cookies. It’s light, not too sweet, and incredibly versatile.
Why You’ll Love This Swiss Buttercream
- Less Sweet: Unlike often-cloying American buttercream.
- Light & Fluffy: Has a gorgeous, silky texture.
- Fully Cooked: No worries about raw egg whites.
- Forgiving: Its virtually impossible to over-beat this. In fact, most people under whip it. You’ve got to beat the crap out of it, then whip it some more. Have no fear.
7 Tips & Tricks for Success
Read this before you start!
This is the stuff that makes all the difference.
1. The Secret Stabilizer for Hot Days:
I also discovered a handy little trick during one particularly intense summer. I had a cake order for an outdoor birthday party and was concerned the heat waves would melt the cake before it could be consumed.
I always advised my clients to keep the cake in-doors at least until serving time, and preferably in a fridge until an hour before serving. In case folks can’t or won’t follow those directions, the below trick was my failsafe.
- 1/4 oz packet of gelatin
- 1/4 cup + 1 tsp cold water
Let it set (or bloom) for five minutes.
Heat the mixture just until it is melted. It won’t be more than a few seconds! If you overheat it, you will be rewarded with a very unpleasant smell akin to something you might find in a tannery. Seriously, heating gelatin is a necessary process in the kitchen at times, but it is essential to limit how much heat is applied if you don’t want to lose your appetite.
Having heated this concoction, you must now cool it! It must be no warmer than lukewarm when you beat it into the buttercream or you might have to revisit tips 3, 4 and 5.
Allow the ‘fixed’ buttercream to rest up for a few minutes before using it. The added gelatin isn’t enough to alter the texture or flavor, but it does help stabilize things on particularly apocalyptical days. If you live in the southern states, you know.
2. Ensure Everything is Cool.
If your meringue is too warm when you add the butter, the butter will melt. Make sure the bowl feels cool to the touch.
Guess what? Even if this happened to you, refer to numbers 4 and 5.
3. Don’t Be Afraid of the Butter.
This is the most important rule. It should probably be number 1, actually, but I live in the south. The ingredient list might look intimidating, but trust it – and me!
4. It is Impossible to Over-whip This.
It is always worse to under-whip this icing, at every stage. If you’re not sure if you should mix it more, keep whipping. If you’re afraid you mixed it too much, you didn’t. I promise. The egg whites being cooked also ensures you don’t have to worry about deflating them, as the protein structures have been stabilized by the application of heat.
This is honestly the reason I swear by Swiss meringue rather than French or Italian versions. Because the egg white proteins are essential to the stabilization and ‘fluffiness’. If your egg whites are raw or are being ‘cooked’ by means of a slowly drizzled boiling syrup, the chances for failure are much higher, because your meringue (the egg white fluff) can deflate…and your buttercream would be ruined. But with Swiss…? Behold, the Super Hero of Buttercream.
5. It Might Look Curdled… Don’t Panic!
When you add the butter, it might become a weird, soupy mess. It will whip back up, I assure you. I’ve been there and done that. It is absolutely terrifying to think all those eggs and butter have become a weird soup instead of beautiful icing…but the horror will fade. Just keep mixing.
6. Storing & Re-whipping:
You can store it at room temp for a day, but I refrigerate it for peace of mind. If you refrigerate it, you must let it come to room temperature and then whip it again before using.
Feel free to ignore this suggestion, but the buttercream will probably be slightly yellow and taste greasy.
7. Need it Sweeter or Firmer?
Feel free to add powdered sugar to taste or to stiffen it up for piping details!
I used to use American buttercream for cake icing but it was usually too sweet for me once it was the right consistency. When I discovered the vast world of buttercream options in cooking school, I chose my favorite one-size-fits-all, Swiss Buttercream. Every once in a while I still make a batch of the shortening, milk and powdered sugar “American” buttercream for details like piped roses or other things that might need to be stiffer. For the most part, however, even when I’m piping details, I simply add some powdered sugar to my Swiss Buttercream to keep it from being too soft and pipe away! It’s tastier and very versatile!
Shay's Swiss Buttercream
If you are looking for the perfectly fluffy icing that isn't too sweet and is versatile enough to use on everything, here it is.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 lbs. Unsalted Butter (this is 2 1/2 ‘boxes’ or 10 sticks)
- 1 1/2 c. Egg Whites (about 15 eggs – better to have one extra egg white than one less)
- 1 lb. 8 oz. Granulated Sugar (it’s best to use a scale here, but it’s about 3 3/8 c.)
- 2 T. Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Lay out the butter and allow it to come to room temperature. I try to pull it out the night before if I'm mixing in the morning, or in the morning for mixing in the afternoon.
- On medium, heat 2 – 3 inches of water in double boiler. The water should not touch the bottom of the top of the double boiler (or the mixing bowl, in my case).
- Measure the egg whites and sugar into a large metal mixing bowl (or the top of the double boiler) and whisk to combine. (I use the whip attachment from the mixer, since I am about to use it anyway.)
- Continue to whisk every few minutes to keep the egg whites from cooking too fast.
- If you have a candy thermometer, you can place it in the egg mixture and check the temperature that way. It does get in the way of the whisking, though, so I prefer to pull out an instant read thermometer when I want to check.
- When the mixture reaches 170* F, remove it from the heat. The sugar should be mostly melted, but its ok if its not.
- Move the bowl to your mixer stand and whip the mixture until the bottom of the bowl is cool to the touch.
- With the mixer on medium speed, add the butter in 2 T. chunks. The chunks can be bigger or smaller, the key is that you are adding it gradually enough for the meringue to incorporate it. I toss in another chunk about once every 2 seconds.
- If your buttercream turns soupy before you’ve added all the butter…Don’t Panic.
- Just keep going and have faith. It will whip back up.
- When all the butter is in add the vanilla extract.
- Continue whipping until light and fluffy.
- If it is slightly yellow, you need to keep whipping.
Notes
Hopefully, this becomes a useful staple for you. It’s my top-secret recipe that I rightfully and permanently borrowed from my cooking classes.
You can tell everyone you got it from a cooking school, ‘cuz you did. They don’t have to know the whole story. 😉 I won’t tell. Oh wait, I just did… Whoops.
Have a great weekend…and if your children are attached to your shins, remember—mine is too.
Flavors in This Recipe
Here is a closer look at the key flavors that make this recipe special! Click on any spice to explore its full profile, from culinary uses to growing tips. 🙂