Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Silky, smooth, and not overly sweet, Swiss Meringue Buttercream is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and elegant decorating. This stable buttercream pipes beautifully and has a luxurious texture.

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 30 Minutes

Yield: About 3 cups

Difficulty: Medium

Ingredients:
• 5 Egg Whites at room temperature
• 2 cups (452g) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
• 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated Sugar
• 1 pinch kosher Salt
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, or whatever flavoring you are using

DIRECTIONS:
1. Add egg whites, sugar and salt in a bowl.
2. Give the mixture a brief whisk.
3. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Make sure the water does not touch the bowl. 4. Whisk the egg whites occasionally while it warms up. When the mixture has warmed, whisk it constantly. You will heat the mixture until it reaches an internal temperature of 160ºF or until it's not grainy between your fingers.
5. Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer, mix with a whisk attachment until you get room temperature glossy peaks.
6. Once it is at room temperature and has glossy peaks you can switch to a paddle attachment or keep with the whisk attachment. While the mixture is running on low, add 1-2 tablespoon-sized dollops of room temperature butter. Make sure to let the butter incorporate before you add the next piece.
7. Once all the butter is incorporated, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and add the vanilla extract. Mix for about 2-3 more minutes. If you notice a lot of air bubbles switch to paddle attachment. Use to pipe, ice a cake, or put in a zip-lock bag or Tupperware to store in the refrigerator or freezer.

TIPS:
If buttercream looks curdled: keep mixing — it will come together.
If too runny: chill 10 minutes, then whip again.
If too stiff: warm bowl slightly and mix.

STORAGE:
• Fridge: up to 1 week
• Freezer: up to 3 months
• Rewhip before using