My Favorite Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Swiss meringue buttercream is like heaven. It’s so light and fluffy and not at all overly sweet like some frosting. I definitely prefer it over any other kind of frosting.

Ever since I first tasted SMBC I have been searching for a fool proof recipe that I love. I have found that recipe. Trust me on this one. It’s amazing.

Most people seem intimidated by SMBC because of the fact that sometimes it curdles when you’re mixing it up. You have to be patient and know that it’ll come back together. Because of the technique used in this recipe, you won’t have to worry about that here. I was a bit skeptical when I first tried this recipe, but it works every time.

I prefer to refrigerate my cupcakes after frosting them with this SMBC. This will set the frosting. Then bring them to room temperature prior to serving.

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Swiss Meringue Buttercream

This is my favorite Swiss meringue buttercream

Yield: Enough to frost 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

4 oz egg whites (3-4 large egg whites or about 1/2 cups)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 lb unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp lemon extract, almond extract, orange extract, or vanilla extract

Directions:

Lightly whisk egg whites and sugar together over simmering water until egg-white mixture is hot to touch or a candy thermometer reads 140°F (60°C).

Pour hot whites into a room-temperature bowl and whip with a wire whip until double in volume on MEDIUM-HIGH speed. When the mixer stops, the meringue should not move around in the bowl. Meanwhile cut up butter into 2-inch pieces. (The butter should be slightly moist on the outside but cold inside.)

On your mixer, remove the whip and attach the paddle. Add half the butter into the bowl immediately and pulsate the mixer several times until the meringue has covered the butter completely. To pulsate the mixer, turn it on and off in a jerky motion. This forces the butter on the top to the bottom of the bowl. Add the balance of the butter and pulsate mixer several times. Slowly increase the mixer's speed, starting with the lowest speed and increase the speed every 10 seconds until you reach a MEDIUM-HIGH speed.

Continue beating until the mixture begins to look light and fluffy. Stop the mixer and scrape the bowl. Reduce speed to LOW. Add flavoring and continue to beat on LOW speed for 45 seconds. Then beat on MEDIUM-HIGH speed for an additional 45 to 60 seconds.

Leftover buttercream can be placed in plastic containers with lids and kept in the freezer for up to 3 months. Defrost completely (several hours) and rewhip before using.

Storage: Store the icing in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Recipe from epicurious

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20 Responses to “White Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream”

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    1
    Bridget — April 8, 2010 at 4:39 pm

    Hm…domes…good for cupcakes, sorta annoying for layer cakes. 🙂

    I wonder if you bumped up the baking temperature a bit, if the cupcakes would have a more dramatic rise? Obviously you’d need to reduce the baking time…but you knew that. 😉

    It doesn’t look like any of the white cakes I’ve made in cupcake form have had a nicely domed top, but Dorie’s Perfect Party Cake was the most rounded. It’s a great tasting cake too.

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    Joanne — April 8, 2010 at 6:07 pm

    Go-tos are ALWAYS good to find. I’m going to have to try these because I am still on the lookout for a go-to white cake. They look awesome!

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    whisk-kid — April 8, 2010 at 11:34 pm

    These look awesome! I understand your desire for that perfect dome, though.

    I’m happy to have one for chocolate cake, but I wish I had more go-tos! I think part of my problem is that I rarely repeat things. I just keep trekking down that endless “to bake” list of mine… Haha

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    Heidi — April 8, 2010 at 11:59 pm

    Oh my word! You sound like me talking about “go to” recipes. That is my quest in life…well, in baking anyway. AND white cake is one that I have NOT found a “go to” recipe for and believe me, I have been searching for years. Literally. I also came across Bridgette’s blog where she did the white cake comparisons and I forget which one I chose to make, but I did not care for the results at all. Sigh. I was disappointed because I was certain that I would no longer have to search. I’m still at it. I also agree with you on the dome part. I definitely want my cupcakes to have a dome on them and if they don’t, I consider them a failure – no matter how good they taste. I’m kind of obsessed with the whole doming aspect.

    Well, it looks like you have possibly found your “go to” white cake recipe. I guess I will keep searching. Your look amazing. Seriously – I feel like reaching through my computer screen and eating that cupcake that you have cut in half. Yummy!

    Good post! Thanks for sharing.

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    Valen — April 9, 2010 at 1:09 am

    These are beautiful! I also like domed cupcakes, but it never works out that way.

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    Memória — April 9, 2010 at 3:17 am

    This recipe is my go-to for white cake, too!! I’m so happy to see someone else post about it.

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    Alaskan Dermish in the Kitch — April 9, 2010 at 7:36 am

    I love the crumb on those!

    You might try starting your cupcakes at about 25 degrees more than usual, then when they just start to doom, reduce the temp back down. This has worked for me when I have had a flat top type batter.

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    Nessa — August 17, 2010 at 11:00 pm

    I have always had a similar problem so I thought i would do some searching and came upon this comment…

    http://cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-603740-.html

    Give it a try and let us know if it works!

    -Vanessa

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    steph — August 23, 2010 at 2:28 am

    i found it, this is my go to white cupcake recipe. even tho they dont rise like i would like i have been searching and searching for months for a white base cupcake. i took this recipe and made from it a chai cupcake with cardamom whipped cream frosting. it was amazing!!!! now am trying a peaches and cream cupcake, am a little concerned, it was very wet. we will see may need to cut some of the milk. thanks!!!!!!

  10. #
    10
    steph — August 23, 2010 at 2:28 am

    i found it, this is my go to white cupcake recipe. even tho they dont rise like i would like i have been searching and searching for months for a white base cupcake. i took this recipe and made from it a chai cupcake with cardamom whipped cream frosting. it was amazing!!!! now am trying a peaches and cream cupcake, am a little concerned, it was very wet. we will see may need to cut some of the milk. thanks!!!!!!

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    pink_sparkles84 — August 11, 2012 at 2:06 am

    Is this beaten or unbeaten egg whites? Thanks!

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    whats a cupcake without icing? — March 13, 2013 at 6:33 pm

    where is the recipe for the buttercream?

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    amber s — October 8, 2013 at 4:57 pm

    Hello. I found your site off pinterest in a continuing search for the perfect white cake. I have possibly a very strange question, and i’m hoping you can help guide me here. I’m doing a birthday cake for my husband and my daughter, and I’m making it a flag inside (red and white layers w/ a blue center circle). my husband loves red velvet, so i’m hoping to do that for the red layers, but i’m having a hard time figuring out the perfect mix of flavors to do the white layers? would this recipe mix well w/ red velvet?

    • beantownbaker — October 8th, 2013 @ 7:07 pm

      I think this recipe would go great with red velvet. I love the idea of a flag cake, although I’ve never made one myself.

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    Maria — November 10, 2013 at 10:27 pm

    My first cake made from scratch and this recipe made it a success. Super happy with the results. Thank you!

    • beantownbaker — November 11th, 2013 @ 9:09 pm

      So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Great job in taking on the challenge of making a cake from scratch.

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    Naomi Turner — July 3, 2014 at 4:05 am

    Hi! I found this recipe whilst searching for one to make a purple ombre layer cake for my best friend’s birthday. However, I am from the UK and whilst having US measuring cups, I don’t really know what cake flour is? I’m sorry if this sounds ridiculous but we don’t have it over here! Can I use Plain Flour instead as the recipe includes a raising agent? And is it the cake flour that gives the cake its white colour? Please help! Kindest regards, Naomi x

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    Cindy — March 11, 2015 at 6:58 am

    Hi, I’m baking a bday cake for my sis and I’m attempting to make the purple ombré cake too. Will be using the white cake recipe. Just wondering
    1. Can I still use the same 24 cupcakes quantity to make 3 layers of 6″ round cakes?
    2. Would the cake be still moist if I bake the cake 1 day ahead?

    Thank u so much!

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