Indulge in a sweet and fluffy culinary creation with our meringue buttercream frosting, a delectable treat that elevates any cake, cupcake, or pastry to new heights of flavor and texture. This versatile frosting is crafted using two distinct methods, each resulting in a unique taste and consistency. Our classic meringue buttercream frosting follows a traditional recipe, combining egg whites, sugar, and butter for a smooth and creamy texture with a delicate meringue flavor. In contrast, our Italian meringue buttercream frosting introduces a luscious twist, utilizing a hot sugar syrup poured into whipped egg whites for a glossy, velvety finish and a hint of caramelized sweetness. Both variations promise an unforgettable frosting experience, sure to impress even the most discerning palate.
Here are our top 10 tried and tested recipes!
MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
One hallmark of meringue buttercream is that it spreads like a dream. This versatile version is flavored very simply with vanilla. The Dog Cake, Owl Cake, and Fish Cake each require one recipe of the frosting, although you'll have some left over after frosting the owl and fish. Buttercream freezes well, so save it for another day.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Fillings & Frostings Buttercream Frosting Recipes
Time 30m
Yield Makes 10 1/2 cups
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- Place sugar, egg whites, and salt in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture reaches 160 degrees.
- Transfer egg-white mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium speed 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form and meringue has cooled, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add butter, 1 piece at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Use immediately. Or refrigerate, covered, up to 3 days; bring to room temperature, and beat with a mixer on low speed until smooth before using.
EASY MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Steps:
- One of the best-tasting buttercreams is also the easiest to prepare. See the end of the recipe for flavoring possibilities.
- Place egg whites, sugar and salt in medium-sized heatproof mixing bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk gently and constantly until egg whites are hot (about 140 degrees) and sugar is dissolved, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and whip by machine until thick and cooled, about 5 minutes. Beat in butter and continue beating until buttercream is smooth and spreadable. Use immediately or refrigerate, covered, for up to 5 days. Before using, bring buttercream to room temperature and beat smooth by machine. Beat in flavoring, a little at a time, and continue beating until buttercream is smooth, about 2 minutes longer (always flavor buttercream immediately before using it).
- Flavorings: Liqueur: 2 to 3 tablespoons liqueur, such as Grand Marnier or dark or light rum. Lemon: 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice. Coffee: 3 tablespoons instant coffee (espresso, if possible) dissolved in 2 tablespoons water, coffee or rum. Raspberry: 3/4 cup thick raspberry puree made by cooking down and straining a 10-ounce package of frozen raspberries. Chocolate: 6 ounces chocolate melted with 4 tablespoons water, coffee or milk and cooled.
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM RECIPE
Swiss meringue buttercream is supremely better in both flavor and texture than American buttercream. Once you try it, you will want to use it on all of your cakes, cupcakes, cookies, everything! It is silky, pipes beautifully, and is very stable.
Provided by Natasha Kravchuk
Categories Easy/Medium
Time 30m
Number Of Ingredients 5
Steps:
- In a medium pot, add at least 1-inch of water and bring to simmer.
- Thoroughly wash and dry the stainless steel mixing bowl from your stand mixer (you don't want grease touching meringue). Add 7 egg whites and 2 cups sugar and whisk together. Place mixing bowl over a large saucepan of barely simmering water, creating a seal over the pot (bowl should be over the steam, not touching water). Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 160˚F (takes about 3 min). Sugar should be fully dissolved (you should not feel any sugar granules when rubbing mixture between finger tips). Mixture will feel hot to the touch.
- Wipe water from bottom of mixing bowl and transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form (about 15-20 min) and bottom of the bowl feels completely at room temp and not warm (important: warm meringue will melt the butter).
- Once bowl is at room temp, switch to paddle attachment, reduce to medium speed and add butter 1 Tbsp at a time, adding it just as fast as it is absorbed by meringue. Once all butter is in, scrape down the bowl and continue beating until it reaches a thick whipped consistency (3 min on med-high speed). If it looks lumpy or liquidy at all, keep beating until smooth, thick and whipped.
- Add 2 tsp vanilla extract and 1/4 tsp salt and mix on med-high until incorporated (about 1 min).
FRENCH MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Provided by Duff Goldman
Categories dessert
Time 20m
Yield about 4 pounds of buttercream (enough to ice a 3-tier cake)
Number Of Ingredients 3
Steps:
- Start whipping egg whites slowly in the mixer until foamy. Increase the speed of the mixer and slowly start adding the sugar until all the sugar is incorporated. Once all the sugar is in, increase the speed of the mixer even more and whip until the mixture is shiny and stiff. You now have a meringue. You know when your meringue is done when you pull out the whip, hold it horizontally, and if you have what looks a "sparrow's beak" on the end of the whip.
- Replace the whip, turn the mixer on medium and start adding the butter a bit at a time. Once all the butter is incorporated, turn the mixer on high and let mix; depending on the weather, the buttercream could take anywhere from 5 to 15 minutes to form. You will know when it has formed when you hear the motor of the mixer start to slow down and whine a little bit; also, when you first add the butter, your meringue will break down and look weird and this is what you want. When the buttercream is done, the mixture will be homogeneous, consistent, and tasty.
- Remove the buttercream from the bowl and transfer to an airtight container. Buttercream can be kept at room temperature for a few days or in the refrigerator for a 1 to 2 weeks, but always use warm buttercream when icing a cake. To warm up the buttercream, put it back in the mixer using the whip or the paddle, and apply direct heat with a propane torch you can find at any hardware store.
MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Smooth, silky, and delicious! If you prefer your Swiss meringue buttercream frosting less sweet, this is it! Not too buttery and not too 'meringue-y.' Bonus: It pipes beautifully!
Provided by 2Kings61617
Categories Desserts Frostings and Icings
Time 20m
Yield 30
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Combine egg whites and sugar in a heat-safe bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whip mixture until the temperature reaches 120 degrees F (49 degrees C) on a digital or instant thermometer and sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes.
- Remove egg white mixture from heat. Continue to whip until soft peaks form and the meringue temperature has come down to 99 degrees F (37 degrees C) or lower, 4 to 7 minutes.
- Add butter to the meringue, 2 tablespoons at a time, whipping until incorporated and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl and keep mixing until smooth, 5 to 8 minutes. Add vanilla extract and whip until incorporated.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 179.4 calories, Carbohydrate 10.1 g, Cholesterol 40.7 mg, Fat 15.3 g, Protein 1.1 g, SaturatedFat 9.7 g, Sodium 16.9 mg, Sugar 10.1 g
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
This is absolutely the best icing I have ever made.
Provided by Bev Ottone
Categories Desserts Frostings and Icings Buttercream
Time 30m
Yield 80
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- Wipe the bowl of an electric stand mixer and the whisk attachment with lemon juice to remove any trace of grease. Add sugar and egg whites to the bowl.
- Whisk sugar and egg whites together in the bowl of the stand mixer over simmering water, whisking constantly but gently, until temperature reaches 140 degrees F (60 degrees C), about 10 minutes. Return bowl to the stand mixer.
- Whisk sugar-egg white mixture in the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until mixture is thick, glossy, and temperature of outside of bowl is room temperature. Change attachment to the paddle attachment and continue mixing on low speed. Add butter, 1 cube at a time; mix until silky-smooth. If mixture curdles, continue mixing and it will return to smooth.
- Pour vanilla extract and sprinkle salt into butter-sugar mixture; beat until fully incorporated.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 144.3 calories, Carbohydrate 10.1 g, Cholesterol 30.5 mg, Fat 11.5 g, Protein 0.8 g, SaturatedFat 7.3 g, Sodium 18.9 mg, Sugar 10.1 g
MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
This meringue buttercream holds its shape particularly well, making it good for decorating. If the buttercream becomes too soft while piping, stir it over an ice-water bath until it stiffens.This recipe can be used to make our Flower Cake.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Food & Cooking Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Fillings & Frostings Buttercream Frosting Recipes
Yield Makes 3 cups, enough for one 2- or 3-layer cake or about 2 dozen cupcakes
Number Of Ingredients 6
Steps:
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring sugar and water to a boil. Clip a candy thermometer onto the saucepan. Boil the syrup, brushing down the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in water to prevent crystallization, until the syrup registers 240 degrees (soft-ball stage).
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy. Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium high until stiff but not dry peaks form.
- With the mixer running, pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl (to prevent splattering) into the egg whites in a steady stream, and beat on high speed until the steam is no longer visible, about 3 minutes. Beat in butter, piece by piece. Add vanilla; beat until smooth and spreadable, 3 to 5 minutes. If it looks curdled at any point during the beating process, continue beating until smooth.
EASIEST, MOST DELICIOUS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
I have tried every meringue buttercream recipe I could get my hands on over the years. I make it to decorate all our children's (and husband's) cakes and cupcakes. This is my recipe. It is easy, quick, and perfect: perfect for frosting, decorating, and eating. It is delicious. This makes a generous amount. You will not run out when frosting and decorating two 9 inch round cakes.
Provided by dsrinivasan
Categories Desserts Frostings and Icings White
Time 15m
Yield 24
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Place the egg whites and sugar into a metal bowl and set over a pan filled with about 2 inches of simmering water. Heat, stirring frequently, until the temperature of the egg whites reaches 140 degrees. They will feel very hot to the touch.
- Transfer the heated egg whites and sugar to a large mixing bowl or stand mixer. Mix at high speed (or as high as you can go without egg flying out of the bowl) until they have reached their maximum volume, 5 to 10 minutes. Mix on medium or medium-high speed while pinching off small pieces of butter and throwing them in. Mix in vanilla if using. The buttercream may look like it is breaking down, but keep on mixing and it will come back together.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 273.5 calories, Carbohydrate 16.8 g, Cholesterol 61 mg, Fat 23 g, Protein 1.2 g, SaturatedFat 14.6 g, Sodium 17 mg, Sugar 16.8 g
MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FOR BUTTER CAKES
Use this recipe when making our Butter Cake I and Butter Cake II. Practice makes perfect. Pick your colors, whip up a bunch of frosting, and unleash your flower power.
Provided by Martha Stewart
Categories Buttercream Frosting Recipes
Yield Makes about 10 cups
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Whisk sugar and egg whites in a large heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water until sugar is dissolved and mixture registers 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Fit an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, and beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks and mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 10 minutes.
- Reduce speed to medium-low, and add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition (meringue will deflate slightly as butter is added). Add vanilla, beat until frosting comes together, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat on the lowest speed until air bubbles diminish, about 2 minutes. Stir with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.
MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING - 1ST GENERATION
Sophmore year of highschool I jobshadowed a pastry chef, and she told me that the best icing to use for cake is meringe buttercream. So I went online, found a cute little blog that told me all the steps in detail. mmhmhmm. Makes very fluffy frosting, great for decorating! Has a great texture, but unfortunately, it's VERY fattening because of all the butter, and also it has a pretty prominent butter flavor. That's my disclaimer. But don't be discouraged! When I discovered this recipe, I never went back to regular buttercream. Anyway, I'm working on a less fattening version involving gelatin. So check back!
Provided by MandyLovesPandys
Categories Dessert
Time 3m
Yield 24 cupcakes, 24 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 4
Steps:
- Whisk together egg whites and sugar in a double boiler pan.
- Heat over boiling water, "whisk"ing constantly, until the sugar is disolved and the egg begins to foam.
- Tranfer mixture to large bowl and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add the butter 1 TBSP at a time. It is VERY important not to add it all at once, the meringe doesn't like it and gets all seperated. :0.
- After all the butter is added, scrape the edges of the bowl and continue mixing. It will act like a puddle of melty uck for a little while, but all of a sudden, it will thicken beautifully.
- Mix in the vanilla.
- Voila! I've found that the frosting has lots of air bubbles from being whipped, so if you're going to pipe it, I would mix it by hand with a spatula a little bit. It IS great for decorating! But keep in mind it's about half butter so don't hold on to the bag for long periods at a time. xD It tends to get melty.
- Enjoy!
Tips:
- Use fresh eggs: Older eggs can have a different flavor and texture, which can affect the frosting.
- Make sure the butter is cold: Cold butter will help the frosting stay light and fluffy.
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy: This will help incorporate air into the frosting, making it smooth and creamy.
- Add the meringue in small amounts: This will help prevent the frosting from curdling.
- Beat the frosting until stiff peaks form: This will ensure that the frosting is stable and will hold its shape.
- Use the frosting immediately or store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days: If you are storing the frosting, let it come to room temperature before using it.
Conclusion:
Meringue buttercream frosting is a delicious, versatile frosting that can be used to decorate cakes, cupcakes, and other desserts. It is easy to make and can be customized to your liking. With a few simple tips, you can make a meringue buttercream frosting that is light, fluffy, and flavorful.
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