This faux Swiss Meringue Buttercream is quick and easy! You can make this with carton egg whites, or even with raw egg whites that won't whip into a meringue. A buttery, light, and delicious vanilla frosting!EASY - This recipe is very easy. It's a quicker version of the classic swiss meringue buttercream, but the consistency of the butter will be important to get creamy results. Use pasteurized egg whites for the easiest version of this recipe. Serving informationThis recipe will make 2 ½ cups of frosting. Which will frost 12 cupcakes (about 3 tbsp per cupcake). Or more cupcakes with less frosting per cupcake. You will need to make about two times this recipe to frost a two layer 8 or 9 inch cake.
226gconfectioner's sugarabout 2 cups, measured by spoon and level method
Raw egg white syrup
115graw egg whites½ cup, see recipe notes
225ggranulated white sugar1 ¼ cups
Swiss meringue buttercream
1amount of egg white syrupeither pasteurized or raw, see above
226gunsalted butter very soft, but not melted (2 sticks)
¼tspfine sea salt
2tspvanilla extract
⅓cupwhipping cream35% fat
Instructions
Using pasteurized egg whites
Place the egg whites and confectioner’s sugar in a mixing bowl, and whisk for about 5 - 6 minutes on high speed. The mixture should look thick, glossy, and white.
115 g pasteurized egg whites, 226 g confectioner's sugar
Scrape this mixture into a bowl and set aside.
Using raw egg whites
Place the egg whites and sugar in a heat proof bowl.
115 g raw egg whites, 225 g granulated white sugar
Bring some water to a simmer in a pot. Place the egg white + sugar bowl over the simmering water pot, and whisk for about 10 minutes until the egg whites are heated to 160°F.
Allow the egg white mixture to cool down to room temperature before using.
Making the swiss meringue buttercream
Place the butter and salt in a mixing bowl. With the whisk attachment, whip the butter until light, fluffy, and creamy. This can take up to 10 minutes depending on the temperature of the butter, the mixer, and the ambient temperature.
226 g unsalted butter, ¼ tsp fine sea salt
When the butter is fluffy, add half the amount of cream and all of the vanilla, and whip for a further couple of minutes to make the butter fluffier.
⅓ cup whipping cream, 2 tsp vanilla extract
While running the mixer on medium high, stream the egg white mixture into the butter mixture.
1 amount of egg white syrup
Keep whipping the buttercream until you have a creamy consistency (a few minutes). Add the rest of the cream if needed.
If you'd like the buttercream to be sweeter, add more sifted confectioner’s sugar and mix until well incorporated.
To remove the extra air bubbles, switch to the paddle attachment, and mix for about 1 - 2 minutes on medium high speed.
The faux swiss meringue buttercream is now ready to be used.
Notes
Note about egg whites
You can use raw egg whites that have been contaminated by egg yolks for this recipe.
Note about salt
I like to add ½ tsp because I prefer a sweet and salty buttercream.If you use salted butter, then skip the added salt.
Storage
You can store the swiss meringue buttercream, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days.Store the buttercream in an air tight container, and in the fridge for up to 1 week, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.