Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Swiss Meringue Buttercream, oof.

I say oof because of how many bad batches I made to get one good batch. But I did learn how to get that good batch! However, I loooove the taste of this frosting. I also love the smell of it, it reminds me of the steam milked that goes into lattes.

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1 cup of butter
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch salt

Here are my tips to start out:

• Try to touch the egg whites as little as possible, oil can ruin a meringue real easy.
• Wipe down your bowls with water and lemon juice to get all the oil off.
• Have 3 bowls for separating, one for yolks, one for whites, and one for mess-ups. Yolk in a meringue can mess it up just like oil does.

Get a pot, put in water (about 1/4 of the pot depth), and simmer it.

Meanwhile, separate your 4 eggs, and pour the egg whites into a heatproof bowl (that will go into your double broiler) and add the sugar (make sure it's lump-free!).

Double broiler:

Whisk slowly to mix for about 3 minutes, until it's been perfectly blended. To test, scoop a little out, it should be warm and smooth when rubbed between your fingers. Once it is, take it out, get out your eggbeater, and beat on high-speed for about 10 minutes or until stiff peaks (lift up and it should stay up).

Okay, now this is super important I missed these steps my first 2 failed batches and it turned out as goop. Cool your egg whites completely. This is around 10-20 minutes, until the very bottom of your bowl feels completely neutral. As well, your butter must be cool. So about 20 minutes out of the fridge. This isn't room temperature, because it'll turn to goop when mixed, but not cold, because cold butter gives lumps when whipped. 

Think about it this way, if your egg whites are still warm and you put your butter in, it'll melt, and your frosting definitely won't hold.

Whip your cooled butter in one bowl, just to get rid of lumps. In your separate bowl with the egg whites, rewhip those. This is what I messed up on in the 3rd batch. You must rewhip your cooled egg whites because it'll give almost a curdled look if you mix it straight with the butter. After everything is whipped, mix your butter into the egg whites, add your vanilla and salt, and beat on slow speed for 1-3 minutes until stiff enough to hold its shape. 

See how it's smooth but also holds its shape?

 Put it into your piping bag, and pipe onto your cupcakes!

Notes:

• If it does become too runny, you can put it into the fridge for 30 minutes, take it out, and try to rewhip it.
• You can put it in the fridge for 2-3 days and rewhip it for 5 minutes to reuse
• You can also freeze it for a while, and rewhip it

And there you are! Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting. Enjoy making!

- Jane Bakes Things