If you’re looking for the perfect, fluffy and naturally sweetened buttercream, look no further! This swiss meringue buttercream is my go-to recipe for frosting cakes and cupcakes. I love it because it’s not ridiculously sweet, like powdered sugar buttercream, plus it’s so creamy and pipes perfectly too!
Don’t be intimidated by making meringue. The hardest part is waiting for the meringue to form as it can take up to 15 minutes to fluff up. After adding in all your butter, sometimes the mixture can begin to curdle. If this happens, don’t freak out (like I did the first time!😂) This usually happens if the butter is too warm, but if you just keep whipping it, it will come together in a few minutes. Butter that is softened but still a little cold in the center usually works best.
If your kitchen is really warm and you’re having trouble getting it to fluff up, like in the heat of the summer, just stick your bowl into the fridge for 30 minutes and then beat it again. This should help cool it down enough to fluff up nicely. 🙂
I used a version of this buttercream to make this yummy Chai-Spiced Cake with fresh figs and coconut sugar caramel!
I also made a white chocolate variation for this White Forest Cake, pictured below.
I hope you guys give this a try! Feel free to change up the flavors by using different extracts or try the strawberry/raspberry and chocolate variation I included in the recipe notes. Enjoy!
Watch me make this buttercream in this video tutorial!
- 4 egg whites, room temperature
- ¾ cup honey
or maple syrup
(I used half of each)
- 1¾ cup butter, slightly softened
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½–2 teaspoons arrowroot
or cornstarch
, optional
or 
(I used half of each)
or 
, optional- Meringue is very finicky and does not fluff up well with any oil/grease residue. Make sure you use squeaky clean bowls, beaters, and that no egg yolk is left in your egg whites.
- Combine sweetener and egg whites together in a heat-safe bowl (or stand mixing bowl) and place over a pot of boiling water (Also known as a double boiler. Be sure water does not touch the bowl.)
- Heat mixture for 4-5 minutes, or until a thermometer
reads between 150-160F, stirring often. (If your mixture is really lumpy for any reason, you can strain it before beating.)
- If you have a stand mixer
, use whisk attachment and begin beating the egg mixture on high speed until it is thoroughly cooled, fluffy, and holds its shape well (beaten to stiff peaks; can take between 8-15 minutes).
- Switch to the paddle attachment (if using a stand mixer
- When it's nice and fluffy, mix in vanilla. If you're buttercream is too warm, stick your mixing bowl into the fridge for 30-60 minutes and then beat again for a few minutes.
- Because this buttercream has liquid sweetener, I find it can make the mixture heavy and sometimes adding a bit of cornstarch or arrowroot powder helps it to fluff up, especially on warm & humid days. This is optional and may not be necessary if your buttercream is fluffing up fine.
- Use right away or store in an airtight container in the fridge if making in advance. Beat for a few minutes before using to fluff it back up. Makes about 4 cups.
reads between 150-160F, stirring often. (If your mixture is really lumpy for any reason, you can strain it before beating.)
, use whisk attachment and begin beating the egg mixture on high speed until it is thoroughly cooled, fluffy, and holds its shape well (beaten to stiff peaks; can take between 8-15 minutes).Chocolate—add ½–2/3 cup melted and cooled white or dark chocolate (milk or semi-sweet also work) to your finished buttercream and beat until fluffy.
Strawberry/Raspberry—mix ½–1 cup freeze dried strawberries or raspberries, ground to a fine powder and sifted, into your finished buttercream (use more or less to taste)
Hello! 🙂 I tried this, and the video really helped, so thank you!! I am not eating cane sugar at this time, so this recipe is a lifesaver!! Mine turned out well, but it is a little dense, and the butter taste is really strong. I think I should have whipped my eggs longer, but I was afraid of overworking them!! I’ll whip them longer next time and see how it goes. Thanks again for the recipe! Also, I did this all by hand, so for those of you without a stand mixer: it will take some arm power, but it works!! 🙂 Happy Baking!
Hi Savannah! That makes me so happy to hear! Yeah, the meringue should be nice and fluffy when you add the butter, so hopefully it won’t be as dense the next time 🙂 Thanks for taking the time to leave feedback! Have a great weekend!!
Hello! Something happened with the format of the recipe, is it 3 teaspoons of vanilla extract?
Hi Hima, thanks for bringing that to my attention! I don’t know what happened, but it should be 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla. I’ll fix that as soon as I can get back to my computer! Sorry about the confusion!! 🙂
Thank you! 🙂
I love making traditional swiss meringue buttercream but I wondered if I could do it refined sugar free! Thank you for sharing this, your whole blog is amazing.
Buttercream is my favorite-I’m going to have to pin this recipe for the next time I’m baking!
xoxo, SS
Southern And Style
Thank you! Have a great weekend!
Great blog and tutorial! It does look easy to make. I’ll have to try this sometime!
Thank you Vivienne (what a pretty spelling of your name)! Please let me know how it turns out if you try it.
I will have to try the buttercream recipe. All of your pictures look so heavenly. I especially like the chai cake.
Aw, thank you Gina! I appreciate your kind words
my mouth is so watering, this is incredible.
Thanks, Jessica!
Wow this looks really tasty and easy to make!
Aw, thanks Raj!
Your cake is gorgeous! I love that you used honey/maple syrup as the sweetener. I’m sure it provided just the right amount of sweetness. I’m saving this to try later!
Thanks Cheryl! Please let me know how you like it if you try it out!
This looks amazing. Your photographs are stunning. I cannot wait to try this, especially after the hellish weekend I had with buttercream. Let’s just say it took 3 batches and I still wasn’t happy with it. Can’t wait to try this out.
Thank you Erin! Wow. It’s sounds like you had quite the experience with buttercream! I hope this recipe helps. Please let me know if you have any questions as you try it out.
oh i am salivating! I can taste it!
Lol, thanks Rachel!
I always struggle to get the perfect buttercream: it usually ends up tasting like butter and I hate it. Hope this recipe will work for me. The pictures are amazing!