Buttercream Frosting Without Powdered Sugar

My preferred method for making buttercream, this Swiss meringue buttercream is simple to make, very stable and requires no icing sugar. This is easiest to make with a stand mixer, but can be made with a hand mixer with a bit of patience - and lots of scraping down the sides!

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Servings 5 cups

Prep Time 30

Total Time 30

Equipment

1 Instant Read Thermometer

Ingredients

100 g (3 ½ oz) egg whites from about 3 eggs
250 g (1 ¼ cups) caster sugar (see note 1)
Pinch salt
500 g (1 lb) unsalted butter room temperature, cut into pieces
2 tsp vanilla extract (see note 5)

Instructions

Add the egg whites, sugar and salt to a large, heatproof bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and whisk to combine.
Add some water to a large saucepan and bring to a very gentle simmer over low heat. Set the bowl with the egg whites over the saucepan, ensuring the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisking constantly, heat the egg white mixture until it reaches a temperature of 70°C/160°F on an instant-read thermometer - about 10 minutes (see note 2).
Remove the egg whites from the heat. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip the egg whites on high speed until they are glossy, reach stiff peaks and are completely room temperature (see note 3)
Reduce the speed to medium and, one piece at a time, add in the butter, ensuring the piece is completely incorporated before adding in another piece. Continue until all the butter is incorporated (see note 4).
If using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. Add the vanilla (see note 5) and mix on medium-low until incorporated and some of the air bubbles have been knocked out. The frosting is now ready to use (see note 8).

Notes

I prefer using caster sugar (also known as superfine sugar) as it dissolves more easily. However, granulated sugar can easily be swapped with no ill effects - just note that it may take longer to dissolve into the egg whites.
Heating the egg whites to this temperature pasteurises them and aids in the stability of the buttercream. If you don't have a thermometer, simply heat the egg whites until you cannot feel any granules of sugar when the mixture is rubbed between your fingers. For this method, use pasteurised egg whites (generally found in a carton) if you're concerned.
For success in this recipe, it is imperative that the meringue is at room temperature, as the butter will melt if there is even a little bit of warmth left. If the meringue is at stiff peaks before it's at room temperature, simply wait until it cools down before adding in the butter.
If you'd like to make a chocolate buttercream, reduce the butter by 150g. Melt 150g of dark chocolate and stir it into the frosting once all of the butter has been incorporated.
For flavour variations, swap the vanilla for any other flavour extract of your choice.
To colour the buttercream, use any amount of gel food colouring (liquid food colouring will alter the consistency of the frosting) and add it in with the vanilla.
This full recipe makes enough to frost a standard, 3-layer cake or about 24 cupcakes.
The frosting, stored in an airtight container, will last for up to a week in the refrigerator. Let it come to room temperature before using. Frozen, it will last for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.

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