Swiss Meringue Buttercream

I was nervous to begin with because I've heard of how difficult Swiss meringue is, but I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it wasn't hard at all. Definitely superior, extremely smooth and easy to work with. I didn't get to pipe with it, (I ran out) next time I'd times the recipe by 1.5 to get enough for piping and icing. Doesn't taste too different from American buttercream to me, besides it being slightly less sweet and more smooth. I did notice that leaving it on the counter (although Google said I could) for 5 or so hours made it kind of funky. Not sure why. I definitely recommend leaving it on the counter in an airtight container, not tight plastic wrap over the mixing bowl. Other than that it was amazing, and this recipe is my new buttercream go-to. 🎂

This is my second try and I think it came out okay. It’s very light and it pipes beautifully (although I need practice!). I used a thermometer through out the process and didn’t mix in the butter until the meringue was 70degrees and the room temp butter was 60. I also waited longer between each addition of butter. The first time I made it, it separated. I don’t see any little pieces of butter so I think it’s a success!

Thinner frosting than I would have expected

Makes 5 cups