I have looked to see if anyone else has had this problem with no luck.

Every time I try to make a meringue buttercream, or even royal icing with egg whites, it doesn't taste right. The royal icing smells like raw eggs, though it tastes good. And my buttercreams just taste like I'm eating a cube of butter. I've tried several times. I think it's because I'm not whipping the egg whites correctly. I really have no idea when egg whites are stiff. Even though I've read how to tell, I usually end up guessing because it seems to take forever. I'm using my stand mixer. What am I doing wrong?

I'm so eager to know! I'm looking for a buttercream that isn't too sweet but doesn't use shortening.

Stiff egg whites are stiff when you take your whip hold it horizontal, and there is no sag to the egg white. For BCs this is to stiff. You want your merangue to be medium at most. That is, do the same thing, and you will get your tip pointing downward.

For the butter taste. There is another thread on this, just recently.

I like to add some lemon juice to cut down on that butter taste

Mike