First Try At Swiss Buttercream Was A Fail.
Decorating By dlta Updated 2 Feb 2019 , 12:40am by jchuck
I tried my first attempt at making swiss buttercream today. Followed the recipe to a T. Mixed sugar and egg whites over double boiler till sugar was dissolved. Put in stand mixer and mixed till stiff peaks. (this part turned out great)Added room temp butter one tablespoon after the other and mixed on medium high for a few minutes, frosting turned "liquidy"(if that is a word). Couldn't get it to stiffen up at all. I let it mix for longer(recipe said to if it was liquidy). I let it mix for about ten more minutes, checking every minute or so. Still wouldn't stiffen up. Any ideas why it was so liquidy? It was about the consistency of marshmallow but airier.
This is the recipe I used.
Ingredients
- 7 large 210 grams or 7 oz egg whites
- 2 cups 400 grams granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups 3 sticks or 340 grams unsalted butter, softened*
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt we use non-iodized fine sea salt
Instructions
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In a medium pot, add at least 1-inch of water and bring to simmer.
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Thoroughly wash and dry the stainless steel mixing bowl from your stand mixer* (you don't want grease touching meringue). Add 7 egg whites and 2 cups sugar and whisk together. Place mixing bowl over pot of barely simmering water, creating a seal over the pot (bowl should be over the steam, not touching water). Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 160˚F (takes about 3 min). Sugar should be fully dissolved (you should not feel any sugar granules when rubbing mixture between finger tips). Mixture will feel hot to the touch.
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Wipe water from bottom of mixing bowl and transfer bowl to stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form (about 15-20 min) and bottom of the bowl feels completely at room temp and not warm (important: warm meringue will melt the butter).
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Once bowl is at room temp, switch to paddle attachment, reduce to medium speed and add butter 1 Tbsp at a time, adding it just as fast as it is absorbed by meringue. Once all butter is in, scrape down the bowl and continue beating until it reaches a thick whipped consistency (3 min on med-high speed). If it looks lumpy or liquidy at all, keep beating until smooth, thick and whipped.
That is a bit more sugar than my go to recipe, but close enough it should have worked. I have had this happen a few times, and I throw in a bit more butter until it comes together. Recipes vary quite a bit, and your recipe ( and mine) are on the lower end of butter amounts. Hopefully that will save it.
I have not made Swiss Meringue but I have made Italian Meringue many times. Typically when mine turns liquidy when I add the butter it is because the egg white and hot sugar mixture has not fully cooled. So basically I just let my mixer run on high until everything finally comes together, because eventually it does. The first time I made Italian meringue buttercream it took probably about 30 minutes for it to finally come together because I was impatient and added the butter way too early. I will also sometimes take an ice pack and rub that around the outside of the bowl to help speed things up. I also never switch from a whisk to a paddle, I just use the whisk the entire time.
Like Freckles0829 said, just keep mixing it until it comes together. The first time I made it, it took almost an hour for it to come back to a beautiful, fluffy frosting. The second time I made it, it didn't break at all and came together almost immediately. Yes, temperatures are key. I mix the egg whites and sugar until the outside of the bowl feels cool to my hands before adding the butter, one cube at a time. I've also found that it helps for the butter to still be slightly firm, not cold, but not melty either.
Freckles0829 basically answered the question. Your egg white/sugar mixture should be whipped and cool before adding your butter. I personally have never been a fan of smbc. Too much work. I make cooked flour icing. Same results, but a lot less work.
Here is the recipe if you’re interested.
https://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2014/12/flour-buttercream-fluffy-frosting-recipe.html
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