Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Light, silky, and packed with real strawberry flavor, this strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream is the perfect frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Made with freeze-dried strawberries for an intense strawberry flavor without excess moisture, this frosting is ultra-creamy, smooth, and incredibly stable for frosting.
Servings: 1 batch
Calories: 1674kcal
Equipment
- Whisk
- mixing bowl
- Pot
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Rubber spatula
- Digital thermometer optional
- Spice grinder or small blender for the freeze dried strawberries
Ingredients
- 2 large egg whites
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter room temperature
- ¼ cup powdered freeze-dried strawberries buy whole and grind to a powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Separate the eggs and reserve the yolks for another time. Add the eggs, sugar, and salt to a heatproof bowl. Add 1 inch of water to a saucepan over medium heat and place the bowl on top.2 large egg whites, ½ cup granulated sugar, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Whisk the sugar and egg whites to combine, then whisk every 15 seconds or so. The mixture will start to turn opaque and will look similar in consistency to a powdered sugar glaze. Heat the mixture until the sugar is completely absorbed.
- Note: This will be about 160℉ on a thermometer. You can also check by rubbing your thumb and finger together in the mixture. If you can still feel sugar granules, continue heating and whisking. The mixture should feel rather warm, but not burning hot.
- Transfer the mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment mix on high speed for until stiff peaks form. Feel the sides of the bowl - if it's still quite warm, wait until it is room temperature before adding the butter.
- With the mixer running on low or medium low, add one piece of butter at a time. Wait to incorporate a new piece until the first is fully incorporated. After about half of the butter goes in, the buttercream may look curdled or split. This is normal - continue adding the butter until it’s gone, then increase the speed to medium high and whisk until smooth.10 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Pulverize the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder then add it to the buttercream along with the vanilla and mix until combined. Use a rubber spatula to scrape down the sides and bottom, and give it one more mix.¼ cup powdered freeze-dried strawberries, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- The buttercream is ready to spread or pipe onto your baked goods!
Video
Notes
This recipe makes enough to generously frost 12 cupcakes or to fill and cover a 2-layer 8" cake. The recipe can easily be doubled or tripled.
Grind the freeze-dried strawberries into a powder after the base of the buttercream has been made. If you do this too early, the powder will clump up.
To get rid of any tiny strawberry seeds, pass the strawberry powder through a fine mesh sieve before adding it to the buttercream.
For additional information and step-by-step pictures, see the blog post and "How to Fix Broken Swiss Meringue Buttercream" section for additional tips.
Storage:
Store the buttercream covered at room temperature for 24 hours or refrigerate it for one week. After refrigeration, let the frosting come to room temperature, then re-whip it before using. Freeze it in a covered container for 3 months. Refrigerate overnight to thaw, then bring to room temperature and re-whip.
Nutrition
Calories: 1674kcal | Carbohydrates: 156g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 114g | Saturated Fat: 72g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 29g | Trans Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 301mg | Sodium: 708mg | Potassium: 949mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 143g | Vitamin A: 3499IU | Vitamin C: 733mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 13mg
