BUTTERCREAM, SWISS MERINGUE

Place egg whites and granulated sugar in a heat-safe bowl of an electric mixer. Make a makeshift double-boiler by placing the mixer bowl over a pot of barely simmering water. Heat the egg whites and sugar to 160 degrees F, whisking constantly.

Place the bowl on your stand mixer and use whip with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed until both the mixture and bowl are cool, about 10 minutes. Continue whipping until the meringue forms stiff, glossy peaks.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping the bowl occasionally.* (Don’t worry if the buttercream deflates or appears curdled while you’re adding the butter; just keep beating.) Add vanilla extract and beat until buttercream is light and smooth. Frost as desired.

Notes: If the mixture becomes soupy with the addition of butter, the meringue/bowl might not have been cool enough or the butter might’ve been too soft. Don’t despair! Place the mixture in the refrigerator for 10-20 minutes and then try whipping again. The buttercream should thicken nicely.

SMBC is sensitive to warm temperatures. Cakes and cupcakes should be completely cooled before frosting. Decorated cakes or cupcakes that have been refrigerated for storage should be returned to room temperature before serving for the best texture and flavor. Resist the temptation to speed up this process by microwaving; you’ll risk melting your buttercream!

This buttercream is dyeable. I prefer to use gel colors, added after all of the butter is incorporated.

SMBC can adapted by substituting different extracts or liqueurs for the vanilla. Various flavorings have different strengths, so I usually start with 1/4 teaspoon of extract or 1 tablespoon of liqueur and adjust to taste from there. Some of my favorites include almond, orange (extract or liqueur), and coconut. I also like to substitute vanilla paste for the extract to make Vanilla Bean Buttercream.