The Shortcut Buttercream I Reach For Again and Again
Swiss meringue buttercream has always been one of my favorite frostings to work with. It’s silky smooth, pipes beautifully, and has a much lighter sweetness compared to traditional American buttercream. If you’ve ever found classic buttercream too sugary or heavy, this is usually the frosting that changes minds.
Traditional Swiss meringue buttercream is made by gently heating egg whites and sugar over a double boiler until the sugar dissolves, then whipping it into a glossy meringue before beating in butter until smooth and fluffy.
The result is luxurious — but let’s be honest — it can also feel a little intimidating when you’re new to buttercream.
That’s why this shortcut version has become one of my favorite time-saving techniques.
This Faux Swiss Meringue Buttercream uses pasteurized carton egg whites, which means you can skip separating eggs and skip the heating step entirely. Since the egg whites are already pasteurized, you still get that silky texture and balanced sweetness Swiss meringue buttercream is known for — just with much less effort.
I’ve used this recipe more times than I can count, especially for cakes that need a lot of decorating and piping. I used this exact method while making my unicorn birthday cake, and it gave me enough stability for details while still staying soft, creamy, and easy to smooth.
One of my favorite things about this frosting is that it doesn’t crust over the way American buttercream does, which makes it especially great for:
- Smooth cake finishes
- Buttercream flowers
- Textured frosting styles
- Detailed piping work
- Cakes that need longer decorating time
If you’re still learning buttercream basics, think of this as your bridge recipe. You get to practice working with a silky, meringue-style buttercream without the extra stress of the traditional method.
If you want to dive deeper into Swiss meringue buttercream techniques, I also have:
- a traditional Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe
- a detailed tutorial on making traditional Swiss meringue buttercream using carton egg whites (if you don’t like separating egg whites, like I do)
- champagne buttercream
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Ingredients
- 177 ml pasteurized egg whites (look for 100% egg whites, not liquid egg substitute)
- 680 grams powdered sugar/ confectioners sugar
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 680 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature (65°F – 67°F /18°C – 19.5°C)
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine the egg whites, powdered sugar, and salt. Mix everything together on low speed until well combined. Turn off the mixer then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Set the mixer to medium and continue to beat for another 5 minutes.177 ml pasteurized egg whites680 grams powdered sugar/ confectioners sugar1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- Turn the speed to medium-low then start adding the butter, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time. When all the butter has been incorporated, add the vanilla extract. The buttercream will not look smooth YET at this stage.680 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature (65°F – 67°F /18°C – 19.5°C)2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- Stop the mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl again. Set the mixer speed to medium and beat the mixture for another 3 to 5 minutes, until you have a smooth and creamy buttercream.
- STORAGE. You can use the buttercream immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks, in the freezer for up to 2 months. Before using a buttercream that has been chilled or frozen, let it come to room temperature first then beat for several minutes until it becomes smooth again.
Can you swap butter for shortening or even do half butter/half shortening?
Hey, Kylee! Sorry, I haven’t tried using shortening for this recipe so I’m not sure.
In the UK all egg whites are safe to use (with the lion mark, which even Aldi eggs are). Do you need to beat them before you starting adding ingredients? It didn’t look how I was expecting after following the recipe. I beat it for longer and eventually got a buttercream like taste and texture but wondered if it would’ve worked better with beaten egg whites. Regardless worked well at a 75% ratio to cover your three tiered chocolate cake recipe with plenty spare.
I’m so glad the buttercream worked out for you, and I appreciate your feedback! You don’t need to beat the egg whites before adding the sugar and butter—once everything is combined, whipping it together creates the light and creamy texture. If it didn’t look as expected at first, it may have needed a bit more whipping time. Sometimes, temperature can also play a role—if the butter is too cold, the mixture can appear curdled before it comes together smoothly. But it sounds like you got a great final result! Thanks for sharing your experience, and I love that you found the perfect ratio for your cake!
hi does this recipe cover and fill your 2- 8 inch cakes?
Yes, it should be enough to cover and fill – Although I would like to note that so much depends on how much frosting you prefer between layers and around the sides of the cake. If using for piping decoration you would need maybe 1.5 to 2x the recipe, depending on your design.
Can you let me know the recipe x 2.5. I’m making the 2- 8inch vanilla cake and also the 2- 8inch chocolate as I’m making both for my daughter birthday. Designs are small little question marks , tiny foot prints , and stars for a Scooby doo and super mario theme
Hi Trish,
Omg! you are so generous. Do you mind sending it to me too? I’m practicing heaps and had to stop when I had kids but want to go back to baking. I’m finding it hard to find my feet again at baking. This will really help! Thank you
Hi, Candy! My post about the DIY Wedding cake is already up. All the recipes I used, instructions, and helpful tips are in there! 🙂
Hi thanks for the recipe! How can I adapt it to chocolate frosting please? Thanks!
Hey! After step 3 in the recipe, add 250g of melted semisweet or dark chocolate that is cooled to room temperature. Mix for about 30 seconds more. Use good quality chocolate (chocolate chips, melting wafers and compound chocolates will not work).
I haven’t tried the recipe yet but is there a recipe for a smaller cakes, so i can try the recipe in a smaller batch?
Hi, Raquel! Are you referring to the faux swiss meringue? You can definitely half the recipe.
I have a question about the quick Swiss Meringue recipe. I made it per instructions and it came out looking like it should. The problem was it was late, I was tired and decided to put the icing in the fridge till the next day. I took it out waited about an hour and began mixing it, it was still pretty firm at that point. It began to separate so I kept mixing and kept mixing and it finally came together again BUT it looked pasty and just didn’t look or taste all that great. I want to try the recipe again but I need to know what went wrong before I waste all that butter again. Was it because I didn’t wait long enough for the icing to get to room temp before mixing it?
Hi, Linda! I’m sorry that happened to you. You have to leave it at room temp (73 F / 23 C) first before rewhipping it.
Since this frosting uses pasteurized eggs you can leave it at cool room temperature for a couple of days.
HI i just had some questions on this buttercream. How is the cheaters swiss meringue buttercream different than the original swiss meringue buttercream? are they the same in flavor, texture and sustainability in heat?. What are the differences between the both except for the part that one is easier to make. And which do you prefer?. Thank You.
Hello! They are the same in taste and texture – they both don’t form a crust, smooth, creamy, and not overly sweet. The only difference I noticed was the original swiss meringue is slightly fluffier but it is hardly noticeable especially when the buttercream is already applied on the cake! I prefer using this “faux” swiss meringue for my cakes because it’s easier and faster to make, but I still use the original swiss meringue from time to time.
HI trish,
i wanted to know if i can use this swiss buttercream under fondant? thank you
Hey, Areej! Yes, you can use this under fondant.
I am far from even a novice baker, but baking constantly to change that status so bear with my questions. First; do you use the Swiss meringue buttercream or your easy cheat Swiss meringue buttercream on your wedding cake? Second; on your super moist white cake mix, are the unsalted butter & eggs at room temperature? My friend & I are tackling these 2 recipes of yours this weekend for practice and then again in 2 weeks for the real wedding cake for our friend. Third; other than weighing ingredients (bought my scales today!), any other tips for me? Thank you for sharing and presenting it that I’m ready to bake!!
Hi Katylee! For the wedding cake, I used the Swiss Meringue buttercream but you can definitely use the Cheater’s Swiss Meringue recipe instead as it is easier to make. The Vanilla cake recipe uses unsalted butter and room temperature eggs. For your testing, I suggest try making the 6-inch cake plus the buttercream first. If you like the recipe and decide to use it, send me an email and I would happily share with you the summary of ingredients and measurements for the 6-inch, 8-inch, 10-inch cakes (including the swiss meringue buttercream, sugar syrup, strawberry cream cheese filling, etc) that I prepared at that time for the wedding cake – it’s a lot of ingredients! Have been working on a blog post about this but I don’t think it will be ready in time for your wedding. =)
P.S. Yay for getting a scale!
What generous baker you are! I’ve seen some bakers who will only share their recipes for a price. Thank you for enriching the baking world!