This chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream is smooth and lightly sweet, but it's even easier to make than traditional Swiss meringue buttercream. Because of pasteurized egg whites and powdered sugar, you don't need to heat your eggs or dissolve the sugar! Even with some shortcuts, it still has a rich, silky texture and decadent chocolate flavor you'll love.
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Faux Swiss meringue buttercream method- Swiss meringue buttercream (or SMBC) is so silky, delicious, and is less sweet and doesn't crust like American buttercream. However, you have to lightly cook your raw egg whites and sugar together over a pot of water before whipping it into a meringue. In my faux (or mock) Swiss meringue buttercream recipe, we completely skip that step thanks to pasteurized egg whites. These egg whites are heat-treated to kill bacteria and are totally safe to eat! I used the same method to make this lemon Swiss meringue buttercream too.
- Powdered sugar- Another difference between my mock method and the traditional method is that it uses powdered sugar, so you don't have to dissolve granulated sugar in warm egg whites.
- Flavored with cocoa powder- To keep this chocolate frosting as simple as possible, I opted to flavor it with cocoa powder so you don't have to chop and melt chocolate bars. The flavor is ultra rich and chocolatey, especially if you use Dutch-processed cocoa powder (it's treated with alkali to neutralize acidity).
Ingredient Notes
- As mentioned above, this chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream is made with pasteurized egg whites. Pasteurizing is a method that heats food or drink just enough to kill any harmful bacteria or food-borne illnesses. Lots of things we consume are pasteurized, like milk and orange juice. Pasteurized egg whites are safe to eat, and using them instead of raw egg whites eliminates the need to heat them over a double boiler (bain-marie is the fancy term) like you would making classic Swiss Meringue buttercream. You can find pasteurized egg whites in the egg section at the grocery store; just double-check that the carton says "pasteurized."
- You don't need to sift your powdered sugar before mixing with the egg whites! It should easily dissolve.
- I used salted butter in this recipe because the extra salt really complements the chocolate. Cube your butter while it's cold, then let it soften to room temperature before adding it to the meringue. If you don't soften it, your frosting will turn out curdled and clumpy.
- I made this frosting for my chocolate custard cake using regular unsweetened cocoa powder, but I highly suggest Dutch-processed cocoa for a deeper, dark chocolate flavor.
For the ingredient quantities and full instructions, see the recipe card below.
Expert Baking Tips
- Clean your equipment. Before you start, wipe down and dry your bowl and utensils to get rid of any residue. Any extra grease can cause the egg whites to not whip properly. You can also chill the bowl and whisk attachment for 30 minutes before starting to make the egg whites whip faster.
- Add the butter gradually. If you add all the butter at once, you'll be left with a soupy mess. Add it in 1-2 tablespoons at a time for the best texture.
- Just keep mixing. Right after adding all the butter, your frosting might taste a lot like... well, butter. If this is the case, just keep mixing! The butter will fully incorporate, and you'll be left with a frosting that tastes like chocolate ice cream.
Step by Step Instructions
Step 1: Fit your stand mixer with the wire whip attachment, then add the egg whites and powdered sugar to the bowl. Mix them together on low for about 30 seconds to avoid a sugar cloud.
After that, increase to medium-high speed and whip for 8-10 minutes until a thick, bright white meringue forms.
We're looking peaks that stand up with tips that curl on the ends, but if this doesn't happen, it's ok!! Pasteurized egg whites don't whip as well as fresh ones. As long as your mixture is thick, opaque, and drizzles off the whisk super slowly, you're good to go.
Step 2: Gradually add the room temperature butter 1 tablespoon at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add more butter after the previous addition looks well mixed. It takes about 10 minutes to fully combine it all.
It's common for the buttercream to curdle at this stage, especially if your butter was too cold. Just keep mixing and it'll warm up!
Step 3: At this point, you can switch to the paddle attachment to create a smooth frosting for cakes or keep the whisk for a whipped frosting perfect for cupcakes. Add your cocoa powder and vanilla extract, mix on medium-low until combined.
Step 4: Increase the speed to medium. Once everything is creamy, you can start testing the frosting's flavor. It's done when it tastes sweet like ice cream, not like butter.
Now your chocolate buttercream is ready to use! You can use a piping bag with a piping tip, an offset spatula, or a spoon to frost it on cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and more.
Storage
Store your chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. It is more sensitive to heat than American buttercream, so it's important to keep it cool! Give it a good mix to make it smooth and creamy again before using.
I don't recommend freezing this buttercream because the egg whites can weep as it thaws.
Frequently Asked Questions
Whatever you do, don't throw it out! Curdled buttercream is usually caused by butter that's too cold, and it's easy to fix. Just scoop about ยผ cup of frosting out of the bowl and microwave it for 20 seconds or until it's barely melted. Pour it back into the bowl of the stand mixer and mix. The heat will bring everything back to an even temperature and smooth it out.
This can happen if your butter was too warm, and actually happened to me! I made this particular batch of frosting on a warm day in direct sun, which made the butter melt too much, creating a buttercream that was quite loose. If this happens to you, just pop the bowl in the fridge for 5-10 minutes and the frosting will firm up.
The frosting is stable enough to frost cakes and cupcakes and doesn't crust. However, it's a little more sensitive to heat than chocolate cream cheese frosting or American buttercream. It'll hold up just fine in temperatures up to 85ยบF but might not last in direct sunlight. To make it more stable, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in with the cocoa powder.
More Chocolate Frosting Recipes to Try
๐ Recipe
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream (Faux Method)
Equipment
- 1 5-quart stand mixer with the whisk attachment (paddle optional)
Need Metric or US Customary Measurements?
Use the buttons below to toggle between grams and cups!
Ingredients
- 113 grams pasteurized egg whites
- 450 grams powdered sugar
- 453 grams salted butter room temperature
- 56 grams cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Make sure your stand mixer bowl and attachments are clean and dry, then fit the mixture with the whisk attachment.
- Add the egg whites and powdered sugar and mix on low for about 30 seconds to prevent a sugar cloud.113 grams pasteurized egg whites, 450 grams powdered sugar
- Increase the speed to medium-high and whip for 8-10 minutes or a thick, opaque white meringue forms. It should have soft peaks with gently curled tips. If the peaks aren't stiff, that's ok! The mixture should be thick, opaque, and drip very slowly from the whisk.
- With the mixer running on medium, add the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each addition fully incorporate before adding more. Scrape down the bowl as needed. The buttercream may look curdled at first, especially if your butter was too cold. Keep mixing and it will smooth out as the butter warms, about 8-10 minutes total.453 grams salted butter
- Switch to the paddle attachment for a smoother frosting or keep the whisk for a lighter, whipped texture. Add the cocoa powder and vanilla extract and mix on medium-low until combined.56 grams cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Increase to medium speed and mix until creamy and smooth. Taste and adjust as needed. The buttercream should taste lightly sweet and chocolatey, not buttery.
- Use immediately to decorate cakes, cupcakes, cookies, or brownies!
Comments
No Comments