Name: Basic meringue buttercream recipe
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 5 min
Total time: 15 min
Yield: Makes: 12
Ingredients: 3 large egg whites; 250g caster sugar; Pinch of salt; Few drops of vanilla extract; 300g unsalted butter, softened

By GoodtoKnow

published 29 June 2011

in Recipes

This light and smooth Swiss-meringue buttercream gives a creamier cupcake frosting than traditional icing. Use it to make these butterfly cupcakes

Ingredients

3 large egg whites
250g caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Few drops of vanilla extract
300g unsalted butter, softened

WEIGHT CONVERTER

I want to convert...

grams

cups

Method

Tip the egg whites into a bowl and add the sugar and salt. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the sugar dissolves completely.
Remove the bowl from the heat and whisk the mixture, preferably using a table-top mixer, until it becomes a thick meringue and whisk in the vanilla extract.
Cut the butter into chunks and whisk it in - the mixture may collapse and go runny, but keep whisking it at full speed and it will combine together to give a fluffy buttercream.
Use this buttercream to frost Woman's Weekly's butterfly buns.

Top Tip for making Basic meringue buttercream

When dissolving the sugar in the egg white, put your clean fingers into the mixture to feel whether all the sugar crystals have dissolved.

Trusted, informative, and empathetic – GoodToKnow is the ultimate online destination for parents. At GoodtoKnow, our mission is 'simple': we're trying to make sense of parenthood. On the site, you'll find everything you need for a happy, healthy family life. Our huge archive of content includes more than 18,000 articles and 1,500 how-to videos. These include expert-backed advice features on parenting, dealing with relationship changes after having a baby, self-care for mums and managing your family finances. We also feature tried-and-tested product reviews and buying recommendations for every stage of family life - from prams and Moses baskets to birthday gifts and top toys.