Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting is made from sugar, egg whites, and butter. Unlike American buttercream, it’s light, fluffy, and never cloying. This step-by-step tutorial includes options for vanilla, chocolate or strawberry buttercream, as well as suggestions for additional flavors. It may appear a bit daunting at first if you’ve only prepared American buttercreams, which are made from butter and confectioners’ sugar. However, if you can push yourself through those nerves and give this a try, you will never go back. Once you know this basic buttercream frosting recipe, the possible flavor combinations are endless!
I’ve shared many recipes over the years that highlight meringue buttercream frosting, such as my chocolate espresso layer cake, vanilla cupcakes, and chocolate peanut butter cake. However, since the process can be a bit involved, I figured it was time to create a step-by-step tutorial demonstrating exactly how you make it.
American buttercreams consist solely of butter and sugar, so they’re often rich, heavy, and overly sweet. Since meringue buttercreams also contain egg whites, the result is much lighter and less cloying.
Meringue Buttercream Ingredients
- Granulated white sugar
- Corn syrup (optional, but recommended)
- Egg whites
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- For chocolate buttercream: unsweetened chocolate
- For Strawberry buttercream: Strawberry puree and fresh-squeezed orange juice
Meringue Buttercream Equipment
- Stand mixer
- Candy thermometer or digital thermometer (many people use a candy thermometer, but I just use the same digital probe thermometer for all recipes since it always gets the job done).
How to Make Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Step 1: Cook sugar syrup to the soft-ball stage
When cooking sugar syrups, the soft-ball stage occurs between a temperature range of 235 and 240 degrees F. This temperature will make sure the egg whites are safe to consume, and also help create the right meringue consistency.
How do you prevent sugar from crystallizing?
When crystallization occurs, the smooth syrup with turn grainy and can no longer be used in buttercream. It cannot be fixed, but luckily, it’s easy to start over if this happens. Take the following steps to avoid crystalized sugar:
- Start with a very clean saucepan.
- Add 1 teaspoon of corn syrup to the sugar and water. This step is optional, but it does help.
- Don’t stir the ingredients after adding them to the pot. The syrup will form on it’s own once the sugar dissolves.
- Cover the saucepan until steam develops. Once steam develops, remove the cover and add the thermometer to the pot.
Step 2: Add syrup to egg whites
While the syrup is reaching the soft-ball stage (which takes around 5 minutes), place the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and turn the speed to high. Whip to a soft peak.
Once the syrup is ready, turn the mixer to medium-low. Slowly and carefully pour the syrup down the side of the mixer into the egg whites. You might want to wear oven mitts the first time you do this to protect your hands (I’m a fan of the Ove Glove mitts since they give me a lot of control).
Don’t add the syrup too quickly or you could wind up with scrambled eggs. This is also why the syrup is poured down the side of the bowl instead of straight into the eggs.
Once the syrup is completely incorporated, turn the speed up to high and let the meringue form a stiff peak while cooling to room temperature. This can take 15-20 minutes, so it’s a good time to do the dishes. Placing ice packs around the bowl can help speed up the process.
Step 3: Add butter and any additional ingredients
Once the meringue is at room temperature, it’s time to add butter, followed by any additional flavors. The meringue will start to thin out slightly when you begin adding butter, but it will thicken up again by the end.
This step is where the buttercream has the potential to break, which will happen if the butter and meringue are different temperatures. Buttercream breaks when the ingredients separate.
Don’t worry, because it’s very easy to fix broken buttercream. But first, there are some steps you can take to prevent this from happening.
How to prevent broken buttercream
To avoid broken buttercream (which looks curdled like cottage cheese), leave the butter out overnight so it can truly come to room temperature. Also, wait until the meringue has cooled completely to room temperature before you begin adding the butter.
We don’t always have the foresight to leave butter out overnight. If you only have a few hours, cut the butter into very small pieces so it can reach room temperature more quickly. If the buttercream happens to break, don’t panic! Simply fix it.
How to fix broken buttercream
The easiest way to fix broken buttercream is to scoop 2-3 tablespoons into a small ramekin and microwave it on HIGH power for 5-10 seconds, until it’s just melted. Next, turn the mixer on high speed and pour the melted buttercream back into the bowl to incorporate. If that doesn’t fix it, repeat the process as needed.
Here’s a video I created for eHow last year demoing how to make Italian Meringue Buttercream:
For more buttercream frosting tips, make sure to read my Buttercream Basics article!
Looking for more dessert recipes?
Love this buttercream frosting recipe? Be sure to check out my classic yellow cake, tiramisu, and Nutella cheesecake bars!
Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
For Basic Buttercream:
- 13 ounces granulated sugar (approximately 1 1/2 cups)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons water
- Optional: 1 teaspoon corn syrup (see notes)
- 5 large egg whites
- 1 pound unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature (left out overnight for best results)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For Chocolate Buttercream:
- 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled to room temperature (see notes)
- Optional: a few drops of brown food coloring (I recommend gel food coloring)
For Strawberry Buttercream:
- 1/4 - 1/3 cup strawberry puree, room temperature (made from strawberries pureed in a blender)
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed orange juice, room temperature
- Optional: 1-2 drops red food coloring (I recommend gel food coloring)
Instructions
- Place the sugar, water and corn syrup in a medium-sized saucepan (do not stir). Cover and turn the heat to high. Once the liquid begins to simmer and steam develops, remove the cover (this helps prevent crystallization). Using a digital or candy thermometer, cook the sugar to the soft boil stage, 235-245 degrees F.
- While the sugar is cooking, whisk the eggs on high in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, until a soft peak has formed.
- Turn the mixer speed down to medium-low and very slowly pour the syrup down the side of the bowl into the egg whites (this will “cook” the egg whites, making them safe to consume. Don’t pour the hot syrup directly into the meringue or you’ll have scrambled egg whites.
- Once the syrup is completely incorporated, turn the speed to high. The meringue will continue to form a stiff peak as it cools down. Mix on high until the meringue comes to room temperature, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Once at room temperature, slowly begin incorporating the soft butter on medium speed. Once all of the butter has been added, turn the mixer speed up to medium-high and slowly add the vanilla and any additional flavors (see variations).
- If not using immediately, store the buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before using. Briefly whisk or place back in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment to make sure it’s nice and fluffy before frosting. Buttercream can also be frozen for up to 3 months (I like using gallon sized freezer bags).
Notes
- Other fruit purees or nectars! Don't use anything sweetened.
- Liqueurs (Grand Marnier, Irish Cream, Coffee Liqueur, etc)
- Rum or brandy
- Espresso or coffee
- Malted milk
- Spices or extracts (cinnamon, cardamom)
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Has anyone tried this with a butter substitute like earths first baking margarine? I’m making a cake for next weekend and we have multiple kids with dairy allergies. Thank you!
Hi Elsbeth,
I just tried this recipe with the Earth Balance substitute and the taste was awful. The soy in the butter came through way too much and overpowered everything! Did you end up trying it with your substitute?
I tried it with earth balance as well… agreed. TERRIBLE! I gave up and made it with butter, and it came out great. :)
Fleischman’s kosher for passover margarine works very well in buttercreams, really
That’s super helpful, Tamar! Thanks for passing along the info! I get a lot of questions about this.
Stock up now, it’s hard to find outside of Passover . Make sure you get the unsalted, obvs. Keeps well in the freezer
Hi,
Just wanted to let you all know that Fleischman’s kosher margarine contains whey. I don’t know how they get away with calling it Kosher.
You might be seeing that on regular Fleishman’s. The stuff marked kosher for passover doesn’t, at least last I checked. I doubt they would risk their hecksher over it
Yumm yeah! ^_^ Thanks for being here! ^_^
Can you use this to frost cut out sugar cookies? I want a really nice fluffy frosting, something better than an overly sweet frosting that feels greasy in your mouth.
I don’t see why this wouldn’t be great on sugar cookies!
Could you let me know how much this makes? I am assuming it would be enough for a double layer cake but do you think it could cover a 4 layer cake? Each layer about 1.5 inches or 2 inches thick using a 9″ diameter cake pans (plus fillings of course). Thanks!
Hi Robin, great question! I’ll add this to the recipe notes. I use this size batch to frost my triple layer cakes all the time. I think you could definitely stretch it to 4 layers if you went a bit light and didn’t plan on adding frosting embellishments (I usually keep my frosting look very simple). This chocolate espresso layer cake uses the same quantity of frosting, and I believe I usually have a bit of leftover buttercream. You can see in the photos how thick my frosting layers are. You could also up the recipe by half to be safe.
How many cups of frosting does this recipe make? Absolutely gorgeous post. :)
We’ve tried this a couple of times now, and both times, the lovely soft peaks of the egg whites liquefied when we added the syrup. The mixture stayed liquid until we added the room-temperature butter and beat it all for a long time. Is this a temperature problem? We were using pasteurized egg whites from a carton, pretty close to room temperature when we first beat them.
The first batch broke down again when we added gel color. Could it be fixed the same way?
We used salted butter the first time and wondered if that was a problem, but the unsalted batch behaved the same way. (We all agree that it tasted better with salt…)
Sorry you’re running into issues! I don’t think pasteurized eggs would be an issue. People usually don’t run into potential issues until adding the butter. The most likely culprit with a soupy meringue is that the egg whites need more stability before adding the sugar syrup. Whipping the eggs on a slower speed for longer, and then slowly increasing the speed can help with this since the tiny bubbles of air are smaller. Try giving the egg whites more of head start (maybe 3-5 minutes?) before starting the sugar. You could also try adding 1/8 teaspoon of cream of tartar per egg white. I’ve never tried this, but I think it should work.
When you say the first batch broke down when adding gel color, do you mean it got too thin or it curdled? If it curdles, try my troubleshooting tip with the microwave.
Great tip about the salted butter! I don’t keep that around since I buy unsalted in bulk, but I’ll try adding a bit of salt next time. I bet it adds a nice flavor balance.
(Edit: holy typos, Batman. I guess I need more coffee).
The first batch curdled when the color was added. I wasn’t watching when it happened–this is my 12-year-old’s project. But I did see it later. Most of the color drained out in the “whey,” and there were barely enough curds for a crumb coat. Hence the second batch, which he didn’t color. He’s trying again today, and we’ll use your tips. Thanks!
I am an amateur baker who is able to do good work. I have been asked to make a wedding cake this summer and I was wondering if this frosting holds up well in the heat. The wedding is outdoors, in July, in Missouri. It could easily be upwards of 90 degrees outside, possibly 100.
I have never made this, but I have been looking and I am ready to try!
Hi Ann! I’ve never let this cake sit out in those sort of temperatures, so I’m not entirely sure. I worry about the butter getting too soft, but in theory that could happen with ANY frosting in those conditions.
I’d do 2 things if I was you. First, I’d try contacting a local bakery or caterer to see if they can offer you some guidance. I’m sure both of those types of businesses have had to deal with desserts in high heat. The answer might be that they use firmer buttercreams in high heat or add stabilizers.
The other thing I’d consider is doing a test run. Anytime I’m cooking or baking for an important event and I want to make sure something works, I make it in advance. I realize you might not get those types of temperatures until June, but it might be worth it to try then.
Let me know what happens if you do wind up using my frosting! I’d love feedback on how it performs in high heat weather.
Hello!, I tried this recipe and when making the meringue everything was fine, very tasty and sweet enough. I added the butter and it did not curdled at all, so I continue and added the vanilla flavor. I was very proud of the look of the buttercream, it turned out very silky and fluffy just as you said; but when I tasted it…. it was like I had a mouthfull of only butter…. the sweet, velvety flavor of the meringue almost dissapeared, ..it had a very greasy consistency that I could felt it on my lips for a while after tasting it. Is that the taste and consistency of this buttercream?….Did I do something wrong?…I used unsalted butter as the recipe asks for….Thank you in advance to any response to my comment. Best regards from Monterrey, Mexico
Hi, thanks for commenting! I’m sorry you ran into this issue; it definitely sounds like something might have gone wrong. If anything, I sometimes worry that this buttercream is too sweet if there isn’t a bitter element like unsweetened chocolate added. Let’s see if we can figure out what happened.
I’ll start with a couple basics- You mentioned using unsalted butter. Did you also use granulated white sugar and large egg whites? Were there any tweaks to the ingredients, ingredient quantities or directions? I always have to ask because sometimes people do make changes that they don’t think will make a difference. If not, my second thought is that something was accidentally measured wrong (either too little meringue or too much butter). I’ve done this many times, no matter how careful I think I’m being! My cake batter wasn’t coming together the other day and I realized I had accidentally used half the butter required.
Thank you for your response. Yes I used regular sugar (not the kind that is refined) and large eggs, do you think that I might need to add one more egg in case there are not large enough?….I will try the recipe again, I really want it to work because I don’t like very sweet toppings on my cakes and regular buttercream is too sweet . I’ll let you know how it goes. Best regards.
I just made this for the first time, exactly according to these steps including the corn syrup addition and it came out beautifully! I did add a pinch of salt at the end to enhance the flavor but the texture was perfect and it’s so much better than the regular buttercream I usually make! Thank you!
I haven’t tried out this recipe yet, but i have a few questions.
I was asked to make a big cake for an anniversary party. I decided I wanted to try this recipe of buttercream because the traditional american buttercream can be overly too sweet, and I wanted a more fluffy consistency. I live a few hours from the party I need to attend. Will this hold up at room temperature for a good 5-6 hours or would i need to put it in some kind of cooler? I was also planning on making it 2 days before the party, because I’m busy for the other days. If i made a vanilla cake with this buttercream, would it hold fine until the party?
This will hold up totally fine at room temperature, and you can make it 2 days in advance. Buttercream frostings don’t become a food safety issue if left out overnight. (As a side note- cream cheese or sour cream frostings can only sit at room temperature for a couple hours before needing to be refrigerated again for safety). Enjoy!
Can i use this frosting to fill clothespin cookies?
That should work fine :)
Oh my gosh, if I could give this recipe 10 stars, I WOULD!!! I’ve been on the hunt for an Italian buttercream that doesn’t taste like straight butter and is light and airy and silky. I think the best way to describe the flavor of this buttercream is that it tastes like the highest quality melted vanilla ice cream with a mix of high-quality marshmallows! I just can’t get over the FANTASTIC flavor. I tried Preppy Kitchen’s recipe before, and my frosting curdled every time. I was worried when the recipe started out with cooking the sugar on high and covering it, which is something I’ve never done, but it worked! What I love about this recipe is that it is very descriptive in the time of how long to beat the meringue (I only did mine about five minutes with his), it has more sugar, an extra egg white, AND more vanilla. All of which add WAY more flavor. I’m experimenting tonight adding some melted and cooled white chocolate to a batch as well as Americolor coloring to others, just to see how they both hold up overnight. Again, thanks so much! I will never look for another Italian meringue buttercream recipe!
Thank you for the glowing review, I truly appreciate it!
How many cupcakes would this recipe ice? Thank you!
I’ve made this recipe before and I love it! The texture and taste were great.
I have to make quite a lot of the buttercream for my next project. Could I use the refrigerated container of egg whites instead of fresh egg whites?
Thanks for your help!
I’ve never used container egg whites for buttercream but I know plenty of people who do, so that should be fine!
I’ve been recommended you use your recipe for the upcoming engagement cake that I have to prepare . This is a very nice and detailed explanation provided. Could I use half shortening and half butter to withstand the heat. It’s warm here around 33-34 degree Celsius
Hi, thank you for the kind words! I’ve never made this recipe with shortening so I’m honestly not sure. I don’t want to steer you in the wrong direction. Sorry that’s not helpful!