Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

Chocolate cupcakes with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream piped on top.

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

This chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream combines real melted chocolate with a handful of additional simple, pantry-friendly ingredients to create a silky smooth, perfectly sweet, and ultra creamy frosting. With the texture of a buttery chocolate mousse but the richness of fudgy brownies, this buttercream is light, fluffy, stable, and perfect for piping or spreading.

Prep Time30

Total Time30

Recipe Author Lynn April

Servings: 2 cups

Ingredients

▢ 6 large egg whites¹ room temperature preferred
▢ 1 and ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
▢ 1 and ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter² softened to room temperature and sliced into 1 Tablespoon portions
▢ 6 ounces (170g) high quality semi-sweet chocolate³ melted and allowed to cool
▢ 1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt

Instructions

To ensure all of your equipment is grease-free, wipe down your bowl, mixer attachment, and any spatula you may be using with lemon juice or vinegar before starting this recipe. Grease, along with fat (like egg yolks), will ruin your buttercream.
Make a double boiler: heat a small saucepan of water over medium heat until it steams. Choose a saucepan that can fit whatever bowl you're using in the next step ensuring the water doesn't touch the bowl (I recommend testing this out before heating the water-- you only need about an inch or two of water to make this happen).
In the bowl of a stand mixer, or a large bowl to use with an electric hand mixer, combine the egg whites and granulated sugar. Place the bowl over the steaming pot to create a double boiler. You can also use an actual double boiler, but I find this setup works really well.
6 large egg whites1, 1 and ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
Whisk the egg whites and sugar vigorously until the sugar melts completely and the egg whites become white and frothy. The mixture will start out sticky and thick but will move to thin and frothy with time and heat. This will take about 1 and ½ to 2 minutes. I like to test using my finger: carefully (the mixture is hot!) dip a clean finger into the mixture and rub it against your thumb. You should not be able to feel any sugar crystals. If you want to be as accurate as possible: you're looking for a temperature of 160ºF (71ºC) on an instant-read thermometer. This is my very favorite instant-read digital thermometer, and this is my favorite budget-friendly digital thermometer. When the egg/sugar mixture is ready, remove the bowl from the heat and place the bowl back onto the stand mixer.
Fit your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk the egg white/sugar mixture on high speed until medium peaks form (it will resemble the texture of shaving cream). Keep in mind this can take a long time, sometimes up to 10-15 minutes for me. When it's ready, it will still be slightly warm, which will help in the next step. If no peaks are forming, your mixture is likely still too warm. Allow it to cool for a few minutes (or pop it in the fridge) before proceeding.
Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add the butter one Tablespoon at a time, waiting for the butter to completely incorporate before adding more, until you have used all of the butter. If at any time your mixture starts to look curdled or chunky, just keep mixing and it will correct itself.
1 and ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter2
Once all of the butter has been incorporated, increase the mixer speed to high and beat until medium to medium-stiff peaks form. Turn off the mixer, add the melted chocolate, vanilla, and salt, and beat again until stiff peaks form. If you are having trouble achieving peaks, place the bowl and whisk attachment in the fridge for about 10 minutes and then try again. Meringue (or even a kitchen) that is too warm can prevent the meringue from peaking properly.
1 and ½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ⅛ teaspoon salt, 6 ounces (170g) high quality semi-sweet chocolate3
At this point, your buttercream is ready to use but is safe at room temperature for up to 2 days. For longer storage, refrigerate the buttercream for up to 2 weeks. Swiss meringue buttercream freezes well, up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature. The buttercream will need to come to room temperature before using.

Video

Notes

Egg whites: do not use egg whites from a carton for this recipe. This buttercream is safe to eat as you will cook the egg whites to a safe temperature. If you are worried about being at an exact temperature, use an instant-read thermometer (I linked my favorites in step #4).
Unsalted butter: do not use salted butter in this recipe as the saltiness will be too overpowering. It's critical your butter is at room temperature and no warmer.
Chocolate: while you can also use cocoa powder, I don't love this version as much as I do the one made with melted chocolate. If you're in a pinch, it's fine, but know that it will taste and perform better using real chocolate.

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Nutrition Disclosure

All nutritional values are approximate and provided to the reader as a courtesy. Changing ingredients and/or quantities will alter the estimated nutritional calculations.