Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe: Easy Mock Swiss Meringue Buttercream (My Go-To Bakery Buttercream)

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From American Buttercream to Meringue Buttercream

When I first started working in bakeries years ago, including my time at Gambino’s and other South Louisiana bakeries, the standard was almost always American buttercream.

This style of buttercream was:

• Very heavy

• Made mostly with shortening

• Extremely sweet

• Designed to crust over

There was a time when this was ideal, especially for old-school wave piping styles and traditional bakery decorating. Shortening was used because it has a higher melting point than butter, making it more heat stable in Louisiana weather.

But it also came with a lot of drawbacks.

The Problems I Found with American Buttercream

While shortening-based buttercream technically held up to heat, I constantly ran into other issues:

The buttercream was so thick and heavy that it would sometimes pull away or slump on the sides of cakes during transport, especially in warm conditions.

It also:

• Didn't give clean sharp edges

• Was difficult to smooth properly

• Didn't have a refined texture

• Was overly sweet

Another major issue was chilling cakes. Normally you can refrigerate or freeze buttercream cakes to firm them up for smoother finishes, but shortening doesn’t firm the same way butter does. This made achieving clean professional finishes much harder.

I made it work for years because that was what the industry used, but I knew there had to be something better.

Discovering Meringue Buttercreams

As soon as I had the opportunity, I started working more with Swiss and Italian meringue buttercreams.

Italian meringue buttercream is still one of the most stable buttercreams available and I still respect it for that. However, making it requires cooking sugar syrup to precise temperatures and carefully incorporating it into meringue.

It’s fantastic — but not beginner friendly and very time consuming to teach in a class setting.

Swiss meringue buttercream is slightly easier, but still requires cooking egg whites over heat.

I wanted something:

• Easier to teach

• Faster to make

• More approachable for beginners

• Still professional quality

  
  

Finding the Mock Swiss Method

Many years ago I stumbled across a blog post discussing a simplified version of Swiss buttercream using pasteurized egg whites. At first I was skeptical because I had never seen it used in southern bakeries.

After researching further, I discovered many northern bakeries and pastry chefs were already using this exact method.

It made perfect sense:Cooler climates meant less concern about melting, and the method removed the need to cook egg whites.

The more I researched and tested, the more I realized this method had huge advantages.

So I started experimenting.

Tweaking It Into My Own Version

After testing and adjusting the ratios and mixing process to match my taste preferences and decorating needs, I developed a version I was truly happy with.

This buttercream:

• Uses similar ingredients to Swiss meringue

• Requires no cooking

• Uses pasteurized egg whites for safety

• Comes together quickly

• Is beginner friendly

And best of all:No separating eggs.

Anyone who has cracked dozens of eggs knows how nice that is.

The Buttercream I Use in My Bakery Today

Since opening It's Just a Cookie in 2022, this has been my primary buttercream.

It chills beautifully, which allows me to:

• Get sharp edges

• Achieve smooth finishes

• Create professional cake structure

While you do still need good spatula technique, it performs far better than American buttercream for modern cake decorating.

And yes… this does mean you cannot use the old paper towel smoothing trick from crusting buttercream.

(Sorry to anyone who loved that method.)

Why I Prefer This Buttercream

Compared to American buttercream, I find this buttercream:

Lighter

Stronger structurally

Much smoother

Less sweet

More professional tasting

The texture falls somewhere between American buttercream and whipped cream:

• Smooth

• Silky

• Lightly sweet

• Clean vanilla flavor

It feels refined instead of heavy.

Why This Buttercream Works So Well for Teaching

One of the biggest reasons I adopted this recipe was because I teach.

I needed something:

• Students could succeed with

• That didn’t require advanced sugar work

• That produced consistent results

This method checks all those boxes.

Students can focus on decorating skills instead of fighting complicated buttercream techniques.

Final Thoughts

There is nothing wrong with American buttercream. It has its place, especially for certain styles of decorating.

But for modern cakes, smoother finishes, better flavor, and easier handling, this mock Swiss buttercream has become my clear winner.

After years of testing buttercreams in both commercial kitchens and my own bakery, this is the one I continue to come back to.

Simple. Reliable. Professional.

And most importantly — it tastes good.

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Easy Swiss Meringue Buttercream

If you've always wanted the silky texture of Swiss meringue buttercream without the hassle of cooking sugar or making a traditional Swiss meringue, this recipe is for you. This "easy" Swiss meringue buttercream uses pasteurized egg whites to create an incredibly smooth, stable buttercream with a light texture and less sweetness than traditional American buttercream.

It pipes beautifully, smooths effortlessly, and is perfect for cakes, cupcakes, macarons, and cookie decorating.

Author: Rachel NoelIt's Just a Cookie Sugar Art Studio

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter, softened — 3 cups (6 sticks) (680 g | 24 oz)

• Powdered (confectioners') sugar — 6 cups (680 g | 24 oz)

• Pasteurized egg whites — ¾ cup (170 g | 6 oz)

• Vanilla extract or vanilla emulsion — 2 teaspoons (10 g | 10 mL)

• Salt — ½ teaspoon (3 g | 0.1 oz)

• Gel food coloring (optional)

Instructions

Step 1 – Combine the Liquids

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine:

• Pasteurized egg whites

• Vanilla extract

• Salt

Mix on low to medium speed for approximately 5–10 seconds, or just until everything is combined.

Rachel's Tip: There's no need to whip air into the egg whites during this step. You're simply combining the ingredients before adding the sugar.

Step 2 – Add the Powdered Sugar

Add all of the powdered sugar to the mixing bowl.

Increase the mixer to medium-high speed and mix until the ingredients are fully combined.

This usually takes 1–2 minutes.

The mixture should become smooth and glossy.

Step 3 – Add the Butter

With the mixer running on medium-high speed, slowly begin adding the softened butter a few pieces at a time.

Your butter should be:

• Soft

• Slightly cool to the touch

• Approximately 68–70°F (20–21°C)

Rachel's Tip: Your butter should never be melted. Soft butter incorporates beautifully, while melted butter can leave your buttercream weak and soupy.

Step 4 – Finish Mixing

Continue mixing until the buttercream becomes:

• Smooth

• Light

• Fluffy

• Silky

If desired, add gel food coloring and continue mixing until the color is fully incorporated.

Rachel's Tips

Removing Air Bubbles

If you'd like an exceptionally smooth buttercream for icing cakes, switch from the whisk attachment to the flat paddle attachment once the buttercream is finished.

Make sure the buttercream comes high enough in the bowl for the paddle