Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Light, fluffy strawberry swiss meringue buttercream carries an even balance between sweet and tangy with freeze-dried strawberries and of course, lots of butter. Perfect for cakes, cupcakes, cookies, etc.!

What is Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

If you’ve ever ventured down the road of European buttercreams then you just get it: the texture and flavor is truly unmatched. Just ask my chocolate French buttercream or my classic swiss meringue buttercream recipes, then I think you’ll understand!

This Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream is a silky-smooth, lightly sweet frosting that’s perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and other baked treats and desserts. It comes together by whipping egg whites and sugar into a fluffy meringue before incorporating butter and – my personal favorite – freeze-dried strawberries. This buttercream has a luxurious texture and a fresh, natural berry flavor, thanks to the freeze-dried strawberries.

Unlike traditional American buttercream, Swiss meringue buttercream is less sweet and ultra-creamy, making it a favorite for those who love a more balanced frosting. This strawberry version is ideal for spring and summer desserts, adding a vibrant pink hue and a burst of fruity flavor. Whether you’re frosting a birthday cake or piping elegant swirls onto cupcakes, this Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe will take your baked goods to the next level!

Why this recipe works

Not only does this frosting achieve the perfect light and airy texture we’re going for, but it also encompasses the strawberry flavor exceptionally well. Typically, strawberry buttercreams and frostings will rely on strawberry puree or jam to get that strawberry flavor, but I like using freeze-dried strawberries because they won’t add too much additional liquid to the frosting. Additionally, they’re extremely poignant in their flavor – meaning when you take a bite of this frosting, you know it’s a strawberry frosting – no guesswork here!

Another reason for the freeze-dried strawberries? You won’t need to add as much pink food coloring to get that perfect pink color in your strawberry swiss meringue buttercream!

Ingredients for Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Swiss meringue buttercream only requires a few ingredients:

• Egg whites – you’ll need to separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Quick tip: it’s best to do this while they’re cold. Separating room temperature eggs just never works out the way you want it to.
• Granulated sugar – no powdered sugar or brown sugar here. You’ll need to feel the egg mixture between your fingers to ensure the granules are completely dissolved before you begin beating them, so it’s important to use granulated sugar.
• Unsalted Butter – For this swiss meringue buttercream recipe we really want to control the flavor, and unsalted butter allows us to do that. I will say though, I’ve tested this with salted butter and it turned out fine, but just don’t add any additional salt.
• Freeze-dried strawberries – this is the secret ingredient to exceptional strawberry swiss meringue buttercream. They add the most poignant strawberry flavor and I’ll never go back!
• Vanilla Extract – pure vanilla extract here, folks! Now is not the time for the artificial stuff.
• Kosher salt – I only use diamond crystal kosher salt in my kitchen, so that’s what I always recommend!

Here’s some equipment you may need…

• Stand mixer: this is the one I have and I love it! I’ve had it for years now and I’ve never had any trouble with it. After the sugar and the egg whites come off of the stove, we’ll be beating this meringue on high speed for exactly 10 minutes. That being said, you don’t need a stand mixer by any means for this recipe, people used to make this by hand all the time! It is certainly a helpful piece of equipment if you’re looking to speed up the process and not end up with a sore arm the next day!
• Small saucepan: you’ll need one of these for heating up the sugar and egg whites on the stove, and to do this you’ll need to make a double broiler. I have this stainless steel set and love it. Simply set the bowl over about an inch of simmering water in the saucepan. You can always just purchase a double broiler set if you’d like to instead!

Thankfully, those are really the only things I could think of that would be nice-to-haves for this recipe.

Now, let’s get into the how-to!

How to Make Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Step 1 – Whisk the egg whites and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer or other heat-proof bowl

First we’ll need clean our equipment and separate our eggs. If there is any fat residue leftover on the inside of your bowl or on the whisk attachment your meringue won’t set up as it should. I always wipe down my bowl and attachments with a little bit of white vinegar or lemon juice before starting.

To separate your eggs, do so one at a time. An egg yolk also contains fat, so any streak of yolk in the mixture will also cause your meringue to deflate. I recommend separating your eggs into a bowl, and adding 1 white to the bowl at a time. That way, if you accidentally get a yolk in 1 egg white you don’t have to throw the entire thing away.

Next, we’ll whisk the sugar and egg whites together in the bowl of a stand mixer. If you don’t have a stand mixer, just use another heat-proof bowl and you’ll use a hand mixer or whisk (if you’re brave and have strong arms) to beat up the meringue.

I highly recommend using a stand mixer if you have one because the beating process takes longer than you may think. So once we combine these you’ll set the whole bowl over a saucepan with about 2 inches of simmering water in the bottom of it. This will be our mock double-broiler – the perfect way to cook egg whites without making scrambled eggs.

Step 2 – Cook egg mixture until it registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer

You’ll need to cook your egg mixture, whisking it occasionally, until it reaches 160°F. This is the temperature at which the sugar granules will dissolve into the egg whites. If you’re unsure if they’re fully dissolved though, you can also try this:

Quickly dip your pointer finger into the mixture and rub it between your fingers. It is a little bit hot so be ready for that! You shouldn’t be able to feel any sharp sugar granules whatsoever. If you don’t, you’re ready for the next step. If you do, continue cooking and whisking until it’s completely smooth.

Step 3 – Whip the egg mixture to stiff peaks

Ok folks, this is where things start to get a little dicey. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about making swiss meringue buttercream – and just baking in general – it’s that patience is key.

We’re going to begin whipping our egg whites with the whisk attachment in our stand mixer. The goal here is to achieve stiff peaks, cool down the mixture so that you can add butter to it without it melting, all while not overwhipping the meringue.

Here’s a couple tips for this step:

1. Whip the meringue on high speed to stiff peaks. Now is not the time for a slow and steady mix. We want to beat lots of air into those whites. Because the egg whites are so warm it can take around 10 minutes to get stiff peaks, but when I made this batch it was a particularly cold, dry day so it realistically only took about 5 to 7 minutes.
2. Do NOT over-whip the mixture. I think it’s easy to think that a meringue can’t be over-whipped, but this could not be further from the truth. If you begin to over-whip the whites, the mixture will deflate and you’ll end up with a grainy, loose, and soupy mixture – even before you add the butter! Not what we’re going for. Trust me on this one – I’ve over-whipped a Swiss meringue too many times to count just because I wasn’t paying close enough attention.
3. Is it taking too long to achieve stiff peaks? If it’s taking longer than 10 minutes to reach stiff peaks, stop the mixer and place the entire bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes exactly. Then, place the bowl back on the mixer and continue whipping. It should help the bowl come to room temperature as well.

Step 4 – Begin adding the butter

This is when it becomes very important to stay the course and just stick with your buttercream – it will come together! With the mixer running on medium speed, we’re going to add half of the butter 1 Tbsp at a time, waiting until it’s fully incorporated before we add the next Tbsp. Here’s a tip: make sure the meringue and the bowl are close to room temperature before you being adding the butter (feel free to stick the whole bowl in the fridge for a few minutes to help it get there).

Step 5 – Switch to the paddle attachment and continue beating in remaining the butter

Once you’ve added half of your butter with the whisk attachment we’re going to switch to our paddle attachment because this will help smooth everything out for the remaining half of our butter.

Troubleshooting strawberry swiss meringue buttercream

Now, there are 3 things that could happen during this step:

1. Your buttercream comes together in a smooth, perfect consistency. Congrats!! You did it!! It doesn’t happen too often where you get to the perfect consistency on the first go-round, but yay if you did!! Now you can add your flavorings.

How to fix curdled strawberry swiss meringue buttercream

The second thing that could happen during this step is your buttercream turns into a curdled mess.

Sadly, the SMBC may have separated and the result is small flecks of butter that look slightly chunky and thick. The butter may have been colder than the meringue when you began beating it.

How to fix:

Remember our saucepan of simmering water in the beginning? Bring that water back to a simmer and place the bowl over the water. Let it sit, without mixing, for 1 to 2 minutes or until the edges of the meringue warm up and become liquid. Then, transfer the bowl back to the mixer and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium-high speed until it becomes smooth (usually about 1 to 2 minutes). This should solve the problem and will actually result in an even creamier buttercream!

How to fix soupy strawberry swiss meringue buttercream

The second thing that could happen during this step is your buttercream turns into soup.

Unfortunately, your butter may have become too soft in the meringue when you added it, resulting in a warm SMBC. This is what happens to me about 75% of the time – you can see what it looks like in the image below – and there’s also a simple fix for this as well.

How to fix:

Simply take a bag of frozen peas (or whatever you have in your freezer – in my case green beans), and hold it on the sides of the bowl while it’s mixing on low speed. After holding it here for a few minutes the mixture should cool off and begin to thicken. But, if it’s still not thickening, place the entire bowl in the refrigerator in 20 minute spurts. Then, place the bowl back on the mixer and beat on high speed until it thickens up, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Step 6 – Add your freeze-dried strawberries and other flavorings

For this step, I’d recommend starting with just one bag of freeze-dried strawberries, and adding the second one to taste. I like my strawberry swiss meringue buttercream to taste just like I’m biting into a strawberry, so I add as much as I can! You may have a different preference, so just start small and stop when you feel like it’s right. 

Remember to use your mixer on low speed. At this point, we don’t want to incorporate more air into the buttercream so that it’s as smooth as possible.

You can also go ahead and add your vanilla, salt, and food coloring (if using). Quick tip: always use a gel food coloring as it doesn’t contain as much liquid. We want to keep our liquid additions to a minimum, so these are the best options.

Strawberry Swiss Meringue Buttercream FAQs

Can this buttercream be made in advance?

Yes! You can make this buttercream in advance, but I’d do so only one day in advance. This is a frosting that I like to keep at room temperature until I need to use it.

I will say that when you go to use it you should place the frosting back under the stand mixer with the paddle attachment and beat it on low speed. This will help the frosting to release the air it’s absorbed while sitting out, making for a smoother buttercream.

Troubleshooting strawberry swiss meringue frosting?

If you’re left with either soupy or curdled swiss meringue buttercream after you’ve added all of your butter, read the paragraphs above to better understand what to do in either situation! The frosting is usually salvageable, so don’t worry and stick with it!

How to use strawberry swiss meringue buttercream?

There are so many ways to use this frosting – on cakes, cupcakes, and other sweet treats. Here are a few specific recipes I love to add it to:

Moist Strawberry Vanilla Layer Cake – this recipe actually incorporates this frosting into the cake. It’s the perfect cake for stepping into spring!

Classic Vanilla Cupcakes – any vanilla cupcake is better with strawberry swiss meringue buttercream, and this one is no exception. One of my favorite cupcake recipes!

6-inch Vanilla Layer Cake – another layer cake recipe that would be amazing with this buttercream.

I hope this detailed guide to making strawberry Swiss meringue buttercream is helpful to all of you – it will always remain one of my favorite frostings. If you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on socials @sarahsdayoff. As always, if you have any questions about this recipe or any others on my site, drop me a line at sarah@sarahsdayoff.com or leave a comment below and I will get back to you!

Happy baking 🙂

Love,

Sarah 

“Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.” -Philippians 4:9-