{"id":21366,"date":"2014-06-17T11:54:39","date_gmt":"2014-06-17T15:54:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/?p=21366"},"modified":"2016-01-06T13:42:57","modified_gmt":"2016-01-06T18:42:57","slug":"no-meringue-swiss-buttercream-recipe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thecakeblog.com\/2014\/06\/no-meringue-swiss-buttercream-recipe.html","title":{"rendered":"The Meringue Buttercream Myth"},"content":{"rendered":"

We’re thrilled to welcome our newest contributor, Summer Stone of Cake Paper Party<\/a><\/strong>!\u00a0 Join along as Summer explores traditional baking concepts in new and exciting ways. \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Breaking<\/p>\n

CAKE MYTH :<\/strong> You must create a meringue in order to produce a European-style buttercream.<\/em><\/p>\n

For some time, I puzzled over the idea that you have to create a fully realized, stable meringue in order to make a Swiss Meringue Buttercream (SMBC).\u00a0 I wondered why one would create a beautifully peaked meringue and then destroy it by adding in loads of butter.\u00a0 I also wanted to know why SMBC\u2019s were so inherently unstable and even the most practiced of bakers sometimes had difficulty making them behave.\u00a0 After much experimentation, I have found answers that will help you make buttercream faster and easier than ever before.\u00a0 You will find that you don\u2019t need a meringue at all!<\/p>\n

Here is my method for making Swiss Buttercream<\/strong> (SBC) and an explanation as to why it works:<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 1 :<\/strong>\u00a0 Start with egg whites<\/p>\n

Egg whites serve two important roles in SBC.\u00a0 They act as a structural component and serve as a liquid to dissolve granulated sugar into.\u00a0 In traditional SMBC, egg whites are beaten to peaks as a means of incorporating air into the buttercream.\u00a0 The problem with this is that protein mediated air pockets are very unstable in the presence of fat.\u00a0 When butter is added, much of the air which was beaten into the eggs is lost and it they become a syrupy puddle.\u00a0 Here I have used pasteurized egg whites from a carton, but separated egg whites from cracked eggs work just as well.<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 2 : <\/strong>Add sugar<\/p>\n

Sugar obviously plays an important role as a flavor provider in a buttercream but it also serves to thicken and stabilize the egg liquid it is dissolved into.\u00a0 The sugar-egg combination, when mixed with butter, creates an emulsion that is more stable than either individual component.<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 3 : <\/strong>Whisk the sugar and eggs together<\/p>\n

The eggs and sugar have a symbiotic relationship.\u00a0 The eggs serve the sugar by providing a solvent into which it can be dissolved.\u00a0 At the same time, the sugar helps the egg whites by weakening their ability to coagulate allowing them to remain in a liquid state.\u00a0 Be sure to whisk the eggs and sugar together very well for maximum benefit. No one likes scrambled egg buttercream!<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 4 : <\/strong>Heat the eggs and sugar<\/p>\n

While the egg whites are helpful in dissolving the sugar, at this high of a sugar concentration heat is required to fully dissolve the sugar crystals.\u00a0 Heat also functions to destroy any harmful bacteria that may be living in the egg whites (particularly if they are fresh).\u00a0 For this reason, you should heat your egg-sugar syrup to 160\u1d52 F which will ensure Salmonella<\/em> is killed.\u00a0 I find the easiest way to do this is in the microwave.\u00a0 One recipe will take 3-4 minutes stirring at one minute intervals.\u00a0 Alternatively you can heat the syrup in a double boiler until a safe temperature is reached.\u00a0 At 160\u1d52 F all sugar crystals should be dissolved.\u00a0 I like to add a half ounce of corn syrup to the sugar-egg mixture to minimize the chances of recrystallization.\u00a0 Be sure to stir in any sugar granules than remain on the sides of the bowl.\u00a0 One undissolved rebel sugar crystal can reseed the whole batch.<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 5 : <\/strong>Cool the egg-sugar syrup<\/p>\n

I place my syrup in a clean cake pan and place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes to reach a cool\/cold temperature (45-60\u1d52 F).\u00a0 When the sugar syrup is added to the butter in this temperature range, the two components generally go into emulsion seamlessly without \u201cbreaking\u201d.\u00a0 This seems to be one of the problems with traditional SMBC.\u00a0 Since a meringue will not form readily in a cold syrup, the eggs and sugar would have to be at room temperature when the butter was added.\u00a0 This room-temperature blending stresses the combination and makes formation of a proper emulsion more difficult.<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 6 : <\/strong>Make extra syrup to save for later<\/p>\n

One of the advantages of making SBC by this method is that you can make large batches of syrup and freeze the extra for quick and easy batches in the future.\u00a0 In the photos above, I made a double recipe of syrup and saved half for a future batch.<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 7 :<\/strong> Beat butter until light and fluffy<\/p>\n

Butter is the all-star of SBC.\u00a0 It does the amazing emulsifying work.\u00a0 For this reason, it makes the most sense to start with the butter and add the cooled syrup to it.\u00a0 When the butter is beaten on high for 2 minutes before the syrup is added, it lightens the buttercream and takes in air in a way that is more structurally sound than that of beaten egg whites.\u00a0 I like to start with butter that is at a cool room temperature since it holds air better in a more solid form.<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 8 : <\/strong>Add half of the sugar syrup<\/p>\n

Adding half of the liquid at a time allows the mechanical action of the mixer to work to develop the emulsion without overwhelming the butter and causing the mixture to break.\u00a0 Beat for one minute to fully incorporate the syrup before adding the final half.<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 9 : <\/strong>Add remaining syrup<\/p>\n

Add the second half of syrup to the butter mixture and beat on high to complete the emulsion and incorporate air into the mixture.\u00a0 The buttercream will be quite firm at this point.<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

STEP 10 : <\/strong>Add vanilla and other flavorings<\/p>\n

Adding liquids such as vanilla not only incorporates flavor but the liquids also smooth out and lighten the texture of the buttercream.\u00a0 At this point, the buttercream will be very firm and stable.\u00a0 If you would like a creamier buttercream that is less sweet, you can add additional butter, up to another 4 ounces.\u00a0 If you want a buttercream that is lighter in texture, more like whipped cream, you can add more liquid in the form of milk, sour cream, cream cheese, juice, alcohol, fruit purees or water.\u00a0 I have added up to a half a cup of cool water per recipe with success.\u00a0 Slowly drizzle in the additional liquid while the mixer is going on medium speed.<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

I hope you enjoy this alternate method for making a Europen-style buttercream and that you find it easier and more fool-proof than ever before!\u00a0 Happy baking!<\/p>\n

\"(No<\/p>\n

SWISS BUTTERCREAM<\/strong>
\na recipe by Summer Stone<\/a><\/p>\n