Personally, I cannot fathom a cake without any buttercream. It is my favorite type of frosting. So easy to make and so delicious! American buttercream is by far the most beginner-friendly of all but not so long ago I started delving into other types of buttercream, mainly because of my cooking show addiction. The one professional chefs seem to use the most is swiss meringue buttercream. I have tried it before and loved its flavor but I thought that it was not worth the hassle, until I made it from scratch. Oh my! It was a taste from heaven! I encourage you to try this recipe for chocolate swiss meringue buttercream with cocoa powder that I think will blow your mind!
Prep Time35 minutesmins
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: The Easiest Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Set up a double boiler. You will need to place a pan with shallow water over the heat with a metal bowl on top where you will put your ingredients. Set up your thermometer so it is easier to check the temperature.
You can use a flat whisk for this, although a regular one would work just fine, as you need to mix continuously so that nothing sticks to the bottom of the bowl.
Place your egg whites and granulated sugar in the bowl and mix them non stop until they reach 160°F.
Step 2
Take the mixture off the heat and continue beating it on high speed until the egg whites double in size and they have a fluffy texture.
Step 3
Let the mixture cool at room temperature for at least 20 minutes.
Step 4
While you wait, dice the chilled butter so that it is ready to use.
Step 5
Take the hand mixer and mix the whites and sugar for one minute on medium speed. Then start adding the cubes of butter a few at a time until all the butter is incorporated. You can also do this on a stand mixer.
Step 6
Add the vanilla extract and then sift the cocoa powder into the mixture. Whip it all until it is stiff. If after 8 minutes it has not thickened up, place it in the fridge to cool for a quarter of an hour and try again.
Notes
Remember, continue mixing until you get a stiffer, pipeable buttercream. Do not over chill it though, because it will become too stiff and you will not be able to spread it easily.
If you continue to beat the mix you will force the fat in it to emulsify (that is to combine) and you will be able to salvage your hard work!
You should use this recipe immediately, do not try to store it as it will lose its texture.