Italian Meringue Buttercream
The most silky smooth, buttery frosting ever!
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
Ingredients
- 160 g Egg Whites (approx 4 large egg whites)
- ½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar
- 1 ⅓ cups White Sugar (caster sugar in the UK)
- ⅓ cup Water
- 3 sticks Unsalted Butter
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- Whip the egg whites and cream of tartar in a stand mixer on high speed
- Measure out ⅓ cup of sugar. Once the egg whites start to froth, start gradually adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time, whipping for at least 30 seconds in between each addition
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining sugar and the water in a small saucepan over a medium heat. If you have a candy thermometer, use it to track the temperature. Do not stir the sugar, just let it dissolve
- Once the sugar syrup reaches 240°F, it's ready (see notes above if you don't have a candy thermometer). By this point, the meringue in your mixer should be at a soft peak stage. Remove the sugar syrup from the heat and immediately pour into the mixer as it continues to whip. Make sure you pour in a slow, steady stream
- Once the sugar syrup is all into the meringue, the bowl should feel hot to touch. Continue whipping on high until the bowl feels cool
- When the bowl feels completely cool, you can begin adding the butter. The butter must be at room temperature or it won't incorporate properly. Keep whisking the meringue on high speed while adding the butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Let it mix in completely before adding in the next tablespoon of butter
- About halfway through the block of butter, your frosting is going to look awful and you will think it is ruined. Don't panic! This is normal, just keep going
- Once all the butter is incorporated, add the vanilla and whip for another minute
- You should now have a wonderful, silky smooth, buttery frosting! Use to decorate your cake/cupcakes right away. If you are making ahead of time, make sure you whip it up again for a few minutes right before using
Tried this recipe?Show us! @bonni_bakery
Leave a Reply