Aquafaba Swiss Buttercream Recipe - Gretchen's Vegan Bakery (2024)

FAQs

What if I put too much liquid in my Swiss meringue buttercream? ›

So, whether your buttercream is a veritable soup or just a touch runny, the answer is to cool it down. If the buttercream is thin enough to run off a spoon, refrigerate the whole bowl for 20 minutes, just until the frosting begins to harden around the edges.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Success Secrets: Separate your egg whites from the yolks and make sure there are no yolks in the whites. Since SMBC is meringue based, yolks (a fat) can quickly stop a meringue from not forming its stiff glossy peaks as required.

That's right - you NEED the vegan butter to be room temperature before you start working with it. If you've ever made vegan buttercream and it's split or gone grainy, this is most likely the reason why. Get it nice and soft, then whack your vegan butter in the stand mixer and beat like crazy until smooth.

Both issues can be fixed either chilling or gently heating the buttercream. A slightly softened yet cool butter will bring the buttercream together and give it smooth texture for frosting cakes. Frosting with Swiss meringue buttercream gives a super smooth finish and sharp piping.

In a KitchenAid mixer, it usually takes about 20-25 minutes to make a good, stiff meringue from start to finish. If you're at the 20-minute mark and the meringue still isn't at stiff peaks, check your temperature. Is it hot and humid in your kitchen? Then a 15-20 minute meringue timeout in the fridge will help!

Why is my Swiss Meringue Buttercream Soupy? This is usually due to the mixture being too warm or adding the butter before the meringue has fully cooled down. Thankfully, it is easy to fix. Refrigerate the bowl for 15-20 minutes then continue mixing until the frosting thickens.

*Pro tip: If you love the texture and taste of Swiss meringue buttercream but want it a bit sweeter, add ½ -¾ cup of sifted confectioners sugar after the butter is fully mixed in.

If you haven't made a Swiss meringue before, the process is simple. Combine egg whites, toasted sugar, cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla seeds in a double boiler, and cook, stirring constantly with a flexible spatula. For this recipe, you'll take the mixture to about 185°F (85°C) to make sure it's fully cooked.

If you're not adding enough sugar, your buttercream won't be stable enough to hold its shape for long. If you're adding a little plant-based milk to thin the buttercream when frosting a cake, you might be adding too much of it, again, making it too unstable.

If the frosting seems too thick, you can add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the frosting is too thin and runny, simply add more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Why does my Swiss Meringue Buttercream look like cottage cheese? ›

If the buttercream splits and looks curdled, like cottage cheese, it means the mixture didn't emulsify because the temperature of the butter was either too cold or the meringue was still too warm. There's a few different ways to fix this: Remove a few spoonfuls of the buttercream and place it in a heat safe bowl.

If the heat is too high, you're going to overcook your egg whites and have scrambled egg buttercream! – Whip your meringue to stiff peaks. If your meringue is too soft, it's not going to be as stable and hold it's shape as well.

If the meringue mixture becomes flat or runny when the sugar is added then it usually means that the egg whites were not quite whisked enough before the sugar was added. It sometimes helps to whisk the whites, then add a tablespoon of sugar and whisk the whites back to medium peaks before adding the rest of the sugar.

If you've made a meringue-based buttercream, like Swiss, Italian, or French, you can thicken it slightly by adding a bit more butter, but a lot of the time chilling it down for a bit so that the existing butter in the recipe can firm up is all it takes to thicken.

Liquids in Moderation: When using liquid ingredients like milk, cream, extract, food coloring etc. it's essential to add them in moderation. Too much liquid can lead to a runny frosting disaster. Begin with a small amount, and gradually increase if needed.