The Easy Way To Fix A Broken Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting

If you've ever felt like the classic American buttercream is just a bit too sweet for you, or the texture is too stiff, you need to give Swiss meringue buttercream frosting a try. The process of making it is a bit more involved, as you have to first whip up a meringue-consistency mixture before adding in the butter a spoonful at a time, but you end up with frosting that's light, fluffy, and absolutely delicious.

However, there's a chance you might run into trouble during the last stage of the process. Perhaps you've used your double boiler to perfectly dissolve your sugar in your egg whites, you've achieved the ideal consistency with your meringue, but when you add in the butter, it turns into a mess and breaks. If that happens, don't give up and start a new batch right away. "For Swiss Meringue Buttercreams, they will often appear broken when butter is added. Before panicking, just continue to add the rest of the butter and trust the process," advises Leanne Tran, who leads a six-person, all-female pastry chef team managing the sweet treats for dinner service at Bar Blondeau, events at Wythe Hotel, and pastries all day long at Le Crocodile.

Often, all you need is a little more elbow grease and patience to get things moving in the right direction. "It's best to not rush," Tran says. She recommends using the mixer's paddle attachment and simply giving the frosting some time to fully combine.

If you've given your Swiss buttercream extra time in the stand mixer to come together into the silky smooth frosting of your dreams and it still isn't looking quite right, Leanne Tran has another suggestion. "If necessary, you can warm the bowl over a double boiler for a few minutes," she says. "Introducing a bit of heat by just melting the outer edges will help bond the butter to the meringue." A buttercream with a curdled texture that doesn't respond well to more mixing may just be a bit too cold, which is why her trick is so effective. Using Tran's double boiler method, you'll want to heat the mixture to about 72 degrees Fahrenheit, at which point the broken texture should transform.

On the other hand, if the issue is that your Swiss buttercream has turned into a buttercream soup, it's likely a bit too hot. In that case, you'll need to refrigerate your mixture until it cools down a few degrees, and then whip it all together again until it's the texture you desire. Even if your kitchen isn't too hot, something as seemingly innocuous as your mixing bowl retaining too much heat from the double boiler stage of the process could ruin your final result. When in doubt, don't throw it out — first, try tweaking the temperature slightly depending on your issue. And, once you've mastered the Swiss meringue technique, you can elevate your buttercream with add-ins like salted caramel.