Dessert & Treats Recipes Cake Recipes Fillings & Frostings Buttercream Frosting Recipes Lemony Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting 4.2 (81) Use this lemon-forward, just-sweet-enough frosting on cakes, cupcakes, and more. Close Credit: decorvow Prep Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 10 mins Total Time: 50 mins Servings: 16 Yield: 8 cups Jump to recipe This lemony Swiss meringue buttercream recipe is smooth, fluffy, and full of citrus flavor. Use it to frost the rainbow layer cake from “Whisk Kid” blogger Kaitlin Garske, or try it with your favorite cake or cupcake recipe. Making this frosting involves first creating a Swiss meringue, which consists of egg whites and sugar briefly heated on the stovetop before being whipped to stiff peaks. It takes some time to reach this step, which is why we highly recommend using a stand-mixer to bring it together. After gradually beating in butter and lemon extract, the frosting is ready to go. This recipe makes enough to fill and coat a 9-inch six-layer cake. If you’re frosting a smaller cake, feel free to use only the amounts listed for the layers and crumb coat. Basic French Meringue Swiss Meringue vs. American Buttercream Why use a Swiss meringue buttercream when you could whip up a traditional American buttercream instead? The biggest differences between the two comes down to texture and richness. American buttercream is made by beating butter and confectioners' sugar together until smooth and creamy. It is rich, dense, and has a pronounced butter flavor. It is also quite sweet, thanks to the generous amount of sugar that's incorporated into it. On the other hand, Swiss meringue buttercream incorporates softened butter into fluffy meringue. It is light, silky, and less dense than American buttercream and is also quite a bit less sweet. Making the meringue does tack on a significant amount of time, as the warm sugar-egg white mixture first needs to be whipped until is it fluffy, glossy, and completely cool to the touch before being whipped with softened butter. While it's a bit of a process, this frosting spreads beautifully and holds up well between the layers of cake. Take your time when separating egg whites for this recipe. Meringue can be tempermental and may not whip up properly if even a small amount of egg yolk makes its way into the bowl. Directions Make the filling and crumb coat: Cook egg whites and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly until sugar is completely dissolved. To ensure the sugar is fully dissolved, rub a bit of the mixture between your fingers—it should be smooth and not the least bit grainy. Whisk until fluffy and cool: Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to medium-high speed, whisk until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Continue mixing until the mixture is fluffy, glossy, and completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), about 10 minutes. Add butter: With the mixer on medium-low, add butter, one piece at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat using paddle attachment: Remove whisk attachment and switch to paddle attachment. Increase speed to high and beat until buttercream comes together, about 5 minutes; beat in lemon extract. Make frosting: In a clean saucepan and bowl of an electric mixer, repeat to make a batch of frosting for decorating the cake. Storage If you plan to use the buttercream the same day, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it at room temperature. Otherwise, transfer the frosting to airtight containers and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to one month. Return to room temperature and beat in a stand mixer on low speed until smooth again, about five minutes. More Frosting Recipes to Try: Vegan Chocolate-Ganache Frosting Perfect Seven-Minute Frosting Our Favorite Cream Cheese Frosting Vanilla Frosting Dark Chocolate Frosting Mascarpone Frosting Updated by Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds Esther Reynolds is an experienced recipe developer, recipe tester, food editor, and writer with over a decade of experience in the food and media industries.