Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting
- 24 oz unsalted butter room temperature
- 24 oz powdered sugar sifted if not from a bag
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 6 oz pasteurized egg whites room temperature
Put egg whites and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the whisk attachment and mix the ingredients on low speed, then switch to high speed for 1 minute to dissolve the powdered sugar.
Add salt and vanilla extract to the mixture.
Add chunks of butter to the bowl and continue to mix with the whisk attachment. It might look curdled or yellow at first, but that's normal. Keep mixing.
If the buttercream looks strange or curdled, take out about ⅓ cup of it, put it in the microwave for a few seconds until it's just barely melted, and then pour it back into the buttercream. This will help bring it together.
(Optional) If you want colored frosting, add a drop of food coloring now.
Keep mixing on high with the whisk attachment for 8-10 minutes until the buttercream becomes very white, light, and shiny.
Change to a paddle attachment and mix on low for 15-20 minutes to make the buttercream very smooth and remove air bubbles. This step is not necessary, but if you want really creamy frosting, it's worth doing.
