Silky smooth Swiss meringue buttercream is flavored with Baileys Irish Cream for a delicious frosting perfect on cakes, cupcakes, or even Guinness Brownies! This easy frosting is stable, not overly sweet, and easily made ahead of time.
If you have never had Swiss meringue buttercream you are in for a treat. American style buttercream is fine, but in my opinion, it is overly sweet, sometimes sickly sweet, not to mention it is made with powdered sugar/ icing sugar. I hate working with powdered sugar no matter what I do it seems to get everywhere, all over me, my counters, and the floor. Same goes for cocoa powder.
So using good old granulated/ caster sugar is one of the reasons I love Swiss meringue buttercream. The texture is also so luscious, and it pipes beautifully.
Another thing I love about Swiss Meringue Buttercream is how it holds its shape and is stable, it does not crust like American Buttercream though. If you live in a hot environment or its a very warm day then I suggest keeping your frosted treat in the fridge until 10 minutes before serving.
Ingredients Needed
- Large Egg Whites. at room temp.
- Granulated Sugar.
- Unsalted Butter. cubed, room temperature. - Your butter should be softened to room temperature. You do not want overly softened butter, butter that looks greasy is too soft. If your butter becomes too soft refrigerate it for 5-10 minutes.
- Baileys Irish Cream. adjust to your preference
How do you make Baileys Swiss Meringue Buttercream?
Start by making a Bain Marie - a small pot with a little water over low heat place a larger heatproof bowl on top making sure the bowl does not touch the water- the steam from the water will cook the mixture). I like to use my metal mixing bowl that attaches to my KitchenAid mixer.
Add the sugar and egg whites to the bowl and whisk until the mixture reaches about 150F/65C or the sugar has dissolved and the texture has slightly thickened and its foamy. If you rub the mixture between your fingers you should not feel the sugar granules. This should take about 3-5 minutes depending on how warm your stove is.
Add the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or to a large bowl with a handheld mixer, whisk on medium speed for 5-8 minutes until the mixture has cooled, it will look thick and glossy.
Next, add the butter chunks one at a time, the mixture may look curdled and you'll think you've ruined it, keep mixing and it will become a lush smooth texture. If the butter looks like is separating and looks greasy- it could be because its too warm so place the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes then start mixing again.
Once you have a smooth buttercream add the Baileys and mix again until fully incorporated.
Store frosting at room temperature.
Troubleshooting
My Swiss meringue buttercream looks curdled?
Most of the time when I make Swiss meringue buttercream it ends up looking curdled once I have added the butter, the magic is that you just keep whisking and all of a sudden it will turn into a luscious smooth frosting. If it doesn't turn into a smooth frosting and the mixture looks separated then your butter may have been too warm, place the whole bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes then whip again, you will have beautiful frosting.
If the fridge trick doesn't work for you then you can also try taking about 25% of the frosting microwaving it for 10-15 seconds then adding it back and mixing it again to help get it nice and fluffy.
Can you make Swiss meringue buttercream ahead of time?
Totally, you can make the buttercream as stated in the recipe then store in an air-tight container in the fridge. When you want to use it take it out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature on the counter then re-whip the buttercream until smooth again.
You can also freeze the frosting and let it thaw in the fridge overnight then let it sit on the counter as it comes to room temperature then re-whip.
I also will sometimes make the frosting the night before I am going to use it and leave it on the counter overnight. If it is during the hot summer months I will not do this.
Do you love to bake with Baileys? Try these
★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!
Make sure to join our Newsletter and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook, & Twitter.
PrintRecipe Card
Baileys Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Silky smooth Swiss meringue buttercream is flavored with Baileys Irish Cream for a delicious frosting perfect on cakes, cupcakes, or even Guinness Brownies! This easy frosting is stable, not overly sweet, and easily made ahead of time.
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: Frosting for 2 Layer 8-inch Cake 1x
Ingredients
- 6 Large Egg Whites, at room temp.
- 225 grams (1 Cup + 2 Tablespoons) Granulated Sugar
- 15oz (1 ½ Cups + 6 Tablespoons) Unsalted Butter cubed, room temperature
- 6-10 Tablespoons Baileys Irish Cream, adjust to your preference
Instructions
- Create a Bain Marie (a small pot with a little water over low heat place a larger heatproof bowl on top making sure the bowl does not touch the water- the steam from the water will cook the mixture) Add the sugar and egg whites to the bowl and whisk until the mixture reaches about 150F/65C or the sugar has dissolved and the texture has slightly thickened and its foamy. If you rub the mixture between your fingers you should not feel the sugar granules. This should take about 3-5 minutes depending on how warm your stove is.
- Add the mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or to a large bowl with a handheld mixer, whisk on medium speed for 5-8 minutes until the mixture has cooled, it will look thick and glossy.
- Next, add the butter chunks one at a time, the mixture may look curdled and you'll think you've ruined it, keep mixing and it will become a lush smooth texture. If the butter looks like is separating and looks greasy- it could be because its too warm so place the bowl in the fridge for 10-15 minutes then start mixing again.
- Once you have a smooth buttercream add the Baileys and mix again until fully incorporated.
- Store frosting at room temperature.
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 5
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
Jenny Halstead says
Oh my gosh!!! Can i put this frosting on everything?? I could probably eat this by the spoonful if i wanted to. It’s not too sweet and it’s texture is perfect. Extra baileys for me please!
Elizabeth says
LOL yes extra Baileys always!! Glad you enjoyed this recipe!!
Adah Layton says
Very fluffy and creamy! My first time trying Swiss meringue buttercream and it was sooo good! Thanks!
Elizabeth Waterson says
I agree Adah so fluffy!! Thanks for coming back to let me know, appreciate it so much!! XX Liz
Lena says
Really good!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much Lena!! XX Liz
Durina says
What did I do wrong.
It never got fluffy I put it in the fridge for a while and still so runny so much ingredients gone to waste. Help
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Durina, I am so sorry you are having trouble with the recipe. Does the frosting look curdled? Was the butter really soft, if so that could have caused it and you would need to really let it chill for the fridge for like 30 minutes? Also, you really need to whip the frosting, I turn my mixer on and wash some dishes while it whips. The frosting thickens when it has time to whip, a lot longer than a typical American buttercream. If you want to DM me on Instagram- Confessions of a Baking Queen and send photos I am happy to try and help you further. Let me know what else I can do. XX Liz
April Montes says
A lot of people consider me an excellent baker. I followed the directions and it turned out great. I followed the suggestion of putting it in the fridge and bringing back to room temperature. I whipped it up and it started to curdle and get very watery. I chilled and mixed the crap out of it and it will not bind. I will not be making this recipe again because it is a waste of ingredients. I gave it two stars because it is a good recipe only IF you use it right away after making.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi April, I am so sorry you did not have success with the recipe. I have chilled the frosting for a few days a couple different of times and had success. I am so sorry that your ingredients and time were wasted. XX Liz
Hira says
Can we add any flavour instead of Baileys?
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Hira, not sure what you want to swap it out for, if you were going to swap it out for another liqueur I would use less as Baileys is already so creamy it blends in nicely without watering the frosting down. Let me know if I can help with anything else. XX Liz
Isabel says
I've been in an online pastry program this past year and one of the formulas (their word for recipes) that was disappointing was their Swiss Buttercream. The consensus of my classmates and I was that it was way too buttery (but not as buttery as the Italian Buttercream). Honestly, I swore I'd never make it again. When our final assignment in our cake unit forced us to make either a Swiss or an Italian again, I went with Swiss but decided to look around for better ratios of egg whites to butter. That's when I found this recipe!!
Your directions are thorough and well appreciated and everything went as stated. Minor tweaks were that since I used pasteurized eggs, it wasn't necessary to take the temperature in the Bain Marie all the way to 150F (120F was good). [If you are using unpasteurized eggs, 150F is a good idea (my school even says 170F).] The other thing to note: Use a probe thermometer to make sure your meringue is cool enough before adding the butter (90F is what I shoot for). This meant it took ten minutes on medium speed to get there for me. It would take longer if your meringue was brought up to 150-170F. Touching the bottom of your mixer bowl (outside), is another way to see if it's cooled. There should be no heat left.
I split the buttercream and added Bailey's Irish Cream to one half and Kahlua to the other and both whipped back up well (8 T to each).
Thanks for a delicious variation and for a buttercream that doesn't feel like you're just eating butter!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Thank you so much for this detailed and lovely review, Isabel. I appreciate it more than you know. I can't wait to try a Kahlua version that sounds divine!!
Jasmine says
Amazing recipe! I LOVE it! Just whipped up a batch for a wedding assortment of cupcakes, pairs perfectly with your baileys cupcake recipe. I'm impressed! TY so much for sharing this recipe.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Aww thank you so much for coming back to rate and review the recipe Jasmine. It truly helps me so much, thank you!! The frosting is so delicious, not too sweet which I love!! So glad you enjoyed it too! XX Liz
Bonnie says
The instructions are really well written. I have ruined Swiss meringue buttercream before. The cooling of the eggs and sugar are critical. Point taken. The room temp butter has to be on point too. It's about 67 and soft. Whips up nicely. Take your time adding the butter on med. Works great! Thank you!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Bonnie, thank you so much for coming back to review and rate the recipe, I truly appreciate it!!! I appreciate you noting how the instructions were so helpful! Patience is key with SMB! Take care. XX Liz
Sue says
SOOOOOOOOO good!!
Shannon says
It just did not come together. Whipped it on high for 30+ minutes, put in fridge, whipped again for 30+ minutes- it stayed curdled. Had to throw it out.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Shannon, I am so sorry you had an issue. With SMB if it's curdled usually sticking it in the fridge works great for me. You can also try taking about 25% of the frosting microwaving it for 10-15 seconds then adding it back and mixing it again o help get it nice and fluffy. I know how upsetting it can be to waste your time and food, I am sorry that happened to you. Please reach out with any questions I would love to help! XX Liz
Ashley says
This is the first time I’ve ever made Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and I like this much more than regular (American) buttercream! Lighter, smoother, and not sickly sweet.
I do have a question: How can I make it so it has a bit more structure (so it won’t get too soft on a warm day)? My house was about 78 degrees and I was worried the frosting would kind of melt if I let it sit. So I frosted the cake right away (sponge was already cool) and put the whole thing in the fridge until time to serve. Fingers crossed it will be okay later when I serve it at room temp.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Ashley, thanks for reaching out. I do agree this is so much nicer than AB! The egg whites will help this have more structure and stand up better than an American buttercream would in the heat. But ultimately in a warm environment frostings will slip and slide. I often keep cakes in the refrigerator and then take it out about 30 minuets to an hour before serving, so it has time to come to room temperature. I hope that helps, please let me know if you have any questions!! Take care. XX Liz
FRAN cimino says
can i make the frosting without baileys? made it for st patrick's day with your cupcakes and everyone raved!
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Fran, so happy to hear you enjoyed it!! I have a plain recipe for Swiss meringue buttercream recipe that will be better as it's formulated without the Baileys. Please let me know if you have any question or if you try it! XX Liz
Cara says
This is one of the BEST frostings I have ever tasted. So smooth, lots of butter. It’s makes so much frosting and holds up fantastic!!
5/5. 10/10.
Elizabeth Waterson says
Hi Cara, thank you for the lovely review so glad you enjoyed this buttercream!!