Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Pillow-like soft vanilla frosting typically seen on wedding cakes. Less sweet than traditional American buttercream, this frosting is my favorite and tastes a bit like marshmallows and vanilla ice cream!
Servings: 1 half sheet cake worth of frosting
Ingredients
- 4 large egg whites at room temperature
- 1 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 2 1/2 sticks Butter at room temperature
- 1 1/4 tsp Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a stainless steel or glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, add egg whites and sugar. Whisk until mixture reaches 160 degrees.
- Whip warm egg white and sugar mixture until completely cooled, about 10 minutes. The mixture will be stiff like marshmallow cream.
- Add butter, one tablespoon at a time while mixer is on high. Mix until each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Add vanilla. If frosting is somewhat loose at this point (likely wasn't all the way cool when you added the butter) chill in the refrigerator for 15 or 20 minutes to firm up before spreading.
- Spread over cooled cake. Decorate as desired. Keep this cake in a cool place (room temperature is fine), as the frosting is a bit delicate. *Don't make this for a 4th of July cake that will sit in the sun.
Notes
Bake the cake in a half sheet pan at 400 degrees for 15-17 minutes.
Hershey's Black Magic Cake recipe may be found on the Hershey's cocoa box or at the link above.