A step-by-step Italian Meringue Buttercream tutorial! It is the smoothest and creamiest of all the buttercreams! You will love it on cakes, cupcakes and more! Plus it's easier than you think!
In culinary school we made 5 different types of buttercream, but Italian Meringue Buttecream is my favorite! It has a lighter texture and taste than Swiss Meringue and German; it doesn’t taste like pure butter like French Buttercream; and it isn’t saccharine, tooth-achingly sweet like an American Buttercream.
Over the past 2 months, I’ve made this buttercream a lot.
A lot. I dream about cutting a cake in three perfect layers and then frosting it.
And not in a good way. It’s more of a nightmare really.
Italian meringue buttercream (IMB) seems complicated at first; it’s definitely the most sophisticated of its peers. Simply put, it is made by whipping egg whites to stiff peaks while simultaneously cooking sugar to the soft ball stage; you then slowly pour the sugar into the whipping egg whites; and, finally, add butter.
A whole lotta butter.
They don’t call it buttercream for nothin’.
I love this frosting because it is light and airy but simultaneously rich and creamy. It is also magically stable and will keep for months in the freezer! So stable, in fact, if you think you totally messed it up, take heart, it’s probably totally fixable!
I actually think IMB is easier than Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
One of these days I’ll shoot a video tutorial for you on IMB and also Swiss Meringue, because they are really not as complicated as they seem. For now, I shot a step-by-step photo tutorial, which is kind of a big deal. I’ve never done that before!
One small step for IMB; one giant leap for AHC!!
This is another batch of IMB that I made. Mmmm chocolate. If you follow me on Instagram, you probably saw the cake that it frosted. My very first cake order!
So let’s not pretend like what I did with this fluffy frosting is a surprise. Mmmkay?
Y’all know me by now.
I made cupcakes. #obvi
Coming soon! 🙂
Click Here to Skip to the Picture Tutorial!
Click Here to Skip to the Printable Recipe!
A Few General Tips for IMB Success:
- There is no rule that you have to whip the egg whites on high while you cook your sugar, so if they have reached stiff peaks and your sugar syrup is stubbornly stuck at 220˚F (been there), just turn down the mixer to low. Don’t stop that mixer! I didn’t say that! I said LOW.
- Pour your sugar syrup in with the mixer on HIGH. Do you want scrambled eggs on your cupcakes? I didn’t think so. Turn that mixer up!
- Pour the sugar down the side of the bowl. Don’t hit the whisk because I don't need to tell you that 235˚ syrup in the face is unpleasant. Don’t be that person. You will know if you did it right because there will be one little lava trail of cooled sugar down one side of the bowl.
- This sounds obvious and it's in the instructions, but I’m going to say it anyways: cook your sugar to 235˚F. Soft ball syrup is a range but if you shoot for 235˚F, then by the time you get from the stove to the mixer and the syrup has inched up a few degrees, no love has been lost. You will know if you overcook your sugar because there will be a pool of cooked sugar in the bottom of your mixer. No bueno.
- When you start adding your butter, you want it to be soft but still a little cool. If it’s not totally soft enough, add it a little bit at a time and squeeze each piece before tossing it in. That’s right, squeeze your butter! It’s kinda fun. And kinda gross at the same time.
- If your buttercream gets soupy, switch from the paddle back to the whisk and beat it on high. All is not lost. Trust me. Whip it; whip it good. {Is that song in your head now? #sorryimnotsorry}
- If your buttercream breaks (looks curdled) when you start adding the butter, take heart, it will come together. Add the butter in little pieces and squeeze each one to soften it. If you have a kitchen torch you can torch the outside of the bowl with the mixer on high, but keep the torch moving! You want to warm the bowl not melt the buttercream.
- To refresh refrigerated buttercream: Throw it in the mixer and beat with the paddle attachment until smooth; then switch to the whisk to whip it up until light and fluffy.
- To refresh frozen buttercream: Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, let warm slightly at room temperature and then proceed with the refreshing refrigerated buttercream instructions above.
- You can speed up the refreshing process by warming the bowl over a gas stovetop flame or with the kitchen torch. Just be careful to constantly move the bowl or torch because you don’t want to melt your buttercream.
Italian Meringue Buttercream Tutorial:
You want to make sure that you have everything measured out and ready to go. This recipe is simple but it does require seamless execution. You also want to make sure that your mixing bowl is clean and free of any residual fat, or your meringue will not whip up and there will be sadness abound.
Mix half of the sugar with the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir just until the sugar dissolves. When the pan heats up, brush around the sides of the pot with a clean pastry brush dipped in water to dissolve any sugar crystals adhered to the sides of the pot. You can also use a paper towel that you roll up (I did because I forgot my brush at school.)
When your sugar starts to bubble begin whipping your egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. You can add a pinch of salt and/or cream of tartar for stability if you wish. When your eggs begin to look frothy, slowly begin adding the second half of your sugar, whipping constantly on medium-high (above picture).
Continue whipping your egg whites until they form stiff peaks (photo 1 above). Ideally your meringue should reach stiff peaks at the same time that your sugar syrup reaches 235˚F. If your egg whites are whipping too fast, reduce the mixer speed to medium. You can also adjust the heat on the sugar syrup to make it cook faster or slower.
To test your syrup you can either use a candy thermometer or you can do it the old-fashioned way, which is what I did here. Take a tiny bit of the syrup on a spoon and dip it into ice water, reach in and grab the sugar. If it dissolves, it isn’t close to ready; if it forms a little malleable ball, it’s ready!! I don’t have a photo of this stage because if I had taken the time to snap a photo, my sugar would have over cooked.
Turn your mixer up to high and SLOWLY pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl as in photo 2 above. Be very careful not to hit the whisk. Ideally you pour it in one solid stream down the edge because it will solidify where it hits the bowl, so if you pour it in three different places, you will be losing sugar. Sadness.
If you look closely at the above photo you can see where my sugar hit the side of the bowl. One little stream. No excess sugar lost. Go ahead, take a closer look...This is what perfection looks like. 😉
Keep whipping the Italian meringue on high until it forms stiff peaks like in the first photo below, but what is more important than the stiffness of the meringue is the temperature of the meringue. Before you begin adding the butter, the bottom of the bowl should feel barely warm (picture 2). There is so much sugar in this meringue that it will not over whip before it cools appropriately. Even though my meringue had reached stiff peaks in photo 1, I still needed to whip it another few minutes for it too cool.
When the bowl feels just slightly warm, switch to the paddle attachment and begin adding your butter a piece at a time like in picture 3. I take my butter out of the fridge when I begin measuring my ingredients. Before adding each piece squeeze the butter. When I am making this (and not taking photos) I use disposable gloves.
Continue to beat the butter in on medium-high until the buttercream is smooth and there are no remaining pieces of butter. The buttercream in photo 1 above is still a bit lumpy. Not there yet!!! Photo 2 is smooth and creamy. At this stage I switch back to the whisk, add any desired flavorings and beat it until it is light and fluffy. You are now ready to frost!
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Ingredients
- 2 cups sugar (divided)
- ⅔ cup water
- 5 large egg whites
- pinch salt (optional)
- pinch cream of tartar (optional)
- 2 cups butter (cubed (4 sticks or 1 pound), cool but not cold)
Instructions
- You want to make sure that you have everything measured out and ready to go. This recipe is simple but it does require seamless execution. You also want to make sure that your mixing bowl is clean and free of any residual fat, or your meringue will not whip up and there will be sadness abound.
- Mix half of the sugar with the water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stir just until the sugar dissolves. When the pan heats up, brush around the sides of the pot with a clean pastry brush dipped in water to dissolve any sugar crystals adhered to the sides of the pot. You can also use a paper towel that you roll up (I did because I forgot my brush at school.)
- When your sugar starts to bubble begin whipping your egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. You can add a pinch of salt and/or cream of tartar for stability if you wish. I only used salt in the photos you see. When your eggs begin to look frothy, slowly begin adding your sugar, whipping constantly on medium-high.
- Continue whipping your egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Ideally your meringue should reach stiff peaks at the same time that your sugar syrup reaches 235˚F. If your egg whites are whipping too fast, reduce the mixer speed to medium. You can also adjust the heat on the sugar syrup to make it cook faster or slower.
- To test your syrup you can either use a candy thermometer or you can do it the old-fashioned way, which is what I did here. Take a tiny bit of the syrup on a spoon and dip it into ice water, reach in and grab the sugar. If it dissolves, it isn’t close to ready; if it forms a little malleable ball, it’s ready!!
- Turn your mixer up to high and SLOWLY pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl. Be very careful not to hit the whisk. Ideally you should pour it in one solid stream down the edge because it will solidify where it hits the bowl, so if you pour it in three different places, you will be losing sugar. Sadness.
- Keep whipping the Italian meringue on high until it forms stiff, but what is more important than the stiffness of the meringue is the temperature of the meringue. Before you begin adding the butter, the bottom of the bowl should feel barely warm.
- When the bowl feels just slightly warm, switch to the paddle attachment and begin adding your butter a piece at a time. I take my butter out of the fridge when I begin measuring my ingredients. Before adding each piece squeeze the butter.
- Continue to beat the butter in on medium-high until the buttercream is smooth and there are no remaining pieces of butter. At this stage I switch back to the whisk and beat it until it is light and fluffy. Pipe or spread as desired!!
Video Instructions
Notes
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Excellent recipe and excellent tutorial . At first it was a little loose but I continued to whip it all came together for a nice thick frosting. This will definitely be my go to recipe!!
That is wonderful to hear! Happy baking!
Top ,.. top top ... post! Keep the good work on !
Thank you!
I have been so afraid to try and make Italian Meringue Buttercream, but your tutorial makes it seem not so hard. I am going to try it. I have one question: I am still learning about all the different buttercreams and their characteristics, so is this Italian Meringue Buttercream as glossy as Swiss Meringue Buttercream? Thanks.
Hi Rachel! Don't be afraid! You've got this! Italian Meringue Buttercream has a lot of the same characteristics as Swiss Meringue Buttercream because they both employ meringues. It is that meringue that creates that glossy finish and adds the stabilization and smooth, creamy, not-to-sweet texture and taste. If you've made Swiss Meringue then you're already half way to Italian Meringue. Happy baking!
I am a hobby baker, making a 3-tiered wedding cake (14, 10, and 7 inch with 2 layers each) and have a few questions.
--About how many cups of icing does one recipe make?
--I need to frost the cake on Friday and take it to the reception place to stay until the reception on Saturday evening. I don't think there is a refrigerator large enough to put it in. (I am in Europe.) Will this icing be okay on a frosted cake for that amount of time? I plan to use pasteurized egg whites. It is November, so shouldn't be too warm (unless the venue is turning up the furnace.)
--Finally, I want to put cake lace on it. Will this frosting be too soft or moist for the cake lace to stay in place? Will it melt the cake lace?
Hi Beth! That is quite the undertaking! This recipe makes about 2 1/2 quarts of buttercream, which will frost a 6 inch cake with no filling. If the cake has a filling and you are only using it for a dam and the outside, then it will frost up to a 10 inch cake.
This will hold on a cake for up to 7 days. I suggest freezing it for transport and stability but you don't have to.
You can put whatever decor you would like on it. It only gets moist if it starts to "sweat" from humidity and getting warm out of the fridge. I've never worked with cake lace but I am sure it will be fine.
Good luck!
I'm sure this goes with out saying but don't forget to add straws or rods for support of the next tier!
Hey Lindsey- Can this recipe be doubled or should I make two separate batches?
Thanks for the great recipe!
Hi Paula! It can absolutely be doubled! It really is more about your mixer capacity. Happy baking
WOW. This recipe is incredible. Not a sweet person here, but needed to frost a birthday cake and decided to be ambitious. (I have made american buttercream before but not this). THIS STUFF IS SOOO GOOD. And it was EASY. Your descriptions and explanations were perfect. Totally my new go-to for any and all decorating. Thank you so much for this!
Thank you, Jak!!You are so welcome! I'm so glad you liked my recipe and found my instructions useful! This is the perfect buttercream recipe for those who don't like super sweet desserts
A recipe that I've used in the past for IMBC has called for 8 egg whites, and 1.75 cups of sugar (dissolved in 1/2 cup of water, no sugar added to the egg whites). It calls for 4 sticks of butter, the same as your recipe does. This has been a bit too thin for my liking, and tasted mostly like butter, very small taste of sweet at all. I know it's not supposed to be nearly as sweet as AMC, but would like something somewhere in between, which is why I chose IMBC over SMBC. I'm not sure if this recipe would be thicker/thinner and/or sweeter/less sweet than my recipe I've been using is. I don't know if it would be possible to add a bit more sugar to either the syrup or the whites. Also curious if adding more or less butter makes it thicker/thinner and/or sweeter/less sweet. Curious to hear your input!
Hi Brock! Great question! The easiest way to look at the difference between the recipes would be comparing the weights of the different ingredients. So your recipe has more eggs and a little less sugar. Mine will, therefore, be a bit sweeter and it could be the eggs that are making the buttercream runnier. It could also be the water mixed with the sugar. Be sure to use just enough to wet the sugar. The only way to find out is to give it a go! I know this one isn't runny but it is also only moderately sweet. There is no reason you couldn't add a bit more sugar to the recipe. I would add it to the sugar syrup. Happy baking!
Hello! I have a question, I live in Puerto Rico and the weather is very warm. Does it work for hot climates? does it melt?
Hi! All buttercream will eventually melt especially if it is hot and humid. This and the swiss meringue are the most stable of the less sweet buttercreams, but if you don't have access to a good refrigerator and temperature controlled workspace, you might need to use an American Buttercream. The sugar makes that more stable. I do use IMB in the summer in a hot and humid prep kitchen but it is a pain and you have to work fast and go in and out of a commercial refrigerator. Happy baking!
Is there anyway to make a cream cheese Italian meringue buttercream with this recipe?
Hi Marlene, you can add the cream cheese in at the very end when the butter cream comes together. I wouldn't add much more than 200g but start with 50g and then increase until you get the flavor you want! Enjoy!
Hi, this is my first visit to your site. Thank you so much for the detailed, descriptive instructions and beautiful step-by-step photos, plus the video! I am excited to try this French meringue buttercream very soon.
My question is this: Would it be possible to make a large quantity of this butter cream as a sort of 'base', freeze it in portions and then add flavoring to each individual portion when it is defrosted and re-whipped for use? I'm a home baker doing fairly small projects for small family gatherings and with my granddaughter, and it would be handy to have this ready to go, although I would like to be able to make decisions about flavorings for each individual bake as needed.
Thanks!
Hi Lisa! Welcome! You can absolutely make large quantities of this buttercream and freeze it unflavored. I do this at the restaurant where I am the pastry chef. I usually store it in the refrigerator for up to a month but you can absolutely freeze it. This frosting is perfect for what you are talking about. Just make sure your mixer can handle the batch! You don't want to end up with a hot sugar syrup situation! Happy baking!
Came out soupy. I tried what you recommended on beating it on high with whisk....no luck. Anything else I can do? Also, if it’s soupy now will it be good to use on a cake? Just disappointed.
If you read the whole thing you will see I also suggest chilling it and then mixing it on medium with the paddle. If it is soupy, it is because the butter is too soft or the meringue was too warm when you added it. Not the end of the world, but it does take patience. Just chill it. It will appear to break and will look curdled but then it will warm up and come together.
I made this Italian merangue buttercream exactly how you said to but mine is runny and sloppy, and I followed the recipe exactly, I’m not sure what I have done wrong?
Hi Evie, it got too warm. Just pop the whole bowl in the fridge and then beat it with the paddle until it comes together. I address this in more detail in the post and in my youtube video
I’ve made this before and it’s awesome. I need to make 4 batches, what is the best method to do that? 4 separate batches or 2 double? I don’t think my mixer could handle 4 batches.
Hi !
I love the meringue came out perfect! But once I added the butter it just all went down and I cannot bring it back. I did everything step by step. What did you think went wrong?
Hi Mariela, That's what happens when you add the butter, it deflates the meringue because of the fat. Just follow the rest of my instructions and keep mixing with the paddle until it comes together, then switch to the whisk and whip it up. It will never be as fluffy as the meringue because of the butter. Thats totally normal.
I want to try this for my son’s Birthday cake next weekend under fondant. But I need to make it dairy free. Earth balance has dairy and soy free “butter” sticks. do you think that would work? Or coconut oil? I usually sub a mix of those 2 in everything else I use but wasn’t sure about this.
I want to try this for my son’s Birthday cake next weekend under fondant. Sounds But I need to make it dairy free. Earth balance has dairy and soy free “butter” sticks. do you think that would work? Or coconut oil? I usually sub a mix of those 2 in everything else I use but wasn’t sure about this.
I want to try this for my son’s Birthday cake next weekend under fondant. Sounds like it should work. But I need to make it dairy free. Earth balance has dairy and soy free “butter” sticks. do you think that would work? Or coconut oil? I usually sub a mix of those 2 in everything else I use but wasn’t sure about this.
Hi Leslie, This is the perfect frosting for under fondant. I have never attempted to make it dairy free. From the options you give, I would think "butter" sticks would be your best substitute. I worry coconut oil would break the meringue or it wouldn't be as stable and it wouldn't give you the base you need for fondant. Happy Baking!
You could always do a basic American buttercream under the fondant. You can use Earth Balance in place of butter - equal parts butter (“butter”) to Crisco, and then powdered sugar to equal that total. Example: 1 lb butter, 1 lb Crisco, 2 pounds powdered sugar.