This is HEAVEN. Not even joking. When I first tried it I thought “THIS is what I always wished the inside of a twinkie tasted like!” It’s light and fluffy- people ask me if there’s whipped cream in it. It pipes out beautifully too- the butter makes it so silky.
The nice thing about swiss meringue is that it’s not too sweet so it’s the perfect pairing with everything- fresh strawberries, caramel, really anything. This is the recipe that made me think I should start a cupcake business!
Combine 9 egg whites with 3 cups sugar and a couple shakes of salt in a mixing bowl- place over a pan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture is warm (not hot) and the sugar is dissolved, it should feel completely smooth when you rub it between your fingers.
Place bowl on mixing stand and with wisk attachment whip until stiff peaks form like the first photo. With the mixer on low speed start adding 3 cups (6 cubes) of softened butter a few TBLs at a time. If the butter is not soft enough the mixture will become soupy- you can fix it by holding ice to the bottom of the bowl while mixing, it will regain its shape and look like this:
Try it!! Its texture is the silkiest. To make it a little richer add 1 tsp vanilla and 1 cup of melted chocolate chips- white or semi sweet- whip the buttercream on low as you pour it in. This takes it to another level!!