I’ve had many questions about Italian buttercream so I made a step by step video! Scroll down to check it out. You can also watch my make it in my strawberry cake video. Just skip to the 2:45 mark. Did you know Italian meringue (same recipe without the butter) is incredible on tarts and baked Alaska!
**Note: it’s important to use room temperature egg whites and butter. Monitor the temperature of your sugar syrup — add your pieces of butter slowly — and let your buttercream sit. You’ll need to give it a quick whip to bring it back to life. I know it’s a bit finicky BUT this buttercream adds a silky, not too sweet, touch to your cakes. It also pipes beautifully!
Want some tips on how to use this buttercream when decorating a cake? Check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.
If you don’t have Cream of Tartar
- Cream of tartar is added to help stiffen the egg whites. It’s an acid so if you can’t get your hands on it sub in an equal amount of white vinegar or lemon juice. I’ve made it without and the recipe turned out fine by the way.
How your meringue should look before adding butter
- After adding in the 240F sugar syrup your meringue will look very silky, white and it will feel marshmallowy, and not warm when you touch it. As soon as you add the butter in the consistency will change and it will deflate a bit. Don’t worry, that’s fine! Just keep adding all of the butter in and whip. If it’s still soupy you can pop it in the fridge or freeze to cool down a bit maybe 10 minutes, then keep whipping and it should be fine!
- I love flavoring my buttercreams with a high-quality vanilla extract, but there are so many more flavors to choose from. Orange blossom water, rose water, fruit reductions (make sure they’re strained and cooled before adding), and of course chocolate (melted and cooled).
My brown butter orchid cake is decorated completely with Italian meringue buttercream. You might not be able to taste how good it is but I hope you can see the smoothness and detail possible with this frosting.
Common Problems: If your buttercream is “soupy,” just pop it into the fridge for a couple of minutes, then beat it. It should thicken up. I find consistency problems arise mostly from the meringue being too warm when the butter is added. Chilling it will help improve the consistency.
If you’re adding flavorings (i.e. chocolate, fruit, etc). to your Italian buttercream, I suggest doing this as the very last step.
Storage:If you’re not using your buttercream IMMEDIATELY — and it will be sitting for a few minutes — then just keep in mind that you will have to give it a short whip to “bring it back to life” as it loses its consistency quickly. If you want to make the buttercream ahead of time, it can be refrigerated for a few days. Once you’re ready to use it, allow it come to room temperature and give it a short “whip.” For those people that are used to regular buttercream: Italian buttercream is LESS SWEET and more BUTTERY! You can always add MORE SUGAR SYRUP to your meringue to sweeten it a bit further.
Steps to Make Italian Meringue Buttercream
1. In a medium saucepan add 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water, then place on medium-low heat.
2. Stir until sugar melts and becomes clear. Use a kitchen thermometer to maintain a medium-high heat.
3. Separate room temperature egg whites into a stand mixer. Beat the egg whites.
4. Add a pinch of salt.
5. Add in the cream of tartar
6. Add the remaining sugar.
7. Beat until the soft peak stage.
8. When the temperature reads 235F-240F, drizzle the sugar mixture into the mixer immediately. Run the mixer until meringue is cool/tepid.
9. Switch to a paddle attachment. Add room temperature butter into running mixer one tablespoon piece at a time.
10. Add vanilla or any other flavors. Beat until butter is combined and mixture has reached a silky consistency.
11. Transfer the buttercream to multiple bowls.
12. Add a drop of food coloring to each and mix until a desired gradient is reached.
If you’ve tried this frosting then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
How to make Italian Buttercream
This creamy, silky buttercream is perfect for decorating cakes and beyond delicious! It's easier to make than you think and might just become your go to frosting!
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
- 4 egg whites large
- 1 1/3 cups sugar 267g
- Pinch kosher salt optional
- 16 ounces unsalted butter 454g, room temperature cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract optional, 4.9mL
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar .84g
- 1/3 cup water 79mL
Instructions
INSTRUCTIONS
Beat the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar, slowly add in 1/3 cup of sugar and continue beating until soft peaks form.
In a medium saucepan add the remaining sugar and 1/3 cup water then place on medium-low heat.
Stir until sugar melts and becomes clear.
Maintain at medium-high heat until temperature reads 235-240F.
Drizzle the sugar into the mixer immediately.
Run mixer until meringue is cool/tepid.
Switch to a paddle attachment. Add room temperature butter into running mixer one tablespoon piece at a time.
Add the salt and vanilla if using
Beat until butter is combined and mixture has reached a silky consistency.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
Common Problems: If your buttercream is "soupy," just pop it into the fridge for a couple of minutes, then beat it. It should thicken up. I find consistency problems arise mostly from the meringue being too warm when the butter is added. Chilling it will help improve the consistency.
If you're adding flavorings (i.e. chocolate, fruit, etc). to your Italian buttercream, I suggest doing this as the very last step.
Storage:If you're not using your buttercream IMMEDIATELY -- and it will be sitting for a few minutes -- then just keep in mind that you will have to give it a short whip to "bring it back to life" as it loses its consistency quickly. If you want to make the buttercream ahead of time, it can be refrigerated for a few days. Once you're ready to use it, allow it come to room temperature and give it a short "whip." For those people that are used to regular buttercream: Italian buttercream is LESS SWEET and more BUTTERY! You can always add MORE SUGAR SYRUP to your meringue to sweeten it a bit further.
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Hey John,
This recipe turned out so great, thank you! It was easy to follow all of the instructions you gave. I was a little worried after the third stick of butter but I kept adding and you were right, it was perfect after the fourth stick. I was wondering, would it be possible to turn this into a chocolate IMBC? Adding either cocoa powder or melted bakers chocolate at some point?
Hey Alex
You can use melted and COOLED semi sweet chocolate! You can also sub for dark, milk or white chocolate. Just mix it in after the buttercream is made. 🙂
Best,
John
How would flavoring the syrup work? Do you think I can just add herbs/spices to the syrup to subtly flavor the buttercream without artificial extracts? I’m thinking for example adding melting instant coffee in it for espresso buttercream?
How do you think flavoring the syrup would work to achieve a subtle, natural flavor? Say I simmer herbs/spices/coffee beans in the syrup before drizzling it in the meringue to avoid having to use extracts. Do you think that would work?
Thank you! I have tried multiple Italian buttercream recipes, but yours is the best!
Hey Chrissy,
That’s very kind of you to say! I’m happy you like it!!
Best,
John
I’d love to try this recipe, can you advice if its enough to ice and pipe rosettes on an 7inch cake.
Thank you
I would double the recipe for that. you might have some extra but it can be stored in fridge for later.
Got it off of the YouTube channel and so glad I did. Thank you. Would not have attempted this sort of a recipe without preppy kitchen.
Hey Mandy,
I’m glad to hear that!! How delicious is this buttercream? LOL
Best,
John
Hi John.
Have you ever frozen this buttercream? How did it turn out at defrosting?
Thanks!
Lets just say…If i could give this 10 star i certainly would!!!! Before this, I hated butter cream frosting because i though it was far too sweet and i just could not take that buttery icky feeling on the roof of my mouth. I now realize its because i would always get the American Butter cream. This recipe makes a light, not too sweet, heavenly butter cream!!!! It was an absolute hit and Thanksgiving dinner. I had to leave a review and I usually don’t; but this was just that good! 🙂 :)…Thank you so much for your amazing recipes!!!
Beautiful, soft, silky buttercream. Thank you it’s perfect!!
Is italian buttercream good for cake with long commute?
Hey Elizabeth,
It should be fine, as long as you find a way to keep it cool or prevent it from sitting in the heat.
Best,
John
How you get the buttercream so wgite? The butter makes it always yellow.
Hi Yorki,
Use cheaper butter that is not so yellow! Also, if you whip the butter for longer, it gets whiter.
Best,
John
I honestly can’t believe how good the buttercream came out. So incredibly delicious! Thank you for sharing this with us.
Thanks so much!!
Oh my goodness!!!! I have heard horror stories of naking IMBC so I avoided making and just stuck with American Buttercream. I watched your video and tried with confidence, because if you. It is my absolute new favorite frosting for real!! Frosting the cake with it was a dream! I make a 3 tiered cake with 3 batches of your recipe and had a little to spare. Amazing, thank you so much for your help!!!
YAY!!!!! So happy you tried it out!!
This is just hmmmmm
Easy to make en silky texture. I wrote the recipy immediatly in my cookbook 😂😎 thanx for sharing your recipes whit us. Keep going on😚
SO happy you enjoyed!
Hi John, im planning gonna make this in few days. My question is can i assemble the frosting on a cake the day before the D day?. And how do I storage the cake if so?.. Before I forgot, counting on your advise, which is better between putting a fresh raspberry and mix it the frosting or make a fresh jam raspberry and mix it to the frosting?.
I would mix the (strained) jam in and you can totally assemble a day ahead. Just let it come to room temp first.
Hi John,
I want to try make this buttercream for my husband’s 40th.
Throwing him a surprise party! Can I make this butter cream a day or 2 in advance and store it in the fridge?
Sanna
Yes! just let it come to room temp and whip before using!
I was nervous about making this because every time I try to add the sugar syrup to something in my mixer, it ends up in a hardened clump on the bottom. But I watched the video and did it just like you, and it worked perfectly! It was a glorious, shiny, silky buttercream. But I wasn’t using it until the next day, so I refrigerated it. Next day, I let it warm up, then tried whipping it, but that texture was gone. Waahhh! I tried repeatedly to whip it back into shape, then tried piping with it, but it was dripping from the bag because it seemed to have separated and nothing I did could remedy it. I was very bummed because I liked the taste, much less sweet (in a good way). I will try it again and use it immediately. But…..what could have happened to my buttercream that made it (and me) weep?
I also encountered the same problem. But I’ve found a solution! Put 1/2 batch into a microwave to WARM it up, then mix with the cold batch in a stand mixer and use a beater to beat it up. If the texture is still like a curd cheese, put 1/3 of the batch into a microwave to warm it up again and then beat again with the whole batch.
I’ve tried, it works!
Thank you so much, Ellen! I will definitely try this next time. Can you estimate how long in the microwave? I’m concerned about overdoing it.
Also, I just happened upon this information today….any trace of fat/grease in the pastry bag will break down a meringue frosting, and I believe this contributed to the weeping I had with mine. I used my re-usable bag rather than a disposable new one. I’ll know better next time!
The weeping is mainly caused by split of IMBC. I think if the fat/grease left in the reusable bag is not butter or cream, it may cause problems.
Thanks again, Ellen. You are absolutely right, and this occurred to me in the middle of the night (when a lot of thinking seems to go on). It makes no sense that fat would cause the problem since there is already a pound of butter in there. The tidbit I read had to do with meringues without fat, so forget I said that! Also, thanks for the microwave tips, I think I’ve got it!
It’s hard to tell the time cause microwave ovens have different heat power setting, some are adjustable, some just aren’t. So, the safer way is to try 30 secs for the first batch and then add 10 or 20sec each time in order to make the cold cream come to room temperature and become spreadable. Then use this batch of “WARM’ cream to ‘WAKE-UP’ the cold batch by beating in a mixing bowl. If the whole batch is still curd-cheese-like, put 1/3 or 1/2 batch, if you are confident, into a microwave for 30sec again or until it comes to room temperature.
This way would avoid over doing.
in your video you use the whisk the entire time. in the recipe it says to switch to the paddle. what is the best technique?
Best would be to switch to a paddle but both work just fine really.
Hi, is there a certain unsalted butter that you recommend for this buttercream?
I’ve used lots of different brands, all work!