The Best Buttercream Frosting Recipe for Piping

May 28

If you’ve been working on your baking skills, pulling perfect cake layers out of the oven, whipping up silky, creamy frostings, mastering filling flavors, and learning how to fill a piping bag, then you’re also probably on the hunt for the best buttercream recipe for piping. After all, making cakes that taste great is only part of the challenge—making cakes that look great can be even more difficult, particularly for beginners.

But the first step to becoming an at-home expert is a great recipe. This one is our go-to recipe at the bakery, and it’s not only delicious, but also a great buttercream recipe for piping swirls, swoops, flowers, and more.

Whether you’re decorating a dozen cupcakes or are trying your hand at a show-stopping tiered cake, this buttercream recipe will never let you down.

Here’s what you need to know about making it at home.

What Is Italian Meringue Buttercream?

Italian meringue buttercream is a type of buttercream made using a meringue base. It’s subtly sweet, super creamy and fluffy, and covers cakes beautifully. Here’s what sets it apart from other forms of buttercream:

It’s made by whipping hot sugar syrup into egg whites: Because the sugar syrup is hot, it gently cooks the egg whites creating a light, fluffy, dreamy buttercream everyone will love.
After you make the meringue, you’ll add butter: It’s buttercream, so, of course, you’ll need to beat in butter. That’s done after you’ve finished your meringue and the mixture is airy and light (and cool enough that the butter won’t just melt). If you’re going to add any additional flavorings like vanilla, chocolate, or lemon, you’ll add it now.
Everything gets emulsified: One of the things that differentiates American-style buttercream from its European counterparts is that American buttercream frosting is really just a mixture of butter and confectioners' sugar (plus some additional ingredients), which means it’s often still a little gritty when it’s finished. Not so for Italian meringue buttercream. Because you emulsify the butter into the meringue mixture, it stays perfectly creamy once completed.
It’s only slightly sweet: Italian meringue buttercream tends to be less overtly sweet than its American cousin, so the richness of the other ingredients shines through. We love that about it!

Why Italian Meringue Buttercream Is a Great Buttercream Recipe for Piping

Italian meringue buttercream is an ideal homemade buttercream frosting for piping for a number of reasons. Here’s why we love it so much:

It holds its shape: Italian meringue buttercream stays put and holds its shape, which is exactly what you need when you’re piping roses, borders, and more. Frostings that aren’t quite as stiff won’t stay where you pipe them, making them a less ideal choice when decorating.
Its creamy texture: Because Italian meringue buttercream is silky smooth, it adds plenty of drama and detail to your piped decorations.
It’s fairly stable: While Italian Meringue Buttercream absolutely will melt in hot temperatures, it should hold up at room temp for awhile during most seasons.
It hardens slightly: Italian meringue buttercream won’t get a hard crust on it like American buttercream will, but it will harden slightly while staying nice and creamy inside. That’s just what you want for detail and definition on your decorations, but the perfect texture when you eat.

Ingredients

620g sugar
158g water
300g egg whites
908g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
20g vanilla
2g salt

Instructions

Whip the egg whites: Add the egg whites, vanilla extract, and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, start whipping the egg whites on speed 2.
Make the sugar syrup: Scale the water into a medium saucepan. Add the sugar. Heat the mixture on the stove over low heat until it measures exactly 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer.
Add the sugar to the whipped egg whites: Turn the mixer to speed 3, then pour the hot sugar mixture into the fluffy egg whites. Pour swiftly and steadily to deflate the air bubbles in the egg whites.
Whip the meringue mixture: Whip the meringue mixture on speed 3 for 10 minutes, until the bowl is no longer hot to the touch.
Add the butter: When the meringue mixture has cooled a bit, add the room temperature butter, a little at a time, whipping the buttercream between each addition. Keep the mixer running until all of the butter has been incorporated and the buttercream is smooth and glossy.
Whip the buttercream one last time: Turn the mixer to speed 2 and beat the buttercream for 1 more minute until you have a silky smooth buttercream on your hands. Then, you’re ready to store in an airtight container in the fridge or frost your cakes.

FAQs

You can. Transfer the Italian meringue buttercream to an airtight container and freeze it for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to use it, transfer it to the fridge to thaw overnight, then re-whip the buttercream at low speed in the bowl of a stand mixer until it’s once again the right consistency. Then, you're ready to decorate.
One of the reasons we love this frosting so much is because it’s only slightly and subtly sweet. The buttercream feels more sophisticated than cloyingly sweet American buttercream and goes well with fruit fillings, tart curds, rich ganaches, and more.
If you want to dye your buttercream, make sure you use an oil-based or gel food coloring for vibrant, stable colors. More watery liquid food coloring won’t be as bright and brilliant, and could cause your buttercream to break. That’s not at all what you want.
Instead of flavoring the buttercream with vanilla, try almond extract (like a traditional wedding cake), melted and cooled chocolate for a chocolate buttercream frosting, lemon or orange zest, and more. If you want to use a jam or fruit puree, do so carefully. These can interfere with the texture of the buttercream if you add too much!
First, take a deep breath. It’s not over yet! If your buttercream looks like it’s curdled (or too watery), try these steps:
- Keep mixing. Sometimes when it looks curdled, it just needs a little more time to smooth out.
- If the mixture is too cold, wrap a warm towel around the side of the bowl to warm it up a little bit.
- If it seems like it’s too warm, transfer the bowl to the fridge for about 10 minutes, then try to mix it again.
Once it’s creamy, glossy, and smooth, it’s ready to go.
Italian meringue buttercream is pretty stable, but it is still buttercream, so it’s a good idea to keep it out of extreme heat. And don’t let it sit out for too long—dairy products can go bad if sitting at room temp for too long. When in doubt, put it in the fridge.
It is. Because Italian meringue buttercream is made with a hot sugar syrup heated to 240 degrees F, it cooks the egg whites while it’s mixing the meringue. It’s also always best to use pasteurized eggs, but make sure they don’t have any additional additives or stabilizer because they won’t whip well.

If you’re looking for a good buttercream recipe for piping, look no further than Italian meringue buttercream. Glossy, smooth, stable, and deliciously rich, it’s the upgrade your cakes and cupcakes deserve.

Want to make your own cakes at home? Brush up on your skills with our online and in-person cake decorating classes. Set yourself up for success with Erin’s favorite baking tools.

Want someone else to do the baking and decorating? Order from our Cake Shop, work with us on a custom cake, or reach out about wedding cake offerings.