Warning: Two different buttercreams back to back taught me a lesson

I made Swiss meringue buttercream for a cake last weekend and it came out silky smooth and held up perfect in the heat. Then I tried American buttercream for cookies the next day and it was grainy and greasy no matter how long I whipped it. The Swiss version took longer but the texture was way better and it wasn't as sweet. Has anyone else found that American buttercream just doesn't work well for piping details?

2 comments

2 Comments

wyatt_fox6813d agoTop Commenter

Started making SMBC after the same kind of grainy American buttercream disaster on a birthday cake. It takes a little patience with the egg whites but once I nailed the temperature it came out super stable for piping. Definitely worth the extra effort for stuff that needs to look clean and hold shape.

the_gray13d ago

1 pound of powdered sugar into 1 cup of butter is just a bad ratio to start with. I did the math once and American buttercream is like 60% sugar by weight which is insane. Swiss meringue has way less sugar and the eggs give it structure that holds up for piping fine details without melting. Once you get used to the temperature control and cooking the whites properly you wont go back.