How to make a classic Italian meringue buttercream
Italian meringue buttercream (IMBC) is a thick and creamy frosting that is made by whipping egg whites with sugar syrup and softened butter.
Italian meringue buttercream is similar to Swiss meringue buttercream (SMBC) except the sugar is cooked 240ºF before being added to the whipping egg whites. The cooked sugar syrup results in a more stable and silky smooth buttercream.
People love Italian meringue buttercream because it is the most stable of all the buttercreams and it is also the least sweet. So if you live in warm environments like Florida, California or Texas, Italian meringue is going to work very well for you.
You can substitute half of the butter for vegetable shortening for more stability in high heat areas.
What ingredients do you need for Italian Meringue Buttercream?
Fresh egg whites - Don't use boxed (pasteurized) egg whites, chances are they will not whip into a stiff meringue which is vital to a stable buttercream frosting.
Sugar - Make sure you cook your sugar to the proper temperature (240ºF) to ensure all the water has evaporated and the sugar is stable enough to be whipped into the frosting
Butter - Use softened, butter (but not melted) to whip into your cooled meringue so that it incorporates smoothly. I prefer to use unsalted butter so that I can control the amount of salt that is in my buttercream. Remember, the higher the quality of butter you use, the better your buttercream will taste.
Salt - Just a little salt helps bring out the flavor of the Italian meringue buttercream
Vanilla - I use a good amount of vanilla to flavor my Italian meringue buttercream but you can use whatever flavoring you desire. You can also use vanilla beans, emulsions or ground up freeze-dried fruit.
How do you make Italian meringue buttercream?
Here are the steps to making Italian meringue buttercream
- Wipe down your bowl and attachments with lemon juice or white vinegar to make sure there are no traces of oil or fat on them that would prevent your meringue from whipping up
- Place your egg whites into the bowl of your stand mixer with the whisk attachment.
- Combine your sugar and water together in a medium-sized saucepan and stir to distribute the water evenly.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Leave the lid on for 5 minutes to ensure all the sugar granules are dissolved or your sugar could crystallize and become grainy.
- Remove the lid and insert your candy thermometer. Continue boiling the mixture without stirring until the thermometer reaches 235ºF
- Begin whisking your egg whites on high to soft peaks
- When your syrup reaches 240ºF, reduce the speed of your mixer to low and drizzle in your hot syrup. Try to drizzle between the whisk attachment and the side of the bowl to prevent the syrup from splattering.
- Increase the speed back to high and whip to very stiff peaks. Place ice packs at the base of your mixer to cool the meringue down to room temperature as you're mixing or remove the meringue once it's stiff enough and place it into the fridge for 15 minutes to cool it down.
- Once your meringue is completely cool, you can whip in your butter, salt, and vanilla until the buttercream is light and fluffy and no longer tastes like butter.
- Now you can add in food coloring if you desire
Can you color Italian Meringue Buttercream?
You can add coloring by adding a couple of drops of your favorite food coloring into the bowl as it's whipping in the final step. Or you can divide your buttercream and hand-mix in food coloring.
How long does Italian Buttercream last?
Italian buttercream can be left at room temperature for 2-3 days. I usually refrigerate leftover buttercream if I'm not going to use it in 24 hours. It can be frozen for 6 months or more. Bring the buttercream to room temperature and re-whip until it's a smooth consistency before you use it.
Other buttercream recipes you might want to try
Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe
American Buttercream
Ermine Buttercream
Cake Batter and Frosting Calculator
Select an option below to calculate how much batter or frosting you need. Adjust the servings slider on the recipe card to change the amounts the recipe makes.
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Cups of Batter Needed
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5 cups
Note: measurements are estimated based off the vanilla cake recipe using standard US cake pans and sizes. Measurements used are for 2" tall cake pans only. Your results may vary. Do not overfill cake pans above manufacturer's recommended guidelines.
Recipe
Equipment
- Stand mixer with the whisk attachment
- Candy Thermometer
Ingredients
- 16 ounces granulated sugar
- 8 ounces water
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 8 large egg whites
- 24 ounces unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- On a stovetop, mix together the water and sugar, cover with a lid and bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Keep the lid on the pot for 3-4 minutes and bring to ensure all the sugar granules are dissolved, otherwise, your sugar can get gritty and crystalize.
- Remove the lid, insert the candy thermometer carefully and continue cooking on medium-high until the syrup reaches 240° F.
- When the sugar solution is at about 235° F, begin whipping the egg whites on high speed. Add the salt to the egg whites.
- When the egg whites reach soft peaks, pour the sugar solution in a steady stream on to the whipping whites while mixing on low speed.
- Continue whipping the egg/sugar mixture until it reaches stiff peaks. I wrapped an apron around my bowl with an ice pack to help the meringue cool down faster. You can also cool the meringue by scooping it out of the bowl and placing it into the fridge for 15 minutes.
- Once the meringue is cooled, whip in soft butter and vanilla until the buttercream is light and fluffy and no longer has a butter taste. This can take from 10-15 minutes. If it looks curdled and watery just keep whipping. It will come together I promise.
nuha says
Hi, Is it possible to use Italian meringue butter cream to cover structured cakes in high humidity places??
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes, you can use Italian meringue anywhere
Ann R. says
Your recipes look amazing! What mixer is that you’re using? Love it!!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Hello Ann, this is my bosch universal plus mixer with the metal bowl
Nancy Lagomarsino says
When you say that IMBC is stable, do you mean from a consumption standpoint, or from a structural standpoint? I'm trying to decide whether to use my usual SMBC for a combed bc cake with sugar flowers, or to switch to another type (IMBC?) for this purpose. Will this IMBC soften considerably at room temp? That's the trouble I'm having with my SMBC. Thanks, Liz!
The Sugar Geek Show says
By stable I mean structural. You should definitely try IMBC if your SMBC has been too soft.
Ansu says
Mam, Can I half the recipe for a small cake. Does it fail the recipe?
The Sugar Geek Show says
You can half the recipe
Tessa Casey says
I love your show and all your insight; especially the adjustable servings built into your recipes. That is so helpful!
gloria says
Hello . Thanks for the recipe, Can you use this icing to icing the cake and then cover it with fondant?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can
Damaine says
This recipe is excellent, this may very well be my new go to. I just love how fluffy and stable this frosting was in our warm climate. Totally worth the extra steps.
Karen says
Can this be iced on a cake and than frozen?
Thanks for all your hard work and sharing your creativity. I was a professional cake decorator over 30 years ago and always enjoyed it! ( one never gives it up completely) Many things have changed but I so appreciate all the fun and new ideas that people like yourself have shared over the internet. Keep up the good work!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes you can freeze a cake and then defrost it for 24 hours in the fridge
Sam says
For very hot days, can you sub ALL the butter for shortening?
The Sugar Geek Show says
I wouldn't, that would make the buttercream taste very bad and would be really greasy
keila says
Can pasteurized eggs whites be used?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Some people have told me they use them but I haven't had luck. If you do use them you need to add 1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar to the egg whites at soft peak stage
Lydia morales says
For a three layer 10 inch cake how much frosting do I need this will be my first time making this
Thank you .
The Sugar Geek Show says
One and a half batch should be enough. You can always refrigerate leftovers. Make sure you cool the meringue fully before you whip in the butter or it will be soupy
Donna L Mcentee says
Everything was fine until I added the butter. It separated and got all melty. Can I save it still?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Just keep whipping, it will come together
Kemi says
U didn’t state the measurements of ingredients to be used...i don’t mind if u can help with that...thanks
The Sugar Geek Show says
hi Kemi, all the measurements are in the recipe card at the bottom of the blog post 🙂
Carson says
Will this work for piping large rosettes all over a cake? I’m don’t want them to fall off or look like they’re melting. If I make the cake a day or two ahead of the event, can I leave it at room temp or should it go in the fridge? Thanks!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes, Italian buttercream is very stable
Debra A Haynes says
I followed the instructions, but when I added the sugar mixture it never peeked. It just stayed liquidy
The Sugar Geek Show says
You may have got some sort of oil or egg yolk in your mixture that prevented the meringue from whipping up
Jeanine Rieff says
I’m going to make this frosting tomorrow. Btw, I ❤️ your parting shot! You’re totes adorbs!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yay! Can't wait to see what you "whip" up hehe
VICKI Palokangas says
Do you have the full recipe for the cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
There isn't a specific recipe that I used for the cake but you can use any cake recipe with Italian merignue.
Hiedy Guido says
What’s the shelf life on the buttercream? I’ve made this many times since you posted it and it’s my absolute favorite. I’m making some tonight for a cake and I will have extra and wanted to know if I can save it until this coming Friday
The Sugar Geek Show says
You can refrigerate leftover buttercream for two weeks or freeze for six months. It's good at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Larrenda S says
Hi Liz,
I have really hot hands. Will this hold up better than SMBC?
Thanks!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
Italian Meringue is much more stable than SMBC. You can also try wearing gloves and putting the piping bag down frequently so you don't melt the buttercream in your hand
Aaliyah says
Hi, is this recipe enough to fill and cover an 8’ cake?
The Sugar Geek Show says
Yes it is
Fallon says
Hi! Can I add chocolate to this at the end? How much would I add of black cocoa powder? Thanks! Love your recipes!
The Sugar Geek Show says
You can whip sifted cocoa powder right into the finished buttercream.
Kathy says
I would like to add chopped cherries and small, sliced almonds to this. Would I add them in at the end a nd fold in, or how would I incorporate them? Sounds really yummy!!
The Sugar Geek Show says
You can add them in after your buttercream is finished. just fold them in
Sofia says
Can you color it red?
Elizabeth Marek says
Yes you can. Add about 1 tablespoon of red food coloring (I like americolor super red gel) and then take out 1/4 cup and barely melt it in the microwave. Then mix that back in. The warm buttercream helps deepen the color. It will deepen even further overnight
Saunti says
I have tried many imbc recipes and this is by far the best one when it comes to ratios of egg whites, sugar and butter. My buttercream was perfect in texture and taste and I added chocolate powder to complement my chocolate cake. This recipe will now be my go to for italian buttercream.
Elizabeth Marek says
Thank you so much!
Jordy says
Can we used carton egg whites for this recipe? Thanks
Elizabeth Marek says
Unfortunately pasteurized egg whites have a hard time whipping up.