Aquafaba Swiss Buttercream Recipe - Gretchen's Vegan Bakery (2024)

FAQs

What if I put too much liquid in my Swiss meringue buttercream? ›

To fix this, place the buttercream in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to firm up the butter, then whip it again with a stand mixer or hand mixer until it thickens to the desired consistency. If it is still soupy, stick it back in the fridge for longer to cool down.

Add a pinch of cream of tartar to your aquafaba

This produces a stable meringue that doesn't weep moisture once it's, say, piped onto a pie. Serious Eats explains that the powder plays the same role in vegan "egg whites," stabilizing aquafaba both in its uncooked form as well as when it's baked into meringues.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Success Secrets: Separate your egg whites from the yolks and make sure there are no yolks in the whites. Since SMBC is meringue based, yolks (a fat) can quickly stop a meringue from not forming its stiff glossy peaks as required.

That's right - you NEED the vegan butter to be room temperature before you start working with it. If you've ever made vegan buttercream and it's split or gone grainy, this is most likely the reason why. Get it nice and soft, then whack your vegan butter in the stand mixer and beat like crazy until smooth.

Both issues can be fixed either chilling or gently heating the buttercream. A slightly softened yet cool butter will bring the buttercream together and give it smooth texture for frosting cakes. Frosting with Swiss meringue buttercream gives a super smooth finish and sharp piping.

In a KitchenAid mixer, it usually takes about 20-25 minutes to make a good, stiff meringue from start to finish. If you're at the 20-minute mark and the meringue still isn't at stiff peaks, check your temperature. Is it hot and humid in your kitchen? Then a 15-20 minute meringue timeout in the fridge will help!

Aquafaba Drawbacks

Needless to say, bean water is saturated with oligosaccharides. Saponins, the part of aquafaba that is responsible for the egg white-like texture and foaming, are a toxic steroid derivatives that disrupt red blood cells. They may even contribute to development of leaky gut by damaging the gut wall.

Use cream of tartar.

Aquafaba whipped with cream of tartar takes less time to reach stiff peaks. And aquafaba whipped without cream of tartar will also deflate much more quickly. So if your recipe doesn't call for it, make sure to add a pinch or two of cream of tartar for better whipping results.

Aquafaba needs to be whipped on high speed, so be sure that you have your mixer set high enough to get good results. Did you make sure to add a stabilizer? Don't forget to add a stabilizer. It will whip without one but will quickly deflate and not be able to withstand any additions (like sugar).

Why is my Swiss Meringue Buttercream Soupy? This is usually due to the mixture being too warm or adding the butter before the meringue has fully cooled down. Thankfully, it is easy to fix. Refrigerate the bowl for 15-20 minutes then continue mixing until the frosting thickens.

Why put cream of tartar in Swiss meringue buttercream? ›

Cream of tartar is an acidic ingredient that helps unstick the sticky egg white proteins in the white from each other, yielding a fluffier meringue. If you don't have access to this, you can sub lemon/lime juice. Just double the amount listed in the recipe. Unsalted butter contributes to the body of the buttercream.

*Pro tip: If you love the texture and taste of Swiss meringue buttercream but want it a bit sweeter, add ½ -¾ cup of sifted confectioners sugar after the butter is fully mixed in.

If you're not adding enough sugar, your buttercream won't be stable enough to hold its shape for long. If you're adding a little plant-based milk to thin the buttercream when frosting a cake, you might be adding too much of it, again, making it too unstable.

If the frosting seems too thick, you can add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the frosting is too thin and runny, simply add more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

If the meringue mixture becomes flat or runny when the sugar is added then it usually means that the egg whites were not quite whisked enough before the sugar was added. It sometimes helps to whisk the whites, then add a tablespoon of sugar and whisk the whites back to medium peaks before adding the rest of the sugar.

If you've made a meringue-based buttercream, like Swiss, Italian, or French, you can thicken it slightly by adding a bit more butter, but a lot of the time chilling it down for a bit so that the existing butter in the recipe can firm up is all it takes to thicken.

Liquids in Moderation: When using liquid ingredients like milk, cream, extract, food coloring etc. it's essential to add them in moderation. Too much liquid can lead to a runny frosting disaster. Begin with a small amount, and gradually increase if needed.