Bake-Along #16: Swiss Meringue Buttercream (Peanut Butter!)

This is the perfect buttercream for all of your chocolate cupcakes! For tips and to bake-along live, just follow along with the video.

Prep: 30 minutes

Peanut Butter Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Yield: about 2 cups (enough for about 12 cupcakes)

I recommend pairing this with our chocolate cake from week three!

Ingredients:

• 5 egg whites

• 1 & 1/4 cup granulated sugar (brown sugar works!)

• 1 cup unsalted butter

• 1/2 cup salted butter

• 1 t vanilla extract

• 1 cup (232 g) peanut butter (you can add less and do it by taste!)

• 1/4 t salt

1. Put your egg whites and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk together and heat over a double boiler.

2. Put your mixture over medium heat, making sure that if your water begins to boil you turn the heat down to maintain a slow simmer.

3. Occasionally whisk the mixture to help it heat evenly and ensure the egg whites don't cook. You're looking for the sugar to be fully dissolved and that the mixture is hot to touch. (I test it by hand, and when it's hot enough to give my fingers a pinching sensation and I can't feel any granules between my fingers). If you're using a candy thermometer you're looking for a temperature between 150-160 degrees.

4. Once the mixture is hot and smooth, put it onto your stand mixer and whip with the whisk attachment until the bowl is no longer warm to touch and the meringue is glossy, stiff, and smooth. Check out my meringue at the 15:41 mark.

5. Switch to the paddle attachment and beat in the butter one cube at a time. If your butter is cold you can massage it between your fingers before adding each cube.

6. Once all of the butter is added, allow the mixture to beat. WHEN (not if) you see it break, curdle, and look like a soupy mess, don't freak out! That's expected and a sign your buttercream is just around the corner. Allow it to beat until it becomes silky and smooth. See the whole process, sped up, at the 16:29 mark.

7. With your mixer running, add in your vanilla extract and salt. Here is where you can pick a variety of flavoring options*.

8. Next add in your peanut butter a little bit at a time. If it looks like it has broken again (soupy with clumps) just keep beating! It will come back together.

9. Put this on all of your desserts or take a spoon to it and enjoy!

Notes:

• You can freeze this buttercream! Just allow to sit in the fridge overnight and then give it an hour on the counter top. Beat it back together (you'll go through the same curdling process, be patient!).

• Storage! I like to put this buttercream directly onto plastic wrap to make a little buttercream packet. You can see how I do this at the 20:38 mark).

• *Add in peanut butter, melted (and cooled) chocolate, peppermint extract, salted caramel sauce, mix-ins like crushed oreos or M&M's, heavily concentrated instant coffee (I do a tablespoon of instant coffee into a tablespoon of hot milk), etc. The world is your oyster!