Strawberry Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream is an easy and delicious strawberry frosting recipe. This buttercream frosting is silky smooth and is perfect for cakes and cupcakes. The shortcut comes from using pasteurized egg whites from a carton and powdered sugar rather than cooking and whipping egg whites and granulated sugar. The fresh strawberry flavor comes from homemade strawberry reduction made from real strawberries.
Strawberry Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream
If you are not a fan of super sweet frosting, you must try my Swiss Meringue Buttercream or Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipes. I’ve had a lot of requests for different flavors of Swiss meringue buttercream so, I am on it! Strawberry is up first!
Strawberry Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream uses my Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream as a base recipe. Swiss Meringue Buttercream typically involves cooking egg whites with granulated sugar until dissolved and then whipping them into a meringue before butter is added. For this recipe, we are skipping the cooking by using pasteurized egg whites from a carton and adding powdered sugar.
The strawberry flavor comes from the addition of strawberry reduction which is cooked and pureed strawberries. The strawberry flavor is concentrated and adds an amazing punch of strawberry flavor and beautiful pink color.
Ingredients for Strawberry Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Pasteurized egg whites – Pasteurized egg whites are the egg whites from a carton. As we are not cooking the egg whites, it is important to use pasteurized egg whites for food safety. I do not recommend using fresh egg whites for this recipe.
- Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar. No need to sift unless the sugar is lumpy.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract adds an amazing subtle vanilla flavor.
- Salt – Enhances the flavor of the buttercream and balances the sweetness.
- Unsalted butter – The butter should be slightly softened. Cut the butter into one tablespoon pieces to add to the meringue.
- Strawberry reduction – Strawberry reduction is cooked strawberries that are pureed until smooth. It adds concentrated strawberry flavor to the buttercream. Check out my blog post on How to Make Strawberry Reduction to learn more about how to make it!
Tools & Supplies to Make Strawberry Buttercream Frosting
How to Make Strawberry Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream
To make this buttercream, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment.
- Combine pasteurized liquid egg whites and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Turn the speed to medium-high and whip the egg white mixture until thick and opaque, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add in salt and vanilla extract.
- Turn the mixer to low speed. Add room temperature butter, one tablespoon at a time. Allow the butter to mix for a few seconds in between each addition of butter.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip the buttercream for 5-10 minutes. The buttercream may appear to curdle or separate – this is normal – just continue to whip the frosting. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally while whipping.
- Once the frosting is smooth and creamy, add in the strawberry reduction and mix on medium speed until well combined into the frosting.
- Once the buttercream is smooth and silky it is ready to use, if desired, you can switch to the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for several minutes to remove air bubbles and make the buttercream very smooth.
Strawberry Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe Tips
Butter temperature
The butter should slightly softened, but still maintain structure. If the butter is too soft, it can create an oily buttercream with a loose consistency. If it is too cold and firm, the buttercream will take a very long time to whip up. I usually remove the butter from the refrigerator about an hour before I make the frosting.
Whip it good (It didn’t curdle)
This buttercream takes some time to come together. At first, you will freak out and think you did something wrong. The frosting will look curdled and soupy. Just keep whipping it for several minutes. The buttercream will start to come together – keep going! Once the buttercream is silky and creamy, that is the perfect time to add the strawberry reduction!
Paddle vs. whisk attachment
For any Swiss meringue buttercream recipe, I prefer to use a whisk attachment to whip up the meringue and when adding the butter. The whisk attachment incorporates air into the meringue and helps the buttercream become light and fluffy. I do love switching to a paddle attachment after the buttercream is done to help remove air bubbles and make it smooth. Mix the buttercream with a paddle attachment on the lowest speed on your mixer for several minutes until the buttercream is smooth and creamy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it safe to eat raw egg whites?
Yes. Pasteurized egg whites from a carton are heat-treated to remove potentially harmful bacteria. I know it seems counterintuitive, but this recipe is perfectly safe for consumption. If you cannot find pasteurized egg whites in a carton, I recommend trying my Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe.
What is strawberry reduction?
Strawberry reduction is fresh or frozen strawberries that have been cooked and pureed to create a smooth, strawberry concentrate. It adds amazing strawberry flavor to the buttercream! Check out my blog post on How to Make Strawberry Reduction to learn more!
Can I add more or less powdered sugar?
Unfortunately, not with this recipe. With American buttercream frosting, I am all about adjusting the amount of powdered sugar to your taste preference. For this recipe to work with the perfect texture and consistency, five cups is key.
Can I use strawberry jam instead of strawberry reduction?
You could, but I would not recommend it. Strawberry reduction just contains strawberries where strawberry jam contains additional sugar and other ingredients. If you use strawberry jam, it adds more sweetness to the buttercream and can also impact the consistency of the frosting. Stick with strawberry reduction, I promise it is worth it!
Why is my buttercream curdling?
Do not fear, everything will be just fine. Often times, Swiss meringue buttercream will appear to curdle when the butter is added to the meringue mixture. This can sometimes happen due to differing temperatures of the butter and the meringue. Just keep whipping the buttercream at medium-high speed. This may several minutes but I promise, everything will come together to create a smooth, silky texture.
Can I make this buttercream ahead of time?
Yes! This buttercream can be made up to a week in advance! Simply store the buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator or wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. To use, simply bring the buttercream to room temperature and rewhip on medium-high speed until it looks silky smooth and beautiful.
Can I use an electric hand mixer?
You can, but if you have a stand mixer, I recommend using that. Using an electric hand mixer will double the time it takes to make the buttercream.
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Strawberry Shortcut Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment
- Paddle attachment (optional)
Ingredients
- â…” cup pasteurized egg whites from a carton
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- ½ cup strawberry reduction see blog post for more information
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine pasteurized liquid egg whites and powdered sugar. Mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well combined.
- Turn the speed to medium-high and whip the egg white mixture until thick and opaque, approximately 3 minutes. (Note – the egg white mixture will not whip up to stiff peaks)
- Add in salt and vanilla extract and continue to mix until combined.
- Turn the mixer to low speed. Add room temperature butter, one tablespoon at a time, until all the butter is added. Allow the butter to mix for a few seconds in between each addition of butter.
- Once the butter is added, turn the mixer to medium-high speed and whip the buttercream for 5-10 minutes. The buttercream may appear to curdle or separate – this is normal – just continue to whip the frosting. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl occasionally while whipping.
- Once the buttercream appears smooth and creamy, add in the strawberry reduction and mix on medium-high speed for several minutes. The buttercream will appear to break, just keep whipping. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined.
- Once the buttercream is smooth and silky it is ready to use, if desired, you can switch to the paddle attachment and mix on the lowest speed for several minutes to remove air bubbles and make the buttercream very smooth.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
This frosting is the best! Made it yesterday, it turned out perfect, very good strawberry flavor, smooth as silk. Thank you for your recipe.
Hi Juli! Thanks for trying out the recipe! Glad to hear that you enjoyed this buttercream recipe!
My first time making Swiss merengue buttercream and this was easy and WONDERFUL. The strawberry flavor really came through and the texture was light and fluffy without being overly sweet like American buttercream. Thank you for a wonderful, easy to follow recipe! I’ll be using this often!
Danielle, thank you so much for trying out the recipe and leaving a positive review! I am so happy to hear that you found this recipe to be delicious!
Is there a reason why the buttercream was fine until I added the strawberry reduction? Yes it was completely cooled.
Hi there! Yes, when adding the. strawberry reduction, we are adding water to fat. It is going to break initially. The key to getting the smooth buttercream is to whip it for several minutes until it is smooth and creamy! I will update the language in the instructions to reflect this! 🙂
how long will this frosting stay stable at room temperature?
I recommend chilling unless you are using it the same day 🙂
Hi, love all your recipes. i was wondering if i could use jam or strawberry preserves if im in a hurry, instead of doing strawberry reduction
Hi there! Thank you! You can, but adding jam or strawberry preserves will add additional sweetness in the frosting and my personal taste experience is that it does not have as much strawberry flavor.