Egg Whites in Action: Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Egg Whites in Action: Swiss Meringue Buttercream
The Recipe
Ingredients:
- 470 g Egg Whites
- 680 g Sugar
- 1190 g Butter
- 5 g Vanilla Bean Paste
Method:
- Cream the butter until smooth.
- Combine the egg whites and sugar over a bain-marie and whisk gently until the sugar is completely dissolved and the temperature reaches 60°C.
- Transfer the egg white mixture to a stand mixer fitted with the whip attachment. Whip to medium-firm peaks, then add vanilla.
- Switch to a paddle and incorporate the butter in increments until homogenized.
Tips for Success
- Remember that when you whip egg whites, you're forcing air into the whites, causing the protein chains to stretch and create thousands of tiny bubbles. As you whip them they reach different stages: soft, medium and stiff peak.
- If you over-beat the egg whites the stretched protein will eventually break allowing the water and the proteins to separate, creating a useless mix of eggy water and foam.
- When you stir the sugar into the egg whites, the whisk moves through the egg white mixture, generating force, which starts the denaturing process. This process continues with the addition of heat and further whipping later.
The Stages of Meringue
(mobile users: click on each photo for a description)
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This has been whipping for about a minute. It is still very liquid. -
Shiny and fluffy! This meringue is close to finished. -
Whoops! This one was whipped too long. The protein bonds are breaking, and the mixture has deflated.
Soft, Medium, and Firm Peaks defined
Soft Peaks:
The meringue doesn't hold its own weight when lifted with the whip.
Medium Peaks:
The meringue holds up when lifted but does not form a stiff, tall peak; it forms a hill rather than a mountain.
Firm Peaks:
The meringue forms a "bird's beak" when lifted with the whip. Think of the tip of a picture-perfect soft-serve cone - it has a sturdy peak with a little loop on the top.
