9 Swiss Meringue Buttercream Flavours Worth Trying (And Exactly How to Make Them)
If you’ve already made the base Swiss Meringue Buttercream and you’re now standing in the kitchen wondering what to do with it – this is the article for you. One of the things I love most about SMBC is how ridiculously well it takes on flavour. The base itself is light, silky, and not overly sweet, which means it lets other ingredients shine rather than fighting them. You’re not masking anything with icing sugar – you’re genuinely building flavour into something already delicious. Below are all nine of my favourite variations, each one tested and trusted. Every single one is built on my base recipe – so if you haven’t made that yet, start there first, then come back here and pick your flavour. A Few Things to Know Before You Start All quantities below are based on the full base recipe (500g sugar, 250g egg whites, 500g butter). If you’re making a smaller or larger batch, scale accordingly. Add your flavouring at the very end – after the paddle attachment step — and mix through on low speed until fully combined. For anything liquid or spreadable, fold it in gently to avoid knocking the air out of your beautifully whipped buttercream. Taste as you go. The amounts I’ve given are to my taste, and taste is personal. Start with slightly less than the recipe suggests, taste, and add more from there. 1. Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream Milk, white, or dark – your call This is probably the most requested variation I make, and honestly it’s easy to see why. The combination of silky SMBC with rich chocolate is genuinely hard to beat. It pipes beautifully, tastes incredible, and works on almost any cake flavour you can think of. What to add: 200–250g melted and cooled chocolate How to do it: Melt your chocolate gently in the microwave in short bursts, stirring between each one. I tend to do this right at the start of making the base recipe, so by the time the buttercream is ready, the chocolate has had plenty of time to cool to room temperature. You want it fully liquid but not warm – if it’s even slightly too hot it can cause the buttercream to melt and split. Pour it in slowly with the mixer on low and watch it transform. Which chocolate to use: Dark chocolate gives you a more intense, bittersweet result. Milk chocolate is richer and sweeter. White chocolate creates something almost caramel-like and pairs brilliantly with fruit cake layers. All three work – it just depends on the cake you’re making. Best paired with: Chocolate sponge (obviously), vanilla, hazelnut, or raspberry cake layers. 2. Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream If dark chocolate SMBC is the classic, caramel SMBC is the one that makes people absolutely lose their minds. There’s something about the combination of the buttery, silky base and that deep, slightly salty caramel that is just outrageously good. It also looks stunning – a warm golden hue against a white cake crumb. What to add: 4–5 tbsp salted or unsalted caramel How to do it: Add the caramel a tablespoon at a time on low speed, tasting as you go. Salted caramel gives you that gorgeous sweet-salty contrast that I personally love; unsalted is more straightforward and a little gentler. Either works. A note on consistency: Caramel adds liquid to the buttercream, so if it starts to look a little soft after adding it, pop the bowl in the fridge for 10 minutes and then mix again. It’ll firm right back up. Best paired with: Apple, banana, vanilla, or brown butter sponge layers. Also incredible sandwiched between layers of chocolate cake. 3. Lemon Swiss Meringue Buttercream Bright, fresh, and zingy – this one is a total showstopper on a summer cake. The combination of lemon extract and lemon curd gives you both depth of flavour and a lovely citrus sharpness that cuts through the richness of the buttercream beautifully. It’s the kind of thing that makes people say they didn’t think they liked buttercream, and then eat three slices. What to add: Replace the vanilla extract in the base recipe with lemon extract, and add 4-5 tbsp of lemon curd How to do it: Skip the vanilla entirely when making the base and use lemon extract in its place. Then, once the buttercream has come together, fold in the lemon curd a tablespoon at a time on low speed. Homemade vs shop-bought curd: Honestly, both work. A good-quality shop-bought lemon curd is completely fine and saves you a step. If you do have time to make your own, it’s absolutely worth it – the flavour is brighter and more intensely lemony. Best paired with: Lemon, elderflower, vanilla, or blueberry sponge layers. 4. Berry Swiss Meringue Buttercream Raspberry, strawberry, blueberry, or blackberry This one is as pretty as it is delicious. Depending on the berry you use, you get everything from a deep jewel-toned purple to a soft dusty pink – all completely natural, no food colouring required. The berry compote adds a subtle tartness that keeps things from being too sweet, and the flavour is genuinely fruity rather than artificial. What to add: 5 tbsp of berry compote (homemade or shop-bought) How to do it: Fold the compote in a tablespoon at a time on low speed. Make sure the compote is completely cool before adding – warm compote will melt the buttercream. If it looks a little soft after adding, refrigerate the bowl for 10-15 minutes and mix again. Which berry to use: Raspberry gives you a beautiful pink with a sharp, punchy flavour Strawberry is softer, sweeter, and a little more delicate Blueberry creates a stunning lilac-purple and a slightly floral flavour Blackberry gives a deeper, darker purple and a more intense taste Homemade compote: If you have time, making your own is easy and makes a real difference. Simmer your chosen berries with a little sugar and a squeeze of lemon until jammy, then cool completely before