This chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream is so smooth and creamy and tastes absolutely delicious. It is on and inside cakes, macarons, cupcakes or other bakes you would use any buttercream on.

The recipe is simple to divide in half or multiply to make even bigger batches depending on the size of bake you want to decorate.

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• 300 grams caster sugar
• 340 grams softened unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200 grams melted dark chocolate
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Method

• Put the egg whites and caster sugar in a heatproof bowl
• Add some water in a pot and bring it to the boil. Put the bowl of egg whites and sugar over the pot of boiling water. Do not let the bowl touch the water. Keep whisking the egg whites and sugar mixture until it turns to meringue and the sugar has completely dissolved.
• When you get a bit of the meringue and rub it between your fingers it should be smooth and not grainy. If you have a sugar thermometer you can check your eggs to see if they get to 71 Celsius.
• Remove from the heat and keep whisking until the Swiss meringue mixture has cooled down.
• Add the butter about a tablespoon at a time and keep whisking until all the butter is used up and then add in the vanilla extract and salt and whisk.
• The mixture should be thick and spreadable.
• Melt the chocolate and leave to cool a bit and then add it to the Swiss Meringue Buttercream.
• Mix it together until it is an even colour, it will get a bit darker the longer you leave it to set.