Sugar – What’s the minimum sugar to egg white ratio in Swiss buttercream

frostingmeringueratiosugar

A Swiss meringue buttercream is a buttercream based on a sugar and egg white mix that is first heated and then whipped. The average recipes I could find use roughly one part egg white to two parts of sugar1, some a bit more, some less2.

I would like to reduce the sugar, but of course the sugar is not used just as sweetener, but is critical for the stability and texture of the meringue. So:

What’s the minimum amount of sugar or lowest sugar-to-egg ratio needed for a Swiss meringue buttercream?

Two side notes:

  • As egg sizes definitions differ and we’re talking ratios, please either use weight or state the egg size and the locale in your answer.
  • This question is not about the butter to meringue ratio. I realize that the amount of butter will influence the stability of the buttercream.

Best Answer