Aquafaba Swiss Buttercream Recipe - Gretchen's Vegan Bakery (2024)

FAQs

Should aquafaba be cold to whip? ›

Before whipping, your aquafaba should be about the same viscosity as egg whites after they've been lightly whisked, perhaps slightly thinner. Some cans may differ, though, so if your aquafaba is excessively watery, you can reduce the liquid slightly on the stove until it thickens, then let cool before whipping.

To fix this, place the buttercream in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes to firm up the butter, then whip it again with a stand mixer or hand mixer until it thickens to the desired consistency. If it is still soupy, stick it back in the fridge for longer to cool down.

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Success Secrets: Separate your egg whites from the yolks and make sure there are no yolks in the whites. Since SMBC is meringue based, yolks (a fat) can quickly stop a meringue from not forming its stiff glossy peaks as required.

That's right - you NEED the vegan butter to be room temperature before you start working with it. If you've ever made vegan buttercream and it's split or gone grainy, this is most likely the reason why. Get it nice and soft, then whack your vegan butter in the stand mixer and beat like crazy until smooth.

Aquafaba Drawbacks

Needless to say, bean water is saturated with oligosaccharides. Saponins, the part of aquafaba that is responsible for the egg white-like texture and foaming, are a toxic steroid derivatives that disrupt red blood cells. They may even contribute to development of leaky gut by damaging the gut wall.

Aquafaba will freeze well for about 3 months. You will need to defrost the Aquafaba overnight in the refrigerator before using. Always smell your Aquafaba before using it. It will smell like spoiled beans (not pleasant) if it is no longer good.

Why is my Swiss Meringue Buttercream Soupy? This is usually due to the mixture being too warm or adding the butter before the meringue has fully cooled down. Thankfully, it is easy to fix. Refrigerate the bowl for 15-20 minutes then continue mixing until the frosting thickens.

Maybe the meringue whipped too long, cooling to well below 75°F (24°C). Maybe the butter came straight from the fridge. Maybe your buttercream was even frozen in advance, but didn't fully thaw. Doesn't matter why—if your Swiss meringue buttercream looks dense and greasy (or even tastes that way), it's simply too cold.

If the heat is too high, you're going to overcook your egg whites and have scrambled egg buttercream! – Whip your meringue to stiff peaks. If your meringue is too soft, it's not going to be as stable and hold it's shape as well.

Cream of tartar is an acidic ingredient that helps unstick the sticky egg white proteins in the white from each other, yielding a fluffier meringue. If you don't have access to this, you can sub lemon/lime juice. Just double the amount listed in the recipe. Unsalted butter contributes to the body of the buttercream.

Why does my Swiss meringue buttercream taste like butter? ›

But the buttercream should be light and fluffy, not thick and greasy. If yours tastes like you're eating a stick of butter, perhaps your meringue wasn't whipped to stiff peaks before adding butter, or the butter was too cold, in which case it just needs some more whipping. Or you added too much butter.

If the buttercream splits and looks curdled, like cottage cheese, it means the mixture didn't emulsify because the temperature of the butter was either too cold or the meringue was still too warm. There's a few different ways to fix this: Remove a few spoonfuls of the buttercream and place it in a heat safe bowl.

If you're not adding enough sugar, your buttercream won't be stable enough to hold its shape for long. If you're adding a little plant-based milk to thin the buttercream when frosting a cake, you might be adding too much of it, again, making it too unstable.

If the frosting seems too thick, you can add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the frosting is too thin and runny, simply add more powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time until the desired consistency is reached.

Refrigerate aquafaba for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Whip aquafaba with a mixer until it starts to get foamy, about 2 minutes. Add cream of tartar and continue to mix on high until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add vanilla and beat for 1 more minute.

If your bean liquid is hot (either because you just finished cooking your chickpeas or because you decided to reduce it), let it cool to room temperature first. Warm (room-temperature) aquafaba works the best for whipping – it stretches faster and creates a higher volume than hot or cold aquafaba.

The longer you whisk for, the thicker the mixture will be. To create soft peaks that leave a slight trail, we recommend whisking for 2-3 minutes. For completely stiff peaks, you should whisk for 4 minutes on a high speed. The Aquafaba has a sweet and slightly beany smell.

Egg temperature: It's easiest to separate eggs cleanly when they are refrigerator-cold. However egg whites whip up to a greater volume when they've had a chance to warm up a bit, 20 to 30 minutes.