Tim Chin is a professional cook and writer who has contributed to Serious Eats and America’s Test Kitchen. A graduate of The International Culinary Center, Tim has cooked at restaurants in New York and Boston, working at Rouge Tomate, Northern Spy, and BiSq.

Tim Chin

You know those towering, <a href="https://www.chefsteps.com/activities/ultimate-birthday-cake">triple-tiered cakes</a> with perfectly frosted, perfectly smooth sides? It’s very likely that they’re frosted with Swiss buttercream, the pastry chef’s first choice when decorating celebratory cakes.Swiss buttercream (aka Swiss meringue buttercream) is the go-to for pastry chefs because of three key features: It’s silky smooth, it pipes and spreads like a dream, and it’s not too sweet. It consists of a Swiss meringue—cooked egg whites and sugar, whipped to a stiff peak—that’s enriched with a LOT of butter, and the combination creates a very stable emulsion with a glossy and smooth appearance.This recipe offers a foolproof method for making the smoothest Swiss buttercream, as it’s got a few added steps to ensure there are zero lumps and large air pockets. Easily scalable and infinitely customizable, it’s now your go-to cake decorating frosting, too!

Silky Smooth Swiss Buttercream