Learn how to make the best French Meringue Buttercream! An easy traditional buttercream frosting recipe made with egg yolks, known for its silky smooth and bright texture. This cream is perfect for decorating your cakes and cupcakes!
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French Buttercream, or French Meringue Buttercream, is a go-to frosting in traditional French pastry. It's commonly used for classic treats like Christmas Yule logs and fancy desserts like entremets.
Unlike Swiss buttercream or Italian Buttercream, which is made with egg whites, French buttercream is made by whipping egg yolks and then pouring in hot sugar syrup and butter, giving it a richer taste and deeper color.
As a French pastry blogger, I must confess that this frosting isn't as popular in France as anywhere else in the world of cakes. However, its smooth and creamy texture makes it a choice of frosting for cake decoration and other pastries.
Why you'll love this recipe
More basic cake recipes? Give these a try; How to make a layer cake, How To Make a Layer Cake, How to Frost a cake, Best 10 cake decorating tools and Best buttercream frosting recipes.
Ingredient you need
You need these ingredients to make French buttercream:
- Egg Yolks: Only egg yolks that can be replaced with whole eggs for a whiter cream.
- Sugar Syrup: A cooked sugar syrup made from powdered sugar and water.
- Butter: Unsalted butter softened to room temperature but not too soft.
- Vanilla and Salt: Pure vanilla extract or a vanilla bean and a pinch of salt.
>> Don't waste your egg whites: use them to make these egg white chocolate chip cookies, French meringue cookies or this Swiss meringue buttercream, marshmallow frosting.
How to make French Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Here are some quick visual instructions. Don't forget that full instructions with exact ingredients can be found in the main recipe card below!
Step 1: Place the egg yolks in the mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on medium speed until you get a frothy yolk mixture.
Step 2: Cook the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat to make a sugar syrup. Monitor the temperature with a candy thermometer, which should read 115°C (239°F) (soft ball stage).
Step 3: Reduce mixer speed and drizzle the hot syrup in the bottom of the bowl over the egg mixture. Continue mixing at high speed for around 10 minutes, until cool and stiff peaks.
Step 4: Lower the mixer speed again and add softened butter, vanilla and salt. Continue on high speed for at least 10 minutes until smooth.
Serving Suggestions
- Filling and Frosting: Perfect for filling your layer cakes like this vanilla birthday cake or this chocolate birthday cake. Or as a frosting to smooth the exterior of a cake.
- Piping Decoration: Decorate using a piping bag and decorating tips to create flowers, garlands, etc.
- Cupcake Topping: A delicious topping for chocolate cupcakes or vanilla cupcakes.
- Cookie Decoration: Decorate cut-out sugar cookies or regular cookies.
- Decorate a Yule Log: Like this triple chocolate log cake, praline Yule log, or rocher chocolate log cake.
- Filling for Macarons: Use French buttercream as a filling for vanilla macarons or chocolate macarons creating delightful and colorful macaron sandwiches.
Tips for this recipe
Storage instructions
Fridge: This buttercream can be stored under plastic wrap or in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. It is stable at room temperature for a few hours.
After chilling, it will harden like other meringue buttercreams, so you'll need to let it return to room temperature and whisk it again with a hand mixer to restore its supple, smooth texture.
In the freezer: It can be frozen for up to 3 months, let the frozen buttercream defrost overnight in the fridge before bringing to room temperature and whipping again.
Variations & Substitutions
Recipe Questions & Troubleshooting
Can I use whole eggs instead of just egg yolks?
Most French buttercream recipes are traditionally made with egg yolks, but it's possible to make it using egg whites if desired.
Is French buttercream safe to eat since it contains raw egg yolks?
The sugar syrup, when added to the egg yolks in French buttercream, typically cooks and pasteurizes the yolks, making the buttercream stable and safe to eat. (you can also cook the eggs in a double boiler to 160°C before whipping them)
Why does my French buttercream look curdled or separated?
French buttercream can appear curdled or separated if the temperature of the butter and egg yolk mixture is imbalanced. Simply continue to mix the frosting until it becomes homogeneous and smooth.
Is French buttercream stable?
Yes, French buttercream is stable and holds its shape well for decorating cakes and pastries.
How do I fix French buttercream that's too runny or too stiff?
If it's too runny, chill it briefly, then re-whip; if it's too stiff, warm a small portion, incorporate it back, and re-whip.
Can I make French buttercream in advance?
Yes, you can make French buttercream in advance and store it in the refrigerator or freezer; re-whip it before using.
More Buttercream Recipes
I hope you love this French buttercream frosting. If you make it, be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Happy Baking!
Print
French Meringue buttercream Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings
Description
How to make the best French buttercream recipe, made with egg yolk this cream is perfect on your cakes and cupcakes! ( quantity for piping 10-12 cupcakes)
Ingredients
- 5 Egg yolks
- 110 g (½ cup) Sugar - granulated
- 44 ml (3 tbsp) Water
- 227 g (1 cup) Butter - softened and diced
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
- Place the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at high speed.
- Meanwhile, heat the granulated sugar and water in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Check the temperature with a baking thermometer, which should read 239°F / 115°C.
- Lower the speed of the mixer and incorporate the syrup of sugar on the egg yolks.
- Continue mixing at high speed for about 10 minutes, until the mixture cools.
- Lower the mixer speed and fold in the softened butter pieces, vanilla and salt.
- Resume high speed and mix for about 5-10 minutes until creamy and smooth.
Notes
Storage: Up to 1 week in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Category: frosting, fillings, cream
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 portion
- Calories: 133
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 93
- Fat: 12
- Saturated Fat: 7
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 104
Hi, it’s missing the amount of water for the syrup in the recipe 🙂
Hi, yes indeed the water is missing in the recipe card, I have just updated by adding it, sorry for this inconvenience and thanks for your message.
It looks beautiful and it's a nice change from the usual use of this buttercream, bravo.
So satiny and delicious
This was a hit at my Niece’s birthday party!
Does this hold up well? And is it self stable? I would say yes but just confirming! Thanks
Yes, this French meringue buttercream holds up really well once piped onto your cakes or cupcakes. It's stable at room temperature for a short period but best stored in the refrigerator if you're not using it right away. Enjoy!
Wow, this frosting was so fun to make - watching it transform in the mixer! I made a French gingerbread recipe for my daughter’s birthday cake and used this to frost the cupcakes. SO DELICIOUS!
Wow, thank you so much! I'm so happy you enjoyed making the frosting and that it worked perfectly for your daughter's birthday cupcakes. French gingerbread sounds amazing—what a thoughtful choice!