Raspberry Swiss Meringue Cake

This cake is beyond delightful. It features a vanilla cake covered in Swiss meringue buttercream, topped with raspberries. You have to try it! Learn how with my recipe and handy troubleshooting guide below.

Vanilla Sponge Cake Recipe

Unsalted Butter: 250 g
Caster Sugar: 250 g
Self Raising Flour: 250 g
Eggs: 4
Vanilla : 2 tspn
Baking Powder: 0.25 tpn

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Recipe

Egg Whites: 210 g
Granulated Sugar: 400 g
Unsalted Butter: 340 g
Vanilla Extract: 2 tspn
Salt: 0.25 tspn

Vanilla Sponge Cake Method

Start by making the cake. Preheat your oven to 160°c (320°f) and grease and line an 8 inch cake tin with baking paper
Whisk together the butter, sugar and vanilla until pale and creamy
Slowly add the eggs, whisking in between each addition
Fold in the baking powder and the flour with a spatula until smooth
Pour into the cake tin and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean
Once baked, leave in the tin to cool for 15 minutes. Then turn out the cake and leave to cool completely on a wire rack, and your cakes are ready!

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Method

Put the egg whites into a heat-proof bowl. Whisk the egg whites on low speed until foamy, then add the sugar. Place the bowl over a ban-marie on a low heat and heat until the sugar has dissolved, stirring constantly. This should take about 5-10 minutes. You can test if it's done by dipping your finger in quickly and seeing if the mixture feels grainy in between your fingers. If you are using a thermometer, the temperature should reach 160°f
Remove the bowl from the ban-marie and then transfer to a stand-alone mixer if you have one as you will need to whisk the mixture for about 10 minutes or until stiff glossy peaks form and the bowl has cooled down completely
Once you have reached this stage, put the bowl in the fridge for 5 minutes so that the butter doesn't melt when you add it in
Remove the bowl from the fridge and then switch to the paddle tool on the stand mixer if you have one. If not, you can continue to use your hand whisk. Whisk in the chunks of butter to the mixture gradually. After about 3 minutes, it should be smooth and silky and ready to use!

Troubleshooting Guide

When making this raspberry swiss meringue cake, the topping is the trickiest part. But this buttercream is beyond divine and worth the extra steps. It’s silky smooth and doesn’t build up a crust like and is less sweet than regular buttercream. After I made it the first time it instantly became my absolute favourite topping for… everything! Swiss meringue buttercream can be a tricky recipe to get right. But when you know all the right tips and tricks you’ll find it’s easier than you think.

It’s best to use eggs that are fresh as possible to achieve a more stable meringue
Use room temperature eggs as they will whip up better
Make sure all the utensils and bowls you will be using are clean and dry. Even the tiniest speck of grease can stop your meringue from rising
This recipe is a lot easier when using a stand mixer as you will need to be whisking for quite a long time! Although perfect Swiss meringue buttercream can still be achieved with a hand mixer
Make sure your butter is the correct temperature before adding it to the meringue. Too cold and it will curdle, too warm and the mixture will become sloppy. Try taking your butter out the fridge 2 hours before you need it. The butter should be soft but not starting to melt
If your buttercream is too stiff, heat it for a few seconds on a ban-marie until glossy again
Likewise, if your buttercream becomes sloppy you can put it in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up
Great news, Swiss meringue buttercream stores well. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days or in the freezer for 2 months.

There are so many great blogs that helped me when I first tried making this buttercream. This blog has a great in-depth guide with great step-by-step photos too. Check it out! Why not try out my flapjack recipe too?

Raspberry Swiss Meringue Cake Recipe