Swiss Meringue Buttercream (No Heat!)

Okay, so this is definitely a 'cheat' version of Swiss Meringue Buttercream, but I have tried it the long tedious way as well and this honestly came out better.

I think it is due to the erythritol granules not dissolving properly when heated (at least not the same way regular sugar would)? Every time I tried to do this over the stove it felt like my arm was about to fully fall off my body before I got it to the stage I was looking for. That is when I set out to find a recipe for SMBC that did not involve that much of a workout. I stumbled upon this recipe, and decided to tweak it a bit to fit my sugar-free needs. Lets dive in!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 Egg White (or the equivalent in cartoned egg-whites - about 2T)
• ½ Cup Powdered Sweetener (I just 'blitz' some granular erythritol until it is powdered, then measure out)
• 150g Butter, Softened (About 10T + 2t - I use sweet cream butter, as always)
• 1tsp Vanilla (or flavor additive of choice. One on One Flavors work amazing in this as well!)

PROCESS:

1. Add the egg whites and powdered erythritol into the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the paddle attachment (this threw me for a loop at first. I for sure thought it would be the whisk!) and mix together on low speed until everything is just combined. (Since it is a smaller batch, make sure you scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to ensure it is all truly combined)
2. Turn the mixer up to medium for about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, make sure your softened butter is divided into tablespoon size chunks, as we will add those in one chunk at a time.
3. At the 10 minute mark, turn the mixer back down to low, and start adding in your softened butter - one chunk at a time. Once the chunk of butter is fully combined, toss in another chunk. So on, and so forth until all of your butter is combined. (Be sure to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula a couple of times throughout the process)
4. At this stage you can add in your flavoring. Vanilla extract, One on One Flavors, Cinnamon, Lemon Juice, etc..
5. Turn the mixer back up to medium and mix for another 10 minutes. (I have found that you may think this is done prior to the 10 minute mark, but if you trust the process and ride it out - the frosting will seem less gritty and more fully combined)

My batch is definitely smaller than the original recipe, but it produces a decent amount of frosting once you beat for those final 10 minutes. I never have issues getting all of my cupcakes covered. You can always double the recipe if you are trying to frost a full or double layer cake though.

I am not entirely sure if this HAS to be refrigerated, but I tend to keep mine in the fridge if I have leftovers. I simply pull it back out, let it get to room temp, and then you can give it another quick beat to bring it back to life for more frosting. (or scoop it out with your finger like I have been known to do)

Hope you guys find this one as easy as I did!