Italian Meringue Recipe: How to Make Perfect Italian Meringue for Desserts
Learn how to make Basic Italian Meringue , a versatile and stable base for buttercream frosting, meringue pies, mousses, and more. This step-by-step guide ensures glossy, voluminous results every time with helpful tips for success.
Equipment
- For tools, grab:
- A stand mixer (or hand mixer if that’s all you’ve got),
- A small heavy-bottomed saucepan,
- A candy thermometer (a must-have for getting the sugar syrup just right).
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar about 7 ounces or 200g
- ½ cup water
- 4 large egg whites room temperature works best—more on that later!
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar or the juice of 1 lemon (this little trick will help stabilize your meringue)
Instructions
- Step 1: Prep Your Sugar Syrup: Start by combining the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Stir gently over medium heat until the mixture starts to boil. Once it’s bubbling, stop stirring—it’s important to avoid agitation at this stage to prevent crystallization.Use a pastry brush dipped in water to wipe down the sides of the pan. Why? Because stray sugar granules can cause the syrup to crystallize, ruining your hard work. Keep an eye on the thermometer; you’re aiming for 240°F (116°C), also known as the “soft ball” stage.
- Step 2: Whip Those Egg Whites: While your sugar syrup heats up, grab your stand mixer. Add the egg whites and a splash of lemon juice or cream of tartar. Start whipping them on medium speed until soft peaks form. These should look like gentle waves that slowly collapse back into themselves when you lift the whisk.
- Pro tip: Room-temperature egg whites whip faster and incorporate air better. If you forgot to take yours out of the fridge, no worries—just give them an extra minute or two on low speed before ramping things up.
- Step 3: Combine Hot Syrup and Egg Whites: This is where the magic happens. With the mixer running, carefully and slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites. Be cautious—the syrup is scorching hot! Once all the syrup is added, crank up the speed to high and watch as the mixture transforms into a glossy, voluminous cloud.
Notes
- For best results, use fresh eggs at room temperature.
- Clean the sugar pot by boiling water in it to dissolve hardened sugar residue.
- Adding an acid like lemon juice or cream of tartar improves stability.