Swiss Meringue Buttercream too buttery / heavy textured. Could I add more meringue?

I've made SMBC several times before and never had this problem - the whites whipped up just as well as usual, but the finished product isn't as fluffy as what I usually get. I'm wondering what would happen if I whipped up an additional egg white's worth of meringue and added that in.
I know it's a very buttery frosting, but the texture and density I have now are not great. Thanks for any opnions!

ReisTanzi
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4 Comments

Lori T.
Lori T. February 1, 2021
The buttery taste gets influenced to a degree by the actual butter you use. What you feed the cow also influences the taste, as well as the butterfat content of the final product. Plus then there is the matter of water content and milk solids which remain in the butter as well. You could make up another bit of meringue and whip that in, or even whip some cream. The cream would not need to be sweetened, either, which could be a plus. And consider the temperature of the frosting when you are whipping it. It needs to be about 72F, to be just about perfect. A little bit colder, and it's stiff and dense. Too high, it's greasy and yuck. Good luck, let us know what you end up doing and how it goes.
 
ReisTanzi
ReisTanzi February 1, 2021
Thank you so much, Lori! I did use part Kerrygold butter purposefully, knowing it would affect the taste, but maybe I got more than I bargained for with the texture! (It is really delicious but feels a hair too close to actually spreading butter on my cake) It was at an appropriate temperature when I judged the texture. Great to have a word of reassurance about adding more meringue - I'm going to try that. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again for taking the time to answer =)
 
Lori T.
Lori T. February 1, 2021
Yes, if you are not used to the higher butterfat content then yeah- it can leave you a bit overwhelmed. Since you mention Kerrygold, I also wonder if you used salted or unsalted butter? The unsalted butter is a cultured product, and that can make it taste a bit more buttery as well. I generally use one of the blander American style sweet cream butters for this sort of frosting, just to avoid that challenge. And you're welcome, and I do hope you are able to adjust it to your tastes a bit better.
 
ReisTanzi
ReisTanzi February 11, 2021
I did add the extra meringue, and it lightened up just as I had hoped. Thanks, Lori!
 
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