Not Too Sweet Buttercream Frosting

• Place 1/2 cup of room-temperature pasteurized egg whites and 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl if you plan to make it with a hand mixer). Mix on a low speed to combine.
• Once all the powdered sugar has been incorporated, mix on high with a whisk attachment for 5-10 minutes until the meringue has soft peaks. Sometimes the egg whites will be able to reach stiff peaks like in the picture above, but if you only get soft peaks, the frosting will still turn out great once you add the butter.
• Swap the whisk attachment for a paddle attachment. This will help make your buttercream super smooth once it's fully made. Mix in 1 1/2 cups or 3 sticks of room temperature butter on a low speed, one at a time. Wait until each stick of butter has been fully mixed in before adding the next stick.
• Once the butter is incorporated, mix on medium speed for an additional 5 minutes until the frosting looks fluffy. If the frosting breaks or becomes soupy once you add in the butter, don't worry! Just keep mixing and it should come back together in 5-10 minutes. When in doubt, keep mixing. If the frosting still hasn't come back together at this point, please refer to my detailed troubleshooting guide in the post above.
• Add 1 Tbsp of vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp of salt and mix on a low speed until combined.
• Stir for a couple of additional minutes by hand with a rubber spatula to make the frosting silky smooth. Then use as desired! This frosting is amazing on layer cakes, cupcakes, and macarons.