The different types of buttercream
To a lot of people buttercream is buttercream! But there are actuallymany different types of buttercream, they all differ slightly to suit differenttypes of bakes and what flavours you would like to achieve.
American Buttercream
If you’ve evermixed icing sugar and butter with a splash of milk and/or vanilla extract, thenyou’ve already ticked American buttercream off the list. American buttercreamis the most popular and traditional buttercream as it’s so simple to make andit’s a great base for adding flavour and colour. It’s great for pipingdecorations onto cakes as its soft, but also holds a shape and stiffens onceleft.
Americanbuttercream is best used for filling, icing, and decorating cakes and pastries.
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
A light and fluffybuttercream made from egg whites and sugar, heated to make a meringue. Thenbutter, flavouring and salt is added to flavour it. Swiss meringue buttercreamis less sweet than American buttercream. It is super smooth and light and isgreat for filling cakes or cupcakes when other jams or curds are used asflavouring. Swiss meringue buttercream is very pale in colour so it’s great foradding colour.
Check out Swissmeringue buttercream mixes likeCake Cream by Sugar Sisters andWhipping It Up by ! A quick and easy way to make Swiss meringue buttercream!
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Italian meringuebuttercream is the most difficult to make but is worth it as it is the moststable of all buttercreams. In order to make Italian meringue buttercream youhave to cook sugar to turn into sugar syrup, then stream the hot syrup into theegg white as they are whipped. Please be careful if you’re going to attemptthis one, you could pour hot syrup on you or be flicked by the whisk. Italianmeringue buttercream great for more intricate designs and warmer climates asit’s a lot more stable.
Italian meringuebuttercream has a high butter content and is rich and creamy in flavour. It isless sweet than traditional American buttercream, so it’s great to pair with arich chocolate cake!
French Buttercream
It is Identical toItalian meringue buttercream, though you only use egg yolks and not the whites.French buttercream is rich and creamy due to using egg yolks and is used forcakes, cupcakes and other similar deserts.
German Buttercream
Otherwise known ascrème mousseline, is a custard-based buttercream. It is light and smooth, andonly has a subtle sweetness. It’s best used in cream puffs, pastries, andcakes.
Russian Buttercream
Made with whippedbutter and condensed milk. It has a strong milk taste, and the texture isslightly thicker than whipped cream. It is best used on cupcakes or cakes thatwill be served quickly. It is very light so doesn’t hold up for a long periodof time, and it doesn’t cope with heat well.
Korean Buttercream
Identical toItalian meringue buttercream, though the butter is cold when beaten in,creating a completely different texture and look. It has a glossy finish, whichis slightly transparent and therefore makes beautiful, piped flowers. It isgreat for piping intricate designs on cakes and cupcakes.
American, Swissmeringue and Italian meringue are the most popular in the world of baking dueto their versatility. Buttercream can be refrigerated for up to a week in anairtight container. When you want to use it, just leave it come to roomtemperature and re-whip it, so it gets its fluffy texture back. You can alsofreeze buttercream frosting for up to 3 months! Pop it in an airtight bag orcontainer, the day before would like to use it take it out of the freezer andpop it in the fridge for 24 hours to let it thaw. Then again let it come toroom temp and whip it up! If you are defrosting a large amount of buttercream,please allow for more time for it to thaw.
We have a widerange of both unflavoured and flavoured sugars here at The Vanilla Valley whichare perfect for making buttercream! If you wish to colour yourbuttercream, we suggest using a spot of gel or paste colouring as this won’taffect the texture as much as other mediums.
FAQs
Classically there are four main types of buttercream: Italian, German, French & Swiss.
What buttercream do professional bakers use? ›
Swiss meringue buttercream is probably the most standard buttercream for pastry professionals. It is incredibly smooth, making it an extremely popular choice for icing cakes. Compared to American buttercream, it has a much stronger butter flavor, but is considerably less sweet.
Which buttercream tastes the best? ›
French buttercream uses egg yolks rather than whites. Anyone who has ever had a sunny side up egg knows that yolks have much more flavor than whites. This translates to the frosting. French buttercream is the richest and tastiest of the three.
What are the three types of butter icing? ›
But if you're keen to know the basic differences, here are a few!
- American buttercream is sweeter than Swiss or Italian. It forms a “crust” when exposed to air – perfect for paining and piping on.
- Swiss Meringue buttercream is silky smooth and light. ...
- Italian Meringue buttercream is the least sweet of the three.
Italian Buttercream
Continue to mix, mix, mix, adding vanilla, salt, and any other flavorings you like until the frosting is soft, shiny, and white. Although Italian buttercream is extremely light, it's stable enough to hold its shape through warm weather.
What kind of buttercream is used on wedding cakes? ›
The shiny, smooth covering on a wedding cake with pristine edges and delicate flowers is likely Swiss or Italian Meringue buttercream.
What is the best type of buttercream frosting for decorating cakes? ›
Choose Swiss meringue Buttercream if you:
want to level up your cake decorating from traditional American buttercreams (the ones that use just butter/powdered sugar.) Most pro-decorators will likely use this for sharp, clean sides and detailed designs.
What's the difference between Italian buttercream and American buttercream? ›
What's the difference between buttercream and Italian meringue buttercream? Italian buttercream is meringue-based and very light, creamy, and less sweet than American buttercream. American buttercream is sweeter but has the advantage of being quick, easy to make, and sturdy.
What is the best buttercream for a smooth cake? ›
SWISS MERINGUE BUTTERCREAM
Pros – It is soft, smooth and not too sweet. SM buttercream is arguably the best frosting in terms of cake decorating because it is the easiest way to get those smooth clean lines.
Should I use American or Swiss buttercream? ›
Swiss meringue buttercream is supremely better in both flavor and texture than American buttercream. Once you try it, you will want to use it on all of your cakes, cupcakes, cookies, everything! It is silky, pipes beautifully, and is very stable.
Yes, this is absolutely correct. The longer you beat, the more air you incorporate in your buttercream, thus, it will have lots of holes or air-pockets, it will also make the colour lighter. If you will use your buttercream primarily for filling or maybe as simple swirls, then this is ok.
What type of buttercream is best for piping flowers? ›
I found American buttercream to work the best. Not only is it a breeze to make, it pipes with ease and sets beautifully. It's sturdy, giving you control over your shapes. It's also forgiving.
What is the difference between buttercream and French buttercream? ›
Rich and creamy, French buttercream has a taste and consistency similar to custard or pastry cream. Made using pasteurized egg yolks and sugar, this buttercream is not as sweet as traditional American buttercream and makes a great topping for a dark chocolate cake.
What is the difference between buttercream frosting and buttercream icing? ›
The best way to distinguish frosting from buttercream is through the ingredients. While both contain powdered sugar, fat, flavouring and sometimes milk or water, frosting does not contain any butter whatsoever. Instead, frosting is usually made with shortening or cream cheese.
What is the most difficult buttercream to make? ›
Italian meringue buttercream is the most difficult to make but is worth it as it is the most stable of all buttercreams. In order to make Italian meringue buttercream you have to cook sugar to turn into sugar syrup, then stream the hot syrup into the egg white as they are whipped.
What is the difference between American buttercream and French buttercream? ›
Rich and creamy, French buttercream has a taste and consistency similar to custard or pastry cream. Made using pasteurized egg yolks and sugar, this buttercream is not as sweet as traditional American buttercream and makes a great topping for a dark chocolate cake.
What is the difference between Italian buttercream and traditional buttercream frosting? ›
What's the difference between buttercream and Italian meringue buttercream? Italian buttercream is meringue-based and very light, creamy, and less sweet than American buttercream. American buttercream is sweeter but has the advantage of being quick, easy to make, and sturdy.
