Buttercreams are the largest type of frosting on my site, and each offers a unique blend of texture, flavor, ingredients, modifications, and difficulty. This guide will compare key characteristics to help you navigate this extensive category. By the end, you'll have a clearer idea of which frosting to choose and maybe even discover a new favorite!

What classifies a frosting as buttercream?

Buttercreams are frostings that use butter as the primary fat. Butter gives buttercreams a prominent buttery flavor, a creamy texture, and relatively good stability.   

I have two major groups of Buttercreams on my site:

‍Simple Buttercreams and True Buttercreams.

The buttercreams within a specific group have similar characteristics, such as preparation methods, textures, modification capabilities, and stability.

Simple buttercreams are made by straightforward mixing of ingredients.
These thicker and exceptionally stable frostings make them perfect for easy, reliable frosting. Thanks to their high sugar content, these frostings can form a crust, making them ideal for intricate, long-lasting piped decorations. The primary member of this category is the ever-popular American buttercream.

True Buttercreams contain frostings that require emulsification, typically requiring more steps and time.
‍This type of preparation yields buttercreams with a smooth, creamy texture and no graininess, thanks to the dissolved sugars. While these buttercreams require more effort and ingredients, they deliver melt-in-your-mouth textures and ultra-smooth, professional decorating results.

How do you choose a buttercream?

There are many ways I can help you choose a good buttercream. One popular request is to rank them by sweetness. Here, you can see their sugar levels:

When choosing a buttercream, however, it's essential to consider more than just sugar levels, as sweetness can vary depending on other recipe components and individual taste receptors. In addition, I calculate total sugar levels (sucrose, glucose, lactose, and others), and different sugar molecules have varying levels of sweetness. 

For instance, my black buttercream contains more sugar than Russian buttercream, but I find it tastes less sweet because of the slight bitterness from the black cocoa, which counterbalances the sweetness of the sugars. (This is the reason why Oreo cookies taste so delicious!)

So, in general, although sweetness levels are a common request, you’ll really want to consider a fuller picture of what each buttercream offers. Below, we'll briefly explore each type, listed by difficulty level, and I’ll provide you with several links to guides I’ve written to help you find the perfect match.

Eight Buttercreams from Easiest to Most Challenging

Classic American Buttercream is arguably the most recognizable and popular frosting due to its easy method and famously assertive, sweet, buttery flavor. The primary ingredients are butter and powdered sugar, making it powerfully sweet and dense.

As the only Simple Buttercream on this list, American Buttercream will have a mildly granular texture due to the undissolved powdered sugar. In my version, I focused on reducing the texture and balancing the sweetness to create a lighter American Buttercream you’ll turn to again and again. 

Do choose Classic American Buttercream if:

• You’re just starting your baking journey. This buttercream is where bakers usually begin, as it is typically the most familiar. 
• You love a nostalgic buttercream flavor that is very sweet and buttery.
• You need a crusting type of frosting (for piping flowers or intricate, long-lasting designs).
• You don’t have access to a stand mixer; you can easily make this with a hand mixer.

Don’t choose Classic American Buttercream if:

• You prefer a very lightly flavored and textured buttercream.
• You want a not-too-sweet frosting.
• You don’t like grainy or granular textures in your frosting. (In this case, you’ll need one of the True Buttercreams, which all contain dissolved sugar and include every other buttercream in this list.)

Want to learn more about Classic American Buttercream?

I’ve written a master guide to all things American Buttercream, including 1-cup and 3-cup tester recipes. I also go into why American Buttercreams tend to have a gritty texture and a bit of sugar science.

How to use Classic American Buttercream in the Cakeculator:

My Cakeculator is a custom cake recipe tool that lets you choose your own cake and frosting flavors, along with pan size. You can use it to create cakes or even just a frosting recipe. I’ll link some examples down below for you to try:

• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Vanilla Classic American Buttercream (enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake)
• One dozen chocolate cupcakes with Vanilla Classic American Buttercream
• Two dozen red velvet cupcakes with Cream Cheese American Buttercream

Russian buttercream, or condensed milk frosting, is one of the simplest to prepare in the True Buttercream family, taking around 15 minutes to make. The primary ingredients, butter and condensed milk, create a frosting that boasts a rich, dairy-forward flavor.

This frosting is traditionally quite dense, but my updated recipe is much lighter and features a silky, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It offers excellent stability, making it a great choice for those starting to work with True Buttercreams.

Do choose Russian Buttercream if:

• You’re just starting with emulsion-based buttercreams/True Buttercreams. This great frosting requires minimal effort and only a few ingredients, yielding excellent results. 
• You enjoy the “butter” in buttercreams or eat condensed milk by the spoonful; this is a rich and sweet frosting.
• You need a frosting quickly and prefer not to cook/heat anything.

Don’t choose Russian Buttercream if:

• You prefer a very lightly flavored and textured buttercream.
• You don't enjoy a strong dairy flavor or condensed milk.
• You need a naturally pure white buttercream (although this one can be color-corrected using purple food dye).

Want to learn more about Russian Buttercream?

I’ve written a master guide to all things Russian Buttercream, including 1-cup and 3-cup tester recipes. This post also covers common pitfalls with Russian Buttercream, as well as an in-depth video on everything Russian Buttercream.

How to use Russian Buttercream in the Cakeculator:

My Cakeculator is a custom cake recipe tool that lets you choose your own cake and frosting flavors, along with pan size. You can use it to create cakes or even just a frosting recipe. I’ll link some examples down below for you to try!

• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Vanilla Russian Buttercream (enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake)
• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Chocolate Russian Buttercream (enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake)
• Buttery Yellow Cake with Vanilla Russian Buttercream (8-inch round, 2-layer cake)

Ermine buttercream is a combination of a thickened, sweetened flour paste and butter. The flour paste has a smooth gel-like texture, creating a surprisingly light and creamy buttercream when combined with the butter. Many describe its texture as similar to whipped cream, with a flavor reminiscent of cooked pudding.

A flour paste might seem unusual for a buttercream, but has incredible strength. Ermine Buttercream, in particular, stood out for its heat and A flour paste might seem unusual for a buttercream, but it has incredible strength. Ermine Buttercream, in particular, stood out for its heat and pressure stability among all the buttercreams I tested. 

Do choose Ermine Buttercream if you:

• Enjoy whipped cream frostings, but you need something more substantial and long-lasting for your cakes.
• Want to try the original red velvet frosting or a frosting for more old-fashioned American cakes. Many people have told me this is what their grandmothers made, though they didn’t know the name.
• Need a super stable frosting—this one and Italian Meringue Buttercream performed exceptionally well in my heat tests.

Don’t choose Ermine Buttercream if you:

• Like more buttery or denser frostings.
• Don’t like the flavor or textures of puddings.
• Are just starting with cake decorating and require something that looks polished immediately and easily; this one takes a little more time and patience to get super smooth, but it can definitely be done.

Want to learn more about Ermine Buttercream?

I’ve written a master guide to Ermine Buttercream that also includes 1-cup and 3-cup tester recipes. I often get asked whether other types of starch can be used, so I’ll show you how. Plus, I have a super in-depth video there that goes into flavor modification for this frosting.

How to use Ermine Buttercream in the Cakeculator:

My Cakeculator is a custom cake recipe tool that lets you choose your own cake and frosting flavors, along with pan size. You can use it to create cakes or even just a frosting recipe. I’ll link some examples down below for you to try!

• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Vanilla Ermine Buttercream (enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake)
• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Pudding Ermine Buttercream (this is a variation that uses instant pudding to make a frosting and is enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake)
• One dozen Sprinkle Cupcakes with Chocolate Ermine Buttercream

French buttercream is a rich, decadent frosting made with egg yolks, sugar, and butter. Because of the egg yolks, texture-wise, it has a bit more body than the meringue buttercreams (Swiss and Italian) and a nice glossy sheen.

My recipe is versatile, allowing you to use either just egg yolks or whole eggs. Adding yolks enhances the buttercream without making it overly eggy; it takes on a light, pastry-cream-like quality. As an homage to classic French pastry, I've made this buttercream a bit on the buttery side—not overbearingly, but the perfect luxurious topping for your cakes. 

Do choose French Buttercream if:

• You want a rich and luscious buttercream for your desserts. 
• You want a denser, moderately sweet buttercream. This one has less sweetness than the Russian and American dreamy buttercreams, but it also has a similar density.

Don’t choose French Buttercream if:

• You need white buttercream. Due to the egg yolks, this one is naturally more yellow than the others on this list.
• You don’t like butter's flavor or texture.
• You want a lighter texture for your buttercream.

Want to learn more about French Buttercream?

I’ve written a master guide to French Buttercream that also includes 1-cup and 3-cup tester recipes. I cover the difference between using just egg yolks vs whole eggs for this buttercream.

How to use French Buttercream in the Cakeculator:

My Cakeculator is a custom cake recipe tool that lets you choose your own cake and frosting flavors, along with pan size. You can use it to create cakes or even just a frosting recipe. I’ll link some examples down below for you to try:

• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Vanilla French Buttercream (enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake)
• Two dozen Lemon Butter Cupcakes with Vanilla French Buttercream

Swiss meringue buttercream is a favorite among cake decorators for its smooth finish and ability to hold intricate piping details. My recipe offers a delightfully sweet, buttery flavor with a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Swiss meringue buttercream is made with egg whites, sugar, and butter. The egg whites and sugar are heated over a water bath (bain marie). Swiss meringue buttercream is made with egg whites, sugar, and butter. The egg whites and sugar are heated over a water bath (bain marie). Whipping the meringue syrup is optional; I discuss it further in my guide.

Do choose Swiss Meringue Buttercream if:

• If you want to start experimenting with the classic buttercreams commonly used in pastry and cake decorating, this is an excellent place to start. If you browse Instagram for beautifully decorated cakes, there’s a high chance this is it, given its popularity.
• You need a super-smooth, glossy finish for your cakes.

Don’t Choose Swiss Meringue Buttercream if:

• You don’t like butter's taste; the meringue offers minimal flavor. The sugar and egg white proteins help cut the butterfat, but the base flavor of this buttercream leans more toward vanilla butter.
• You need something that withstands very high heat and humidity. (usually temps above ambient room temperature) You can work around this by using a fat with a higher melting point, such as vegetable shortening.

Want to learn more about Swiss Meringue Buttercream?

I’ve written a master guide to Swiss Meringue Buttercream that also includes 1-cup and 3-cup tester recipes. Did you know you don’t have to whip egg whites and sugar into a meringue to make fantastic buttercream? I cover all that, including a video, in my guide.

How to use Swiss Meringue Buttercream in the Cakeculator:

My Cakeculator is a custom cake recipe tool that lets you choose your own cake and frosting flavors, along with pan size. You can use it to create cakes or even just a frosting recipe. I’ll link some examples down below for you to try!

• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream (enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake)
• 1 or 3 cup Quick Swiss Meringue Buttercream (not a Cakeculator recipe, but coming soon!)‍
• Vanilla Chiffon Cake with Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream (6-inch, 3-layer cake)

I like to think of German Buttercream as the more sophisticated older sister of Ermine Buttercream. It has a very similar whipped cream-like texture and is not very sweet. Instead of a cooked pudding flavor like Ermine, German buttercream has an amazingly delicious, complex vanilla custard flavor. If you’re ready to step up your Ermine Frosting, this is the next one for you to try.

Instead of adding a flour paste-like in Ermine, we add pastry cream to the butter. Pastry cream contains starch and eggs, which together form a loose gel. Combined with butter, it creates a buttercream with a light texture similar to Ermine.

Choose German Buttercream if:

• You adore the texture and flavor of pastry cream or custards.
• You want a more decadent frosting for your dessert.
• You love Ermine Buttercream and are ready to amp things up flavor-wise; the pastry cream does wonders for this buttercream, giving it a delicious, rich, custardy flavor.

Don’t choose German Buttercream if:

• You need white buttercream; this one is more cream- or light yellow-colored due to the pastry cream.
• You don’t like the flavor of eggs; although there is minimal egg flavor, there is a hint of it inside this buttercream more than others on this list.

Want to learn more about German Buttercream?

I’ve written a master guide to German Buttercream that also includes 1-cup and 3-cup tester recipes. I cover the step-by-step instructions for making the pastry cream, which serves as the base flavor vehicle for this frosting.

How to use German Buttercream in the Cakeculator:

My Cakeculator is a custom cake recipe tool that lets you choose your own cake and frosting flavors, along with pan size. You can use it to create cakes or even just a frosting recipe. I’ll link some examples down below for you to try!

• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Vanilla German Buttercream (enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake)
• One dozen Classic Chocolate Cake with Vanilla German Buttercream

Italian meringue buttercream has a lovely, balanced, sweet, buttery flavor and a thick, creamy texture. This is a frosting made with egg whites, sugar, and butter. It’s similar to Swiss meringue buttercream, but instead of heating the egg whites with sugar, a sugar syrup is prepared separately and then slowly poured into the whipped egg whites.

The sugar syrup introduces an extra layer of difficulty, requiring multitasking to make the traditional Italian meringue. However, there are more The sugar syrup adds an extra layer of complexity, requiring multitasking to make traditional Italian meringue. However, there are more accessible methods to simplify the process, which I’ll cover in my guide. Despite the added effort, the sugar syrup is well worth it, as it enhances the stability, making Italian meringue buttercream a highly reliable choice for intricate decorating tasks. 

Do choose Italian Meringue Buttercream if:

• You need the stability to hold up substantial layer cakes or intricate designs. This one performed well in my heat and humidity tests.
• If you like Swiss Meringue Buttercream but want a buttercream with a bit more density, the sugar syrup adds a thicker texture.
• You want white buttercream? Use clear vanilla extract and light yellow butter to get a whiter color. 

Don’t choose Italian Meringue Buttercream if:

• You don’t own a stand mixer. The other buttercreams may be made with a hand mixer (though I’ve never tried it). Still, this one will be the hardest to achieve without one because of the sugar syrup that needs to be poured in while the mixer is going.
• You’re just starting with the True Buttercreams. This one is one of the more advanced recipes and requires a bit of multitasking. 

Want to learn more about Italian Meringue Buttercream?

I’ve written a master guide to Italian Meringue Buttercream that also includes 1-cup and 3-cup tester recipes. A common question I get is whether you can use pasteurized egg whites to make this buttercream. I tested it out for us and shared the details in this post.

How to use Italian Meringue Buttercream in the Cakeculator:

My Cakeculator is a custom cake recipe tool that lets you choose your own cake and frosting flavors, along with pan size. You can use it to create cakes or even just a frosting recipe. I’ll link some examples down below for you to try!

• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream (enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake)‍
• Vanilla Almond Cake with Vanilla Italian Meringue Buttercream (8-inch, 3-layer cake)

his category encompasses all the buttercreams I’ve developed, ranging from easy to advanced, which is why I’ve listed it last.

These buttercreams deserve a separate category because their core method involves emulsifying a special sugar syrup into butter. I’ve created specific emulsion ratios based on the sugar syrup’s molecular composition (proteins, sugars, starches, etc.), resulting in unique flavors, appearances, and textures for each buttercream. I also prioritize stability, making these buttercreams suitable for intensive decorating.

I designed these buttercreams to address specific issues I’ve encountered with other frostings, as detailed below.

Do choose a Sugarologie  Buttercream if:

• You have a unique color, flavor, or textural requirement that can’t be found in other buttercreams. 
• You’re ready to try something new. I try to innovate with my Sugarologie frostings so you’ll experience new techniques, textures, colors, and flavors. 

Don’t choose a Sugarologie Buttercream if:

• You’re new to emulsion-based buttercreams. Most of these are the most advanced frosting recipes on my site. I will always guide you through every step, but I suggest starting with a few easier recipes first. American Dreamy Buttercream is the easiest of my emulsion-based buttercreams in this category, or you can start with some pastry classics, such as French or Swiss meringue Buttercream. 

Want to learn more about my Sugarologie Buttercreams?

These frostings are my specialty as I’ve developed each one to address specific issues, so be sure to check out the guides (which include the 1 and 3-cup tester recipes) for all the details:

• Make the American Dreamy Buttercream recipe.
• Make the Sweet Cream Frosting recipe.
• Make The Black Buttercream recipe.
• Make the ButterCream Cheese Frosting recipe.

These Sugarologie Buttercreams are also in the Cakeculator:

Each of these recipes is enough for an 8-inch, 2-layer cake.

• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Vanilla American Dreamy Buttercream
• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Chocolate American Dreamy Buttercream 
• 5 ¼ cup recipe for Sweet Cream Frosting
• 5 ¼ cup recipe for The Black Buttercream
• 5 ¼ cup recipe for ButterCream Cheese Frosting

My cake pairing suggestions for Sugarologie buttercreams:

• American Dreamy Buttercream: as a replacement for American Buttercream, e.g., Chocolate Cake, Vanilla Almond Cake, Sprinkle 2.0
• Sweet Cream Frosting: in any place you’d want whipped cream, e.g., all my chiffons
• The Black Buttercream: with my black cocoa cake
• ButterCream Cheese Frosting: Red Velvet Cake, Carrot Cake, Ube Velvet Cake