Cream cheese frosting vs buttercream: what’s the difference?

When it comes to flavor, I always prefer cream cheese frosting to buttercream frosting. But I do use buttercream often enough, simply because sometimes it is more appropriate for what I am making. So there is a difference in use, but also in taste. Today I will discuss the difference between buttercream and cream cheese frosting, because choosing the right frosting for your project is an important decision.

Buttercream

There are several recipes for buttercream. From the simplest 1:1 with powdered sugar and butter to the Swiss meringue buttercream or Italian buttercream. Each buttercream has its pros and cons, but we will explain that one day in an article about all types of buttercream. When I talk about buttercream in this article, I mean a standard buttercream like the one you get with this ermine frosting recipe.

But it could also be a flavored or colored buttercream. By the way, the linked recipe does not taste like butter, it is really a nice airy cream that tastes creamy but doesn’t have that overpowering butter taste. It’s a simple buttercream recipe and definitely my favorite. If you’ve never tried making a buttercream with flour in it this is your hint to do so for next time. The smooth consistency will be your new favorite. But again, with any type of frosting; it always depends what you’ll be using it for.

How to use buttercream

Buttercream is mainly used to decorate cakes and cupcakes. It is very easy to work with and it is great for piping and cake decorating in general. This is why this traditional buttercream is used most often in America, where people love larger-than-life layer cakes. Cupcakes are also still very popular in the United States.

The biggest difference between my ermine frosting recipe and a recipe for traditional American buttercream is that – on average – the American recipes use more sugar and instead of unsalted butter they use shortening. This creates a beautiful really white buttercream and this is usually called a buttercream frosting. Of course while tastes differ and are mostly depending on your personal preference, I like to think that the ermine frosting is tastier compared to a traditional buttercream.

One of the great things about buttercream is that it is ideal for piping beautiful swirls and it doesn’t flatten out or at least not much. It is also perfect for adding in colors. I prefer to work with gel-based colors. I find the color more consistent and easier to get to the right vibrancy. So in general buttercream is a pretty allround frosting to use and I always use it to create beautiful smooth cakes. It’s also ideal for using certain kind of piping nozzles. When using buttercream I know that the shapes I make will keep perfectly.

When I want a really smooth end result, I will always choose buttercream.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream cheese frostings vary in use and taste. Let’s start with the taste, compared to regular buttercream a cream cheese frosting is even creamier and has a richer and deeper flavor. It has a slightly more tangy flavor and yes you can still taste the cream cheese but it doesn’t dominate the end result. I love using a cream cheese icing as it has a beautiful creamy texture and I love the flavor best. My favorite cream frosting recipe is this one. The perfect consistency for a red velvet cake recipe for instance!

If you want to finish a cake with a generous layer or decorate it, you are less likely to use cream cheese frosting. I sometimes pipe it on a cupcake or spread it on a cake, but I know the result will not be as smooth as buttercream. It is also more important for this frosting to set in the fridge than with buttercream. A cake with cream cheese frosting should be kept in the refrigerator at all times.

You could use cream cheese frosting for decorating the cake, but it will be less stable due to the needed temperature. Buttercream will keep better at room temperature which is great if your cake has to be out of the fridge for a bit.

How to use cream cheese frosting

So what is cream cheese frosting good for, you may ask? Cream cheese frosting is used because of its flavor and the fact that it combines beautifully with cakes like red velvet or a carrot cake.  So if you’re going to use cream cheese, use it for flavor more than for decorating.

I love using full-fat cream cheese for that same reason. While there might be a place and time for low-fat cream cheese, I would never pick it if I had the choice. The type of cream cheese used also makes a difference to the end result

Recipes

Recipes that would be delicious with cream cheese frosting:

• Cinnamon rolls
• Red velvet cake
• Carrot cake
• Apple sauce muffins

Recipes that would be great with buttercream:

• Strawberry cupcakes
• Vanilla cupcakes