Buttercream and frosting are both made with powdered (icing) sugar, fat, flavour and milk or water. What makes the difference is the type of fat use in both.
FROSTING
Frosting doesn’t contain butter. That’s the big difference between buttercream and frosting . Frosting is usually made with shortening (Trex, Flora White & Cookeen) or cream cheese. That’s why frosting is a good option if you want a bright white cake than buttercream which often has a yellowish tint.
However, shortening-based frostings can have a slight chemical taste. This is because unlike butter, shortening has no flavour, making it easier to taste any artificial flavourings from food colourings or other additives. Best to use the highest quality extracts, essences or vanilla bean pastes when making frosting.
Vegetable shortening is a white, solid fat made from vegetable oils. In the UK it is sold under the brand names Trex, Flora White or Cookeen.
BUTTERCREAM
This is a butter-based (Unsalted butter) frosting. The butter gives the icing a richer and creamier taste. For silky smooth buttercream, make sure the butter is at room temperature. Chilled butter can be harder to work with or cream.
Frosting is a thick and fluffy coating of cream or butter. Icing is a thin and sugary glaze spread that hardens on cooling. They are both used for decorating cakes, muffins and pastries.
Comparison chart
Frosting versus Icing comparison chart| Coating outside of cake | Glaze on cakes and pastry |
| Fluffy, like buttercream | Glossy |
| Cream or butter base | Sugar base, or egg whites, butter or cream |
| Thick and gooey | Thin |
| Buttery | Sugary |
History
According to Food Timeline, the first recipe for icing was documented by Elizabeth Raffald in 1769 in the Experienced English Housekeeper. The first icing were a boiled composition of the finest available sugar, egg whites and sometimes flavoring which was poured on the cake. The cake was then returned to the oven for a while. When removed the icing cooled quickly to form a hard, glossy ice-like covering.
In 1915, Mrs. Fred W. Gurney created the first buttercream recipe, and Fannie Farmer followed with many more recipes in 1918 and 1923.
Ingredients
Frosting is usually made with a cream or butter based. Colors are added to the cream before decorating.
Icing is typically made with a sugar base, although it can also be made with egg whites, butter or cream. Colors are added to the sugary base before it hardens up.
Appearance
Frosting is thick and gooey, and can look fluffy. It is opaque. It can also hold shapes, like rosettes and shells. It is soft to the touch and creamy.
Icing is thin and glossy. It is usually, but not always, opaque. It is more liquid, but it hardens when it dries out.
Fluffy buttercream frosting on a cupcake
Sugary icing on a muffin
Uses
Frosting is usually used on cakes, for example the buttercream on the top of a birthday cake or a cupcake.
Icing is used to create a thin glaze on cakes and pastries.
Popularity
Although both icing and frosting can be used interchangeably, some general and popular uses of icing or frosting are used are:
- Cookies - icing of sugar and water/lemon juice.
- In between layers of a cake - a soft and flully frosting of buttercream/cream cheese frosting.
- On top of cakes or cupcakes - both icing and frosting are used.
Equipment
There are several specialized equipment like cones, decorating spatulas, smoothers, cutters etc that are available for decorating with icing or frosting. A few of these are available on Amazon.com.
References
- Cake History - The Food Timeline
- The Icing on the Cake - Cake Spy
- Dessert & Cake Icing - Wilton
- Follow
- Share
- Cite
- Authors
Share this comparison:
If you read this far, you should follow us:
"Frosting vs Icing." Diffen.com. Diffen LLC, n.d. Web. 23 Oct 2022. < >