01
Cream
10.0best for frosting1 cup : 1 1/2 cup
Whip cold cream to soft peaks for richness; use half the amount as butter, adds silky mouthfeel
10.0
butter substitute
in frosting.
Butter is the backbone of buttercream frosting. It whips to a fluffy, spreadable consistency that holds its shape when piped onto cake.
top substitutes
adjustment for this dish
Cream at 36% fat can't hold shape as buttercream — at 1.5 cups per cup of butter you get a pourable glaze, not a pipeable frosting. To recover a spreadable consistency whip the cream to stiff peaks first, then fold in 3 cups powdered sugar; the result pipes only at 38°F and slumps fluffy within 20 minutes at room temp.
02
Half and Half
10.0best for frosting1 cup : 7/8 cup
Much thinner; use in sauces and soups where butter's richness is needed but solid fat is not
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Half and half's 12% fat cannot emulsify with sugar into a firm buttercream; even at 0.875 cup per cup of butter, the mix stays runny. Thicken with 2 tbsp cornstarch cooked to a pudding first, cool to 68°F, then beat with 3 cups sifted powdered sugar for a smooth spread that holds shape for only 1 hour before weeping.
03
Salted Butter
10.0best for frosting1 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Add pinch of salt per stick
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Salted butter swaps 1:1 tbsp for a buttercream, but the embedded salt (about 1/4 tsp per half-cup) mutes the sweet profile — cut any recipe salt to zero. Whip at 68°F for 3 minutes to the same fluffy stage; the frosting pipes rosettes with identical firm hold and slightly savory balance.
show 11 more substitutes
04
Stick Butter
10.01 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Identical product in stick form; no conversion needed, just unwrap and measure as usual
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Stick butter behaves exactly like block butter in buttercream at the 1:1 tbsp ratio — the same 80% fat whips to the same pipeable consistency in 3 minutes. Use the wrapper markings to portion 8 tbsp for a standard 2-cup batch and skip the scale; the thick spreadable result is indistinguishable.
05
Whipped Butter
10.03 tbsp : 2 tbsp
Whipped has air, use less regular butter
10.0
adjustment for this dish
Whipped butter carries 30% pre-incorporated air, so scale 3 tbsp per 2 tbsp of stick butter to hit the real fat weight. Beat only 90 seconds — the pre-whipped structure collapses under prolonged mixing and the frosting loses hold shape. Expect a slightly lighter, less firm buttercream that still pipes smooth rosettes at 68°F.
06
Ghee
10.01 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Nutty toasted flavor with higher smoke point; 1:1 swap, dairy-free of casein for lactose-sensitive cooks
10.0
07
Clarified Butter (Ghee) Butter
7.51 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Pure butterfat with nutty flavor; higher smoke point, use 25% less since no water content
7.5
08
Heavy Cream
8.01 cup : 1/3 cup
Whip to soft peaks for frosting or fold into batters; richer than butter but adds no structure
8.0
09
Butter Oil
6.71 tbsp : 1 tbsp
Concentrated milk fat without water; use 20% less and add splash of water for baking moisture
6.7
10
Lard
8.07/8 cup : 1 cup
Produces flaky pastry crust; use slightly less, lard has no water content unlike butter's 15-20%
8.0
11
Shortening
6.71 cup : 1 1/8 cup
Produces very flaky crusts and tender cookies; 1:1 by volume, but lacks butter's rich dairy flavor
6.7
12
Coconut Oil
6.71 cup : 1 cup
Similar solid-at-room-temp texture, adds richness
6.7
13
Chicken Fat
6.03/4 cup : 1 cup
Savory with rich poultry flavor; best for frying and roasting potatoes, not suitable for sweet baking
6.0
14
Greek Yogurt
6.01/2 cup : 1 cup
Half the amount, adds tang and moisture
6.0
technique for frosting
technique
Buttercream lives or dies by butter temperature: whip 1 cup of 68°F butter on medium-high for 3 minutes until it turns pale and fluffy, then add sifted powdered sugar in four additions while beating 2 more minutes per addition to dissolve the sweet crystals. Cold butter stays lumpy and refuses to spread; butter above 72°F turns into soup that won't hold shape through a star tip.
A proper American buttercream is 2:1 sugar-to-butter by weight for a firm, pipeable consistency that stands at room temperature for 4 hours without slumping. Unlike cake batter where butter's job is aeration before flour joins, frosting butter must emulsify with sugar alone, so there is no leavening rescue if it breaks — scrape the bowl every 60 seconds to keep the cream smooth and uniform.
If the mixture curdles after adding 2 tbsp of milk, beat another 90 seconds and the fat will re-emulsify. Chill the bowl 10 minutes, not the butter, to firm a droopy batch before piping rosettes.