Buttercream
Swiss - Swiss buttercream is similar to Italian and French since it also involves eggs. However, this time the egg whites are cooked. It can be a little tricky to achieve the light and airy texture of this type of buttercream but it is very much worth learning. This kind of frosting is a little more stable compared to others which means you can also use it when piping decorative frosting.
German - This is also known as custard buttercream since it is a buttercream that is made with vanilla custard to create a silky frosting. You can control the sweetness of this buttercream by adding or lessening the vanilla and powdered sugar. You can also alter the flavor by creating different kinds of custard such as chocolate, caramel, or even coffee flavored. Just remember that the flavored custard will be less intense once mixed into the butter.
French - This buttercream has a natural yellow color which comes from using egg yolks instead of egg whites. It’s very smooth and doesn’t hold up too well in the heat. There is a learning curve when it comes to making this since it involves pouring hot sugar syrup into the yolks in a mixer. There is a chance that it can scramble the eggs so it has to be done gently.
Italian - This is similar to French buttercream in the sense that you have to use hot sugar syrup. However, this time instead of adding it to egg yolks, you’ll be adding it to egg whites instead. It is lighter in color and does a little better in warmer temperatures.
American - Compared to other buttercreams, this one is quite pale in color when compared. It is also a little more firm in texture because it usually has a high butter content. It is also usually very sweet since it contains powdered sugar and not much else. You can use this type of buttercream if you are going to pipe decorations and embellishments on your cake since it holds up pretty well in room temperature conditions.
Meringue
