Butter fat percentage decides whether your croissants laminate, your buttercream splits, and your cookies spread. Most Indian bakers pick by price, then wonder why the recipe failed.

Butter fat: the number that actually matters

Amul unsalted table butter: ~80% fat, ~16% water. Amul Baker's Butter (unsalted): ~82% fat. President (French, unsalted): ~82% fat. Lurpak (Danish): ~82% fat. D'Lecta cultured: ~82% fat. Higher fat = less water = crisper cookies, better lamination, richer buttercream.

Best butter for each application

Buttercream: President or Lurpak. The extra fat and lower water give a silkier, more stable cream that pipes cleanly in Pune weather.

Cookies: Amul unsalted is fine for most, upgrade to President for premium cookies where taste dominates.

Croissants and puff pastry: President or Lurpak, non-negotiable. Amul table butter has too much water and tears during lamination.

Cakes: Amul unsalted works for 90% of orders. Use President for wedding cakes.

Ghee-butter mix for shortbread: 70% butter + 30% ghee gives extra crumble.

Salted vs unsalted

Always buy unsalted for baking. You control the salt. Salted butter varies 1 to 2% salt across brands, which throws off recipes.

Price per kg (2026 India)

Amul unsalted: Rs 520 to 560 per kg. Amul Baker's Butter: Rs 550 to 600 per kg. D'Lecta unsalted: Rs 580 to 620 per kg. President: Rs 850 to 1,100 per kg. Lurpak: Rs 1,200 to 1,500 per kg.

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FAQs

Can I use ghee instead of butter in cakes?

Only for specific Indian recipes (mawa cake, ghee cake). Standard sponges lose structure with ghee.

Does frozen butter work?

Yes, thaw overnight in fridge. Never microwave to soften, it melts unevenly.