sour cream vs cream cheese

Crème fraiche vs. sour cream – is there really a difference? The same can be asked when comparing these two dairy products with cream cheese and even mascarpone. If they look so similar, can they be used interchangeably? Can they be stored in the same bakery refrigeration setups? Do they require the same types of mixers to create similar textures?

Before you can decide what to include in your bakery equipment list and how you can include these various products in your recipes, you'll need to first understand the difference between these four commonly confused dairy products.