This stabilized whipped cream frosting recipe makes lightly sweetened, thick and fluffy, perfectly pipe-able frosting that doesn’t weep or lose its shape! This recipe comes together in 15 minutes and can be used to ice cakes or cupcakes or anywhere in place of store-bought whipped cream! Recipe includes a tutorial video!
A Sweet & Simple Frosting
I’ve received a record number of requests for this whipped cream frosting recipe, and here it is! While I love my existing whipped cream recipe and have bragged often about how stable it is, I’ve also advised that that one is not ideal for icing cakes or cupcakes.
Sure, it’s great, fluffy, un-fussy and so tasty, but if you want a whipped cream frosting, one that is guaranteed to hold its shape, not melt, and last for several days, you really need to stabilize it first.
This requires a simple extra step and a sprinkle of gelatin powder.
The end result is a frosting that’s lightly sweetened (those of you who want a frosting that’s “not too sweet” will love this one), fluffy and creamy, but still stable enough to pipe over cupcakes or frost a two or three layer cake. Pictured above it’s prettily piped over a batch of cupcakes that I made out of my vanilla cake recipe (of course I tossed in a few sprinkles for good measure!)
Let’s get to it!
What You Need
- Gelatin. This is what makes this recipe a stabilized whipped cream. Gelatin stabilizes the cream and keeps the frosting sturdy (even at room temperature) and keeps it from melting over itself or weeping, as classic, un-stabilized whipped cream may be prone to do. I recommend using unflavored gelatin, which, as the name indicates, doesn’t taste like anything so that the natural flavors of the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract can shine through.
- Powdered sugar. Those of you who don’t like sugary frostings will be thrilled to hear that there is only ½ cup of sugar in the whole recipe! (Compare that to classic buttercream frosting, which uses 4 cups or 8x as much sugar for the same amount of icing!). This is just enough sugar to sweeten the stabilized whipped cream and help it hold its thick, fluffy shape.
- Vanilla extract. Added for flavor. Of course I like to use my homemade vanilla extract for best flavor!
- Heavy whipping cream. This is the base of our stabilized whipped cream. It should be as cold as possible (without being frozen) in order to achieve a thick and fluffy frosting. You can use heavy cream, heavy whipping cream, or double cream. “Whipping cream” will work, but since it contains less fat the results aren’t quite as stable as those made with the other creams listed.
This is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why I chose them. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
- Add the gelatin to a microwave safe dish and add cold water. Whisk until the gelatin is smoothly combined with the water and set aside. The gelatin is the fussiest part of this whole (otherwise very simple) recipe. Make sure to follow my notes and you shouldn’t have any issue, though!
- In a separate bowl, combine cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. For best results, use a chilled metal bowl and chill your beaters, too! The colder everything is the better your results will be. Beat the ingredients with an electric mixer and stop once the cream has begun to thicken, but just before reaching soft peaks.
- By now, your gelatin/water mixture should have solidified. Heat it briefly in the microwave just until it’s re-melted and briefly mix it with a whisk (you don’t want it to be very hot, but the gelatin mixture should be 100% liquid and totally smooth or you could end up with a frosting that stays runny or have lumps in your frosting). This usually only takes 5-10 seconds in the microwave. Turn your electric mixer to low-speed and, while beating the cream mixture, slowly whisk in the gelatin.
- Gradually increase the speed on your electric mixer until your whipped cream is fluffy with stiff peaks. It should look like Cool Whip, thick and fluffy!
It may seem counter-intuitive at first to liquify the gelatin and allow it to set up only to re-liquify it again by melting, but it’s important! This is a process known as “blooming” the gelatin, which ensures that the end result is not only smooth (rather than grainy or lumpy) but also that it stabilizes properly.
SAM’S TIP: While the cream must be beaten very well, it is possible to over-beat your cream, leaving you with a rough, curdled-looking mess. If you accidentally overdo it, don’t panic, you might still be able to salvage things! Simply add 1-2 Tablespoons of heavy cream and mix until you’ve reached the proper consistency.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are several reasons this can happen. Most likely, you simply need to keep beating the mixture, it can take some time and requires patience! However, if your gelatin was very, very hot when you added it to the cream, if the cream was not cold enough, or if you are in a very warm kitchen, your cream may not thicken as it should. Set yourself up for success and make sure you follow the steps for blooming the gelatin and use cold cream and a cold bowl (and beaters, too!).
This frosting lasts up to 4-5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge in an airtight container. While it does well at room temperature due to the gelatin, it’s still a dairy-based frosting and so is not ideal for high heat for long periods of time (such as outdoor parties in the summer!). I recommend keeping it chilled. At room temperature (below 75F/24C) I wouldn’t leave it out for more than an hour or two.
Unfortunately I don’t recommend it. If you have a cake that you’d like to use fondant with, I would recommend using my classic buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting instead.
There are many different methods for making whipped cream frosting, but personally I found that this method yielded the most stable results with the most authentic whipped cream taste.
I tried many methods including using more powdered sugar (made the frosting too sweet and did not last as long as this version with gelatin), using a food processor (didn’t hold its shape long enough and still melted), adding cream cheese (tasty, but changed the taste far too much) and using powdered milk (this worked fairly well, but did not hold its shape as long and modified the taste a bit). Ultimately I recommend sticking with the method written in my recipe below.
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Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (this is usually sold near the Jell-O in the grocery store)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons cold water
- 1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream cold
- ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
- Sprinkle gelatin into a microwave safe measuring cup or other small microwave-safe dish (preferably one with a spout to make it easy to pour later on).1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin
- Add water and whisk gelatin and water together until all gelatin has been absorbed. Set mixture aside to sit for 5 minutes.1 ½ Tablespoons cold water
- While gelatin is sitting, combine heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract in a large bowl (preferably a chilled metal bowl). Use an electric mixer to beat until the mixture is thickened, but stop shy of reaching soft peaks.1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream, ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- At this point, check your gelatin. It should have solidified at this point. If so, pop it in the microwave just until the mixture has re-liquified. This usually takes me 5-10 seconds. The mixture should be liquid, but should not be very hot. Use a whisk to briefly stir the contents together to make sure they are smooth.
- With electric mixer on low speed, drizzle liquid gelatin into the cream. Slowly increase speed to medium/high then continue to beat until you have reached stiff, fluffy peaks.
- Immediately pipe or ice cake or cupcakes as desired, or use as desired in place of store-bought whipped cream!
Notes
Storing
I recommend using the frosting for decorating immediately after preparing for best results, but alternatively you may store in an airtight container in the fridge for several days before using as desired. Stabilized whipped cream will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days. This recipe may also be frozen once it is piped onto your dessert.Make it chocolate
Add 3-4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder in with the sugar for a chocolate stabilized whipped cream. If your cocoa is lumpy, make sure to sift before adding.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Jessi
I am making a 2 layer 2 tier cake. Bottom will be 12 in top 10 in. How many batches of this icing will I need to make to cover both cakes?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Jessi! If you double the recipe you should have enough, if not a little extra. We hope you love the frosting!
Medley
HI, can you add lime zest to this or will that cause the frosting to break? Thanks
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
That should work fine! Enjoy 😊
Shannon
Hi can you add food color to this?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yes, you will want to start stirring it in when the cream is at soft peaks. Enjoy, Shannon! 🙂
Carrie
I’ve never worked with gelatin before so I was a bit nervous to try this recipe but it was surprisingly simple and turned out beautifully! I used it to ice a traditional English Victoria Sponge cake and the flavour was perfect. Thank you so much for all your wonderful recipes.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy it turned out for you, Carrie! Sounds like the perfect combination. Enjoy! ❤️
Robin
I am making a 3 tiered wedding cake. Is this “stabilized whip cream frosting” recipe a good choice for this type of cake?
Also, would this type if frosting hold an all-edge chocolate ganache dripping design?
Any/all suggestions/ideas/tips would be deeply appreciated.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Robin! This frosting will work for stacked cakes, but we’re not sure how it would do with the ganache. Definitely make sure your ganache isn’t too hot, or it may melt the frosting. Let us know how it turns out for you!
Lesa
How many days will it last in a 3 tier cake on the counter? Or do you recommend it be put in the fridge?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
It needs to be refrigerated since it’s a cream-based frosting. Enjoy, Lesa! 😊
Susan
So I don’t know why this happened, I followed the directions to a T, but my gelatin did not incorporate into the whipped cream. It solidified into rubbery clumps and strings. I didn’t want to over whip the mixture, so the only part I could use was basically just whipped cream. I was very disappointed since I made this for my son’s birthday cake (and he brought his girlfriend😩so I wanted it to be perfect)
Sam
Hi Susan! This is frustrating and I am sorry to hear this. This usually happens if the gelatin is not properly 100% re-liquified when it is whipped into the cream, unfortunately. If it is all added at once rather than drizzled in, this can sometimes cause this, as well.
Susan
I just read that if you add 1 teaspoon of heavy cream to the melted gelatin, it cools down the gelatin and helps it mix into the whipped cream better. I’ll try that next time.
Sam
Just be careful that it doesn’t cause the gelatin (or some parts of it) to re-solidify prematurely, especially since the cream is typically quite cold. This may be more likely to actually cause more lumps, but is certainly worth experimenting with!
Rosi
Hi Sam, just wondering how I can use the recipe if I don’t have a microwave. Thanks in advance.
Sam
Hi Rosi! I would gently reheat in a small saucepan.
Rosi
Wowwwww, absolutely beautiful. Thanks for this recipe. I have never ever done a cake de oration before and hours before my daughter BD we realized that two of her friends are GF, of course no time to order so I used your recipe and it turned out beautiful and amazing, easy and straightforward, thanks for sharing🙂🙂
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
We’re so happy this recipe worked out for you, Rosi! Happy birthday to your daughter ❤️
Shannon
Can I use food color in this recipe?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Shannon! You can add food coloring. You will want to start stirring it in when the cream is at soft peaks. 🙂
Mints
My whipping cream is watery how do I thicken it?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Mints! We’re so sorry this is happening. We actually cover several causes for this and how you might be able to remedy it in the FAQ section of this post.
Mary
How much coco powder should i add to make it chocolate?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Mary! We haven’t experimented with making a chocolate version of this recipe just yet, but we think adding about 2-4 Tablespoons of cocoa powder with the powdered sugar should do the trick. Let us know how it turns out!
Mary
Ill be trying it out today and cannot wait! I will definitely post how it came out!
Miranda
I absolutely love this frosting! It was a hit with the kids. For the first time I didn’t have any leftover cake. Even the parents loved it. Not too sweet, heavy or thick. I paired it with chocolate cake. I was asked for the recipe 4 times. What a success! Thank you so much!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
It’s one of our favorites too, Miranda! Thanks for letting us know how much everyone loved it 🙂
AR
Can this frosting be spread on the cake, then frozen and thawed?
Sam
That should work just fine. 🙂
Shalima
Hi can I don’t have gelatin can I use cream of tarter instead and how much to use.
Sam
Hi Shalima! That would take a bit more testing for me to be confident advising on, unfortunately.
Cathy
This was super easy for a non-pro and delicious! Spreads very nicely on a cake too. Thank you!
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sooo much better than store bought, right? We’re so glad you loved this one, Cathy! 🙂
LPL Kenyon
can I add food coloring to make the frosting a fun color and if so at what step?
Sam
Yes! I would add the food coloring at the “soft peaks” stage, so before you fully reach stiff peaks. Enjoy!
Dorian
What if i made the whipped cream beforehand, could i add the gelatin after the whipped cream has been whipped?
Sam
I’m not sure how that would work.
Sara
Hi! Looking forward to trying this recipe! Have you tried adding coloring? If so, at what stage do you recommend adding it? Thanks for your help!
Sam
Hi Sara! You can add food coloring. You will want to start stirring it in when the cream is at soft peaks. 🙂
Joe
Hello, I’d like to make this and just a quick question. can I refrigerate this for several hours before I use it to frost a cake?
Sam
Hi Joe! I cover how to make in advance in the notes section. I hope you love the frosting! 🙂
Jacqueline Marino
Hi can you frost a cake with this????
Sam
Yes! Enjoy 🙂