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.
Scott
I used this whipped cream to decorate a Tres Leches Cake and it was spot-on! I piped it around the base of the cake, then piped rosettes around the top, and finally dusted it with cinnamon. It all held together nicely, for nearly a week in the fridge. It took us 5 days to finish off the cake, and the whipped cream was just as stable on day five, as it was on day one. This recipe is not overly sweet, and it was a perfect match for the cake. If you’re a fan of Tres Leches I encourage you to try this recipe – you won’t be disappointed.
Thanks!!
Bri
Can a bottled cake drip be added over this frosting once the cake is completely chilled? Thank you!
Sam
Hi Bri! That should work fine. 🙂
Calista
I tried the recipe and chunks of gelatin kept clogging my decorating tip. Any idea what went wrong?
Sam
Hi Calista! It’s really important that the gelatin first absorbs all the water, and then is completely liquid before adding. When mixing, make sure to scrape the bowl so there is not gelatin clumping to the bottom/sides of the bowl.
Mchenzie
I’m making cupcakes for my daughter’s birthday party (next Saturday) and wanted to do as much prep as possible now so that the day before isn’t so stressful. Will this frosting hold up in the fridge for a week?
Sam
Hi Mchenzie! I personally don’t like to store it longer than 4-5 days.
Edith
How and when do I add food coloring to the whipped frosting?
Sam
Hi Edith! I recommend adding a few drops of food gels when the whipped cream is at soft peaks then finish whipping. 🙂
Tammy L Hampton
I am making cupcakes for my brother’s wedding and thought I’d try this frosting. It does not disappoint. It is airy, flavorful, and held up extremely well. This is my new go to frosting recipe.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Yay! We’re so happy it worked so well for you Tammy 🥰
Linda Miranda
I have to make cupcakes for a wedding. Do i just multiply the amounts to make more. Also can i frost the night before and keep in refrigerator?
Sam
Hi Linda! Yes just scale up/multiply. And yes you can, enjoy! 🙂
joann
hey sam!
i’m going to add about 2/3 cups of mango pulp to make a mango frosting. do you think i have to add more gelatin?
Sam
Hi Joann! Without having tried it, I can’t say for sure how that would work.
Dawn
Just to be clear. I can make this recipe and put it on cupcakes and then freeze them and they will hold there shape. I’m making cupcakes for my wedding and want to make them ahead of time. Thanks
Sam
Hi Dawn! There’s always a risk of it sliding off, but if it’s prepared properly and not in a super humid environment, you shouldn’t have any issues with it sliding off the cupcakes. 🙂
Ginny
I’d like to try adding a light coffee flavor to the stabilized whipped cream, to be used to frost an ice cream cake. Should I used instant coffee granules? If so, how much? I’m assuming the granules would dissolve once it is mixed in with the heavy whipping cream. Thanks!!
Sam
Hi Ginny! I’m not sure how well they would dissolve. I personally haven’t tried it so it’s really hard to say for sure. If you do try it, I would love to know how it goes. 🙂
Bianca
Hello! Do you think I can add food colouring to this recipe for cupcakes? Or will it thin out the consistency? Thanks for your input.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Bianca! You sure can. We’d recommend using gel food coloring and stirring it in when the cream is at soft peaks. 🙂
Barb
Made this just to try and it was an epic fail.
Turned into solid liquid
Sam
I’m so sorry to hear this, Barb! Is it possible that it could have been over-mixed? I just made this a few days ago for my grandmother’s birthday cake. 🙂
Kiera
Can I use cherry gelatin instead of unflavored gelatin?
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Hi Kiera! Unfortunately it’s hard to say how that would work without trying it ourselves. You may need to use a bit more than listed here, as the added flavors and other ingredients dilute the actual gelatin a bit. It’s definitely worth playing around with 😊
Charlene martin
Can this recipe be doubled for a 4 layer cake i will be doing .i will split the 2 9inch cake rounds
Sam
Sure thing! 🙂
Tina
Can I add cream cheese to this recipe?
Sam
Hi Tina! I haven’t tried it, but I suspect it would work. I would probably cream the cream cheese with a little bit of sugar and then fold the frosting and the cream cheese mixture together. 🙂
Sarah Z
Great recipe! I made it last week for my son’s chocolate birthday cake. I’ll be using it again tomorrow for my daughter’s birthday cake but I’m going to try adding freeze dried strawberries (Ground down to powder). I hope it turns out well! Thank you for the great recipe!
Alison
Can this icing be used to pipe a design, pop it in the freezer until set, and then transfer it onto the cake (like a buttercream transfer without the buttercream)?
Sam
Hi Alison! Unfortunately I haven’t tried it. It is an airier frosting. It really depends on how detailed you’d like it to be. If you do try it let me know how it goes. 🙂